All Chapters of This New Year's Eve Is My Last With You: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The moment I stepped through the front door, the warm light in the entryway fell over me, but I didn't feel the slightest bit of warmth. The chill buried deep in my bones was still creeping into every inch of my body.Ethan Norton, my brother who was two years older than me, was the first to greet me. He wore an awkward smile as he reached out to put an arm around my shoulders.He said, "Eva, you're finally home. I haven't seen you in two weeks. I missed you."The moment his hand rose halfway, something in my head snapped. The rules from the program were carved into my bones like an unshakeable curse. Each word pounded against my eardrums painfully.I reflexively said, "Physical contact with the opposite sex is a grave mistake."It was as if I'd been burned by a red-hot iron. I jerked backward until my back slammed hard against the cold wall. Only when the solid surface pressed against my spine did I finally manage to find a shred of security.The icy wall dug painfully into my s

I struggled and pulled away from Mom's embrace.My voice was incredibly hoarse as I said, "I need to use the bathroom."The moment I finished speaking, I rushed into the bathroom as if I was fleeing for my life. I locked the door behind me and slid down against it until I was sitting on the floor.A metallic sweetness filled my mouth. A mouthful of blood suddenly gushed out from my throat and splattered across the cold tile, staining it a startling red.I raised my hand. I'd cut into the skin on my palm from digging my nails into it. Beads of blood seeped out and mingled with the blood on the floor.Using the sink for support, I pulled myself to my feet and stared at myself in the mirror.My face was deathly pale, my eyes bloodshot, and my expression was dark and bleak. I barely resembled the person I used to be.Tonight, I would finally be free.When I opened the door and stepped out, steaming hot dishes were placed all over the dining table. Mom smiled and waved me over, aski

A searing pain tore through my entire body. It felt as though every one of my bones had shattered. The agony made my vision go black as my consciousness slowly faded.But in the next second, the pain suddenly vanished. My body became light and weightless, like a feather drifting in the air.I slowly opened my eyes and discovered that I was floating above the ground as a soul.There was no sadness in my heart, only overwhelming relief.I was finally free. I would never have to return to that hell, and I would never have to face those hypocritical family members again.But I never expected anyone to come set off fireworks near this desolate unfinished building. A young couple walked over hand in hand, each holding a sparkler. The moment they reached the building, they saw my body lying broken on the concrete below.The woman froze for a moment before letting out a piercing scream. The guy's face went deathly pale. He grabbed her and ran, leaving the sparklers behind and not daring

The police officer's words sent a shock through the silent living room. The air instantly froze.All the color drained from Mom's face. She swayed and fell backward, but Ethan quickly caught her around the waist. His own body was trembling too.Mom's voice was barely a whisper as she repeated over and over, "That's impossible... You got the wrong person. That's not Eva. It can't be..."Dad grabbed the police officer's arm, his knuckles turning white. His voice was harsh and filled with hysterical disbelief. "How do you police officers do your jobs? My daughter just went out to get some air. How could she possibly have fallen from a building? You must have gotten her identity wrong!"The officer frowned and pulled his arm free, his tone stern. "We verified her identity and contacted the forensic examiner at the scene. There is no mistake. Please come with us to identify the body."Dad froze. The fury slowly drained from his face, replaced by stunned disbelief. His lips parted, bu

I had pleaded fearfully, "Dad, I'm sorry. I promise I'll never talk to male classmates again. Please don't send me there, okay?"Back then, all he'd thought was that I was being unreasonable and immature. He yanked his hand away from mine and ruthlessly pushed me through the doors to the boot camp.He could never have imagined what kind of living hell lay beyond those doors.Mom remembered how I'd eaten mechanically without enjoying the food after I'd come home. My eyes were dark and lifeless. It was as if I'd become a completely different person.She had assumed I simply hadn't adjusted to coming back yet. She'd even planned to send me back after the New Year holiday.Never did it cross her mind that I'd already been tortured to the point where dying felt better than staying alive, and that I'd already begun thinking about ending my life.They always said they were doing it for my own good.But they had destroyed my entire life with their so-called "love". At the age when my li