Chapter 4

When I arrived at the hospital with food, my in-laws weren't in the room.

An ominous premonition washed over me.

I quickly called Nathan. "Where did you take Mom and Dad?"

"I'm at the office. Mom and Dad aren't in the room?"

"You're at the office? Nathan, have you lost your mind? I told you someone had to be in the room at all times..."

I lost it.

Nathan's words became jumbled too. "Your mom went over there."

"My mom?"

My voice got even louder.

Nathan went silent, but I could hear his breathing getting heavier.

"Nathan, you're absolutely insane..."

He'd said he believed me. I'd actually thought he believed me.

I didn't say anything more and quickly hung up.

Then I frantically tried to contact my mom, but she wouldn't answer my calls.

From the hospital security footage, I saw that ten minutes ago, my mom had walked out of the hospital with them.

I quickly drove home, but they weren't there.

With no choice, I called the police.

When the police and I found my mom, she was shopping for groceries at the market.

Meanwhile, the hospital called to say my in-laws were back in their room.

Seeing me arrive with the police, my mom was devastated. "Mia, you..."

My mom fainted from anger.

We all ended up at the hospital together.

Nathan came too.

According to my in-laws, my mom had just taken them home for a bath.

The reason she hadn't answered her phone was that the battery had died.

After learning I'd called the police, Nathan thought I was sick. He even said, "You know, I almost believed you..."

I couldn't miss the blame in his tone. And after my in-laws learned I suspected my mom of wanting to kill them, they looked at me strangely.

In that instant, I felt like I'd become some kind of heinous criminal.

I didn't even know what to say to defend myself.

Nathan told me to calm down, so I left first.

Early the next morning, I went to my mom's room first. She wasn't there.

Right after, I heard Nathan's heart-wrenching screams.

I rushed over to see my father-in-law was already dead.

My mother-in-law was lying on him, crying.

My heart sank. Was it my mom?

The police came that day but determined my father-in-law had simply died of a heart attack.

And my mom hadn't been to their room at all that day.

After the police left, my mom shook her head at me in disappointment. "You still suspect I killed your father-in-law? Mia, I don't have a daughter like you anymore."

Nathan was tired too. "Mia, I don't know what's wrong with you, but I need to handle my dad's funeral. I really don't have time for this."

With no choice, I stopped saying anything.

For the next few days, Nathan handled his father's funeral while I stayed at the hospital to watch over my mother-in-law.

During this time, my mom was discharged.

We completely stopped talking.

I thought this time would be different.

But on the third day, when Nathan came to the room, I had fallen asleep, and my mother-in-law had stopped breathing.

"Mia, tell me what's going on."

"How did my mom die?"

I was completely dazed.

I'd been watching the room these past few days. I was sure no one had come in.

And I'd only been asleep for five minutes at most.

The nurse testified that no one had entered.

But my mother-in-law was dead.

My mom came too.

Seeing my mother-in-law dead, she was visibly relieved.

I instantly caught the meaning in her eyes and rushed over to confront her. "It was you, wasn't it? Why are you doing this? Why did you kill them? How did you do it?"

Faced with my interrogation, my mom just shook her head helplessly.

And Nathan looked at me like I was crazy.

I desperately tried to expose my mom's crimes, so I grabbed her sleeve and started pulling her outside.

But because I used too much force, I tore my mom's clothes.

Instantly, I saw a scar on my mom's arm.

In that moment, countless images flooded my mind.

Tears fell as well.

Seeing me like this, my mom smiled.

She smiled and then cried. "You remember?"

And in that moment, I finally understood why my mom wanted to kill us.