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Chapter 2

Autor: Not There
Another client came by the shop during the afternoon. He was fashionably dressed, with full makeup on his smooth, clean face.

He looked just like the idol trainee from some reality singing competition my deskmate had gushed to me about a few days ago.

Mom was in the attic then. She would always stay up there for a long while after each appointment.

In the end, I had to call her to come downstairs.

The idol trainee was a sweet-talker, just to get her to make him a perfume.

She kept a pleasant smile on her face the whole time, but eventually turned him down. "I only take ten clients a month, and every appointment has to be booked a month in advance. You can try again next month."

Mom was ready to show the idol trainee out after that, but he clearly wasn't ready to give up.

"Please, Ms. Anderson. I'm really in a hurry. This could decide whether I debut or not. Please help me out. I'll pay double!" the idol trainee said.

I quietly watched him from some distance away as he continued to plead with Mom, knowing that she'd never agree to it.

Over the years, many had offered several times, even dozens of times, her usual price just to cut the queue. But she never relented.

Eventually, Mom still didn't budge even after he dragged it out for some time. Seemingly busy with something else, she ended up heading back to the attic, telling me to see him out.

As I watched her head up, I walked over to escort the idol trainee out. Before I even reached him, he started cursing, "Screw her! I can't believe a widow like her is still acting all high and mighty!"

Gone was his earlier gentle and polite demeanor. Although he was still wearing the same face, it felt like he'd turned into a completely different person.

He reminded me of the bullies who shook people down for protection money around the alleys near school.

The only reason someone could change this quickly was that that was who they really were to begin with.

My deskmate would probably bawl her eyes out if she ever found out that the idol trainee she'd been voting for so obsessively was such a character.

The idol trainee's lips pursed in annoyance when he saw me walking over. The flicker of emotion in his eyes was unreadable.

"I heard that the perfume here can last for a whole month with just one use, and it can attract other people. Haven't you ever seen how your mom makes it, missy? Or where she keeps her stuff?" he coaxed, his face softened once again.

I replied, "I… I don't know—"

I continued to shake my head no matter what the idol trainee asked. Only after he was certain I wouldn't tell him anything did he lose interest and turn to leave.

Even after his figure disappeared through the doorway, I remained staring in that direction, lost in thought.

The idol trainee's words were like a seed planted in my heart. For years, mysteries surrounded me, like a fog that never fully lifted.

What exactly was in the attic? What had Mom really been doing?

…

The idol trainee came again the next day. This time, he brought a wealthy socialite with him.

She was a regular who would visit our shop almost monthly for nearly three years.

The idol trainee looked well-behaved standing beside the wealthy socialite, far from the obnoxious attitude he showed yesterday.

Judging by the delighted, lovestruck look on her face, it was clear he had successfully charmed her.

I wasn't sure what the idol trainee had done in less than a day's time to have managed to convince the wealthy socialite to give him the appointment slot she'd booked a month in advance.

Mom was reluctant, as there were still days before the original appointment date. But eventually, she agreed to it.

She made them wait downstairs for a while, saying she needed to prepare in advance. Then, she returned to the attic.

The three of us were left in the hall. I was planning to mind my own business as the two of them flirted with each other, but I happened to meet the idol trainee's gaze.

In that brief moment, I was reminded of his words from yesterday, and my curiosity was piqued.

Before I realized it, I had already slipped up the side staircase to the attic, quietly hiding in a corner behind the door.
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  • Bewitching Scent   Chapter 7

    Jean and I were both taken to the hospital after we were rescued.Jean's parents rushed over when they learned she had been found. They broke down sobbing, holding her.After deciding I was stable enough to talk, an officer came to my ward to take my statement that afternoon.He asked about Mom and the hidden chamber. I told him everything I knew, leaving nothing out.That was when I found out the reason her secret had been exposed was because of the idol trainee."He's dead."I jerked my head up in shock at the officer's words.All these years, I had never heard of anyone dying after doing business with Mom.According to the officer, the idol trainee suddenly dropped dead backstage on the night of his debut performance. It was already too late by the time they rushed him to the hospital.The forensic investigator found traces of blood that didn't match his own blood type in his system.What made it even stranger was that an ordinary person wouldn't have survived that kind of

