Chapter 3

The nurses quickly pushed me away from her, putting a muzzle on her to silence her while dragging her into the infirmary in our mansion.

"Stop! Let go!" I screamed. "Don't scare her!"

No one listened, as all of them bought into May's diagnosis that Nana was a sociopath.

Giving me looks of sympathy, they told me I was emotionally unstable and dragged me out of the room.

Then, they started telling me that Nana was crazy, and that May must sedate her.

In under ten minutes, Josh arrived home.

May was dashing past me, bawling her eyes red as she threw herself into his arms, sniffling, "Nana had an episode and showed signs of self-harm… I had no choice but to increase her dose of sedatives, but it was too much and stopped her heart—you won't blame me, right?"

Josh looked anguished as he held her tightly in his arms. "No, I'd never blame you. You've done what a doctor should do… If anyone's to blame, it's Holly for giving Nana her mental illness. She killed Nana."

His accusation sliced through me better than any sword would have.

I didn't remember much else, only Nana's funeral.

My parents threatened to disown me for being an embarrassment.

My mother-in-law slapped me repeatedly, telling me to die in Nana's stead.

May was hiding in Josh's arms the whole time, looking mournful with a smug smile… just like now, as she smiled at me.

"I know you'd blame me in hindsight, but it was an emergency, and I had to make a professional decision. Surely you understand?"

I squeezed the ring I was holding as I looked up at her for the first time. "Yes. Continue."

May frowned for once, probably not expecting me to be calm.

Still, she soon smiled again.

"Actually, that's all… Wait!"

She gasped as if she just remembered something and gave Josh an innocent look as she asked, "Josh, do you remember the consent forms Holly signed when the cops asked questions? Shouldn't we show it to Holly—"

"May!" Josh snapped, cutting her short as his face dropped. "It's been so long! Why would you talk about that?!"

He then turned to me with a chagrined smile and explained, "It was an emergency, and you were distraught. I had no choice… Nana's dead anyway, and the living have to move on, right?"

I stared at him in disbelief as I trembled all over.

What consent forms?! I never signed any!

Josh must have fabricated it to cover up May's malpractice!

So that was why they quickly buried Nana, why they didn't let me see Nana one last time, or why she never visited me in my dreams after she died!

Caught in absolute agony and unable to speak, May smiled triumphantly behind a flustered Josh.

Still, she soon clasped her mouth as if realizing her mistake. "Oh, silly me! What am I saying… That being said—"

Walking up to me and dropping to a crouch, she spoke just loud enough for both of us to hear. "In the end, you're the one who has the most to confess. I'd be really worried no one noticed my good work, but you had to take her outside.

"That allowed me to bring her a taxidermied specimen that gave her arrhythmia. Heck, do you know what she was crying when I injected her?

"She cried, 'Mommy, help me…'"

A deathly silence ensued as I stared blankly at May's lips, a soulless marionette.

Seeing that, she pursed her lips, quickly getting bored. "Alright, the confession therapy session is over. Let's give Holly time to gather her thoughts. Time to go, everyone."

With those words, she turned, ready to leave.

I slowly and quietly stood up and called out, "Wait."

Then, whipping out my phone to reveal the livestream on the screen, I said clearly without a hint of irony, "The game of confession is over. Now, the game of judgment has begun!"