Chapter 3Three Million From My Frozen Mother

"Don't touch me!"

She violently slapped my hand away, her eyes flashing with pure revulsion.

"Your hands are filthy. It's disgusting!"

A small crowd began to gather, whispering and pointing at us.

With every word she spoke, my heart was slowly torn to shreds.

Chelsea crossed her arms, taking a slow step forward.

"Honestly, Evelyn, don't be too hard on her. People from her class just don't know any better."

"Unlike my mom—she gives me a credit card, and the pocket change on it is more than your mom could make gutting fish for a lifetime."

Evelyn’s expression grew even more humiliated. She leaned in close, her voice a harsh, venomous whisper.

"Are you happy now?"

"Do you only get off on stripping away every shred of dignity I have in front of my friends?!"

Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Chelsea’s arm and walked away.

I was left standing alone, surrounded by the quiet murmurs and mocking snickers of the crowd.

...

It took me a long time to gather the strength to walk back to that silent, empty apartment.

I pulled out the insurance policy. With a hand that wouldn't stop shaking, I traced my finger over the letters of her name in the beneficiary column: Evelyn Davies.

Then, I carefully tucked the document into her bedroom drawer.

Once that was done, I picked up my phone and sent her one last text message.

My sweet girl, Mom is finally going to give you those wings to fly.

The screen lit up almost instantly with her reply.

What kind of dramatic nonsense is this now?

I'm telling you, I am sick of your guilt trips. They don't work on me anymore!

I didn't reply. I just stared at the text as tears blurred my vision, spilling over my cheeks.

Then, another soft chime echoed in the quiet room.

For a brief, foolish second, my heart leaped, hoping she was checking on me.

But when I opened the message, a single line stared back at me:

Unless you die, I will never be able to stand on the same level as Chelsea.

I stared at the cold words on the screen until a hollow, breathless laugh broke from my throat, tears streaming down my face.

So, that was her final wish.

Then I would grant it.

I wiped my face, changed into my cleanest outfit, and walked out the door.

The fish market at night was much quieter than during the day, smelling heavily of damp concrete, salt, and raw scale.

I walked all the way to the back of the facility, stopping in front of the massive, decommissioned industrial freezer unit.

The iron door was incredibly thick.

Once locked from the inside, it couldn't be opened from the outside even with a key.

It would require a heavy-duty circular saw to cut through.

I took a deep breath. The sharp, cold scent of the fish market suddenly felt like the scent of freedom.

I stepped inside, grabbed the heavy iron latch, and pulled it shut.

Click.

Locked from the inside.

"Evie, Mom is going to make sure you fly high."

The temperature inside the freezer began to plummet rapidly. I shook violently, my teeth clicking together.

The blinding pain of the tumor flared in tandem with the biting, razor-sharp cold.

I curled into a tight ball in the corner, my consciousness slowly slipping away.

Just when I thought my body was finally giving up, I felt a strange lightness. It was as if my physical form no longer held me down, and I began to drift upward.

I floated right through the heavy iron door, past the darkened streets, until I came to a halt outside a magnificent, brilliantly lit estate.

The thumping bass of music and the sound of laughter spilled out from the windows.

I drifted through the walls, and there she was. My daughter, Evelyn.

She was wearing an exquisite white cocktail dress—one I had never seen before.

A group of teenagers had gathered around her, hanging onto her every word.

She looked beautiful.

"Evelyn, you look like an actual princess tonight."

"That routine you showed us was incredible! You're going to dominate at the academy!"

Evelyn smiled modestly, basking in the warmth of their praise.

Just then, her phone vibrated in her hand.

She glanced at the caller ID, her brows knitting together in irritation. She stepped into a quiet hallway to answer.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

On the other end, Lou’s voice sounded panicked and breathless.

"Evelyn! Have you seen your mother?"

"I was doing inventory, and someone turned on the main breaker to the abandoned freezer. The door is locked from the inside, and no one is answering when I knock!"

"Is your mother in there?!"

My spirit form tensed, hovering close to her face.

Evelyn, please. Come save me.

But in the next second, a mocking, cold laugh slipped from my daughter's lips.

"Lou, don't let her fool you."

"She's just putting on another one of her pathetic guilt shows. She'll say anything to force me to come home."

"No, I'm serious! I think I heard a faint scratching sound from inside!"

"You need to get down here. If she's actually in there..."

"Let her scratch," Evelyn cut her off, her voice dripping with ice. "When she gets tired, she'll come out on her own."

"I've dealt with her manipulation my entire life. I'm sick of it."