Chapter 4

When I woke up again, I felt weightless.

When I saw a stiff, pale version of myself lying on the cot, I finally realized I was dead.

I floated closer. My face was a sickly blue. Already malnourished, I looked even uglier in death.

But my only thought was: *How is Austin doing?*

As that thought consumed me, I suddenly vanished and reappeared at a basketball court.

Before I could process why my ghost was teleporting, I saw David and Sarah sitting in the VIP stands, beaming with joy.

They were wearing expensive, designer clothes. Even if our family had saved for a lifetime, we couldn't have afforded a single sleeve of those outfits.

I floated in front of them, but they looked like total strangers.

Sarah's bright red lipstick was striking, and her perfectly styled blonde waves made her look exactly like a wealthy socialite.

Confused, I followed their gaze down to the court. There, I saw my paralyzed brother, Austin, running and dribbling the ball with incredible agility.

I recognized the jersey he was wearing.

It was a limited-edition designer brand that money could barely buy.

My mind spun. Suddenly, the buzzer sounded.

David and Sarah rushed onto the court, throwing their arms around Austin with pure adoration.

"Austin! We didn't spend all those years taking you around the world for nothing!"

But Austin was paralyzed... how did he travel the world?

Even in my confusion, seeing him healthy made me ecstatic.

"Austin! You're okay? How did you get better?"

But no matter how loud I screamed, they didn't react.

Austin hugged Sarah. "Mom, I was going crazy pretending to be paralyzed for so long. Thank God I could use those 'doctor visits' as an excuse to travel and actually stretch my legs."

David and Sarah cupped his face, overflowing with affection.

"You've worked so hard, son. Today, we have a gift for you."

David pulled out a deed. It was for a luxury mansion in the city's most exclusive gated community.

I remembered that place. I had stood outside its gates once, staring in awe.

Back then, Sarah had told me, "We won't be poor forever, Chloe. If you work hard, you'll live in a house like this one day."

But it turned out they didn't need to work hard. They already owned it.

Austin seemed to remember something and looked at them.

"By the way, Chloe was crying when she got home yesterday. Did something happen to her?"

Sarah instantly looked tense and grabbed his arm. "You didn't blow your cover, did you? Our plan is almost complete. We can't let it ruin now."

Austin shook his head. "Don't worry. I've played the part this long, I won't disappoint you. But I still feel like Chloe is hiding something."

Sarah nodded, telling him not to overthink it. She said they would check on me when they got back.

Full of questions, I followed them back to the mansion.

The villa was blindingly bright, filled with maids rushing around.

Someone even held out slippers for them, and the dining table was piled high with expensive delicacies.

It turned out today was Austin's engagement party. They had invited high society's finest.

Sarah stood next to David, whispering, "Chloe has been acting strange lately. She used to be so full of positive energy. And she handed me so much cash before we left... You don't think she got it illegally, do you?"

David wrapped an arm around her, speaking patiently.

"No way. We raised her to be independent, and her morals are solid."

"Besides, Austin's career is stable now, and Chloe is graduating in a few days. On Austin's wedding day, we'll tell her the truth. She’s inheriting a multi-million dollar company right out of college. She’ll probably think she’s dreaming."

Standing beside them, my tears fell silently onto the marble floor.

*David, Sarah... I won't be smiling. And I'm never waking up.*