My mom lay quietly on the hospital bed, the lingering purple and blue bruises from last night still visible around her neck. At the sight of her, I couldn't help but float over and gently tried to embrace her shoulders.“You’re so silly, Mom. You have a life ahead of you. Why can’t you live it properly?”When my mom noticed Chandler, her fists tightened into balls, and she cast him a look filled with hatred. “What are you doing here?” she demanded, then coughed heavily.Chandler stood in the doorway, and for the first time, he seemed cautious and uncertain. He looked pale and utterly exhausted. “Mother… when did Mariah..?”My mom burst into laughter at his words. “Chandler, oh, Chandler, do you finally believe that Mariah is dead?”“Do you still remember how I begged you that day?” My mom exerted every ounce of strength she had to sit up and glare at him. “I pleaded with you, saying Mariah was dying and wanted to see you one last time, to say a few words to you and what di
Behind them, my mom let out a twisted laugh. She had been watching Pauline’s demeanor with a kind of grim satisfaction. She spoke softly, barely above a whisper, “Chandler, did you see the little one Mariah carried?“The other coffin… that was for her.“There was even a set of clothes in there,” she paused, a mocking tone creeping into her words. “Oh, wait. The clothes were ruined when you threw the dirty napkin at them. So they were tossed out.“Your daughter died with nothing to wear.”Chandler stood frozen, his gaze fixed ahead.“Chandler…” Pauline’s voice trembled with fear as she spoke cautiously, “Don’t ignore me. Say something…“You know how much effort we poured into getting that drug to the clinical trial stage,” she continued, her voice turning steely, her gaze hardening. “When I noticed an unusual reaction in Mariah, I worried that we’d have even bigger problems when the drug went public. So I thought we should continue with the trials.”She took a slow breath,
The primary team for the development of the experimental drug was led by Pauline, and nearly all related data was stored in her lab. Entering her lab was technically against the rules, but Chandler ignored the risks and went in anyway.He stayed there the entire night.He and Ben had pulled out every neatly organized document, scattering papers across the floor. One cold, unfeeling number after another flooded Chandler’s mind, and slowly, a dreadful truth took shape before him."There were no issues with the drug."Ben looked at him in confusion. "The records here show that the drug underwent every proper protocol before advancing to the final phase of clinical trials. “All previous data comparisons confirmed it as safe. So why did Mariah experience such severe side effects?”"Could it be that she had some unusual constitution?"While Ben mulled it over, Chandler was hit by sudden clarity.He nodded to himself. "Yes, there was nothing wrong with it.""So—" Ben began."
In silence, the two locked eyes. Suddenly Pauline let out a chilling laugh. As she turned back, a syringe needle appeared in her hand.“Don’t blame me! Since you know my secret and refuse to side with me, then you all must die!” she growled.“You don’t love me anymore! You’ve fallen for Mariah, haven’t you? If that’s the case, I’ll send you to meet her like the pair of doomed lovers you are!”Her eyes glowed with madness as she lunged forward, grabbed the needle, and pierced Chandler with it.Before he could react, she injected the drug into his body. He felt as if all his strength had been drained away.Fortunately, Ben was still in the laboratory. He rushed forward and kicked Pauline aside. Just as Pauline turned to attack him, the sound of sirens suddenly blared outside.Terrified, Pauline scrambled toward the laboratory door to escape. Chandler raised his foot and kicked her down to the ground.“You made a big mistake, Pauline.”At his words, Pauline burst into la
By the time I took my last breath, the pain had already numbed me.The experiment had failed. They had injected me with an improper dose and I could feel that death was near.Only my mom stayed by my side, pleading through her tears. “Don’t leave, my daughter, please don’t go.”“Isn’t he…coming?” I asked, my gaze fixed on the empty hallway.My mom’s hands trembled as she dialed for Chandler Rotterdam once more.This time, he finally answered, his tone laced with irritation. “Didn’t I already tell you? This is a critical time in Pauline’s experiment! We have to focus on what we’re doing so stop bothering me!”My mom’s voice caught, and when she spoke again, it was hoarse. “Chandler, it’s me.“Could you come to the hospital? Mariah…she doesn’t have much time. She wants to speak with you one last time.”After a brief silence, Chandler let out a low, mocking laugh.“Honestly, Mother, is that necessary?“Did Mariah put you up to this? I’ve said it countless times—there’s not
Following my instructions, my mom erected a gravestone for both me and my child.The problem was that she did not have the right to claim my body. I had signed a trial agreement during my life that after the experiment failed, my remains would be returned to the lab for sample analysis. Only after the analysis could I finally rest in peace.Thus, my soul drifted alongside my corpse to the lab. Chandler was the person responsible for the sample analysis.“The sample showed excessive drug use. We need to compare it with the advanced database,” he said, his brow furrowing slightly. “The body is almost entirely decayed. We should check whether there was improper use of the experimental drug. “This is unusual…even with a failed trial, it shouldn’t be this severe.”His assistant, Ben Fallon nodded and began taking notes, but Chandler did a double take as he steadied himself against the computer. “She… was pregnant during the trial?” he asked softly.“Yes! You’re right! The t
My mom came to collect my body. She brought two coffins with her. Outside, a vehicle stood ready to transport us.When Pauline appeared, my mom immediately rushed up to her. She excitedly grasped Pauline’s hand. “Oh my God! Is that you, Mariah? Did you come back to see me?”My mom had mistaken Pauline for me. It was understandable. I had also been shocked when I first saw Pauline. Her resemblance to me was uncanny.Reflecting on it later, I realized that Chandler must have chosen me for that very reason. In a sense, I had become Pauline's substitute.Surprised, Pauline let out a shriek and instinctively pushed my mom away. My mom fell to the ground, her elbow scraping against the hard concrete. It left a long trail of blood. She seemed oblivious to the pain and lunged forward to grab Pauline’s leg. “Oh, Mariah! I can’t bear to lose you!” she sobbed uncontrollably.My heart ached and I rushed forward to embrace my mom, but my arms passed right through her body.I c
Chandler froze.He took a deep breath to suppress his anger."Do you both have to make such a scene?" he asked coldly.“Creating chaos at home is one thing, but what are you playing at bringing two coffins here? Are you trying to intimidate me at my workplace?” My mom sneered. “Don’t you understand why there are two coffins?“Besides Mariah, there’s also your child—” “Enough!” Pauline interrupted as she grabbed Chandler’s hand, playing the peacemaker. “Let it go, Chandler. Don’t be angry. Mrs. Corey doesn’t understand what happened. She’s just protecting her daughter.”She lowered her gaze to the scattered cake on the ground, her eyes slightly red.“I just feel sorry for the cake. It took so long to make it…”Chandler furrowed his brow. “What a waste of a perfectly good cake! You should ask Mariah to make another one. “She usually enjoys baking these things, right? She should make a cake for Pauline’s birthday.”Pauline shamelessly added, “Didn’t you say that Mariah’s c