Chapter 5

I floated above, watching Dad rage at Mom, accusing her of abandoning me on the snowy mountain and not caring whether I lived or died.

I couldn't help but let out a cold snicker. As if he were any better.

Back then, when Dad came home from a business trip and found out Mom had beaten me black and blue, he didn't say a word against her. Instead, he actually praised her for "teaching me a lesson".

Dad was as quick to jump to the conclusion that I was lying, never once seeing me as anything more than a nuisance, like Mom.

Now, watching them put on their fake caring faces was just disgusting.

I couldn't figure out why, even after my body was found, I was still stuck here, unable to move on.

At least they hadn't gone that far. They didn't leave my body in this unfamiliar city.

On the day of my funeral, tons of people showed up. Everyone was surprised and sorry about my death.

I floated above, quietly watching it all. Then I suddenly spotted someone in the distance—someone I never thought would show up.

It was Grandma, whom I hadn't seen in nearly ten years. Her hair was pure white now, and she shuffled along with a cane, barely steady on her feet.

Her eyes were red and swollen. She brushed off Mom's attempt to help, pushed Dad aside when he tried to greet her, and headed straight for my portrait.

Grandma said, "Cheryl, sorry I'm late."

My nose stung, and my eyes instantly filled with tears.

Didn't Grandma dislike me? Why would she come to my funeral?

After greeting me, Grandma didn't care who was watching. She tore into Mom and Dad right there. "I entrusted Cheryl to you all those years ago, and this is how you treated her?

"Even an animal wouldn't harm its own young. Cheryl is your daughter, too. How could you never find a place for her in your hearts?"

Grandma's scolding hit Mom hard. Her eyes turned red in an instant, and she couldn't stop crying.

"Grandma, Mom never wanted Cheryl to die. It was just an accident," Olivia said.

Olivia rushed to protect Mom. She had always been terrified of Grandma, who was strict and never cracked a smile. She'd throw fits whenever Mom wanted Grandma to visit.

Now, after all these years, Olivia stared at Grandma like she was a total stranger, her gaze colder than ever.

"This is the ungrateful child you two created! She's been faking sickness and lying since she was little, and even now, nothing has changed," Grandma snapped.

With a harsh tone, Grandma recounted the past, word by word. "Olivia was saved by Cheryl's cord blood. Her health has been fine for years. I took her for a full check-up long ago, and she was completely fine.

"But you? You always took her at face value, believed every time she said she felt unwell, and never once questioned if she was pretending."

My mind drifted back to the days I spent at Grandma's house. That was the happiest time of my life.

Back then, I really believed she was the only one who cared about me. But after everything that happened later, I ended up losing faith in her completely.

Mom said, "Mom, who would ever mess around with their own health? Olivia has been sickly since she was little. Everyone knows that. Why do you still refuse to accept her, just like you always have?"

Mom wouldn't tolerate anyone saying Olivia was faking it, not even if it was Grandma.

She'd spent countless nights taking care of Olivia, barely sleeping or changing clothes. There was no way any of that could've been a lie.

Grandma said, "You're still blind to reality. For the sake of this liar, you made Cheryl climb that mountain while she was burning with fever.

"If I hadn't asked the coroner myself, how much longer would you have kept this secret from me?"

Grandma's face twisted with disappointment and grief. "I've kept this report safe all this time. See for yourself. If you still don't believe me, you can take Olivia for another check-up right now."

Mom's hands trembled as she took the report, but before she could even read it, Olivia snatched it away and tore it to pieces.

Olivia's eyes darted with guilt, terrified someone would see through her and reveal the shameful side she'd kept buried for years.

She said, "Grandma, I know you never liked me. I'm not as strong or talented as Cheryl, and I'll never be someone important. But you can't slander me like this.

"Yes, I'm healthier than I used to be, but I'm still not as strong as most people. Mom's right. No one would mess around with their own health. The snowy mountain trip was my mistake.

"I didn't notice Cheryl wasn't feeling well, and I overestimated myself. None of us wanted this accident to happen."

She acted pitiful, trying to shift the blame onto others and absolve herself of any fault.

But Grandma was as shrewd as ever. She saw right through Olivia's little performance. "Cheryl's dead now. There's no one left to call you out anymore."

"Mom, you've always been so distant with Olivia. She's your granddaughter, too. Can't you stop treating her like she's your enemy?" Mom said.

She instinctively defended Olivia, even after Grandma spelled everything out. She still couldn't bring herself to doubt the daughter she'd raised herself.

"That's enough! I should never have trusted you to treat them both fairly. If I'd known how things would turn out, I should never have let you take Cheryl from me," Grandma said.

Her whole body trembled with anguish as she recalled the past, barely able to speak through her tears. "Ever since Cheryl turned nine, you refused to let me see her, not even during holidays or family gatherings.

"I still have no idea why you would do such a thing."

"Because..." Mom suddenly collapsed to the floor, covering her face as she sobbed uncontrollably. "I saw how much Cheryl relied on you, and I was terrified she wouldn't need me anymore.

"That's why I felt I had no choice but to make that decision."