Mom Abandoned Me to Save Herself Chapter 02

Mom Abandoned Me to Save Herself Chapter 02 The Cold Storage Room by the Villa
Near daybreak, a staff member in a butler’s uniform unlocked the cage. He dragged me out and gestured toward a dim, damp storage shed next to the mansion. “You’ll reside here from today onward.” A thick mildew stench drifted out of the cramped room, its corners woven with spiderwebs. He then glanced at the tightly sealed main entrance of the villa. “You are forbidden to step into the main household without permission. Do you understand?” I nodded obediently. The shed contained nothing but a frigid iron bed thinly lined with straw. Not a single blanket was provided. Through the dusty window, I could see the bright, lively living room of the main house. My brother Marcel sat before a sleek black musical instrument that glowed faintly. His fingers danced nimbly across its surface, producing exquisite melodies I had never heard before. It was a piano. Mom and the man named Silas sat on the nearby sofa, gazing at him tenderly. Silas cut a slice of fruit and fed it to Mom’s lips. On Mom’s face rested a smile I had never once seen in the mountain village. My stomach growled incessantly, sharp twinges gnawing at my abdomen. I recalled how Mom would hum a soft lullaby to lull me to sleep when she was in a good mood back in the mountains. Unconsciously, I breathed out the familiar tune. The piano music in the living room halted abruptly. Mom clutched her head and let out a piercing scream. “Stop singing! That demonic voice. Stop it at once!” The living room door burst open violently. Marcel rushed outside, overcome with rage, and shoved me harshly to the ground. His sheet music slipped from his grasp and crashed onto the floor at my feet. “It’s all your fault! You’re hurting Mom on purpose again!” He regarded me as an enemy bent on destroying his perfect family. From that day on, I never dared hum the lullaby again. Late one night, tormented by unbearable hunger, I snuck quietly into the main house’s kitchen. Beside the trash bin lay an appealing cake topped with yellow fruit flesh. It was presumably prepared for my brother, discarded because he disliked the taste. I snatched the cake and devoured it ravenously. It was the first time I had ever tasted sweetness. I had no idea the yellow fruit was mango, and that I was deathly allergic to it. Shortly after returning to the shed, my body broke out in itchy red rashes all over. I scratched relentlessly until my skin split open and stung. Soon after, my throat constricted tightly, as if squeezed by an invisible hand. I could not draw breath, my face turning purple from suffocation. Like a fish stranded out of water, I writhed helplessly on the cold iron bed, unable to make a sound. Just as I thought my life would end, the shed door swung open. The family physician had been summoned urgently. Silas stood in the doorway, frowning coldly, and asked the doctor. “Will she die?” The doctor examined my agonized state and spoke urgently. “This is acute laryngeal edema. Minutes more and it would have been fatal.” Silas nodded upon hearing the news. He instructed the physician in an emotionless tone. “Then save her.” The doctor administered an injection. The needle pricked my skin sharply as icy medicinal fluid flowed into my veins. Assured that I would survive, Silas turned and left, never sparing me a second glance. I lay feverish and delirious before slipping into unconsciousness. In my haze, I dreamed I was back at the rural clinic. I mumbled repeatedly, over and over. “Mom, I’ve memorized it.”You promised me a reward.”