Chapter 8
Harold got to the hospital room and saw Lilian with tears in her eyes.
He rushed over, looking worried. “What’s going on? Why did you throw up?”
Lilian threw herself into his arms and cried like she was really upset. “Harold, you’re finally back.”
Harold felt her forehead again with the back of his hand.
He did it a few times, then slowly dropped his hand.
His voice got calm. “Your fever has gone. Why did you still throw up?”
Lilian tried to look weak. “I… I don’t know.
“Maybe I got a cold stomach. Yeah… That’s probably it.”
Harold pulled away from her and looked at her seriously. “Are you sure?”
Lilian felt uneasy under his gaze and started to sound less confident. ‘W- well, of course.”
Harold didn’t say anything. He just stared at Lilian with a more serious look.
She got nervous and tears started to fill her eyes fast.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you calling me a liar?
“Alright, I admit it. I was pretending to be sick.
“I got scared that if you liked Clarissa more, you’d push me away…”
Lilian got more upset, and tears started falling.
Harold’s face softened.
He rubbed his forehead and said in a tired voice, “I won’t. You’re both my
sisters.”
I wondered, “Both your sisters? Have you ever thought of me as your sister?”
My eyes blurred with tears for no reason.
Seeing that Harold wasn’t mad anymore, Lilian rubbed his arm and acted
all cute.
He patted her back and told her to pack up, so they could head home.
“Clarissa didn’t answer the phone. She doesn’t know we’ll make up for her birthday.”
It was too late for that.
It’d never happen.
When they got home, it was almost one in the afternoon.
School was on summer break, so usually around this time, I would have made dinner and been waiting in the living room for Harold to get home from work.
But not today.
There was no sign of me at home, not even a trace of my presence.
When Harold put the gift and cake on the table, he saw yesterday’s cake.
He furrowed his brow.
45
Was he wondering why I hadn’t cleaned up the cake?
“Why hasn’t Clarissa gotten up yet?”
Lilian curled her lip impatiently. “Maybe she’s still sleeping in.”
She held onto Harold’s arm and shook it, looking up at him with a pout. “Harold, I’m hungry. Can you make me some food?
“I want honey garlic ribs. Yours are the best!”
Harold usually did whatever Lilian asked.
But this time, he ignored her.
He pulled away and walked fast to my bedroom door.
He knocked.
“Clarissa, are you in there?”
No one answered.
He knocked again.
“Clarissa?”
Still nothing.
Harold turned the doorknob and opened the door.
The room was empty.
He froze, looking worried.
Then he quickly checked the kitchen, the bathroom, the study, and event Lilian’s and his own rooms.
14.452
Chapter 8
But I wasn’t anywhere.
Seeing Harold like this, Lilian smiled in a weird way.
Something was off about her.
Did she already know I was dead?
