Chapter 2 · I Refused To Keep Smiling

Chapter 2

I shook my head. "No. I just didn't know how to say anything else. In my mother's world, evil was love, and suffering was a blessing. That's what I learned growing up."

Tony pulled out a photo and slid it across the table.

In the picture, Carmen Tyler wore a white silk dress. A tear hung at the corner of her eye. She stood in the mud, holding my photo.

Behind her, assistants held up cameras.

"After you disappeared, your mother cried on her livestream," Tony said. "She said she'd give up everything to get you back."

I glanced at the photo. "Mr. Buckley, look at her shoes."

Tony glanced down.

"They're high heels," I said. "If your daughter were missing, would you wear those to look for her?"

Tony didn't answer. He flipped the photo over and set it flat on the table.

I couldn't help but laugh.

My mother, Carmen Tyler, had five million followers online.

Her brand was love and positive energy.

Everyone thought she was elegant, gentle, and perfect.

Only I knew how terrifying she really was.

"Mr. Buckley, do you know what happens at home if I'm even a little unhappy?" I asked. "I get sent to the mirror room."

Tony leaned forward. "The mirror room?"

"It's a room covered in mirrors. I'm not allowed to leave until I can smile for six hours straight." I looked at him. "In our house, being unhappy is a crime."

Tony went quiet for a long time. He took out a cigarette, rolled it between his fingers, but didn't light it.

"If what you're saying is true, we can open a case," he said finally. "But we need statements. We need evidence."

"I don't have any," I said. "She never hit me. She just smiled and asked why I was making her sad."

Footsteps echoed outside the door. The sharp, steady click of high heels sounded all too familiar.

I could tell right away it was Carmen.

Tony stood up. "She's here. The procedure says you need to see her."

I stayed where I was. My body started to tense. The corners of my mouth lifted again on their own.

Tony paused at the door and looked back at me. "Lois, if you don't want to smile, you don't have to."

I didn't say a word.

The door opened.

Carmen stood there, dressed in spotless white. There wasn't a single wrinkle.

She opened her arms. Her face was soft, almost holy. "Lois, my sunshine. Come home with me."

I sat there, my stomach churning.

But I gave her my most practiced smile.

She walked in without looking at Tony or the files. Her eyes stayed locked on me.

She rushed over. Her orange blossom perfume hit me.

It smelled fresh, but it made me want to throw up.

"Lois, my sun. You've suffered." Her tears fell onto my shoulder. They were warm.

I didn't move. My smile stayed in place.

"Mom, I'm fine. I'm learning about life," I said.

She pulled back and cupped my face, studying me closely. "You've lost weight. Your energy feels off."

She turned to Tony and gave him a gentle, polite smile. "Thank you for saving my daughter. I'll take it from here. Love heals everything."

Tony hesitated. He touched his pocket but didn't take out the cigarette. "Mrs. Tyler, Lois isn't in a stable mental state. I strongly suggest a professional mental health facility instead of—"

"I'm the best counselor," Carmen cut in, her voice soft but firm. "No one knows my daughter better than I do."

She took my hand. "Let's go, Lois. I made you an energy meal. We need to clear all the negativity from these past three months."

I followed her out of the station.

Three men stood at the entrance. Two held cameras. One held a fill light.

They were Carmen's team.

"Lois is out," one assistant whispered to the cameraman.

Carmen gave a small nod. She held my hand and stepped onto the stairs. She faced the camera, her eyes shining with tears and strength.

"Thank you all for your concern," she said. "Lois is back. We will use love to dissolve this darkness. As long as there is light in your heart, the shadows will fade."

The cameras flashed.

I looked straight into the lenses and kept smiling.

In that moment, I felt it clearly. I stopped being a person. I turned back into a prop.

*****

The front door opened, and a thick, sweet scent from a scented candle hit me right away.

Nothing had changed.

The walls were still cream-colored. The curtains were still bright yellow. Sunflowers were everywhere, blooming like they were trying too hard to look alive.

