The next morning, she came back, red–eyed,
and apologized.
She pulled out a ring from a jewelry box.
“This is your wedding ring, early. We’ll be
married soon. Just pass all the tests, and I’ll
be yours, okay?”
<
I’d softened, given in.
Now, it had cost my mother her life.
I ripped the ring off my finger and threw it on
the sand.
“Here. We’re even.”
Sarah’s face darkened, but I didn’t care. I
walked away.
She called repeatedly, but I didn’t answer.
I held my mom’s cold body, unable to cry.
Back home, I wanted to cremate her, bury her
quickly.
No
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But no funeral home would take her. No one
would issue a death certificate.
I begged, knelt on the floor, but they just said,
emotionless,
“Miss Preston’s orders. We can’t.”
“The Prestons are having a wedding, no
funerals. Bad luck.”
I called Sarah. Alex answered, his voice
mocking.
“Still bothering Sarah? Give up. I’m the one
she’ll marry.”
“Those tests? I made them up. Wanted you to
back off. But you just kept going, even
into it ”
dragged your mom into it.‘
He laughed and hung up. The number was
disconnected when I called back.
I smashed my phone against the wall.
I built a simple shrine back home, placed my
mom in a coffin.
After the traditional seven days, I prepared for
the burial. That’s when Sarah showed up.
Her face was tight with anger.
“Michael, the coffin, the funeral…enough is
enough.”
“You embarrassed the Prestons last week,
now this? Don’t take my kindness for
weakness.”
She looked hurt, like I was the one betraying
her.
I said coldly, “Leave my mother in peace. We
can talk after the burial. You’re not welcome
here.‘
وو
I’d never spoken to her like that. She froze.
Then, she gritted her teeth.
“Enough! How long will you keep up this act?
Do you think I’m a child?”
I repeated myself calmly.
“Leave.”
She laughed, tears in her eyes.
“Fine. You say this is your mother in the
coffin?”
“Someone, get rid of it.”
Her bodyguards swarmed forward, lifting the
coffin.
They wedged it against the window frame,
one push away from falling.
“What are you doing!”
I struggled, but they held me tight.
Sarah said, “One last test, since you insist on
lying.”
<
“The coffin, or me? Choose.”
I stared at her, disbelieving.
“Put it back! That’s my mom! If you drop it,
I’ll never forgive you!”
Tears streamed down Sarah’s face.
“Even a fake coffin is more important than
me?”
“Michael, you’re heartless. You failed the final
test.”
“Watch me marry Alex. As for this…”
She looked at the coffin and sneered.
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“Throw it out! It’s disgusting.”
They let go. The coffin plummeted, shattering
on the ground below.
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“realnovel“.
My vision went red. I ran, my mind close to
shattering.
Sarah looked down from the balcony, a sneer
twisting her lips.
“Nice touch with the dummy, very realistic.”
The coffin had splintered, the body inside
sprawled out.
The clothes obscured most of it, but I could
see the pale face, the closed eyes.
Thank God it was cold, the body wouldn’t
decompose too quickly.
I shoved past the bodyguards, racing
downstairs.
Just one thought in my mind: please, let her
be okay.
She hated pain. That fall, from so high…
Ignoring the stares, I cradled the body,
brushing the hair from her face.
“Mom…Mom…I’m so sorry…‘
“”
Sarah followed, her nose wrinkling in disgust.
“Michael, you’ve lost it.”
“Making such a scene, you really think I’ll put
up with this forever?”
Then, she saw the face in my arms. She
stumbled back, her voice trembling.
