Semua Bab My Death Made Them Drop Their Act: Bab 1 - Bab 8

When I got back to our old apartment in the projects after school, I carefully took out the food I'd saved."Look, Dad! I saved this just for you. You must have worked so hard today."Dad was a scavenger. He woke up before dawn every single day to collect recyclables. I knew how grueling it was.He froze for a moment, staring at the lunchbox in my hand instead of taking it right away."Dad?"I quickly poured him a glass of water, figuring he was just exhausted from the long day.Only then did he snap out of it. "Thank you, Joshua. You're such a good boy."As if rewarding me, he pulled out a wrapped candy. "I saved up for a week to buy you this. Joshua, you must always be thrifty. Don't let us down. Study hard so you can give us a better life in the future."I took the candy and unwrapped it. It was incredibly sweet. I nodded. "Don't worry, Dad. I'll work as hard as I can."Satisfied, he turned to leave, but the sudden pain in my stomach forced a small whimpering cry from my li

For as long as they ate, I sat beside them and cried.I screamed at them, demanding to know why they had lied to me. Why, when our family was clearly rich, did they let me be crushed by the weight of money time and time again?But they couldn't hear a single word of my protests or my tears.I listened to the waitresses introduce the dishes as they served them—foie gras, caviar, venison, salmon.Things I had never even heard of in my life.When they finished their meal, Dad looked over at Mom. "How about we head back to the villa tonight? Living in the projects is suffocating. Besides, Joshua already thinks we're out working all night anyway. We can even use this tomorrow to teach him another lesson."Mom nodded, and the three of them happily climbed into a stunning luxury car.I sat in the very back, watching them laugh and chat. My tears completely spilled over.The car drove for a long time before pulling up to an endless estate.I stared blankly as they walked into the hous

Dad's legs gave out, and he collapsed heavily on the floor. He then crawled forward on all fours.He stared at my lifeless body. My eyes were shut tight on the cold metal table.His trembling hands reached up to my face as he choked out a broken whisper, "Don't be scared, Joshua. I'm here. Dad's here."He breathed into his own hands and rubbed mine, desperately trying to pass his warmth to me."Don't go cold!" he wailed. "Joshua, can you hear me?"I stood watching from the sidelines.There was a heavy, unidentifiable ache in my chest. Seeing them this heartbroken gave me a twisted sense of satisfaction, though it quickly dissolved into numbness.I was already dead. What was the point of saying all those things now? I could never go back.At that thought, a tear slipped down my cheek, and I began to sob uncontrollably.Beside my body, Mom stood frozen. Dad's crying finally seemed to snap her out of her trance.Her body was stiff. She forced herself forward, but she didn't brea

That afternoon, Jalvorn Cemetery was draped in a blanket of grey, shrouded by a drizzling rain that cast a gloomy pall over everyone's hearts.Two figures walked slowly up the stone steps. Their faces were blank, but their eyes were heavy with excruciating grief.Dad clutched the tiny urn closely as he made his way to the largest, most luxurious plot in the cemetery.I looked closer and let out a bitter smile. I never expected that my final resting place would be vastly superior to anywhere I had lived while alive.But what was the point?It was just a futile gesture by the living—nothing more than a desperate attempt to comfort their own consciences.I couldn't enjoy any of it.Through the steady drizzle, Dad carefully placed the urn into the vault and gently closed it."Rest now. Eat well on the other side."Kneeling on the damp ground, he used his hand to wipe the rain from the portrait on the headstone.But the water was like his tears. No matter how much he wiped, it kep