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It was dinner time.
Dad glanced at his daughter, who was eating quietly, then frowned as his gaze fell on the empty seat at the end of the table.
"Where's that worthless girl gone? Does she expect us all to wait for her?"
His tone sharpened as he continued, "Looks like she needs to be punished harder!"
The butler, pausing mid-motion as he set down the dishes, answered cautiously, "Mr. Stiles, Miss Jennifer is still in the storage closet. Would you like me to release her?"
Dad's hand froze mid-air. His eyes flickered briefly toward the storage closet, a flash of shock crossing his face. He recovered quickly, lifting his wine glass for a sip.
"For what? Maybe a few more days in there will teach her a lesson better. Otherwise, she would bully her siblings again."
The butler glanced at the two children seated at the table, their cheeks rosy with health and their eyes bright with anticipation for the meal.
Internally, he pitied the eldest daughter, who was still locked away. After a brief hesitation, he ventured cautiously, "Mr. Stiles⌠the storage closet has been quite⌠quiet these past few days.
"Perhaps you should take a look?"
Dad put his glass down with a clink and glared at the butler. "She's been in there long enough to tire herself out from screaming.
"There's food, water, and air conditioning in there. If she still won't admit her faults, then she doesn't deserve to be let out."
The butler seemed to have more to say, but Dad cut him off sharply. "That's enough. We're eating dinner here. Let's not ruin the mood."
He waved dismissively before adding, "After dinner, you can ask her if she's willing to apologize. If she apologizes to her sister, she can come out, and the punishment's over."
As if I had already been erased from his mind, Dad turned his attention to his son Ian and adopted daughter Wendy.
He reached out, placing a peeled prawn into Wendy's bowl.
"What's wrong, Wendy? Why aren't you eating?
"You love prawns, right? Eat more." He ruffled her hair affectionately.
"Are you scared?
"Don't worry. I've already punished Jennifer. She'll never dare bully you again."
Wendy looked up, her innocent smile shining. "I know you love me the most, Dad.
"Honestly, as long as she apologizes, I'll forgive herâŚ
"But now that she's being punished, I'm worried she'll hate me even more."
"She wouldn't dare!" Dad growled, his anger unmistakable.
Then his expression softened as he smiled at her gently. "You're my favorite daughter. She wouldn't dare hate you."
Ian grinned and chimed in reassuringly, "Don't worry, Wendy! I'll protect you! I'll chop her hands off if she ever dares to bully you again!"
I couldn't suppress a laugh at the irony of Dad's words, but Ian's declaration sent a chill through me.
I hadn't expected my brother to make such a horrifying promise, and the cruelty in his eyes told me he wasn't joking.
It was bone-chilling.
I laughed aloud, but it was a shame no one heard me.
I was dead.
My spirit had only been able to leave the storage room after I died. Since then, I'd been drifting, watching everything unfold from above.
From my bird's eye view, I could see how the storage room door had been sealed. The only ventilationâa small holeâhad been blocked with a towel.
The storage room had become my coffin.
I hadn't been buried alive, but I might as well have been.
Chapter 2
Even now, as a spirit, just the sight of the sealed-off storage room door made me feel suffocated.
It was as if the darkness would engulf me again at any moment.
I staggered backward and quickly made my way to the dining room.
There, Dad and Ian surrounded Wendy, their voices soft and comforting.
Dad had his arm wrapped protectively around her. âYouâve lost weight recently, Wendy. You should eat more.
âI know what happened last time mustâve scared you. Itâs only right Jennifer gets punished for what sheâs done.
âIâve gone easy on her this time, but donât worry. Iâll make sure she knows her mistake. Thatâll never happen to you again.â
Ian chimed in, his tone gentle. âYouâre my one and only sister, WendyâŚâ
I stood silently behind them, listening as my father reprimanded me as if I werenât there, and my brother denied my very existence as his sister. I wanted to cry, but no tears came.
By blood, they were my only family. Yet, to them, it felt like I didnât exist.
Being tied up and thrown into that dark storage room had been torture. Yet to Dad, it seemed a fair punishment for the few minutes Wendy had spent in there.
The silence and pitch-black darkness terrified me, but there was no escape.
Iâd gone mad, struggling against the ropes. I had to break a finger just to free myself from their binds.
I banged on the door with every ounce of strength I had. I screamed, begged to be released, promised to apologize, and prayed desperately to survive.
It was all in vain.
All I received in response was my fatherâs mocking voice. âScared already? Didnât it occur to you that Wendy was scared too when you locked her in here?! Sheâs younger than you!
âStay here and shut up. You should feel how terrified Wendy was. Letâs see if youâll dare bully your sister again after this.
âAnd you call yourself her older sister? Hmph!â
In desperation, I clawed at the door, trying to tear even the smallest slit, a tiny hole to let in air or light. My fingers bled, my nails broke, but it was all for nothing.
Hopeless, I let the darkness swallow me.
In my daze, I thought I heard Wendyâs voice.
âIt must be freezing in there, Jennifer. Donât worry, Iâll make it warm soon.â
Then I realized with horror that the air conditioning had been switched to heating mode.
