Chapter 2
I just couldn't bring myself to let my mom face those debt collectors all by herself, so I forced myself to step up and take the hit.
The day I had to leave school, my homeroom teacher held my hand, begging me not to go.
She even offered to pay my tuition, telling me to just focus on my studies, but I forced myself to refuse her kindness and walked away.
No one knew that that night, I curled up alone in my cold bed, crying myself hoarse, my eyes swollen and my voice nearly gone.
But now, I was fine.
This time around, I was living for myself.
*****
"Mom, you should start packing," I said as I stepped out of my room, looking at her worried, sad face.
"The court officials are coming to seal off the house tomorrow. I'll be staying at school, and you'll need to find somewhere to stay and get a job soon," I added.
Just like in my previous life, the police already figured out that my dad secretly borrowed all that money and wasted it all gambling, so they weren't going to make me or Mom pay it back.
But the house we lived in was under my dad's name, so it was about to get seized by the court.
In theory, as long as Mom and I didn't touch any of Dad's assets, we could stay out of it. But reality always had other plans…
Just as I expected, as soon as the words left my mouth, Mom burst into tears and started yelling, her eyes red and wild.
She cried out, "No! Absolutely not. If you want to leave, go ahead. I'd rather die than leave this house!
"This place holds all the memories of me and your dad. It's the symbol of our marriage. I'm the lady of this home, and if I have to, I'll go down with this house.
"If I leave, what if your dad comes back one day and can't find me? What then?"
Talk about deja vu, this scene was all too familiar.
It was just like my last life, down to every detail.
Even though I got a second chance at life, seeing Mom like this still made my heart clench painfully.
My heart throbbed with pain, and my chest felt so tight I thought I might suffocate any second.
Back in my last life, Mom was exactly like this.
She went to pieces, crying and screaming, refusing to leave. When I wouldn't budge, she threatened to end it all, and even tried to jump off the building right in front of me.
Back then, I had just turned seventeen. I'd never seen anything like it before. I just crumpled to the floor, overwhelmed by guilt and shame.
So after they managed to save her, I caved.
I kept the house for her, took on all of Dad's debts, and threw away the bright future I could've had.
But after everything I did, what did I get in return?
When Dad came crawling back, demanding I take care of him, Mom turned on me.
She said, "Parents' kindness is above everything. If it wasn't for your dad, you wouldn't even be here!
"Don't think you're all grown up just because you took care of me for a few years. I never begged you to drop out and pay off the debts. If it weren't for you, I would've already gone back to your dad and started over…
"Men are everything to women. As long as your dad's here, we can walk tall. You went to school for years and still don't get it!"
And on and on it went...
As I thought about all that, my eyes turned icy.
I stood up, and with Mom staring at me in shock, I headed straight for the balcony and jumped out the window.
Even as I was about to go, I couldn't help but yell one last, gut-wrenching line. "Mom! I know all you want is to leave here and find Dad. You think I'm just a burden... Don't worry, I'll give you what you want."
Right after that, there was a loud thud outside the window. Everyone in the building freaked out.
A bunch of people watched me jump with their own eyes. It was only the third floor, but that was still enough to kill someone.
Lucky for me, I survived.
I landed right on an old, abandoned foam mattress. Looks like I might actually make it out alive.
"Somebody help!" someone yelled.
"Call an ambulance! Call the police! She's still breathing..." another voice shouted.
When I heard that, the last bit of tension in my body finally let go.
This time, my gamble paid off.
*****
When I woke up again, I was in the hospital.
Doctors and cops were all around me, along with a few kind neighbors and the building manager.
As for Mom, she'd already been taken to the police station for questioning.
Because of the things I shouted before I jumped, the police suspected she might have coerced or forced me into it.
"Helena, you're awake..." one of the neighbors said.
"Don't worry, the doctor said it's just a minor fracture and a concussion. You'll be fine after some rest. But seriously, don't ever scare us like that again, okay?" another neighbor added.
"Yeah, we all heard what happened. Your mom really went way too far this time! All for some scumbag who ditched his family, she actually pushed you to the edge like that. How could she be so cruel?" a third neighbor chimed in.