Trained to Obey

Several doctors rushed around me for three hours, doing everything they could to save my life.

My weak heartbeat, which had almost stopped, finally began to steady.

When Hannah Saunder saw how terrible my parents looked, she could no longer pretend to be calm. "This really has nothing to do with me. She suddenly cut her wrist. She scared me too."

She was desperate to clear her name. Her voice even shook with tears.

Seeing this, my brother, William Saunder, quickly stepped in front of her to protect her. "Dad, Mom, there's no doubt about it. Chloe is just putting on a show to get sympathy! If she really wanted to die, why didn't she just stab herself in the neck? She chose to cut her wrist because she knew she could still be saved. She's so clever!"

I had just opened my eyes after struggling out of the fog in my head when I heard those words.

Slowly, I moved to a corner where no one was paying attention. Then I picked up the knife that no one had taken away yet.

That filthy laughter and the terrible pain flashed through my mind...

I tried hard to stop my trembling body.

Then I forced a smile and said, "William, Hannah, I'll do whatever you want."

As I spoke, I pressed the tip of the knife against my neck and drove it in.

Everyone in the family froze when they heard my weak voice.

Then the room exploded into chaos. People screamed and rushed toward me.

My parents, Anthony Saunder and Emily Saunder, finally managed to take the knife away from me after a long struggle.

William was about to say something else, but Anthony cut him off. "Enough!"

Anthony slammed the knife onto the floor.

His trembling finger pointed at Hannah, then at William. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves! How could you bully Chloe this badly?"

Hannah and William stared at him in disbelief.

Hannah stomped her feet in anger. Her eyes turned red.

William's face darkened as he glared at me through clenched teeth. "Chloe, just wait and see. You made Hannah suffer, and I will never forgive you!"

I was terrified and timidly peeked out from behind Emily.

My body reacted before my mind could even catch up.

I gently grabbed William's sleeve and apologized. "William, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I shouldn't have made Hannah angry. I'll apologize to her right now."

Before they could figure out what I was going to do, I had already slowly walked to the window.

Under their shocked gazes, I pushed it open and jumped.

Everyone froze.

A few seconds later, a terrible scream filled the room.

"Chloe!"

Anthony and Emily stumbled toward the window.

Emily only took one look down before her legs gave out. She collapsed to the floor and fainted from the shock.

Anthony scrambled to find a doctor. He was so frantic that he fell several times along the way.

William and Hannah stood there in stunned silence. They were completely dumbfounded.

The wind rushed past my ears.

A warm, wet feeling spread beneath me.

Then came a sharp pain, as if my entire body had shattered.

My consciousness slowly faded, and then I closed my eyes.