《Sunlight on Thawed Ground》全部章節：第 1 章 - 第 9 章

I crashed hard onto the icy tiles of the hallway floor, my limbs seizing in violent, uncontrollable spasms.The chaotic chatter of the corridor was instantly drowned out by a deafening, high-pitched ringing in my ears. The footsteps and voices of nearby students and parents warped, growing distant and muffled, as if filtered through a thick layer of cotton.I desperately tried to lift my head, aching to call out for my mother, Marie Wilcox, but my neck felt so heavy. No sound would come. Only hot, silent tears spilled uncontrollably from the corners of my eyes, tracking down my face.A familiar voice pierced through the ringing. "Ashley, are you okay?"Seeing me sprawled on the ground, he rushed over to help me up, only to recoil in shock as another violent tremor racked my body."Don't... touch me," I gasped, using every ounce of my remaining strength to squeeze out a breathless whisper. "I'm fine. Please, don't tell the teachers, and don't tell my mom."The deep-seated terror o

"Kill her?" Marie let out a cold, sharp laugh, her eyes flashing with pure contempt. "If she actually had the spine for it, she'd pass out and never wake up. At least, that would save me the embarrassment of dealing with her pathetic attention-seeking out here!"With a violent shove, she released my collar. My limp body crumpled instantly, crashing heavily against the edge of the corridor steps.A dull crack echoed as my head slammed into the sharp concrete, and a warm, thick crimson began to well up from my forehead immediately.My body convulsed even more violently from the impact, but I forced my heavy eyelids open, staring desperately up at her.I wanted to scream, "Mom, look! I'm bleeding. I really am not faking this. Can you just believe me this once?"But Marie merely looked down at the blood with unadulterated disgust. "You're even manufacturing blood now just to keep your little act alive? You truly are something else. Too bad you waste all that cleverness on underhanded

I had no idea how much time had passed before I felt someone gently rocking my body. The frantic voice of the school doctor and the breathless weeping of Hailey drifted into my ears.And there was another voice—a voice I never expected to hear break like this.I fought to pry my heavy eyelids open. My vision remained a blurred haze, but I could make out a trembling figure crouching right beside me.It was Marie. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot, her face drenched in tears. Gone was the icy detachment and the visceral disgust she had worn just moments ago. In their place was a frantic wave of pure panic and remorse."Ashley... please wake up..." she whimpered, her fingers brushing against my forehead so gently that they felt unreal. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you, hit you, or screamed at you."Please, just wake up, okay? I'll take you to the best hospital in the city. I'll get you every test you need and make sure you get the care you deserve."I swear I'll never f

Marie immediately pressed the call button on the headboard, her eyes never leaving me for a second. Her hand clamped tightly around mine as she soothed me over and over."Don't be scared, sweetheart. Stay with me. The doctor is coming right now. The discomfort will pass soon, okay? Just hold on."I nodded weakly. Watching her usually composed demeanor dissolve into utter panic brought a fragile wave of warmth to my chest, laced with a poignant, sharp pang of bittersweet irony.The mother of my past would have weaponized my pain, screaming that I was staging a performance to shirk my duties. Yet now, she was unmoored by the slightest hint of my physical distress.Within moments, the attending doctor rushed into the room. He ran through a quick check-up on me, then let out a relieved sigh."Don't worry. It's just a mild flare-up of your symptoms," he reassured me. "Your system has just endured a massive trauma, and you're still profoundly weak. It will clear up once your emotional s

"My sweet girl," Marie choked out, pulling me into a tight hug. "Everything is going to be okay from now on. For both of us."I leaned into her, finally letting myself relax. "Let's just forget about the bad stuff, Mom. From this moment on, it's just the two of us looking out for each other.""Yes," she said, nodding hard through her tears. "I'm going to take good care of you. I won't let anyone treat you unfairly, and I won't let this sickness get the best of you again. We're going to live happily together."True to her promise, Marie started opening up to me. When things got tough, we talked through them together. She learned how to communicate with me properly and love me with all her heart.I finally let my guard down, slowly getting back the confidence and cheerfulness I thought I'd lost forever.Once everyone at school found out what had happened, they all came to visit me at the hospital. Hailey brought over a massive stack of study guides."Don't stress about your schoolw