All Chapters of The Good Deed That Killed Me: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

I tried to send one more text, but the old woman who'd tricked me here snatched my phone.She whipped my back with a thorny switch. Pain punched the air from my lungs."You brat! How dare you steal a phone!"I curled against a pile of firewood, hurting so bad I almost blacked out.Her son with an intellectual disability grabbed my phone and giggled."A healthy baby boy. Her mom wants us to have a healthy baby boy."When the old woman finally wore herself out, she stood there panting. Then she read the chat, and her frown got worse."This is really your mother?"She scrolled through our old texts, staring like she couldn't believe what she was reading.The lines between her brows dug even deeper."So she knows you were kidnapped, and she still wants you to give us a baby boy." She snorted. "Guess you're not that precious after all. Just some unwanted girl your family couldn't wait to dump. Even your own mom treats you like garbage. We didn't even ask your family for a dime to

Chapter 2

I didn't know how much time passed before my body started feeling lighter.When I opened my eyes, I was floating above everything.Had I escaped?Then I looked down.My body was still on the firewood pile.Bruised all over. Neck bent wrong. Head hanging limp like a broken doll.Good news—I'd escaped that village.Bad news—I was already dead.When I got home, Mom was knitting on the couch. Dad stood by the window, anxious."It's getting late. Why isn't Kaia home yet? What did she say when she called?"Mom didn't even look up. "I told her to do something good, and she claimed she'd been kidnapped and forced to have some man's baby. She was trying to trick me into saying something sinful."A decent person doesn't break up a family. If I told her not to have that baby, all my years of good deeds would be ruined."I'm such a kind woman. How did I give birth to such a wicked daughter?"I hovered over them, trying to explain."Mom, I wasn't rebelling. I really was kidnapped. I w

Chapter 3

I didn't come home for a whole week.All week, Mom cried to anyone who'd listen, saying I had no shame. Saying I was dating at school and even threatened her with a baby.The neighbors comforted her and called me ungrateful.Only Ms. Johnson downstairs frowned."They're teenagers. Sometimes friendship feels like love. Mrs. Keene, let me talk to Kaia. I'm a school counselor. Maybe I can help."She glanced inside."I haven't seen Kaia in forever. Mrs. Keene... don't tell me you never even looked for her?"Mom's face fell. She slammed the door in Ms. Johnson's face."Don't be ridiculous. She's fine at school. Breaking up a marriage is a terrible sin. Do you know how many good deeds I'd have to do to make up for that?"Ms. Johnson knocked a few more times.No answer.I hugged my knees and sank to the floor, watching her walk away as I sobbed."Ms. Johnson, I'm here! I've already been murdered! Mom just won't believe me!"I screamed until my voice gave out, tears pouring down m

Chapter 4

"Does it have to be now?" Mom hesitated. "I'm busy. It's just some teen dating drama. Is that really worth dragging parents in?"But Ms. Appleton insisted.Mom reluctantly put down the cat food, said goodbye to the neighbors, and left.My spirit followed her to the school, then somehow ended up inside a police car.Ms. Appleton explained that I'd asked for time off the week before to work a part-time job.Then I never came back.At first, Mom snapped that I was slacking off and chasing quick cash instead of studying.But after she called me three times and I didn't answer...She panicked.She sat in the police car, her hands clenched, saying nothing.Before long, Dad rushed over."Ms. Appleton, what happened to Kaia? Where is she?"Ms. Appleton sat across from them, her face grim. "What I'm about to say may be hard to hear, so please brace yourselves."Kaia hasn't been to school for a week. I thought she was home, but after talking to her mother, I found out she's been mis

Chapter 5

The second Mom saw my body, she collapsed, eyes blown wide."Y-You made a mistake, right? She was fine. How could she..."My body had been underwater too long.Bloated.Deathly pale.A huge piece of my face had been eaten away by fish.Dad shot to his feet, chest heaving, tears in his eyes."This is your fault! It was that phone call. Kaia was begging you for help, and you hung up on her!"Mom stared ahead, tears streaming down her face."I didn't know. I really didn't know... If I had..."She squeezed her eyes shut, pain twisting across her face."How could I have said that to her..."I drifted closer and watched her fall apart.For the first time, when she talked about me, she didn't call me wicked or weak.She was really grieving me.Even though it had cost me my life.The two officers exchanged grim looks."We're sorry for your loss. Right now, we need to find who did this. You mentioned a phone call. Tell us exactly what happened."Clutching her chest, Mom choked

