It was easy to be sensible as long as I didn't want anything and just let them take everything from me.

If I couldn't give them what they wanted, I would become an ungrateful person or a jinx.

I was not even worthy of having my name in this family.

None of them thought about whether something happened to me.

5

I followed them out the door and sat in the passenger seat.

I fell lightly into Mary's arms.

In my memory, Mary's embrace was warm, but I couldn't feel it anymore.

It was ridiculous. I saved up money to buy this car for my family. But when I was alive, I never sat in it.

They usually didn't take me out. Even if they took me, Tony and Yolanda wouldn't let me sit in the back seat because it was too crowded.

Mary told me to be more sensible, "Taxi is expensive. Just squeeze in the trunk."

But the trunk was uncomfortable in summer.

I followed them to the house sales office.

The atmosphere there was very solemn.

Except for a salesman who needed to ask them to pay the down payment, everyone else was staring at the TV in the hall with heavy expressions.

The news was about the earthquake in Yunso City last night.

Thousands of people were killed or injured.

"It's sad news."

"The girl who was just pulled out was so young. She was pierced by the steel bar and all the blood was drained out. She was so pitiful."

"Her family would be so sad if they saw their daughter die so tragically."

Mary glanced at the TV and said, "It's a pity for those people. But the earthquake is thousands of miles away from us, so it won't affect us."

I stood there in a daze, looking at my body wrapped in the body bag.

My heart which had stopped beating began to twitch violently.

It hurt so much that I couldn't straighten my back.

"Please don't be distracted. We have worked so hard to get the down payment for this house. This is the wedding house for my son. Please be careful."

The salesperson took them to see the model house again. Mary carefully measured the interior dimensions with a ruler she brought before letting Tony sign the contract.

After the process, the salesperson seemed to remember something and asked, "Mrs. Wilson, I remember you said your eldest daughter is in Yunso City. There was an earthquake there. Is she okay?"

There was a slight change in Mary's expression. I hurried over, trying to catch a hint of worry from her expression.

But I failed.