  • Bewitching Scent   Chapter 6

    Mom spoke up when I was in a daze. "I've raised you all these years. Don't you think it's time you repaid me, Natalie?"Just like her fingers on my face, her cold words felt like a blade sharp enough to slit my throat in an instant.I looked up and saw the sick, frenzied gleam in Mom's eyes."The flesh and blood of girls in their late teens are the freshest. I hope whatever you saw in the hidden chamber didn't scare you, Natalie," she said.I flinched, terror flooding my eyes.Mom knew about it after all. Yet her tone was casual, as if she were merely asking what was for lunch.I felt my consciousness slowly slipping away as my mind grew heavier. Right before everything went dark, I caught the strange smile on her face.It was then that I realized she'd drugged my food.…The familiar dim hidden chamber came into view the moment I woke up again. I was locked inside the same cage that had once held Jean.My wrists and ankles were shackled to the iron bars, and a needle had bee

  • Bewitching Scent   Chapter 5

    I was lying on my bed the moment I woke up.The pain throbbing at the back of my head and throughout my body reminded me of everything that had transpired.Before I could fully gather my thoughts, the door to my bedroom was pushed open.Mom walked in, smiling in relief when she saw that I was awake. "You're finally awake. You made me so worried!"Seeing that warm, gentle smile on her face sent a chill straight down my spine.This was the same woman who had ignored me for most of my childhood, who made me see a doctor alone even when I was sick.Now, her face was filled with concern.Mom told me to get some rest before finally leaving the room. She did not ask why I was passed out in the courtyard, nor did she query about the injury on the back of my head the entire time.I had an inkling she already knew her secret had been discovered.What was Mom going to do with me?Cold sweat trickled down my forehead as I recalled the four bodies in the hidden chamber. I thought of Jean,

  • Bewitching Scent   Chapter 4

    I hurried over and shook the person inside the cage.The figure lifted her head weakly. Long black hair covered half her face, but I could still recognize her.It was Jean Jesselton, the youngest daughter of the Jesselton family from the next street over. She was the same age as me, and we went to the same school.I'd heard nearly a month ago that she'd gone missing. Her parents had filed a police report, but she still hadn't been found.Who could have imagined that someone who was missing for almost a month was actually locked inside a hidden chamber in my own attic?Jean parted her lips to speak, but her voice was too soft. I dropped to my knees and leaned closer."Help… Help me—" Her weak voice was tinged with fear. "She… She's a murderer."Jean's words struck me like lightning. No matter the suspicions I had in my mind, I still couldn't accept that the woman who had raised me all these years could be a murderer.Jean then lifted her hand and pointed toward one of the metal

  • Bewitching Scent   Chapter 3

    Mom didn't come out until over ten minutes later. She did not lock the door, but instead, she called for the idol trainee from the stairs to come up.I quietly inched out from behind the door and slipped into the room while she wasn't paying attention.The room was decorated like an ordinary study. Before I could get a good look around, I quickly slid under the daybed Mom usually napped in.Not long after, Mom walked in with the idol trainee. She told him to lie down on a folding bed on the other side of the room. Though he looked perplexed, he still did as he was told.Then, she lit some incense, letting the fragrance gradually spread through the air.Mom smiled and explained that it was aromatherapy incense that worked best when used together with her perfume.The idol trainee nodded. But the moment I caught the familiar scent, I quickly covered my nose.I knew that scent far too well. It was the sedative incense Mom bought.Half a year ago, I was kept awake by mosquitoes in

  • Bewitching Scent   Chapter 2

    Another client came by the shop during the afternoon. He was fashionably dressed, with full makeup on his smooth, clean face.He looked just like the idol trainee from some reality singing competition my deskmate had gushed to me about a few days ago.Mom was in the attic then. She would always stay up there for a long while after each appointment.In the end, I had to call her to come downstairs.The idol trainee was a sweet-talker, just to get her to make him a perfume.She kept a pleasant smile on her face the whole time, but eventually turned him down. "I only take ten clients a month, and every appointment has to be booked a month in advance. You can try again next month."Mom was ready to show the idol trainee out after that, but he clearly wasn't ready to give up."Please, Ms. Anderson. I'm really in a hurry. This could decide whether I debut or not. Please help me out. I'll pay double!" the idol trainee said.I quietly watched him from some distance away as he continued

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