THE HARNES FAMILY WORTHLESS SLAVE

Silence settled in the car. The heavy sound of my breathing along with the erratic pounding of my heart echoing through the air. I stood stiffly, not a sound left my lips—not even one gasp. I could barely feel anything— my body grew numb as the words of the nurse repeatedly rang in my head. “Vivian’s dead?” Ethan asked. His words snapped me out of my trance state. I turned to him, seeing his brows furrowed in a frown as he watched me. “She’s not dead,” I whispered, my voice low, as my chest burnt painfully. “She’s not dead. My mum is not dead, I just saw her a while ago.” My entire body trembled the more I spoke, yet I was not backing down. Disbelief roared its veins in my brain. I refused to believe that the woman I had just seen a few hours ago was dead. My gaze burnt into Ethan, and for some reason, my eyes hurt, but not with tears. I could barely feel that, because everything was numb. “Take me to see her, Ethan,” I pressed, my pupils dilated as I stared at him. He parted his lips