A bowl of green liquid sat on the table.

Chapter 2

I shook my head. "No. I just didn't know how to say anything else. In my mother's world, evil was love, and suffering was a blessing. That's what I learned growing up."

Tony pulled out a photo and slid it across the table.

In the picture, Carmen Tyler wore a white silk dress. A tear hung at the corner of her eye. She stood in the mud, holding my photo.

Behind her, assistants held up cameras.

"After you disappeared, your mother cried on her livestream," Tony said. "She said she'd give up everything to get you back."

I glanced at the photo. "Mr. Buckley, look at her shoes."

Tony glanced down.

"They're high heels," I said. "If your daughter were missing, would you wear those to look for her?"

Tony didn't answer. He flipped the photo over and set it flat on the table.

I couldn't help but laugh.

My mother, Carmen Tyler, had five million followers online.

Her brand was love and positive energy.

Everyone thought she was elegant, gentle, and perfect.

Only I knew how terrifying she really was.

"Mr. Buckley, do you know what happens at home if I'm even a little unhappy?" I asked. "I get sent to the mirror room."

Tony leaned forward. "The mirror room?"

"It's a room covered in mirrors. I'm not allowed to leave until I can smile for six hours straight." I looked at him. "In our house, being unhappy is a crime."

Tony went quiet for a long time. He took out a cigarette, rolled it between his fingers, but didn't light it.

"If what you're saying is true, we can open a case," he said finally. "But we need statements. We need evidence."

"I don't have any," I said. "She never hit me. She just smiled and asked why I was making her sad."

Footsteps echoed outside the door. The sharp, steady click of high heels sounded all too familiar.

I could tell right away it was Carmen.

Tony stood up. "She's here. The procedure says you need to see her."

I stayed where I was. My body started to tense. The corners of my mouth lifted again on their own.

Tony paused at the door and looked back at me. "Lois, if you don't want to smile, you don't have to."

I didn't say a word.

The door opened.

Carmen stood there, dressed in spotless white. There wasn't a single wrinkle.

She opened her arms. Her face was soft, almost holy. "Lois, my sunshine. Come home with me."

I sat there, my stomach churning.

But I gave her my most practiced smile.

She walked in without looking at Tony or the files. Her eyes stayed locked on me.

She rushed over. Her orange blossom perfume hit me.

It smelled fresh, but it made me want to throw up.

"Lois, my sun. You've suffered." Her tears fell onto my shoulder. They were warm.

I didn't move. My smile stayed in place.

"Mom, I'm fine. I'm learning about life," I said.

She pulled back and cupped my face, studying me closely. "You've lost weight. Your energy feels off."

She turned to Tony and gave him a gentle, polite smile. "Thank you for saving my daughter. I'll take it from here. Love heals everything."

Tony hesitated. He touched his pocket but didn't take out the cigarette. "Mrs. Tyler, Lois isn't in a stable mental state. I strongly suggest a professional mental health facility instead of—"

"I'm the best counselor," Carmen cut in, her voice soft but firm. "No one knows my daughter better than I do."

She took my hand. "Let's go, Lois. I made you an energy meal. We need to clear all the negativity from these past three months."

I followed her out of the station.

Three men stood at the entrance. Two held cameras. One held a fill light.

They were Carmen's team.

"Lois is out," one assistant whispered to the cameraman.

Carmen gave a small nod. She held my hand and stepped onto the stairs. She faced the camera, her eyes shining with tears and strength.

"Thank you all for your concern," she said. "Lois is back. We will use love to dissolve this darkness. As long as there is light in your heart, the shadows will fade."

The cameras flashed.

I looked straight into the lenses and kept smiling.

In that moment, I felt it clearly. I stopped being a person. I turned back into a prop.

*****

The front door opened, and a thick, sweet scent from a scented candle hit me right away.

Nothing had changed.

The walls were still cream-colored. The curtains were still bright yellow. Sunflowers were everywhere, blooming like they were trying too hard to look alive.

A bowl of green liquid sat on the table.