Chapter 2

Meanwhile, I could hear the sound of stifled sobs drifting to my ears.

It was Daniel and my coworkers.

They were holding a secret farewell for me.

They couldn't let anyone know, afraid the drug dealers' crew might come after the families of those who went undercover.

Daniel was bent over in grief, clutching my urn, his sobs wracking his whole body.

"Poor girl..." He couldn't get other words out but just repeated them again and again.

He was the one who guided me from the very start. To me, he was more than just a leader. He was like a father and a big brother.

The Chief of Police patted his shoulder, his voice choked with emotion. "She did so much for the people. They'll never forget her.

"And we'll do everything we can to take care of the family of our fallen hero."

As soon as Mom and Dad walked in the door that evening, Grandma asked anxiously, "Has something happened to Lucy? She hasn't called me in days, and when I try to call her, she doesn't answer."

She was sitting in her wheelchair, worry written all over her face.

At the mention of me, Mom's and Dad's cheerful expressions instantly darkened.

"Why do you keep talking about that embarrassing brat? I don't get why you mention her every single day." Dad's voice was icy, dripping with disdain.

Grandma said nothing, just turned her wheelchair and rolled away to her room, all alone.

I followed behind her and reached out to help push her wheelchair, but my hands slipped right through it.

Just then, I heard a cat's cry, and a huge black furball came flying at me.

Instinctively, I opened my arms, trying to catch the little furball.

But just like before, my hands passed right through it.

It hit the floor with a stunned look and let out a loud cry of pain.

But it quickly got up, rubbed against my legs, and rolled over to show me its belly.

Clearly, it wanted me to give it a belly rub, just like old times.

Grandma watched the scene, tears glistening in her eyes. "Milo, do you miss Lucy, too?"

Milo was the stray cat I'd rescued a while back.

It had been ages since I'd seen it, and it'd definitely put on some weight.

"That silly girl, tomorrow's her birthday. Has she even remembered it herself?" Grandma murmured.

As she fussed, she opened the cabinet by her bed and took out an envelope with cash in it, along with a pair of bright red socks.

It was only then that I realized it, too.

Tomorrow was my birthday.

But in the whole family, Grandma was the only one who still remembered.

In the living room, Mom and Dad were sitting together, talking. "Brianna finally got her cornea transplant. It's like fate was finally on our side. Once she's fully recovered, we've got to celebrate it for our precious girl."

Mom smiled and nodded.

But then she frowned. "Is tomorrow some kind of special day? I just can't shake the feeling that something's off."

Dad thought for a moment, then shook his head and comforted her, "Tomorrow's nothing special. Maybe you've just been too tired lately."

"Get some rest. Brianna's surgery is done, my company landed the big contract, and you got promoted. Things are only going to get better for our family," Dad said as he patted Mom's hand, sounding totally content.

Just then, I heard a startled cry from Grandma's room and floated over to check it out.

When I got there, I saw Milo had suddenly gone wild, biting and tearing at the red socks, leaping around like crazy.

It didn't take long before the brand-new socks were full of holes.

Grandma, sitting in her wheelchair, shouted anxiously, "Milo, what are you doing? That's Lucy's birthday gift!"

But Milo didn't understand a word, just kept going at the socks like a maniac.

Hearing the commotion, Mom and Dad rushed in to see what was going on.

When Dad saw the mess, he scowled and yelled, "Stupid cat! I've told you a million times not to have it around, but you never listen. It always gets into trouble, just like Lucy."

With that, Dad lashed out with his foot at Milo.

Milo let out a cry and scrambled under the bed to hide.

Mom looked at the ruined red socks, her face souring. "Mom, I already made sure you have everything you need to eat and wear. Why do you insist on buying things yourself? Do you think what I get for you isn't good enough?

"Are you trying to make it look like I'm treating you badly in front of everyone?"

Grandma picked up the red socks, clutching them like they were the most precious thing in the world. "I didn't buy these for myself. They're Lucy's birthday gift."

"She's supposed to wear red socks this year to ward off bad luck," Grandma murmured.

Mom and Dad froze, blurting out in unison, "Wait, her birthday? When is that?"

Grandma snapped, her anger boiling over. "Seriously? You're her parents, and you have to ask me when her birthday is? Some parents you are!"

Dad bristled, his voice dripping with resentment. "The moment she was born, my business tanked. Not like I ever blamed her for it. What, am I supposed to treat her like an immortal or what?"

Mom added, "If I hadn't gotten pregnant with her back then, I'd have been a director years ago. I wouldn't still be stuck in this dead-end job."

Grandma's voice trembled with fury. "Don't forget, you're the ones who decided to have her in the first place. Was it Lucy who made you get pregnant?"

Dad shot a cold glance at Grandma's wheelchair, his tone harsh. "Mom, have you lost it? Why do you keep obsessing over that walking disaster?

"If it weren't for her, you wouldn't have been paralyzed and stuck in that wheelchair."