Chapter 1

At ten at night, someone started pounding on my door.

"Janet Hughes, are you home? My son's having a febrile seizure. Can you drive him to the hospital?"

I'd just started to get up when a line of floating text drifted across my vision.

【Don't go. Her son is already dead.】

【If you drive her to the hospital, she'll turn around and accuse you of driving too slow and making her son worse, then sue you for two million dollars.】

【Your mother will be worked into an early grave. Your father will have a stroke, end up half-paralyzed, and die too because there's no money for treatment.】

【And you'll be driven to suicide by an online mob.】

I stared at the words in front of me, cold sweat breaking out down my back.

1

The pounding kept on, mixed with Nora Chavez's sobbing.

"Janet, I'm begging you, save my son."

"I know you're in there. Just open the door, please! I've got no other choice!"

I stood in front of the couch, my palms and back slick with cold sweat.

If I hadn't seen those words.

By now I'd already have grabbed my keys and driven Nora and her son to the hospital.

But those words in front of me made me hesitate.

I was scared.

Scared they were true.

And if they were true.

Then my kindness would be the thing that destroyed my whole family.

I couldn't take that gamble.

The words scrolled past my eyes.

【Turn off the lights. Don't make a sound. Pretend you're asleep.】

【Don't worry, your curtains block the light completely. From outside no one can even tell your lights are on.】

I picked up the remote beside me and switched off the lights.

The instant the room went dark, the silence was terrifying.

I could even hear my own heartbeat.

Thud, thud, thud.

To prove I was already asleep.

I kept even my breathing careful and small.

Terrified Nora would hear.

The pounding had turned into slamming.

Nora's crying grew more pitiful.

"Janet, I'm begging you, save my son!"

"I really have no other choice!"

"I know you're still awake. Please, have a heart, help me!"

Her voice was loud.

Before long, someone posted in the building's group chat.

【Who's wailing downstairs? Some of us are trying to sleep!】

Someone replied, 【Sounds like it's coming from the fourth floor.】

【Can security go check?】

【She's carrying on like that and none of us can sleep!】

Security replied that they were on it.

Three minutes later, I heard footsteps outside my door.

Not security. The neighbors in 403.

A married couple, in their pajamas, walked over to Nora and asked her what was going on.

Nora froze for a second, then broke into an even more pitiful wail.

"My child, my child's having a febrile seizure. I wanted Janet to drive him to the hospital, but she won't open the door no matter what!"

"She usually doesn't go to bed until eleven or twelve, so she's definitely still awake at this hour, but she just won't open up!"

I heard the young couple.

"This girl's really that heartless?"

"Maybe she just didn't hear. We'll help you call for her."

"Miss, open the door!"

"Open up, quick! This is a matter of life and death!"

I sank slowly onto the couch, feeling like my heart was about to leap out of my chest.