Chapter 6

With the criminals caught, my spirit drifted back home.My framed photo sat in the middle of the living room.The apartment was trashed.Broken dishes and shattered porcelain covered the floor, like a brutal fight had gone down.Mom sat dazed on the couch, dried blood at the corner of her mouth.In just a few days, she looked like a different person.The woman who'd cared so much about appearances, who always had to look perfect, was now a total mess.Same pajamas for days.Greasy, unwashed hair.She seemed to age overnight, going from polished and middle-aged to frail and old.The neighbors came by one after another to comfort her."Sharon, you have to let this go. Kaia ran off with a boy. None of this is your fault.""That's right, Mrs. Keene. You've spent your whole life doing good deeds. Good things will come back to you. You and Mr. Keene are still young. You can always have another child.""Exactly. Ever since Kaia died, you haven't left the apartment. You don't even

Chapter 7

The second I realized that, my body felt even lighter.I lifted my arm and saw I was more transparent than before.Everyone was gone.Mom slowly stood, dazed.She picked up her phone and called Dad.He declined. Again and again.Seeing the rain pouring outside, she grabbed an umbrella and rushed out.Water was still boiling on the stove."Mom, you forgot to turn off the burner."I chased after her, screaming, but she couldn't hear me.Barefoot, she ran straight into the rain.Maybe grief had wrecked her.Maybe it was the days without sleep.As she crossed the street, she didn't see the car coming.Bang!She flew several yards.Rain mixed with blood on the pavement.The driver rushed over and offered to take her to the hospital.She pulled out her phone."Call my husband first."The call was declined.Once.Twice.He didn't answer until the fifth try.Hope flickered across Mom's face. Even her voice turned careful."Honey, I was in a car accident. Can you come t

Chapter 8

The moment I watched my parents divorce, I thought Mom had finally been punished.She'd lost everything.I should've been happy.I wasn't.Late that night, Mom ripped out her IV and got out of bed.Ghosts didn't need sleep.When I saw her leave, I followed.She went back to the apartment first.Just like Dad said, the place was burned beyond recognition.Everything was black.The air still reeked of smoke.No one could live there anymore.Why had she come here so late?Mom quietly pushed the door open and struggled to shove the charred furniture aside.By the time sweat soaked her face, she finally found my memorial photo buried under the wreckage."Kaia..."She sank onto the floor, clutching my picture as she broke down.I floated right in front of her.Only two steps separated us.But those two steps were the distance between life and death.Mom...If you'd known this was how it'd end, would you still have wanted me to give them a son just so you could call it te

Chapter 9

Mom went completely still.Tears streamed down her face."You're... you're my daughter. How can you not love me? I'm apologizing to you..."She clutched my hand like it was the only thing keeping her alive. "Kaia, please don't be mad anymore. I'll never make you do good deeds again. No more receipts."If you hate that school, we'll transfer you. I'll pay for private school. I'll never let them bully you again."If you don't want to live on campus, we'll buy a place nearby. The three of us can be happy again, just like before..."I shook my head and shattered the fantasy. "Mom, you forgot again. I'm already dead. Dad's leaving too."She seemed to short-circuit.She collapsed to the ground.After a few blank seconds, she covered her ears."No... That's not true!"Pain twisted across her aged face."Kaia, I can't live without you. I'll do anything you ask. Please... don't leave me.""Mom, I really don't blame you anymore. But... I don't want to be your daughter again."I don

Chapter 10

Dad was Mom's only immediate family left. The second he heard what happened, he rushed to the hospital."Sharon... wake up."He dropped to his knees beside her bed, tears silently running down his face.After Mom had been in the hospital for a while, Dad brought her home.After everything they'd been through, he couldn't bring himself to leave her.Some days she was herself. Other days, she acted like a little kid.They rented a house in another state and planned to start over there.Before they left, they went back to their hometown to deal with the apartment.As they walked upstairs, Mom carried a bag of groceries she'd insisted on buying after leaving the hospital."Honey, you haven't let me come home in so long. I miss Kaia. I'm making her favorite baked ribs today. Do you think she's home from school yet?"Dad was used to her slipping in and out."You forgot. Kaia already left for college."Mom thought for a moment, surprise and confusion in her eyes."She's in colleg

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