Chapter 3

I finally realized what was happening.

I had died.

Perhaps it was better that way. At the very least, the kids at the orphanage wouldn't be able to make fun of me.

The crowd slowly dispersed.

The police arrived to take pictures and cordon off the scene. They picked up my luggage bag and placed it inside the police car.

Where should I go?

I had no idea, but I was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to see Mom and Dad again one last time.

A gust of wind blew past, but I didn't feel cold at all. I simply floated along with the wind.

I spotted a familiar car when I drifted toward the crossroad. It was Dad's black, luxury car. It was slowly driving past the scene of the accident.

I desperately chased after the car, phasing through the tightly shut window and sitting next to Freya in the backseat.

It was very warm in the car. The heater was buzzing slightly.

"There's a huge crowd gathered there," Mom said from the front passenger seat. "Did something happen?"

Dad glanced at the rearview mirror. "It looks like an accident. There are ambulances and police cars."

Freya, who was seated next to me, was engrossed with fiddling with a new remote-controlled car. The way the lights flashed on the toy was captivating.

"The amusement park is so fun!" she suddenly exclaimed as she lifted her head, her eyes glimmering. "Can we go again, Mom?"

Mom smiled gently at her and said, "Of course. We can go again next weekend."

"I want to eat cotton candy again!" Freya squealed as she swayed her little legs.

"I'll buy it for you," Dad said, smiling as he looked at her through the rearview mirror. "Did you have fun today?"

"I did!"

The atmosphere in the car was lively and carefree.

Mom would occasionally chuckle to herself as she scrolled through her phone, looking at the photos she took that day. Dad hummed along to the music while Freya continued to fiddle with her new toy.

My heart ached terribly as I looked at the three of them. As expected, nothing changed even when I wasn't around.

"Oh, that's right," Mom suddenly said as if she had just recalled something.

She pulled a box from her bag. "I almost forgot about this."

My eyes lit up.

It was a brand new car model. In fact, it was the same one that Freya had spoiled.

"We had to visit so many shopping malls, but fortunately, we were able to get our hands on the last box," Mom said as she carefully checked the packaging. "It's the same one as Ash's, right?"

Dad glanced at her and said, "It's the same. He's going to love it."

"Seriously, you shouldn't have spoken to Ash like that," Mom berated softly. "He's still a child. It's perfectly reasonable for him to get upset after Freya spoiled his favorite toy."

"I let my anger get the better of me," Dad replied, rubbing his nose. "Fine. I admit that I was wrong."

Mom placed the box back in her bag. "Ash must still be sulking right now. Use the toy to make him feel better later when we're home."

"Got it. You bought the blueberry cake, right?" he asked, his voice softening.

"I did. I got it from Ash's favorite bakery."

Mom turned to look at the backseat. Her gaze turned gentle as she continued, "I got a new hat for him, too. It's got his favorite moon design on it."

Freya lifted the remote-control car and asked, "Did Ash get a new toy too?"

"Of course," Mom replied, smiling. "Everyone gets a new toy."

I suddenly realized what was going on as I looked at the brand new car model, Mom's expectant expression, and the apologetic look in Dad's eyes.

It wasn't that Mom and Dad didn't want me anymore. They returned home late, not because they wanted to force me to leave, but because they had gone to several different shopping malls. They wanted to buy me a brand-new car that was the same model as my old one.