All Chapters of The Girl Who Never Came Home: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

I slipped and crashed hard off the wall.My father's voice came from inside the house. "What was that?"I clamped a hand over my mouth, fighting to stay silent as tears streamed through my fingers.My mother didn't sound concerned at all. "Probably just a stray cat."Blood poured from my shin. I lay on the freezing concrete, staring up at the narrow strip of sky overhead.Only one thought filled my mind."I can't accept this... I haven't even had a single chance to truly live, and now I'm going to die. No. I have to survive. No matter what I've become, I still want to live," I muttered.I spent the entire night lying in that alley.The next morning, limping on my injured leg, I searched for work nearby.After dozens of places turned me away, a convenience store finally agreed to hire me.…A week later, the owner paid me my wages.At last, I could afford to have my badly bandaged leg treated properly at a clinic. I could also buy stronger painkillers, so the stabbing agony

My father's expression darkened completely. The disappointment in his eyes as he looked at me was unmistakable.In the end, they walked away hand in hand with Ava, leaving behind only one sentence, "Don't ever let us see you again."The crowd gradually dispersed until I was the only one left.No ID, no job, no money, and no home. The only way I could survive was by digging through trash cans for food: half-eaten bread, spoiled boxed meals, even dog food that no one wanted.I crouched where the streetlights couldn't reach, stuffing each bite into my mouth.My stomach felt as though a dull blade were slowly grinding through it until it drew blood. Whenever the pain became unbearable, I'd curl into a ball with my arms wrapped around my knees.I could almost hear my mother's voice repeating the words she'd always told me, "If you don't study hard, you'll end up picking through garbage for a living."I lowered my head and stared at the filthy pieces of bread resting in my palm.A bi

I floated in front of my mother, looking into her bloodshot eyes as my heart slowly shattered.So this was the first thing she thought of after I died. Not that I'd suffered. Not that I'd been wronged. Only that my death would become a burden to her.I lowered my gaze to my body beneath the white sheet.All at once, exhaustion washed over me. "Mom... Dad... This time, you've finally gotten what you wanted. I'll never call you Mom and Dad again. And I'll never beg you to take me home."Vinny was clearly taken aback by my mother's outburst.Frowning, he said, "Ma'am, please calm down. We still haven't confirmed the deceased's identity or cause of death. You're interfering with our investigation."After my body was taken away, Vinny closed his notebook and looked at them. "This case requires further investigation. We'd like your entire family to come to the station and assist with our inquiries."My mother answered immediately, "We'll cooperate. But Sophie has her finals tomorrow.

Vinny turned to my mother. For a brief moment, disbelief flashed across his face. "You're her mother?"My mother desperately clutched his sleeve, her eyes red as she nodded over and over. "Yes... I am! I'm Sophie's mother! She wasn't an unidentified body. She had a family. She had parents..."Vinny remained silent for a few seconds before his voice turned cold. "But both times you called the police, you described her as a lunatic. The first time, you accused her of theft. The second time, you accused her of breaking into your home to rob you."And just now, right here, you insisted she deliberately killed herself in your house just to burden your family."He fixed her with a hard stare, emphasizing every word. "And now you're telling me she's your daughter? Do you think this is some kind of joke?"The color slowly drained from my mother's face. She opened her mouth, but no words came.Every accusation had come from her own lips. Now every one of them had become a blade turned bac