Chapter 5

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, the scene before me shifted in an instant.

The spacious living room was so bright it almost hurt my eyes.

The polished floor reflected the shimmering light from the crystal chandelier above, and a massive floor-to-ceiling window offered a sweeping view of the entire city.

I wondered how I ended up there.

I looked around in a daze and finally spotted a woman lounging comfortably in a massage chair, fiddling with the latest foldable phone.

A man walked over carrying two glasses of freshly squeezed juice, dressed in cozy loungewear.

I stared at their faces, and my mind went blank for a second. They were my parents.

At this hour, they were supposed to be working at the farmer's market, barely having a moment to catch their breath.

Mom complained, frowning, "Madelyn always got whatever she wanted growing up. We spoiled her. She was always up to no good. Now Barbara's starting to act out, too.

"She actually called Madelyn asking for money, saying she needed it for some books for school. She didn't even dare ask us. She must be lying, afraid we'd see right through her."

Dad set the juice down and tried to reassure her. "Barbara's already pretty thoughtful.

"Maybe she really wants something, and telling a little lie isn't the end of the world. With us keeping an eye on her, nothing major will happen."

Mom said, rubbing her shoulder, "Yeah, I guess you're right. But having to go back to that rundown place to keep up the act is really uncomfortable."

Dad said, stepping forward to massage her shoulders, his voice gentle, "Let's hang in there for Barbara's sake.

"Once she gets into a good college, we'll finally tell her everything. She'll be thrilled."

Mom let out a heavy sigh. "I hope so. As long as she doesn't let all our efforts go to waste, everything I've been through will be worth it."

"You've worked so hard, honey. I'll cook up some of your favorite dishes later to compensate you," Dad said, handing her the juice.

They both smiled, their eyes crinkling with happiness.

Every word they said hit my ears, but there was something weirdly off about it all. It was so unsettling that I couldn't wrap my head around it.

It took me a long time to finally come back to my senses.

I realized that they had been pretending to be poor all along.

But I was actually dead.

I drifted in the center of that luxurious living room, staring at them blankly. My heart felt like something was gently squeezing it. A faint pain spread inside me.

All those early mornings and late nights, all that exhaustion and hardship, turned out to be all an act.

All the hardships I'd suffered since childhood turned out to be part of their scheme, supposedly for my own good.

My mind drifted back to that designer belt I'd found under Dad's bed. He'd snatched it away in a panic, claiming it was a cheap knockoff he'd picked up at a thrift store.

My mom said the high-end face cream I'd spotted behind her vanity mirror was a free sample from a friend, which was not worth much.

During a video call with Madelyn, I caught a glimpse of a huge floor-to-ceiling window behind her.

I asked if she'd moved into a bigger place, but she laughed and changed the subject, saying it was her coworker's house and she was visiting.

All those little moments that made me feel something was off were clues to this whole scam.

In this family, I was the only one, like a fool, left completely in the dark, carefully living out the poor life they'd invented for me.

That sadness washed over me like a wave, then slowly receded.

With a disease as stubborn as leukemia, even if they'd spent every last penny, there was no guarantee I'd have made it.

Maybe in the end, they really would've been forced to live that kind of hand-to-mouth, uncertain life.

At least now, they were living a decent, comfortable life, without a care in the world.

I had nothing left to worry about.

Thinking that, I felt a lot more at ease. I started drifting around the bright, spacious house, curious about everything.

There were soft carpets, a huge balcony, and all kinds of fancy appliances. It was like the kind of things I'd only seen on TV.

I drifted into a room.

The vanity was covered with makeup and skincare stuff. The closet door was half open, packed with gorgeous outfits.

I recognized it instantly. It was Madelyn's room, which always showed up in her video calls.

Then I found another room.

The walls were a soft pink, the curtains were white with lace trim, and the bed was covered in sheets with little flowers all over them.

On the nightstand, there was a framed photo.

In the picture, it was me, probably seven or eight years old, wearing a red plaid jacket that used to belong to Madelyn, smiling bashfully at the camera.

This room was prepared for me.

My heart felt gently warmed, like something soft had brushed against it.

I lay down on the bed covered in little flowers. Even though I couldn't actually feel how soft it was, I imagined that if I could sleep there, it'd be like sleeping on a cloud.

Sunlight poured in through the window, making the whole pink room feel so warm and inviting.

I lay there, watching everything, and I started feeling sad all over again.

I knew this perfect room, made for me, was a place I'd never get to call home.

Time ticked by.

Suddenly, the ringtone of Mom's old phone echoed through the room.

I drifted over to take a look.

On the screen, the name of my teacher, Zayden, was flashing.

Mom took a deep breath and answered, her voice instantly shifting into that familiar, tired tone, "Hello, Ms. Leon. I'm busy at the farmer's market. What's up?"

On the other end, Zayden's anxious voice came through. "Barbara's mom, I've called you so many times. I'm so glad you finally picked up!"

Mom said, lowering her voice even more, sounding apologetic enough, "I'm really sorry.

"This crappy old phone is always out of battery. I just turned it on. Is there something going on at school?"

Zayden asked, "Barbara hasn't shown up at school today. She didn't let any of the teachers know she'd be absent. Is she at home? Is she feeling unwell?"

Mom suddenly gripped the phone tighter.

A look of confusion flashed across her face, and her voice jumped, sounding genuinely surprised. "What? Barbara didn't go to school today?"