Chapter 3
I panicked and grabbed her arm.
“Mom, what are you doing? Spit it out!”
“Don’t swallow it!”
Despite my pleas Mom swallowed the paper.
She looked at me, eyes glistening with tears: “Emma, you should never know what it says.”
I stood there stunned, not understanding what power my little sister’s words held.
Why was everyone acting so strangely?
Grandma had killed herself immediately after reading those words!
Just then, Dad sat up in bed, watching us with a somber expression.
He sighed, seeming resigned, then laughed bitterly.
He looked at Mom, his eyes dark.
“Catherine, now you’re trapped in the same hell as me.”
I was falling apart, not understanding how everything had changed so drastically.
Just a month ago, I thought we were happy.
During summer break, my little sister and I stayed home together, watching TV, playing games, or reading comics
My parents loved each other and us. They’d been married twenty years without major conflicts, lavishing affection on both of us.
Grandma, despite her age, never favored boys over girls like some older people.
She was a kind, loving grandmother who secretly bought us snacks and gave us pocket money. With our parents busy working, she cooked for us daily.
Just the night before, she had mentioned making braised ribs for dinner.
But in just a few days, everything changed.
My little sister’s suicide. Grandma jumping to her death.
Dad turning to alcohol. Mom behaving strangely.
I felt my world spinning, everything collapsing around me.
Chapter 3
Exhausted, I couldn’t help wondering: what could my little sister possibly have written?
The next day, police returned.
My parents were nowhere to be found, so I had to receive them.
“Did your little sister show any signs of suicidal thoughts recently? Poor test scores, arguments with parents, or perhaps… a broken heart?” the officer asked.
I wracked my brain but came up empty.
21:53
