All Chapters of 842 Days in the Asylum: My Family’s Gift: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Lyra’s POVThe Kane hated me for taking their real daughter’s place, so after they found her, they turned me into a scapegoat for something their real daughter did wrong and locked me away in an asylum. I thought I was finally free the day I was released—but they found me again, smiling as they claimed I was actually their true daughter after all.Eight hundred and forty-two days. That’s how long it had been since I last stood outside without someone watching me, waiting to drag me back inside and force more of those bitter pills down my throat.“Lyra, go live your life and don’t ever come back!” Annie, my only friend in there, shouted behind the gates before the nurses dragged her away. Her screams faded into the distance, leaving a chill crawling down my spine.Live my life? I chuckled bitterly at Annie’s words. Now that I was finally free, I realized I had nowhere to go.I’d been happy enough to not end up in the street. How dare I hope to live my life.Pathetic, wasn’t it?I walked

Chapter 2

Lyra’s POVBy the tenth time Matteo glanced at me through the rearview mirror, he finally spoke. “Mother has been preparing for your return since this morning. She’s happy to finally see you.”I said nothing.“Father didn’t say much, but I saw him redecorate your room,” Matteo continued. Still, I stayed silent.His voice turned impatient. “Alright, Lyra. I know you’ve spent two years in that crazy place, but do you have to act like everyone owes you something? You already stole fifteen years from Lily. Can’t you give two years back to her?”I finally turned to look at him. “So that’s why they sent you to pick me up? So I could go back and spend the rest of my life paying Lily back? Playing her scapegoat whenever she does something wrong?”Matteo slammed his hand against the steering wheel. “Don’t fucking talk to me like that. I volunteered to come here and pick you up because—” He cut himself off and exhaled harshly. “Whatever tantrum you want to throw, don’t do it today. Father and

Chapter 3

Lyra’s POVI closed my eyes and waited for the worst.But then Matteo was there. Tires screeched violently behind me before strong hands grabbed my shoulders.“Lyra? Lyra!” His voice sounded furious and panicked at the same time. “Are you fucking insane? You jumped out of the car!”I forced my eyes open slowly.Matteo was still Matteo. But for the first time in years, there was something in his eyes besides disgust. Fear? Panic? Maybe even the slightest bit of concern.The look was so unfamiliar that for a moment, it felt like he was staring at someone else instead of me.When we were younger, I used to follow Matteo everywhere like his shadow. He would laugh and call me his little tail.Even after Lily arrived, I still clung to him out of habit. Blood or not, we had grown up together. Loving him had once felt as natural as breathing.But after Lily came home, everything changed. Whenever I approached Matteo, he no longer called me his little tail. He only told me to fuck off.“I wis

Chapter 4

Lyra’s POVMatteo looked at me as if I were something precious, but all I wanted to do was tell him to stop pretending.The Kane had been the ones to throw me into that hellhole. Where had this sudden concern come from? And if Matteo had really paid the doctors to take good care of me, then why had they treated me the way they did?I still remembered the nurses forcing handfuls of pills down my throat, the restraints around my wrists and those endless hours tied to a bed, unable to even stand on my own.They were monsters, and the Kane had been the worst of them all.“Leave me... alone...” I whispered.Matteo’s face immediately paled.“Lyra,” he said quietly, “tell me who did this to you. Who hurt you in there?”I turned my head away and refused to look at him.A long sigh escaped him, but he didn’t leave. Instead, he pulled over a chair and sat beside my bed.The room fell silent.For a while, the only sounds were our breathing and the steady hum of the hospital machines.“When will y

Chapter 5

Lyra’s POV“We’re here.” Matteo’s voice gently pulled me awake.I must have fallen asleep during the drive, not that it had been a peaceful sleep. Like always, it had been another nightmare.I was fifteen again, standing in front of my birthday cake. Mama had told me to wait for Papa to come home before blowing out the candles, but I had been too excited. I closed my eyes, made a wish, and whispered it with all my heart.“I want Papa, Mama, and Brother to stay with me forever.”As I looked at the familiar mansion outside the window, I almost laughed at the irony. That wish had come true in the worst possible way.I was back. Back in the house that had become my nightmare.“Come on.” Matteo got out first, then walked around and opened my door.He hesitated for a moment before extending a hand. “You’re still weak. Do you want me to carry you inside?”The question sounded polite. Considerate, even.But I knew better. Matteo wasn’t worried about me. He was probably worried I might lose co

