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All Chapters of My Perfect Grades Came From Mom's Murder: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

My head suddenly started pounding. My hand went slack, and the merit ledger fell to the floor."You still haven't found it?" My mom, Susan Lane, called from outside. "Any bottle will do. Your uncle and the others are eager for a drink."I hurriedly picked up the ledger, shoved it back in between the bottles, and carried a bottle of liquor outside.By the time I returned to the yard, everyone was already a little drunk."Lindsay has always been a smart kid!" My uncle, Benny Stone, said. His face was bright red, and he slurred when he spoke. "I always said our town would produce a top student one day!""Exactly!" Our neighbor, Martha Greene, chimed in with a smile."Susan has had it so hard all these years. Now her hard work has finally paid off!"Mom smiled and shook her head. "She did it all herself. I wasn't of much help."What everyone said was true. My dad died in an accident when I was three years old, and Mom raised me all by herself.However, I couldn't stop thinking abo

Chapter 2

I tried again, but no matter what I did, I couldn't leave town.The cold night air made me shiver and helped clear my mind.If I was trapped here, I had to find out why. Otherwise, my whole life would be ruined.I gathered my courage, went back into the cellar, and found the merit ledger.I took a deep breath and opened the first page."April 7. I'm pregnant with this child. She is destined for great academic success, but she's bound to face major hardship. She needs blessings to get through it and succeed in school."I turned a few more pages."August 3. I caused a car accident on purpose and killed our neighbor, Mrs. Shaw, to trade her life for Lindsay's health."As I stared at those words, I suddenly remembered something.When I was eight years old, I became seriously ill. The doctors said there was nothing they could do.But three months later, I miraculously survived.I kept turning the pages, growing more horrified with every entry. Every record matched something that

Chapter 3

I thought I had made a mistake, so I checked several more times. The photos were still gone, as if they had never existed.My head suddenly started pounding again. It felt like it was about to split open."Walter, I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling well. I need to go!" I said.I went to the clinic at the edge of town and got some painkillers. They barely eased the pain.Once I calmed down, I suddenly remembered that my phone password was my birthday.Only Mom and I knew the password.Had Mom deleted those pictures? Was she secretly trying to stop me from investigating?I headed home. Before I even got close, I saw Mom standing before the crucifix in the living room, quietly muttering to herself.I silently slipped over to the doorway and listened in."God, if someone has to pay for this, let it be me. Everything I've done all these years has been for Lindsay and this family."Mom's voice was hoarse, as if she had been crying for a long time."Mr. Lowe used to take advantage of m

Chapter 4

The sky was dark with storm clouds when I found Mom on the mountain.She was wearing an old coat, her hair tousled by the wind, and she had a bundle of branches in her arms."Mom, it looks like it's going to rain. Let's go home," I called out.Mom turned and saw me. A flash of happiness crossed her eyes."Lindsay, what are you doing here? I need to gather more firewood. You love food cooked over a wood fire, and you won't get to eat it once you move to the city."I studied her. Her hair had already turned gray at the temples, and her face was covered in wrinkles.I knew she had spent all these years doing everything she could for me.Yet I couldn't get the words in the merit ledger out of my mind.After hesitating for a long while, I finally asked, "Mom, what was that merit ledger really about?"The branches fell from Mom's arms. She looked at me in silence.After a long pause, she asked, "Does it matter?""It matters! Of course it does!" I practically screamed. "I need to k

Chapter 5

The statue looked exactly like Mom!Its eyes, brows, nose, and slightly curved lips were all identical, as if they had been carved from the same mold.My mind went blank for a moment. Everything I thought I had figured out suddenly made even less sense."You…" My voice shook. "Who are you really?"Mom smiled instead. "I'm your mother. I know you have a lot of questions. It's okay. I'll answer them one by one."She reached out and gently touched my head, but I stood frozen in place. I couldn't move at all."Our family has carried the same duty for generations," she explained. "We have to kill people who have done terrible things. Each person we kill gives us another blessing.""Do you know what Mr. Lowe was really like?" she asked slowly.I shook my head, unable to utter a word."He looked like a harmless, honest man, but he had hurt many young women in town."And Mrs. Shaw had two deaths on her conscience."Mom's voice trembled slightly."Every person I killed deserved it.

Chapter 6

Behind the hidden door was a small room with no windows, lit by several lamps that never went out.The dim flames flickered as I looked around the space.It was a family memorial room filled with countless plaques.I walked up to the first one. It read, "Gary Lowe, male, 43 years old. Assaulted 11 underage girls. Released because there wasn't enough evidence. Died on May 17, 2014."I looked at the second plaque. It read, "Carla Wright, female, 47 years old. Deliberately injured someone, causing two deaths. No criminal charges were filed after the families reached a settlement. Died on August 3, 2016."I went from one plaque to the next. Each person's life was summed up in a few lines, along with their crimes.They had committed crimes like fraud, violence, sexual assault, and even murder.All of them had escaped punishment under the law, but none of them escaped being killed by Mom.Their lives had all become my blessings.But when I counted the plaques again, I slowly rea

Chapter 7

I was staring at the plaque when I suddenly heard a dull thud behind me.I turned around. The hidden door had been shut."So you really did find this place."My so-called Mom's face was hidden in the shadows, and I couldn't see her clearly."However, everything you saw was just meant to fool outsiders. You don't have to believe any of it," she said. "Come on. Let's go home for dinner."She reached out to me, but I pulled away."How much longer are you going to keep lying, Grandma?" I asked.The person before me went silent.A moment later, she laughed. It wasn't Mom's gentle laugh that I knew. Her voice was cold and sinister."Lindsay, when did you figure it out?" she asked."Just now. When I saw the red mark on the statue's face, I realized it was the same as yours," I replied.She scoffed and stepped out of the shadows.I looked closely. Her features were exactly the same as Mom's, except for the red mark on her face.She had done a good job hiding it, but the light stil

Chapter 8

Three days later, the police called me in."Lindsay Stone?" The officer looked up at me. "You're the top scorer on the SAT this year?"I nodded."In your statement, you said your grandmother killed your mother," he said. "But we compared the DNA. That woman isn't your grandmother. She's your mom, Susan Lane."I froze. "But I saw a plaque bearing her name in the family memorial hall, and—""We investigated everything in that room too." The officer cut me off. "Those so-called pieces of evidence of their crimes were all made up by Susan."In fact, Gary Lowe never assaulted any women, and Carla Wright never killed anyone. And Susan Lane wasn't dead either. Your mother made it all up."I started trembling uncontrollably. "Why? Why did she do all this?"The officer handed me a diary filled with Mom's neat handwriting."Today, Lindsay's grandma died. I don't know who I am anymore. All this time, I've done everything Mom told me to do. Who am I now, and what am I supposed to do?"Ma

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