Chapter 3

"You… What are you…" Baldie stammered as his cigarette slipped from his fingers.

"Call her now," I repeated, sitting down on the cleanest slab of stone that I could find.

The pain that was radiating from my waist was beginning to numb. That side of my shirt was already thoroughly soaked, sticking to my skin.

Mom arrived ten minutes later.

She had dropped the act. The artificial marks of zombification had been wiped clean, revealing smooth, rosy skin that made it blatantly obvious she was well cared for.

Her assistant, Richard Peterson, and a group of muscular men trailed behind her.

Mom barely showed any remorse when she spotted me sitting on the slab. On the contrary, the way she looked at me gave off the impression that she was scrutinizing me as if she were superior to me.

"I guess there's no need for me to keep up the act any longer since you've discovered the truth, Terence," she said, "The zombies and the apocalypse aren't real. I also didn't get bitten by a zombie."

I looked up at her and asked, "Why?"

Mom sighed. She smoothed down her tailored coat before she answered, "Because I'm rich, Terence. Your father left me a business empire when he passed away. I have to be cautious.

"It's why I decided to put you through a test for a month. I wanted to find out what truly mattered to you when your life was on the line—me or money.

"Not only did I want to test you, but I also wanted to strengthen our bond as mother and son. Everything that I did was to prepare you so that you would have an easier time when it was your turn to take over the business."

I braced my fists on my knees, gritting my teeth as I rose to my feet. An explosive pain lanced through the side of my waist from the excessive movement. My vision turned black for a split second, but I kept my feet steady on the ground.

"Was everything just a test for you, Mom? I jumped off the second floor of a building and broke my leg to get medicine for you. I fought with feral dogs just to get some clean bread for you. Do you think that I deserve everything that happened to me?"

Mom frowned. She looked at me impatiently and said, "I know that you faced some hardship, Terence, but I was with you the entire time. Also, I already told you that I would compensate you in the future. I'll transfer an extra 5% of the company's shares to you."

Her eyes were filled with bewilderment as she looked at me.

I suddenly started chuckling in a low voice, and my eyes reddened slightly.

"You're so smart, Mom. You planned everything. Truth be told, I managed to get the serum. I had to exchange one of my kidneys for it."

Mom was briefly stunned before she nonchalantly waved her hand and said, "I know. Mr. Loden already told me. The surgery was a success. It's only a minor wound, so it'll be fully recovered in the next two days. But you shouldn't have lied to me, Terence."

"A minor wound?" I repeated, pointing at my waist with a shaking finger. "The person who cut me open didn't even wear a mask. He wasn't wearing a white coat either. He also didn't give me any anesthetic… before he forcefully… removed my kidney from my body."

I had to muster all the strength that I had left in my body to force the last few words past my lips. My voice sounded like it had been rubbed raw with sandpaper.

Mom was startled by my appearance and subconsciously stepped back.

"Were you scared out of your wits, Terence? Or are you still stuck in your role? I already told you. That doctor is a professional whom I spent a small fortune to hire. Why wouldn't he give you any anesthetic before he operated on you?"

She turned to look at Richard, who was standing behind her, and asked sternly, "Didn't you explain the situation to him? Or did he not follow the script?"

"I contacted Dr. Brandon Loden from Dawnlight Hospital, Mrs. Sawyer," Richard explained, looking confused. "He was waiting in the operating room there. All of his equipment was imported from abroad…"

I ignored their conversation. My body felt like it was growing heavier. My consciousness was slipping away beneath the high fever brought on by the infection ravaging my body.

"Mom…" I wheezed through heavy breaths. "The specialist you mentioned… I didn't see him at all…"