My Perfect Grades Came From Mom's Murder

On the day Lindsay is accepted into Harton University, the whole town celebrates her, praising her mother Susan Lane for raising her alone after her father's death. Sent to the cellar for liquor, Lindsay finds a hidden merit ledger written in her mother's hand, recording deliberate killings meant to win blessings for her daughter's studies.

Lindsay's memories match the entries: childhood fevers and illnesses that vanished, grades that suddenly soared. Torn pages suggest more deaths than recorded, and a red warning demands repayment within 49 days. When Lindsay tries to leave town, something grips her ankles and holds her back.

Her attempt to confide in Walter Shaw about his mother's death only deepens the mystery, and the photographs she took of the ledger vanish from her phone. Listening at the doorway, she hears Susan praying and speaking of old grievances, leaving Lindsay to wonder what her mother has truly done.