It was summer, and the storage room was already unbearably stuffy. As the temperature rose, the room became a saunaâa private Hell.
I crawled through the oppressive heat, desperately searching for water to cool myself, only to discover that the food and water in the room had been replaced with trash.
I collapsed onto the floor, helpless.
Pain blurred my senses.
Slowly, my consciousness began to fade.
Chapter 3
After ensuring Wendy had eaten enough and was smiling happily again, Dad finally addressed the butler.
"Go let Jennifer out. Make sure she's cleaned up and presentable, or she'll ruin everyone's appetite."
His expression carried an air of self-satisfaction, as though letting me out of the storage closet after a week was some grand act of generosity.
The butler quickly called for others to handle the task.
Standing beside Dad, Wendy held his hand with a sweet, innocent smile. "Dad, please don't scold her when she comes out, okay?
"She's your daughter, after all⌠I am not, and I'm just happy enough that you're so kind to me."
Dad's eyes softened as he ruffled her hair lovingly.
"You're both my daughters. However, you're my little princess."
His voice carried a note of pride as he added, "You're too kind, Wendy. I've been far too lenient with Jennifer.
"Don't worry. I won't let her bully you ever again.
"How dare she lock you in the storage room at all?! I can't even imagine how scared you must have felt."
His tone was laced with anger and disappointment, as though I were some irredeemable sinner.
I couldn't help but laugh ironically.
Wendy had staged the entire incident. And yet, here they were, two fools playing into her hands.
A week ago, she had barged into my room, her voice dripping with malice. "I heard you applied to stay in a dorm?
"You're an idiot if you think that'll make Dad pay attention to you.
"All I need to do is say one word, and I can make them hate you forever.
"Without you, I'll be Dad's only daughter, Ian's only sister. Everything you own will belong to me."
I refused to waste my energy on her antics and simply shut the door in her face.
Fifteen minutes later, she went to the storage room and started banging on the door, shouting as though someone had locked her inside.
When Ian returned from his extracurricular class, he immediately "rescued" her from the storage room. Then Wendy made her move.
She called Dad, her voice trembling with feigned fear.
"Dad, I was so scared.
"I know Jennifer doesn't like me, but I didn't think she'd lock me in the storage room. It was so terrifying.
"I know I'm not related to you by blood, and it's only fair that Jennifer doesn't like me, but it was so dark in there.
"Maybe you should send me back to the orphanage, Dad. Then Jennifer wouldn't feel so angry about my existence anymore."
Chapter 4
Dad was in the middle of a meeting when he received the call. Without a second thought, he rushed home.
As soon as he arrived, he carried a pale Wendy and roared, "You are my daughter, Wendy. No one can send you away!
"Don't say a word about leaving again."
At first, I thought something serious had happened, but when I stepped out of my room and saw the scene before me, the bitter irony wasn't lost on me.
I was speechless. Wendy was no delicate porcelain doll, nor was she afraid of the dark. A short time in the storage room hardly warranted such theatrics.
That was until Ian shouted, "It's all Jennifer's fault! She's the one who locked Wendy in the storage room! Who knows how long she would've been trapped if I hadn't come back!"
Dad stormed upstairs, dragged me out of my room by my hair, and shoved me into the storage closet. Tying me up, he raged, and in that moment, I finally understoodâthis family had no place for me.
"How could you be so evil, Jennifer?!" Ian yelled, his eyes blazing with anger. "How could you lock Wendy up? She's just a girl! Do you even know how scared she must have been? You're not my sister anymore! I refuse to have someone so evil as my sister!"
"Ian is right," Dad growled, his glare cutting through me like a knife.
"How could you be so heartless at such a young age? You're hopeless.
"This is my house, and you have no right to order anyone around here.
"You like locking Wendy in the storage closet, huh? Fine! Then you can stay in there until you understand how it feels!
"You won't be allowed out until you're truly sorry for what you've done."
Even now, Dad believed it was all my fault. He would accept nothing less than my complete submissionâme on my knees, sobbing and begging for forgiveness.
Too bad. They'd never hear that from me.
The butler's trembling voice cut through the tension.
"Mr. Stiles⌠Mr. Stiles! Miss Jennifer⌠is dead!"
Dad's hand froze midair, hovering above Wendy's head.
I stared at him, refusing to miss even the faintest flicker of emotion. Was it regret I was hoping for? Or fear?
There was none.
Instead, he smiled faintly and sighed in annoyance. "How dare she.
"Dead? As if."
Shaking his head, he added coldly, "I know my daughter. She'd do anything to survive.
"Tell her to stop playing games before I call the crematorium. Then she'll really be dead."
The butler stood frozen, clearly shocked.
"What are you waiting for?" Dad snapped. "You have thirty minutes to get her cleaned up and ready to apologize to Wendy. Or else, you can leave with her!"
"Mr. StilesâŚ" The butler hesitated, his voice faltering.
"Get on with it!" Dad snarled, throwing the dessert in his handâmeant for Wendyâat the butler.
