Leonard watched me get into the cab, only looking reassured once the door clicked shut. He said to the driver, "Don't let her out until you reach the destination."Then, he threw a final, biting warning at me. "Don't try any tricks, Maxine. Just go straight home."I sat in the back seat, staring blankly ahead as if I hadn't heard a word.It was laughable, really—the once-proud daughter of the prestigious Swanson family, reduced to taking a cheap cab. But then the truth struck me again. I was no longer the Swanson family's daughter, and that house was no longer my home. My father and my older brother, Adam Swanson, had long since cut ties with me. My mother, Erica Walter, was dead. In my eyes, the Swansons' residence was nothing more than a giant coffin.When I entered the Swansons' residence, the first thing I saw was Mom's portrait; my eyes couldn't help but redden.After wiping the frame clean, I murmured, "Sorry, Mom. I can't hold on any longer. If there's a next life, I
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