After I Blew Out My Sister’s Candle, My Parents Stopped Loving Me Chapter 02

After I Blew Out My Sister’s Candle, My Parents Stopped Loving Me Chapter 02

My body drifted toward the dining table.

I wanted to pick up the lighter on the table and relight the candle. Maybe if Chloe came back and saw the cake glowing as it should, she would forgive me.

But the moment I reached for it, my fingers passed straight through the lighter. No matter how hard I strained, I remained a ghost to the physical world.

My whole body started shaking.

So I really was dead.

In the middle of my panic, the lock turned.

My mother walked in holding Chloe’s hand, and my father followed behind them carrying a fresh strawberry shortcake from the bakery.

My mother frowned the second she saw the mess all over the floor.

“You couldn’t even clean up after yourself while you were home? Do you really expect everyone else to do everything for you?”

“I don’t know where this selfish streak came from.”

“When Chloe was your age, she already helped mop the floors and wash dishes. How did I end up with such an ungrateful brat?”

I lowered my head, guilt crashing over me.

Mom, I was wrong.

I shouldn’t have been so obsessed with my own things. I should have been more sensible. More grown-up.

My father squeezed my mother’s shoulder, trying to calm her down.

“We indulged Ellie more than we should have. From now on, we need to stop coddling her.”

“I’m sure she knows she was wrong. I’ll go get her and bring her out so we can all have cake together.”

He had barely taken a step when my mother grabbed his arm.

“You think she knows she was wrong? We’ve been back all this time and she still hasn’t come out to apologize to Chloe.”

“Don’t call her. She’ll probably just throw another tantrum and ruin the rest of the night.”

“As if this night hasn’t been miserable enough already.”

Chloe pressed her lips together and said nothing, but her eyes were full of resentment.

My father raised his voice toward my room. “Ellie, come out and apologize to Chloe.”

“It’s your sister’s birthday. We’re supposed to celebrate it together as a family.”

His words were swallowed by the heavy silence, falling on deaf ears.

My mother held up three fingers. “Ellie Whitmore, I’m counting to three. If you don’t come out, I’m canceling your next birthday on the spot.”

I waved frantically in front of her, trying to make her see me.

But she couldn’t feel me at all. She only clenched her jaw and started counting.

When she reached three, my bedroom door was still shut.

Even my father looked disappointed now. “She’s got a temper, and on top of that she’s acting this immature?”

My mother gave a cold, angry laugh. “At this rate, she’ll grow up into someone coldhearted and ungrateful.”

“Maybe she’s not worth all the love I’ve given her after all.”

I stared at her in shock as tears streamed down my face.

Mom, I was wrong. Please don’t stop loving me.

Even if I was dead, that would still hurt too much.

In a blur, my mother took Chloe by the hand and turned toward the door.

“Chloe, didn’t you say you wanted to spend your birthday at the amusement park? Fine. We’ll go now, and we’ll eat the cake there.”

“We’ll have a much better time without certain people.”

Chloe smiled and nodded. “Exactly. If Ellie came, she’d just whine until we rode the carousel ten times.”

“I hate going to amusement parks with her.”

My father swallowed hard, as if forcing something back down, and in the end he only said, “All right. It’s Chloe’s birthday. Let’s make sure she enjoys it. We won’t bring Ellie.”

I lowered my head and buried my face against my chest, guilt swallowing me whole.

I’m sorry, Chloe. It was all my fault for being such a scaredy-cat.

If I ever grew up, I would’ve gone on every ride you liked with you. The roller coasters. The pirate ship. Everything.

But how was I supposed to have a future now?

The front door was just about to close when it opened again.

Without even stopping to take off his coat, He walked straight to my bedroom door, knocked once, and called out, “Ellie, I’m coming in.”

After a few seconds, he pushed the door open.