My Life For Her Happy Ending Chapter 03

My Life For Her Happy Ending Chapter 03

The crash echoed through the house. Mom, Dad, and Ethan came running.

Chloe collapsed into Ethan’s arms, gasping between sobs.

“I just wanted to get Mia to come out and eat some cake. I told her the fake wedding was my idea. But she threw the cake in my face… She said we were disgusting… She said Mom and Dad were biased, that none of you deserved her…”

Ethan’s arms tightened around her. His jaw clenched.

I flew in front of him, screaming at the top of my lungs.

“I didn’t do any of that! She’s lying!”

But he couldn’t see me. And Chloe’s voice only grew softer, more broken.

“She’s just upset. Don’t blame her. It’s my fault for knocking on the door in the first place.”

No one could hear me.

Mom stepped back, looking at my closed door like it was something dirty.

Dad’s face flushed red.

“Mia, enough. We brought you gifts. We thought about you all day. And this is what you do to your sister?”

Ethan stared down at Chloe’s ruined face, his disappointment hardening into disgust.

He ripped the engagement ring from his pocket and hurled it out the open window.

“Mia, you’re impossible. I’ve spoiled you for years, and this is what you’ve become? Selfish. Cruel. I was wrong about you.”

I hung in the air, frozen, swallowing every drop of their contempt.

Through the chaos, Mom suddenly sniffed.

“Honey, do you smell something?”

My chest seized.

It was summer. Hot and humid. My body lay under a thick blanket, decomposing.

Chloe grabbed her forehead.

“Mom… my head hurts so bad…”

Mom rushed over. “Come here, baby. Let me get you cleaned up.”

Dad crouched beside them, his voice careful and hopeful.

“Sweetheart, that quest you mentioned… is it complete? Are you safe now?”

Chloe leaned into Ethan’s chest, smiling with quiet satisfaction.

“Yes. It’s done.”

Dad slapped his thigh and let out a bark of laughter.

“That’s wonderful! Tonight, we celebrate! First, Chloe’s quest is complete. Second, Ethan’s proposal is a success!”

Ethan exhaled, then ran to the window and spent twenty minutes searching the grass for the ring. He came back sweating, already on the phone.

“Hey, can the band still make it? Yes, tonight. And the lighting—right, what we talked about. Bring your crew.”

Mom directed the furniture. Dad hung streamers.

I drifted above them as the living room filled with balloons. The speakers came on. Candles were arranged into a heart.

Ethan called my friends. They walked in giggling about how lucky I was, how huge this was.

I sat on the chandelier and watched them set everything up.

Everyone was smiling. Everyone was waiting for the “me” behind the door to come out.

Ethan straightened his tie and cleared his throat.

“Mia? Open the door. I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I was out of line. Just open up, and let’s talk face to face.”

The smell was growing stronger now. Drifting, slow and thick.

“Mia?” He knocked again. “I’ll count to three. If you don’t open the door, I’m coming in.”