Chapter 2

"Mom!" I exclaimed excitedly.

However, Mom walked right through my body and went past me.

So, as it turned out, I couldn't touch Mom anymore.

I followed her and carefully made my request in a very small voice, but Mom couldn't hear me at all. Also, she hadn't come back for me. She'd just forgotten to bring her car keys with her.

When Mom's eyes paused at my bedroom door, I hurriedly explained myself as if I'd just been caught red-handed.

"I didn't mean to die on purpose, Mom! I'm also sorry for making a mess in the house. I'm sorry, Mom, I promise that I…"

I trailed off sadly before adding, "I can't clean up after myself anymore. I… I'm dead now…"

Mom stood at my closed bedroom door, speaking in a nonchalant tone.

"How dare you not come out to greet me after knowing that I'd come back? You think you're all grown up now, don't you? You've got a fine temper now, don't you? Is that how you behave with your mother now?

"But let me tell you that there's no use even if you keep sulking like that. You were the unlucky one for getting the short end of the stick. You have no one else to blame but yourself."

When she realized that I still didn't open the door for her, she got a little angry and grabbed the door handle. Just then, Anabelle ran into the house.

"Mommy! Hurry up! The amusement park is going to open very soon!"

Mom gave up on trying to enter my room. She just grabbed her keys and left with a huff, leaving for the front door.

"We're going to be out until late at night. We're not coming home for dinner. Eat the chicken leg at the table as your dinner. And don't you dare complain that I'm not being fair to you.

"Your sister hasn't even eaten it yet, and you didn't even have to draw lots for this meal. I'm already being very kind toward you by favoring you now."

The chicken leg was actually Anabelle's leftovers from yesterday.

Mom had come back from the grocery store yesterday with this chicken leg. She then made us draw lots, and I drew the short one again.

I hadn't had meat in a very long time, so I touched the chicken packaging, feeling a little greedy for it. And then, Mom slapped me so hard on the wrist that my skin turned a bright red immediately.

She yelled at me in disgust and said, "Have you forgotten all about the rules, Isabelle Madden? You got the short end of the stick, which means that the chicken leg belongs to Anabelle! You're absolutely not allowed to touch it!

"If you try touching it again, I'm going to chop every single one of your fingers off!

"Really, I haven't seen anyone as greedy as you! You're making it seem as though I've been abusing you and starving you all day!"

However, Mom suddenly let me eat it without having to draw lots.

She was so kind to me after all.

I was very happy at first. However, I forgot that I was just a floating spirit now, and I couldn't touch or hold the chicken leg anymore.

Meanwhile, a stray cat hopped in through the open window and snatched the chicken leg away.

It hissed angrily at me, and there was no way for me to stop it from stealing my chicken leg. The only thing I could do was to go into a corner and cry sadly.

A long while later, Mom, Dad, and Anabelle finally came home. They all looked very happy and had radiant smiles on their faces.

"Mommy! The polar bear had such long fur on its body! It's so fluffy too! I like it a lot! Can you buy it for me, please, Mommy?"

Mom kissed her on the forehead affectionately and playfully scolded her.

"Unfortunately, I really can't do that, Ana."

Anabelle scoffed and took a step back.

"Don't kiss me! We haven't drawn lots yet. If Isabelle sees us, then she's going to cry loudly again and say that you're not being fair to her!

"But maybe she's already crying in a corner of her bedroom today right now. It's her birthday today, after all."

Mom glanced at the table and saw that the chicken leg was already gone. She chuckled nonchalantly and said in a very certain tone, "Well, if she can draw the long end of the stick, then I could have kissed her too! But she's such an unlucky thing who has never been able to get it.

"Also, she's already eaten the chicken leg on the table. She's just not coming out to greet us on purpose. Don't bother about your sister. She's just a petty little bitch."

Nobody could see me, and nobody knew that I had already died in my bedroom.

Mom began preparing supper. She called out in a weird and sarcastic tone, shouting at my bedroom door, "Well, is somebody not coming out to draw lots for supper? Then, I'm just going to make Anabelle's favorite food now! Don't you dare come crying to me about me being unfair later on!"

Dad, who was watching TV, lost his patience and said irritably, "Why do you even still care about her? Forget about drawing lots. Just make Anabelle's favorite food and let her starve if she wants to!

"We were the ones who brought her up. It's bad enough that she doesn't know how to be thankful, but to think that she still has the nerve to hold grudges against us? What an ingrate!"

I stood to the side, thinking to myself.

What was the point of drawing lots? It's been ten years, and every time, the table was always only filled with Anabelle's favorite dishes, while I could only eat plain spaghetti noodles every single time.

But still, at the very least, Mom and Dad didn't exactly starve me to death. Wasn't that right?