A self-mocking smile escaped me. I was fully aware that I was already dead.
Dead in that freezing lake. Dead on the road of paying off their debts.
Their plans have nothing to do with me anymore.
And that fantasy just now was only a wishful hope that could never be realized.
At 3:00 a.m., the living room finally fell quiet.
Zach returned to his room on the second floor.
The one next to his—that should be the one prepared for me, right?
The decorating style was exactly my taste.
And all those cartoon characters I'd mentioned from childhood to adulthood had become plush toys.
They surrounded the entire bed, waiting quietly.
Mom picked up her phone, brows furrowed slightly, and sent me another voice message.
"Ellie, why haven't you replied yet?"
"You're not answering your phone either—are you mad at Mom and Dad?"
Her tone softened, a little helpless. "Mom and Dad are doing this for your own good."
"Since you were little, we made you feel like things were hard at home because we wanted you to understand the value of hardship, so you'd properly cherish the life you have now."
"But it's okay. After you wake up, reply to Mom, okay?"
She put down her phone and sighed.