Her fifth daughter died, so she deleted his bloodline. novel Chapter 72

Chapter 3

I’d taken over every household chore years ago, desperate to keep Mom happy. My

earliest memories were of dragging a stool to the counter before dawn, making

breakfast for everyone while they still slept.

Mom’s face twisted into something ugly. “Oh so now you’re too good for this family?

Can’t handle a little discipline without sulking in your room-what, are you trying to

starve us now?”

She crossed the room in three angry strides and started pounding on my door. “Lily Evans, get up right now! You’re gonna make yourself late for school!”

My heart lodged in my throat as her hand reached for the doorknob. “Li-”

The word died on her lips. Dad and Sam must have seen something shift in her face

because they both rushed over.

The room was empty-I wasn’t anywhere to be found. My bed sat perfectly made, the

comforter tucked in with hospital corners.

“Lily wasn’t home last night?” Sam’s voice came out small and uncertain.

“Don’t be ridiculous! It’s freezing out there where else would she be?” Mom’s

response was too fast, too sharp.

Dad was quiet for a beat. “Maybe she’s upset and left for school early.”

“Don’t we have parent-teacher conferences today? I can duck out of work and head over

there.”

“I’ll go.” Mom reached for her coat. “You can’t afford to miss work. I’ll handle the

conference.”

“Are you sure?” Dad caught her arm, concerncreasing his forehead.

We all knew about Mom’s depression and how crowds overwhelmed her, especially

when she faced them alone. The panic would lose around her throat until she couldn’t

breathe, couldn’t speak.

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I tried to reach out to her, desperate to stop her from doing this for me. “The doctor said I’m doing better, remember? Don’t worry about me.”

Mom yanked her scarf around her neck, muttering to herself. “That girl gets worse every day. When I find her, she’s gonna wish she’d never pulled this stunt.

Mom rushed out, and the second she reached the ground floor, she spotted a crowd gathered behind the building.

“Somebody jumped. There’s blood everywhere.”

“Just a kid too. Shame-dying that young.”

“Police said she’d been dead all night-body was already stiff when they found her. Where the hell were her parents?”

With every word, Mom’s panic spiked higher. A small dog shot out from between someone’s legs and latched onto her pants, trying to pull her toward the crowd.

I recognized the puppy immediately-the stray I’d befriended all those times Mom had locked me out. I used to sneak half my breakfast to him whenever I could.

Mom would kick him away every time, claiming she was allergic to the fur. The puppy kept at it, refusing to give up no matter how many times she pushed him off.

He knew who she was-he was trying to show her where I was. Mom just kept kicking him away, her face twisted in disgust.

I lunged for the puppy, desperate to comfort him, desperate to hold him. The puppy let out a sharp whine and bolted straight to my body, planting himself there and snarling at anyone who got close.

Mom backed away from the crowd, her lips moving as she whispered reassurance to herself. “It can’t be Lily. That girl doesn’t have the spine for something like this.”

I watched her stumble away from the scene. “‘m not a coward, Mom. I was brave.”

“Just turn around, Mom. Please. You don’t have to face that crowd-I know how hard it

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is for you…”

I followed Mom all the way to school, something fluttering in my chest that felt like

equal parts dread and hope. She’d never come to a parent-teacher conference before-

not once in all my years at school.

Dad’s job kept him traveling too much to make most of them either. He’d made it to a

handful over the years, but most times I’d sat by myself, watching other kids with both

their parents and trying not to feel the weight of that emptiness.

It took Mom forever to find my seat, and when she finally did, her eyes swept the room,

growing more panicked. I wasn’t there.

The second Mrs. Baker stepped into the classroom, Mom rushed over. “Where’s Lily? I

don’t see her.”

Mrs. Baker’s expression turned wary. “You’re Lily’s mother? She wasn’t here for

attendance this morning. I was about to call you.”

“What’s going on here? We’ve never seen you at a single meeting, and now you demanding answers?”

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