Chapter 3

I didn't know how long I lay there, but the faint airflow inside the crate dwindled.

I caught the faint, rapid patter of footsteps outside.

Then the final gap that allowed for any airflow was sealed shut, tightly covered with adhesive tape.

The temperature inside the crate climbed steadily. Every breath became as painful as though my lungs were being cut open by a blade, and my head grew heavy and muddled.

In my dazed state, memories from my previous ten lifetimes flooded my mind.

I had screamed desperately for help amidst raging fires, deep beneath the ocean, and buried under piles of rubble. But not a single person ever stopped to save me.

So, this time, even as I felt myself suffocating, I didn't move a muscle or make a sound. I simply waited in silence for the end to come.

I thought that this absurd 11th life was finally coming to an end.

But then, I woke up.

There was no underworld—only the pungent, sharp scent of disinfectant.

Dad stood by the hospital bed, his face ashen with rage, pointing at me as he unleashed a torrent of abuse.

"Kenneth Cortez! Have you lost your mind? How could you let an ambulance pull into the villa? Do you have any idea what the neighbors must be thinking about us now?

"Are you only satisfied if someone ends up dead, so the whole city knows the Cortez family abuses their own son?"

I stared blankly at the ceiling, trying to process his words.

Kathy stood with her arms crossed, looking at me as if I were some vermin crawling out of a sewer. "Dad, I told you he did it on purpose! Who gets locked in a crate for a day and a night without even knocking on the wood or calling out for help?

"He timed it perfectly to play dead, using his own life as a trap to frame us! He's just trying to disgust us!"

At that precise moment, Kevin tugged on Kathy's sleeve, feigning an expression of complete, innocent harmlessness.

"Kathy, please don't be angry with Kenneth. It's all my fault—I should have gone to check on him sooner…"

He sobbed, his face full of feigned grievance.

"But Kenneth would rather suffocate in there than swallow his pride and knock on the wood for help… He must hate me so much… That's why he's taking revenge on the Cortez family like this..."

"How dare he!" Kathy erupted in fury. "He's the one who's always so morose and insufferable! Why on earth would he blame you for anything?"

Mom sat by the bedside, gazing at my pale face, and let out a weary sigh. She reached out to tuck in the corner of my blanket. Her movements were gentle, yet every word she spoke cut like a knife.

"Kenneth, you take things too much to heart. You're far too stubborn and prideful for your own good. If you're feeling wronged, couldn't you have just talked it over properly with your family?

"Remember, we're your own flesh and blood. Family ties run deeper than anything.

"When Kathy locked you away, she was simply acting out of anger. She only wanted to teach you a lesson. If you had just given in and called for help, did you really think we would have just stood by and watched you die?"

Kathy let out a cold scoff and tossed an emergency alert device onto my blanket.

"Take it! Next time you want to pull this 'victim' act, just press this! And stop moping around with that dead-eyed look all the time as if the Cortez family owes you your life!"

The device pressed against my palm, cold and hard. There was a single button on it to press on during an emergency.

Would they not watch me die if I'd just called for help after all?

I lowered my gaze to the device in my hand and pressed it lightly. At once, a harsh, electronic tone blared from Kathy's phone.

She furrowed her brows and snapped, her face twisted in disgust.

"Kenneth! What's the meaning of pressing it right now? Do you think this is some kind of game?"

I pulled my hand back, my tone calm as I replied, "Nothing. I was just checking to see if it worked."

Mom reached over and stroked my hair. "Alright, stop sulking. Once you're discharged, we'll take you to our villa at Navarro Hills out in the countryside for a few days. It'll be a nice chance for the whole family to get together.

"Consider it a way to help you recover from the shock, and a chance for you and Kevin to bond."

I clutched the emergency alert device, staring at the gloomy, overcast sky outside the window. I said nothing.

Since they'd given me such assurances, I'd give them one last chance in this life..