Pushed to the ground, tears blurred my vision. "Mom, am I not your daughter too?"
Her eyes, fiery and filled with scorn, looked at me as if I were the plague. "No, you are not. My daughter is Emily, you're just a disaster. I wish I'd strangled you at birth before you had the chance to ruin her. Oh, my poor Emily..."
She was gasping for air between sobs, her eyes ablaze with utter loathing.
Dad approached, discarding the shredded paper. "Sarah, you're a murderer. It's your fault Emily's gone. How can you even think of college? You should be buried in the trash, that's the only way to atone."
They locked me in the storage room for the night.
By the next morning, hunger had me dizzy, but finally, the door swung open.
Dad carried me out.
Mom spoon-fed me seafood soup.
She even prepared a bath, claiming I was too weak to wash myself, and helped scrub me down.
"I was too harsh yesterday. Let's get you cleaned up and rested," she said, her forced smile tight.
Despite everything, her care touched a long-neglected part of my heart, and I started crying.
"I'll be good, Mom. I'll study hard and take care of you both."
She nodded absently, clearly distracted, and rushed me to bed after cleaning up.
Late at night, drifting in and out of sleep, I heard soft chanting, like a prayer or incantation.
Then, someone lifted me into a confined space filled with a strange aroma of sandalwood.
The fear of the unknown paralyzed me; I wanted to move, to shout for my parents, but felt bound.
After struggling with all my might, I managed to open my eyes— only to meet the cold, indifferent gazes of my parents.
And above me, a plank halfway closed.
Shocked, I realized I was actually in a coffin.
The plank that was about to seal me in was indeed the coffin's lid.
Shaking, I tried to sit up, but Dad forcefully pushed me back.
With tears brimming in his eyes, he explained in a fanatical tone, "The guru said Emily carried a grudge against you when she was drowned, and it's on you. We have to keep you here, without food or water, to clear her spirit. If we do, maybe she'll come back one last time after a solid week."
I stared at him, disbelief etching my face. How could they even fall for that crap?
I tried to talk him out of it. "Dad, there are no ghosts or spirits. If Emily's gone, she's really gone."