The Fake Sister’s Lies Couldn’t Silence Me Chapter 07
Sloane stared at the footage.
The crying stopped.
She hadn’t counted on a second camera.
“I switched the tags.”
“But I didn’t know the trail had collapsed.”
“I just wanted to scare her.”
The officer pressed on.
“When the teacher noticed she was missing, why did you say she’d caught a ride home?”
“I didn’t want to get in trouble.”
“And when the driver realized someone was missing, why did you lie to him too?”
Sloane bit her lip.
“She has so many friends.”
“I really thought she’d called a car.”
“And when she messaged you saying she’d fallen and was stuck?”
Sloane looked at the floor.
It took her a long time to answer.
“I thought she was faking it.”
Brennan cut in.
“That’s on me.”
Everyone looked at him.
He swallowed.
“I’m the one who told everyone she was pulling a stunt for attention.”
“I’m the one who snatched the phone out of the driver’s hand so he couldn’t answer her call.”
“Sloane was just following my lead.”
The officer frowned.
“Did you tell her to switch the tags as well?”
Brennan didn’t answer.
Sloane grabbed his arm.
“Brennan, do something.”
“I can’t get expelled.”
“I can’t have a suspension on my transcript.”
Brennan looked at her.
Then at me.
This time, he didn’t jump in.
I took the officer’s notebook and started writing.
3:40 p.m. – I noticed my trail tag had been changed.
4:07 – I fell into the mine shaft.
4:12 – I called Brennan for the first time.
4:16 I messaged Sloane.
6:20 – Mr. Harlan called me.
Before I could say a word, Brennan hung up.
The officer looked up from the notebook.
“You remember all of this?”
I nodded.
I was a social butterfly.
Remembering people was what I did best. Their names, their stories, the things they mentioned
once and forgot.
I’d only ever used it to get people to like me.
This time, it would speak for me.
The police escorted Sloane out for an official statement. The school suspended her from all extracurricular activities.
At the door, she turned back.
“Happy now, Tessa?”
“Everyone’s on your side.”
“This family was fine before you showed up!”
Mom shot to her feet.
“Sloane!”
But I picked up the plastic spoon and took a bite of soup.
She was right.
Before I moved in, they really were happy.
Nobody had to look at the daughter she’d left behind for seventeen years.
Nobody had to admit that every broken thing about her was something she broke.
That evening, a post went up on the school forum.
The title:
[New Girl Collects Personal Info on Entire School, Then Stages Her Own Disappearance to Frame a
Classmate]
The post included photos of my notebook.
Names, birthdays, family details, allergies, all of it, photographed and posted.
The OP claimed I’d been digging up dirt on everyone.
They also said I’d switched the trail tag myself.
The footage showed Sloane pulling out the blue tag. It didn’t show who pinned it to my backpack.
The comments blew up.
[She’s not a social butterfly… she’s a social predator.]
[She literally has files on her classmates’ parents’ personal problems. That’s stalker behavior.]
[Wait, did she fake the whole thing??]
Brennan burst into my room.
“Sloane didn’t post it.”
I looked at him.
He couldn’t hold my stare. His voice trailed off.
“The police have her phone.”
“It’s probably one of her friends.”
I typed.
[You’re not here about the post. You’re here because you’re afraid I’ll press charges.]
He opened his mouth.
“I just don’t want this to get any worse.”
I nodded.
I understood.
Before, he silenced me to protect Sloane.
Now he needed me to talk, still to protect Sloane.
