Chapter 3

Dawn was going to break on the horizon soon.

Worried that Mom would discover I had snuck out of the apartment, I had no choice but to return home.

I had just sunk to my knees when Mom woke up, her complexion sallow. She approached me and stared unblinkingly at me.

I didn't dare move a muscle. A minute passed before she slowly said, "You really deserved to die."

My heart twisted as a wave of regret churned in my heart.

"Mom…"

Mom shrieked and began raining blows down on my head. Every word that she screamed was dripping with despair.

"Don't call me that! I'm not your mother! You're a jinx! Cam wouldn't have gotten into trouble if it weren't for you! Grovel for his forgiveness right now! I want you to show him how remorseful you are every second and minute of the day!"

Cameron's disappearance had deeply upset her. I could even see new white hairs growing on her head. To comfort her, I began knocking my forehead against the floor with all my might.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Cam. It's all my fault."

Mom calmed down a little when she saw me groveling for forgiveness. Then she stood up and made her way into the kitchen.

I assumed that she was going to prepare breakfast. Instead, she pulled out a big bag of herbs and began simmering them in a pot.

It didn't take long for the pungent scent of herbs to permeate the apartment. Mom then carried the pot of herbs into the bathroom. There were faint sounds of running water, and a few seconds later, I heard Mom's voice, as if she were talking to someone.

"I had to scour the entire city before I managed to get my hands on these herbs. It helps with restoring the body. Be good and behave yourself. You'll be all better once you soak in this herbal bath.

"She's still kneeling. She even groveled for your forgiveness too. Has your anger subsided? If you're still mad, I can ask her to knock her forehead against the floor again…"

Mom's words sounded absolutely bizarre, making a chill run down my spine. I moved my feet slowly, wanting to see who she was talking to.

I was just about to get up when the bathroom door suddenly swung open, making me immediately fall to my knees again.

Mom swept her icy gaze over me. Her tone was edged with warning when she snapped, "You're only allowed to kneel in the living room for the next few days. You're forbidden from going anywhere else. That includes the bathroom!"

I was too scared to make a retort and could only nod in a daze.

"Mom…" I called out.

Mom turned to look at me seconds before she left.

I hesitated for a moment before deciding to tell her the truth.

"I saw Cam's corpse on Unit 301's balcony. I tried looking for it, but the woman hid his corpse."

"What?"

Mom was briefly stunned before an eerie smile stretched across her lips. "Your eyes must have been playing tricks on you," she said calmly.

I assumed that she didn't believe me. Unable to help myself, I raised my voice and said, "It's true. I saw Cam. I think he died after falling from the balcony."

Mom kicked me right after the words left my lips, causing my head to smash against the floor. She then straddled me and began raining her fists down on my face.

"Cam's not dead! Why are you cursing him?"

I tried to reason with her in the beginning, but I had no choice but to concede after my consciousness began to fade from her relentless blows.

"I'm sorry, Mom! My eyes must have been playing tricks on me. I shouldn't have cursed Cam."

Mom slapped me one last time before moving her lips to my ear and hissing, "Cam will come back after you kneel for seven days."

She then dragged me up like a half-dead dog and forced me to kneel in front of Cameron's portrait.

…

For the next five days, Mom would diligently prepare a pot of herbal medicine and carry it into the bathroom. She would then start up a strange conversation with whoever was inside.

"She's still kneeling. She didn't admit her mistakes at first, but she changed her tune after I disciplined her. Only two more days to go. You'll be able to come back in two more days."

The snatches of conversation I managed to overhear helped me piece together the bigger picture. It seemed that Mom was talking to Cameron!

I also smelled a faint stench in the air over the past few days, similar to the scent wafting in through the window.

A chilling idea floated to the forefront of my thoughts. To confirm my suspicions, I waited until Mom returned to her room before sneaking to the bathroom.

I froze in place when I pushed the door open.

Cameron, who had been missing for days, was lying in the bathtub!