Chapter 3Faking Poverty, Dying From It

After a while, I seemed to "wake up" again, my body as light as a feather.

Looking down, I saw another me lying peacefully on the bed, her face calm, as if she were just sleeping.

Was I... already dead?

But where was I supposed to go next? I didn't know.

I suddenly remembered Scarlett, my sister.

The last time I saw her was during the holidays; she only stayed home for three days before rushing off.

Yesterday, when I called her, I had barely said a few words before I heard a commotion on her end.

Before I could finish, she abruptly hung up.

Before I left, I wanted to see her one last time.

As the thought formed, my surroundings blurred, and I found myself standing outside a bright coffee shop.

Through the floor-to-ceiling window, I saw Scarlett laughing and chatting with a few friends.

She wore a beautiful floral dress, her hair impeccably styled, a delicate cake sat before her, and her smile was radiant.

My gaze fell on the brand-new designer bag beside her.

I'd seen that brand at the mall and secretly counted the zeros on its price tag.

But how could Scarlett...

I leaned closer to get a better look when her phone suddenly rang, startling me.

She walked to a quiet corner to take the call, and I followed.

"Mom?" Her voice was cheerful. "Why are you calling at this hour?"

Mom's voice came clearly from the other end. "Has your sister contacted you recently? I feel like she's been a little off these past two days..."

"Oh, she called yesterday," Scarlett's tone was casual. "Said she wanted to buy some study guides and asked to borrow a hundred bucks."

"Study guides?" Mom's voice sharpened abruptly, with unconcealed displeasure. "What books can't she just tell us about? That child... I wonder what she's really up to."

I instinctively lowered my gaze, a bitter ache in my heart.

Actually... it was because I couldn't afford the hospital check-up, so I was forced to lie to Scarlett.

"Don't worry, I didn't give it to her." Scarlett gave a sly smile. "I pretended I was swamped and hung up after a couple of sentences. Told her to ask you guys."

"Smart girl!" Mom's tone immediately became serious, with a hint of warning. "Remember, absolutely do not give her money behind our backs. If I find out, you can forget about your family allowance! But speaking of which, you're working now, you should learn to be independent..."

"Oh, Mom—" Scarlett whined, drawing out her words playfully. "I won't give it to her, alright? My salary barely covers rent, how am I supposed to buy things without the family allowance..."

"Alright, alright." Mom sighed helplessly, her voice softening. "Just be clever around your sister, and whatever you do, don't give away the secret. That child is very perceptive; if she finds out, it'll be a huge mess."

"Got it, thanks, Mom!"

Scarlett grinned, hanging up the phone, then turned back to her friends, laughing as she chatted about a concert that weekend.

My heart, however, was in turmoil. They were clearly hiding something from me.

A thought flashed, and the scene before me instantly changed.

The spacious living room was blindingly bright, the polished floor reflecting the fragmented light of a crystal chandelier, and a huge floor-to-ceiling window offered a panoramic view of the entire city.

Where was this? How did I end up here?

I looked around blankly, then saw a woman comfortably reclined in a massage chair, fiddling with a brand-new foldable phone.

A man walked over, carrying two glasses of freshly squeezed juice, dressed in comfortable loungewear.

I stared at their faces, and my mind exploded with a buzzing sound—wasn't this my Mom and Dad?

At this hour, shouldn't they be at their market stand, busy beyond words?

"Scarlett has always gotten everything she wanted since she was little, spoiled by us. Her mind was never on the right track. Now, Luna is also getting rebellious..." Mom complained, frowning. "She actually called her sister to ask for money, saying she wanted to buy some study guides. She didn't even dare to ask us directly, she must be lying, afraid we'd expose her!"

Dad set down the juice, comforting her. "Luna has always been sensible enough. Maybe she genuinely wanted something to buy; a small lie is understandable. Under our watchful eyes, nothing major can go wrong."

"That's true," Mom massaged her own shoulders. "It's just that we have to go back to that dilapidated house for this act; it's truly uncomfortable..."

"For Luna's future, let's just keep going a little longer," Dad stepped forward, massaging her shoulders, his voice gentle. "Once she gets into a good university, we'll tell her the truth. She'll be so happy."

Mom sighed heavily. "I hope so... As long as she doesn't betray our hard work and good intentions, all this suffering will be worth it..."

"You're working so hard, my dear wife! I'll cook dinner myself later, make you a few of your favorite dishes to reward you properly."

Dad dotingly offered the juice, and both of them smiled widely.

Every single word pierced my ears, yet it carried an indescribable eeriness that I couldn't process for a while.

It was a long time before I slowly came back to myself.

So, they were pretending to be poor.

But I, I was truly dead...