Chapter 2
Mrs. Henderson, who lived next door, showed obvious delight when she saw me open the door.
“Harper! Not working today? Where’s Chloe? Look what I brought for your little girl!”
“This paint set is a reward for Chloe! Chloe loves to draw, doesn’t she!”
“Oh, right! Where are your mom and Chloe?”
Mrs. Henderson held a back brace in her hand, peering into the house, looking for my mom and Chloe.
My throat tightened. I bit down hard, refusing to let the tears fall.
“What’s wrong? Harper, why are you crying?”
Mrs. Henderson’s smile slowly faded. As if sensing something, her eyes reddened instantly.
She looked at me, incredulous, seemingly hoping for a different answer from my words.
“Mrs. Henderson, my mom and Chloe already…”
I closed my eyes for a moment, finally uttering the answer.
“They’re gone.”
“What happened?!” Mrs. Henderson gasped in horror, the gift in her hand falling heavily to the ground.
Hearing Mrs. Henderson’s cries, my own tears couldn’t be held back. I choked out,
“A car accident.”
I dared not look up, my shoulders trembling as I quietly sobbed.
A pair of warm arms enveloped me. Mrs. Henderson cried loudly, cursing,
“That murderer! Your mom hadn’t even enjoyed life yet, and Chloe was still so young…”
“Oh, by the way, does Caleb know?”
Those words were like a sharp knife, piercing my heart.
Under Mrs. Henderson’s concerned gaze, I slowly shook my head. “He doesn’t know.”
To this day, Caleb doesn’t know that he, drunk, killed my mom and Chloe.
Thinking about it, I could no longer control the sorrow in my heart. I burst into tears like a child.
After seeing Mrs. Henderson off, I buried my face in the covers and cried for a long while, until I received a text message from the cemetery.
Five hundred thousand dollars.
Looking at that astronomical figure and my bank account balance, I felt utterly desperate.
Where was I going to find five hundred thousand dollars for Mom and Chloe’s burial?
As I scrolled through my phone book, trying to find someone I could borrow money from, Caleb’s call came in.
“Don’t let Mom and Chloe go out to set up their stall tonight. I’ll be home early tonight to celebrate Chloe’s birthday.”
My mind was still on the five hundred thousand. I hesitated for a moment before asking,
“Caleb, do you have five hundred thousand dollars?”
There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Finally, he spoke.
“Harper, are you kidding me? Where would I get that kind of money? Haven’t all my wages gone to buying things for Chloe and Mom?”
There wasn’t a hint of guilt in Caleb’s voice. He’d told the lie for so long, he even believed it himself.
Tears brimmed in my eyes. Suddenly, I cried out loudly,
“Caleb!! You’re lying to me! You do! You clearly do! You just don’t want to give it to me!”
Caleb’s voice rose several pitches. He snapped, enraged,
“Harper! What are you doing?! What kind of person do you think I am? If I had money, would I be unwilling to give it to you? Who have you been listening to, spreading nonsense?!”
“Please! Can you just stop making things difficult for me!”
‘Stop making things difficult for me’! What a line!
With that, he hurriedly hung up.
To gather enough money for Mom and Chloe’s burial plot, I couldn’t afford to wallow in grief. I rushed to the agreed-upon workplace.
I squeezed into a heavy mascot costume and was led into a private room. I awkwardly swayed my limbs to the music.
After the performance, laughter erupted around me.
“So, Caleb, how about this early birthday gift I got for Chloe?”
“Caleb dotes on his daughter like she’s the apple of his eye. He stoops so low to earn money, all for his mother-in-law and daughter.”