After My Death, Dad Finally Regretted Everything

I floated in the air and watched Dad walk inside.“Rose?”“Dad! You’re finally home!”I excitedly threw myself at him, but my arms passed straight through.I stared blankly at my hands, finally remembering that I was dead.“Rose? I don’t feel like playing hide-and-seek today. Come out!”I pouted and instinctively tried to argue that I wasn’t hiding.But no matter how loudly I shouted, my voice couldn’t reach Dad’s ears.All I could do was watch helplessly as he approached Otto and checked its operating status.“Otto, where is Rose?”Otto’s large eyes lit up, and its mechanical voice echoed through the room.[Administrator’s voice detected. The kitten is napping inside the bedroom closet.][Breathing is steady. The kitten is asleep.]Dad froze for a moment, then started toward the bedroom.My heart began racing.I wanted him to find me, but I didn’t want him to discover so soon that I was dead.Mom still hadn’t returned.I couldn’t make Dad grieve all over again.Just as his hand touche

“She’s lying! Sophie is lying!”I planted my hands on my hips and glared at her.Ever since Dad took me to the lab, I began to feel that something in our home had changed.Mom smiled less and less, while Dad came home later and later.Sophie, on the other hand, started coming over more often.She brought me toys and laughed as she pinched my cheeks.Mom watched it all with a cold expression, her eyes filled with something I couldn’t understand.Only later did I realize it was the despair of watching her family slowly fall apart—the despair that consumed her until the day she left this world.No one knew where she had gone.Dad went mad, searching everywhere and questioning everyone in an attempt to find a clue about where she went.Sophie came running over soon after. She hugged Dad and cried.“Don’t be like this. She’ll be all right.”At the time, I thought she looked heartbroken.She must have cared about Mom very much.Now, thinking back on it, I only felt sick.Sophie was about to

Mom’s voice was soft, as if she were afraid of waking me.But this time, I didn’t open my sleepy eyes and call her Mom in that soft, childish voice.“I’m home. Should I make you scrambled eggs? I’ll add just a little sugar—the way you like them.”I let out a happy squeal, and drool slipped from the corner of my mouth.Mom’s scrambled eggs were the best.Even Dad couldn’t make them taste the same.When Dad heard that, he fell silent for a long time before telling me, “No one makes it like your mom.”…“You’ve eaten so much candy you already have several cavities. I wasn’t here to keep an eye on you. Did you secretly eat more candy?”I shook my head and puffed out my chest.I hadn’t secretly eaten any candy!Besides, Dad hadn’t bought me any candy since Mom left.My confidence suddenly faded, and I slumped behind Mom.“I bought you a new hair clip. It’s pink, with a little flower on it. Open your eyes and see if you like it.“I’m not going anywhere ever again. I’ll never leave you again.

I watched Dad walk around Sophie, ignoring her desperate explanations.Then he dropped to his knees in front of my body.“Rose, I know I was wrong.”“Wake up, please. Wake up.”Mom gently took my hand and spoke softly.“Rose, look. The person who hurt you is here. I told you that people who do bad things will eventually face the consequences.”“Don’t worry. I will make sure she pays.”Sophie staggered back, panic spreading across her face.“Daniel, Mrs. Dawson, you must have misunderstood.“I don’t know how Rose ended up like this… I really don’t! I came to see her every day and cooked for her. Maybe Rose ate something she shouldn’t have…”I stuck my tongue out at Sophie in disgust.I would never eat random things!Mom had taught me better.“Are you saying Rose ate the cat food herself?”Mom looked up at her.“You must have deleted all of Otto’s data, right? The security footage, feeding records, and operating logs—you erased them all.”Something seemed to cross Mom’s mind, and she gav