I hid the rest of the money in my shoe insole and lay in bed that night, smiling secretly to myself.
I finally had a secret.
By the second week, I grew bolder.
With my earnings, I bought a movie ticket and sat alone in the back corner watching a comedy.
The jokes on screen tugged at the corners of my lips.
I clamped a hand over my mouth, terrified someone might hear me laugh too loudly.
…
“Emily, your journal entries lately don’t feel right.”
Laura flipped through my Misery Journal, her brows knitting.
“The sadness lacks soul. Are you phoning it in?”
My heartbeat spiked. “No, I write seriously every day.”
“Seriously?” she sneered. “Look at this line: ‘I starved again today.’ It’s too flat! Too plain!”
She slammed the notebook onto the table.
“When you used to write about being hungry, the despair dripped off the page. Now what? Are you sneaking food behind my back?”
Panic surged. “No, really, I didn’t.”
“Then why are you coming home so late? Since when do study groups run until eight o’clock?”
“Because… the coursework is heavier.”
She stared at me for a long time, her sharp gaze pinning me until I couldn’t meet her eyes.
The next day after work, I passed by a café and caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye—
Laura sat at the window, phone in hand, her camera aimed straight at me.
My steps froze.
Then, forcing myself to pretend I hadn’t noticed, I quickened my pace and left.
When I got home—
“Emily, you’ve worked hard. No need to write in your journal tonight.”
My panic deepened.
Laura Parker held out a brand-new phone box.
“Emily, your old phone is too slow. Mommy got you a new one.”
I took the phone, my stomach tightening with dread.
“This one works much better. I’ve already installed all the apps for you.”
She gently stroked my head, her voice tender to the point of terror.
“Emily, Mommy just loves you too much. I’m afraid someone will trick you.”
I unlocked the phone—and sure enough, there it was.
Location trackers. Monitoring apps. Even my call logs would sync automatically.
“Mom, this…”
“This is for your protection.” Her warm smile was chilling. “I can’t be with you every second, so this is how I care for you.”
My phone rang. At the same time, hers rang too.
Synced…
“Here, sweet girl, put on these shoes. Mommy just bought them for you.”
Numb, I obeyed.
“Ah!”
I yanked them off immediately—inside the sole, a sharp needle was sticking upright.