Chapter 4

After what felt like forever, I suddenly "woke up" again. My body felt as light as a feather.

I glanced down and saw my physical body still lying quietly on the bed. My face was so calm that it looked like I was sleeping.

I wondered if I was dead.

But I had no idea where to go.

Suddenly, I thought of Madelyn.

The last time I saw her was at Christmas. She only stayed home for three days before leaving in a hurry.

Yesterday, I called her. I had barely started talking when I heard a bunch of noise on her end.

Before I could finish, she hung up abruptly.

Before I was gone for good, I wanted to see her one last time.

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, everything blurred for a second, and suddenly I was standing outside a bright café.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I saw Madelyn laughing and chatting with a few friends.

She was wearing a pretty floral dress, her hair perfectly styled, and there was a fancy cake in front of her. She had a bright smile.

My eyes landed on the brand-new designer bag sitting next to her.

I'd seen that brand at the mall before and even secretly counted the zeros on the price tag.

I wondered how Madelyn could afford that.

I leaned in for a closer look, but her phone suddenly rang, making me jump.

She walked over to a quiet corner to answer it, and I followed her.

"Mom?" Madelyn's voice was light and cheerful. "Why are you calling at this hour?"

Mom's voice came through clearly on the other end. "Has your sister contacted you lately? I feel like something's been off with her these past couple of days..."

Madelyn replied, sounding casual, "She called yesterday. She said she wanted to buy some study guides and asked me to lend her 30 bucks."

"Study guides?" Mom's voice shot up, her annoyance obvious. "If she needs books, why can't she tell us? Who knows what she's up to?"

Without thinking, I dropped my eyes, my heart twisting a little inside.

Honestly, it was only because I couldn't come up with enough money for a hospital check-up that I had no choice but to lie to Madelyn.

Madelyn said with a sly grin, "Don't worry, I didn't give her anything. I acted like I was swamped and hung up after barely saying anything. I wanted her to go bother you guys for the money."

Mom's voice instantly turned stern, with a warning edge. "Smart move.

"Remember, don't ever give her money behind our backs. If I catch you, you can kiss your family allowance goodbye.

"Anyway, now that you're working, you should start learning to be independent..."

Madelyn dragged out the word, whining, "Oh, Mom.

"I won't give her anything, okay? After I pay my rent, there's barely anything left from my paycheck. Without your help, how can I afford to go shopping?"

Mom sighed, her tone softening, "Alright. Be careful around your sister, okay? Don't let anything slip. She's sharp as a tack. If she figures it out, we'll be in real trouble."

"Got it. Thanks, Mom!" Madelyn replied.

Madelyn hung up, grinning from ear to ear, and turned back to her friends, laughing as they started talking about the concert this weekend.

My head was spinning. They were obviously keeping something from me.