Chapter 4: They Came Home to My CorpseARIS Ruled Me a Liar

I drifted all the way to the seaside in Harbor Isle and watched my parents and sister.

They were staying at a beachfront hotel in a luxurious suite, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean. My sister wore a pretty swimsuit and dug for shells on the beach. Dad held up his phone to take pictures of her while Mom stood beside her, applying sunscreen.

They even went out for an extravagant seafood feast.

Dad lovingly placed a serving of cheese-baked lobster in front of my sister. "Your mom never wants to make this at home. Since we're out here, our precious girl has to eat her fill!"

Mom gently handed her a glass of chilled coconut water. "Does it taste good, sweetheart?"

My sister took a long sip, her eyes curving into crescent moons as she smiled. "It's so refreshing!"

I floated beside them, watching the warm, happy scene unfold before me.

The love and attention my parents were giving her were things I had never received. I had never been on an airplane. I had never eaten seafood, never drunk coconut water, never even seen the ocean.

The world was so vast. There were so many beautiful places I had never seen, so many delicious foods I had never tasted, so many new experiences I had never had the chance to enjoy.

It was just a shame that all the beauty of being alive no longer had anything to do with me.

…

That evening, they sat on the beach and watched the sunset.

Mom scooped up a handful of fine sand and casually remarked, "Come to think of it, ARIS is pretty useful."

Dad laughed in agreement. "Yeah, it saves us the trouble of coming up with excuses for not favoring her. We just let the machine make the judgment. That way, she'll think it's her own problem, and she can't blame us."

My sister pursed her lips. "Was she really feeling sick yesterday? Shouldn't we at least check on her?"

Dad scoffed. "She was faking it. She's just jealous that you got to come to Harbor Isle."

Mom thought about it for a moment before pulling out her phone. "Well, we've got some free time. Let's ask the AI."

She opened an intelligent video call and connected to the ARIS at home. The camera turned toward the storage room, where it showed me lying on my side beneath the blanket.

ARIS announced, "Target detected in a sleeping state. Physiological indicators are normal. Determination: no abnormalities detected."

Mom nodded, then spoke into the phone. "Mallory, there's food in the fridge. Take care of yourself. We'll be back in a couple of days. We'll bring you a souvenir, too. No scoring from ARIS this time. We'll give it to you directly."

On the screen, I remained lying motionless on my side, completely unresponsive. Mom frowned. "She must be in deep sleep. She isn't even responding when I call her."

My sister leaned closer to the screen. "Is she still sulking?"

Dad offered what sounded like a charitable consolation. "Mallory, next time ARIS rules that you win, we'll bring you along too."

But the person lying on the bed remained completely still.

Mom turned grim. "How rude!"

Dad became irritated as well. "Forget it. Leave her alone."

With that, they ended the video call.

I floated beside them, desperately wanting to tell them that I was already dead. Yet, ARIS was still declaring that there was nothing wrong with me.

Oh, the irony!

I suddenly remembered how, earlier that day, my parents had taken Margaret to a souvenir shop. They had picked out an exquisite shell music box for her, priced at $1,200. They didn't even hesitate before making the purchase.

Afterward, Mom had casually grabbed a $2 conch shell whistle from a little stall outside and tossed it into the shopping bag. "For Mallory," she announced.

My soul no longer had a heart, yet I still felt a bitter ache in my chest. To them, I had never been worth anything more than a thoughtless handout.

…

After that, they happily enjoyed themselves for another three days—never mentioning me once—before finally returning home with their luggage, looking absolutely delighted.

However, a foul, rotten stench welcomed them when they opened the door. Mom covered her nose, frowning. "Did Mallory forget to flush the toilet after using it?"

Dad frowned and cursed under his breath.

My sister pinched her nose and complained about the smell as well. However, when he checked the bathroom, it was completely clean.

Mom began cursing as she headed toward the storage room. "I told you not to bring home stuff that rots! Now, you've made the whole house stink! What were you thinking?"

The increasingly pungent smell coming from the storage room didn't help appease her anger. She angrily shoved the door open, only to let out a piercing scream before she fainted on the spot.