Chapter 1

I tipped the pills into my mouth one by one and washed them down with water.

The bitterness spread from the back of my tongue into my stomach, just like my mother’s love.

First came a searing burn. Then my entire body went cold and numb.

My vision began to blur.

Leaning against the headboard, I whispered, “Luna, play ‘Farewell’ for me.”

The speaker lit up, and a gentle female voice filled the bedroom.

“Farewell to you my friends. We'll see each other again. Don't cry 'cause it's not the end of everything...”

It was my final request.

Just before I closed my eyes, I heard my mother’s voice coming from my phone.

She was still giving her presentation.

“Some parents have asked me what to do when their teenagers refuse to communicate.

“My answer is simple. They don’t have to be willing.

“Technology will speak for them.”

Another wave of laughter and applause rose from the audience.

My spirit floated weightlessly above the room.

I looked down at the sixteen-year-old girl lying on the bed. Her face was deathly pale, yet a faint smile lingered on her lips.

The Luna beta unit my mother’s company had given me was still playing music on the nightstand.

Her product launch was still streaming live too.

Suddenly, comments began flooding the screen.

【Ms. Landon, in the recording you played earlier, that girl said she was afraid to tell her mother. Does your product offer any kind of mental health intervention?】

【Exactly. What happens if a child is genuinely in emotional distress?】

My mother’s expression flickered when she saw the comments.

But her polished smile returned almost immediately.

“Thank you for your concern. Our product monitors heart rate data in real time. If it detects anything unusual, the parents will be notified immediately.”

“So there’s absolutely no need to worry.”

She paused, then added, “Honestly, kids these days are just too fragile.”

“When we were young, we got yelled at and hit all the time. Who threatened to kill themselves over every little thing?”

The comment feed went silent for a second.

Then it exploded.

【You make products for parents and children, and this is what you say?】

【I take back everything good I said about you.】

My mother continued her presentation without batting an eye.

Behind her, the screen began displaying samples of Luna’s collected data.

Heart rate graphs. Sleep duration. Emotional keywords.

There were even several partially censored conversation logs.

I floated closer to the screen and recognized them instantly.

They were mine.

“Luna, my mom searched my backpack again today.”

“Luna, she said my sketch was garbage.”

“Luna, I miss my dad so much…”

She displayed every single one in front of tens of thousands of viewers, proudly presenting them as proof of her product’s success.

Suddenly, I remembered two years ago.

Right after my dad left, my mother held me and cried every night.

“Nina, you’re all I have left.”

“I don’t want anything else in this life. I just want you to be okay.”

“I promise I’ll treat you better from now on. I won’t hit you or yell at you anymore.”

I believed her.

I was such an idiot.