Chapter 6

Lyra’s POVFor the first time in years, Matteo was defending me. The feeling was so strange I didn't know what to do with it.“Matteo...” Lily whispered, tears spilling over.An uncomfortable silence settled over the room.Eventually, Mama forced a smile and stepped forward, “Alright, alright. If Matteo says he got into a fight, then he got into a fight. Let’s not argue today.” Her voice softened, gentle once more. “Lyra, I apologize. I misread the situation and blamed you. You’re a good girl—you wouldn’t ever hurt your own family, would you?”She stepped closer, reaching for my arm. “We’re all so happy to have you home. You’ve been away for almost three years.”Instinctively, I stepped aside.Her hand closed on empty air. For a brief second, hurt flashed across Mama’s face. But all I felt was the familiar urge to put more distance between us.“Just keep spoiling her,” Papa scoffed as he stood. On his way past me, he shot me a look full of irritation. “If she did something wrong, she

Chapter 7

Lyra’s POV“This year, Lily became old enough to know the truth,” Papa continued. “So your mother and I finally told her. She accepted it well. We thought it was time to bring you home and tell you the truth too.”He let out a long sigh and fell silent.Mama immediately picked up where he left off.“See, Lyra?” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “We are your real family. Baby, come here. I'm so happy I can finally tell you the truth.”Her lips kept moving. But I couldn't hear another word.“We are your real family."Then why? Why? Why!!!!?Just because they wanted Aunt Alice's daughter to grow up happy, they had decided it was acceptable to sacrifice me?“Lyra, you're blaming me, aren't you?” Mama's eyes reddened. “You have to understand. Alice was more than my sister. She was like a mother to me. Her dying wish was for her daughter to have a happy life. We had to...”She opened her arms toward me, smiling. It was a relieved, almost self-congratulatory smile, as if she believed everything ha

Chapter 8

Lyra’s POVPapa frowned. “You're talking as if we sent you somewhere terrible. Your brother and I paid extra to make sure the doctors looked after you. You had a roof over your head, meals brought to you every day, and people taking care of your needs. For all intents and purposes, it was practically a resort. I honestly don't understand what you're so upset about.”I stood so abruptly that my chair scraped violently across the floor. “Vacation?”My voice cracked. “Vacation?”I laughed, then I screamed. But no amount of screaming could release the despair clawing at my chest. “Vacation?!”I hurled the empty glass across the room. It smashed against the wall and exploded into countless shards.I rolled up my sleeves. Needle marks, bruises, old scars.Then I lifted the back of my shirt.Mama gasped. Papa fell silent. Matteo was on his feet instantly. “Lyra—”He wrapped his arms around me.I shoved him away. I couldn't stand his touch. I couldn’t stand anyone’s touch. “If it was such a

Chapter 9

Lyra’s POVPapa stopped. Nobody moved.“Alright,” Mama sobbed. “Alright.”Her trembling hands searched through her pockets until she found her phone. She opened the recording app and held the screen up for me to see.“I, Elara Kane, hereby renounce all ties to Lyra Kane. From this day forward, she will have no connection to the Kane family.”“Add this,” I said coldly. “You will never force me to come back. If I leave today, you will never interfere with my life again.”Mama's shoulders shook. But she repeated every word.When she finished, I lowered the knife. Lily collapsed immediately into Mama's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.Mama held her tight. Papa rushed to them. Matteo stood frozen where he was.I looked at them one last time, then I turned toward the front door and ran.I heard Papa yelling for the guards to stop me.Then I heard Mama shouting back. “Let her go!”I didn't look back. I kept running until I found a small pawn shop tucked between two old buildings. Inside, I took

Chapter 10

Lyra’s POVMy voice remained calm, almost too calm. “I could have died a hundred times, Matteo.”His face went pale.“Did she go easy on me? Did anyone go easy on me?”I took a step closer. “She stood there while that man beat me. She stood there while you called me a stray…She stood there while another girl took everything that was supposed to be mine.”My throat tightened. “All because she wanted to fulfill some promise to her sister.”Matteo opened his mouth, but I didn't let him speak.“I will never go back to see her again.” The words came out firm. “I don't even want to see you.”“Lyra, please…” Matteo begged.“You walked in here on your own.” I gestured around the small restaurant. “The only reason I'm talking to you right now is because I work here and don't have the authority to throw customers out.”Matteo looked genuinely hurt. But I didn't stop.“In my eyes, Matteo, you're just another stranger, if not worse.”With every word I spoke, the color drained more from Matteo’s fa

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