Chapter 2 Locked Away

My soul hovered near the ceiling, straining desperately to call out to her. 'Mom, that's not red ink. That's my blood. Mom, my head hurts so much… Please, save me.'

But she could not hear me. All she left behind was her cold, unyielding back as she walked away.

A rush of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor.

It was Olivia.

She held a stack of scratch paper in her arms, using it as an excuse as she quickly made her way to the door of the spare classroom. Peering through the glass panel, her brows knit tightly together.

"Cecelia, can you hear me?" Olivia knocked gently on the door.

The girl on the floor did not move.

The blood that had just been wiped away began to seep out again, trickling down from her earlobe and staining the collar of her uniform. Olivia's expression changed immediately as she reached for the doorknob.

"Ms. Zanetti, what are you doing?"

My mom's icy voice came from the other end of the corridor. Startled, Olivia jerked her hand back.

"Ms. Collins, I… I don't think Cecelia's in good condition."

"She's perfectly fine." Mom strode over and shoved Olivia aside without hesitation. "Ms. Zanetti, don't interfere. If you want to cure this child's laziness, you have to be ruthless. Let her go hungry for a couple of meals."

At that, she pulled out a heavy ring of keys from her waist and picked out a brass one.

"Ms. Collins, it's winter. There isn't even any heating inside," Olivia tried again, her voice tight with concern.

But the lock shut with a sharp, dreadful click.

"When she freezes enough, she'll know to get up and finish her exam."

…

The bell signaling the end of the final exam rang out. The corridor instantly came alive, students spilling out in clusters, chattering as they compared answers.

My soul drifted outside the spare classroom, watching as my mother stood at the office entrance. Avery Thorne stood beside her, obediently handing over a cup of hot coffee.

"Mom, you must be tired from proctoring. Have something warm," Avery said sweetly, a smile lighting up her face.

Mom took the coffee, the frost on her face melting instantly. "You're as sweet as ever, Avery. Did you solve the last math question?"

"I did. I checked it twice—I should get full marks." Avery looped her arm through Mom's and gave it a light shake.

"Good. Not like that useless thing in there, playing dead the moment she stepped into the exam hall." Mom took a sip of coffee, her gaze flicking sharply toward the spare classroom.

Avery followed her line of sight, a faint glint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.

"Mom, don't be mad at Cecelia," Avery said softly, her tone full of concern. "She probably just didn't rest well yesterday. She's always hiding under the covers with her phone reading novels. I've told her not to so many times."

The words were light, almost casual, but they landed exactly where they would hurt the most. Mom's expression darkened instantly. "I knew it. Those dark circles didn't come from nowhere."

She slammed the coffee cup down onto the desk. "I already had her door lock removed, and she still dares to sneak around behind my back? She's completely out of control."

I stood beside them, my soul lingering, a dull ache spreading through me.

I remembered the night Mom tore the lock off my bedroom door.

That day, she had failed her professional evaluation at school, and when she came home, everything seemed to irritate her. She kicked my half-closed door open and found me dozing off at my desk. Without a word, she grabbed her tools and removed the entire lock right in front of me.

"From now on, you don't get privacy in this house." Mom threw the lock onto the floor and pointed straight at me. "Let's see if you still dare to hide behind closed doors and slack off."

I had not cried that night.

I had only stared blankly at the inside of my thighs.

They were covered in tiny puncture marks from a compass—dense, overlapping wounds. Some had already scabbed over, while others still oozed a faint yellow fluid.

To cover the lingering metallic scent of blood, I had to douse my legs in medicated oil every day. But when Mom smelled it, she decided it was something else entirely.

"So young, and already picking up bad habits. Using cheap vape smoke to cover the smell, is that it?"