Chapter 4
My soul jolted.
inally, someone found me?
Dad stumbled back into the hospital room, his phone slipping from his hand.
Mom looked up at him. “What’s wrong?”
The police…” Dad’s lips were trembling. “They said they found… They found a body at our house!”
Mom’s face went white. “What do you mean?”
It’s Riley!” Dad’s voice cracked, his knees almost giving out.
They’re saying Riley’s been dead for at least three hours…”
Mom collapsed to the floor, her lips moving but no sound coming out.
Dad robotically pulled out his phone and called our landline.
trang forever. No answer.
We need to go home.” Dad’s voice sounded hollow. “It has to be a mistake…”
hey completely forgot about Stella in the hospital room, stumbling toward the parking garage.
When they got home, police tape blocked off our front door.
teighbors were clustered around, whispering and staring.
Move! That’s our house!” Dad pushed through the crowd.
A police officer stopped them. “Are you Riley Williams’ parents?”
Mom grabbed the officer’s sleeve. “Where’s my daughter? What did you do to my daughter?!”
I’m sorry for your loss. We got a call about a water leak from downstairs.
When no one answered, we had to break down the door. We found your daughter collapsed in the living
room.”
The officer’s expression was grim.
20:02
HEAL
30.09
Chapter 4
My body was already zipped up in a black bag, only my pale face showing.
Mom let out a blood-curdling scream and lunged toward my body.
Her fingers shook as she touched my cheek, then jerked back like she’d been shocked.
“So cold, why is she so cold…” she mumbled, eyes vacant.
Dad just stood there, frozen.
He stared at the dried blood on the floor, then at the corner of the coffee table-dried blood and a few
strands of my hair still stuck to it.
“I pushed her…” Dad whispered. “I was so freaked out about Stella screaming, I didn’t watch how hard…”
The cop immediately went on alert.
‘Sir, are you saying this wasn’t an accidental fall?”
Mom’s head snapped up. “No! It was an accident! My husband didn’t mean to! He was just—”
The medical examiner quietly told the officer:
‘Preliminary cause is skull fracture leading to brain hemorrhage. Time of death around 10 AM.”
“Ten?!” Mom suddenly screamed. “That’s when we were taking Stella to the hospital…”
Dad swayed on his feet, grabbing the wall to keep from falling.
They both realized the horrible truth at the same time-while they were rushing Stella to the ER, I was bleeding to death on our living room floor.
The officer said grimly:
‘We’ll need you both to cooperate with our investigation. Based on the scene, this looks like negligent
homicide.”
Mom suddenly burst into hysterical laughter.
“Investigation? NOW you want to investigate? Where were you when my daughter was getting bullied at school?! Where were you when she cried herself to sleep every night?!”
I stared at her in shock-she knew I was being bullied?
Dad suddenly bolted to my room, tearing through everything like a maniac,
20:03
My Angel Sister Bleed for Attention. Then SHE BLEED for REAL
33.3%
hapter 4
le found my little diary in my backpack.
lis hands shook so bad he could barely hold the notebook.
le opened to the first page.
a my childish handwriting:
Stella had another meltdown today. Mom said it’s because I did too well on my test. I decided to fail on
urpose next time…”
ad’s tears splashed onto the pages. He kept flipping through.
Stella ripped up my drawings. She said the paint smell gave her headaches. I didn’t dare tell Mom and
ad…”
Got locked in the bathroom stall again today. They said I’m worthless trash nobody wants. I can’t fight ack-what if Stella hears and has an episode…”
Dad yelled at me again. He said I broke that bowl on purpose to scare Stella. I really didn’t mean to… ometimes I wish I was the sick one, so they’d hug me too…”
he last entry was dated yesterday, just one short line:
I’m so tired. If I disappeared someday, would anyone even notice?”
Dad’s knees slammed into the floor. The diary slipped from his hands.
He hunched over like someone had ripped his soul out.
Mom crawled over and picked up the diary. One look and she completely broke down.
What have we done…” Dad’s voice was shattered.
The officer watched it all in silence, then nodded to his partner,
‘Mr. Williams, you’re under suspicion for negligent homicide. You need to come with us.”
20:03
My Angel Sister Bleed for Attention. Then SHE BLEED for REAL
36.7