The butler had no choice but to retreat.
Dad turned back to Wendy with a smile, wiping her mouth tenderly. "We're out of dessert. Why don't we eat something else, hmm?
"Wendy, when Jennifer apologizes to you later, don't forgive her too quickly, alright?
"She better kneel and beg for your forgiveness before you even think about it. You're too kind to her.
"You can't be too nice. Remember my words, Wendy."
Wendy smirked faintly but then replaced it with an anxious, innocent expression.
"I'm sure she's sorry, Dad.
"She'd be so sad if I didn't forgive herâŚ"
"You're too kind, Wendy," Dad said with pride.
Ian wrapped an arm around Wendy's body, smiling contentedly.
What a picture-perfect, loving family.
This was my so-called blood-related family.
I smirked at the cruel irony and tried to move away, only to realize that I couldn't. My body was still there, binding me to this place.
I had no choice but to watch as they acted all lovely-dovey in front of me, a grotesque display of affection that only deepened the bitterness in my heart.
Chapter 5
Things weren't always like this, not before Wendy came into our lives.
Back then, I still had a mother and father who loved me, and Ian was just a little boy.
Ian and I would play together, Mom would tell me bedtime stories, and Dad would take me on walks in the park.
Everything changed three summers ago.
Mom and Dad left for the ancestral home while Ian and I stayed behind for school.
A few days later, Dad returned with two pieces of devastating news.
Mom had been in a car accident at the ancestral home. She didn't survive.
And before her death, she and Dad had adopted the daughter of an old friend.
I lost my mother but gained a sister.
At first, I welcomed Wendy. I thought of her as the last connection I had to Mom since Mom had adopted her before the accident.
I wanted a sister, too, so I did my best to care for her.
I made sure no one at school bullied her, keeping an eye out for trouble in her class.
I helped her with homework and took care of her whenever she was sick.
I gave her everything I could as a sister, treating her like she was my own blood.
However, one day, everything changed.
I had gone to her class to bring her burn ointment, only to overhear her talking to her classmates.
"My sister burned me by accident," she said, her voice soft and pitiful. "It's my faultâI shouldn't have brought her such a hot drink.
"Please don't say bad things about her. She's really nice to me. She asks me to do chores and serve her tea, but she's never bullied me."
I stood frozen, stunned by the lies.
The burn on her hand wasn't my doing. She'd wanted to make coffee for Dad but claimed I had forced her to serve me hot tea.
Dad had already punished me for her injury, yet I hadn't blamed her. I felt guilty for letting her into the kitchen in the first place.
After hearing her lies, I confronted her at school.
That day marked a turning point in my lifeâor maybe the change had started long before.
Dad stopped doting on me. Ian no longer followed me around like my little shadow.
I became an outsider in my own home, the person everyone vented their frustrations on.
As I recalled the past three years, my body shuddered. Perhaps it was because the spirit itself was numb, but it felt like I had returned to the storage closet again.
Chapter 6
My father's expression darkened as the half-hour mark passed, and I still hadn't appeared.
"It's already been thirty minutes! What? Does she think I can't do anything to her?!
"What a stubborn girl! She still doesn't understand what she's done wrong!
"Hmph! I'd like to see what tricks she has up her sleeve!"
In a fit of anger, he threw the teacup in his hand onto the ground, the sharp crack echoing through the room.
I watched silently from behind, amused. Beneath his anger, there was a flicker of worry, though he'd never admit it. I couldn't help but snicker when he knocked into a chair as he stood up.
"Wait here for me, Wendy. I'll drag Jennifer over to apologize."
He stormed toward the storage room, his steps heavy with frustration. Just as he neared the door, a rat darted out, causing him to jolt in surprise.
"What's going on? Where did that rat come from?!"
The butler stood pale-faced by the door, his expression twisted in a grimace as he turned away. "Mr. Stiles⌠Perhaps you should take a look for yourself."
I watched as my father stiffened, his movements robotic as he approached the storage closet. His gaze fell inside, landing on my corpse.
I must admit, I was curious to see his reaction. Would it shock him? Would he finally feel remorse?
Instead, he roared, "Jennifer Stiles! What the heck is this?! Get out here right now, or I'll lock you in that closet forever!"
Tsk. I clicked my tongue beside him, my spectral form floating nearby.
'You should've come while I was still alive if you wanted to see me.
'I wanted to come out too, you know. Look at my hands. I was banging on that door until my dying breath. My fingers are all broken.
'Surely, my death must bring you satisfaction, hmm?
'You killed me.'
My father, oblivious to my voice, leaned into the closet for a better look. That's when he truly saw itâwhat was left of my rat-eaten corpse lying in the middle of the storage room, surrounded by scurrying vermin.
"Ah!" he gasped, stumbling back.
The sudden noise startled the rats, sending them scampering. A few even leaped onto him, climbing up his body.
He shrieked in shock, frantically swatting and shaking them off.
The absurdity of the scene made me laugh aloud.
It was rare to see him in such a humiliating state. If only I could record this moment on video. It would've made for a masterpiece.
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