When I spoke, even my mom froze.
That alone told me how much I had changed.
In the past, I used to lower my head whenever the Wilchers spoke. I listened. I endured. I convinced myself they were elders who deserved respect simply because they were older and louder. Even when I was unhappy, I swallowed it. I didn't challenge them. I didn't push back.
But that Riley was gone.
I had already died once and crawled my way back. I wasn't wasting this second life playing obedient anymore. Especially not for people who never saw me as family.
Certainly not the Wilchers.
Benjamin's face twisted the moment my words landed.
"You little brat," he snapped. "What kind of nonsense is coming out of your mouth?"
The pressure in the room shifted. It wasn't just anger. It was the kind of force that came from someone used to being obeyed. His stare was heavy, sharp, like he expected me to fold under it.
I didn't.
Before he could continue, Lewis stepped forward.
