Chapter 5

She was convinced I’d made a complete fool of myself this time.

Just looking at the phone screen, I could feel her barely contained glee.

I pretended to fall for it, playing along with Luna’s question. “Are you really so set on hating me? What do you even gain by making things like this?”

“If I sign this big contract, I’ll have money to help you get treatment. Wouldn’t that be better?”

She scoffed, her tone sinister. “Why are you so much like me? And you stole my favorite brother… As long as you…”

Perhaps she was too smug; she’d said too much.

Realizing she’d slipped up, she immediately smashed the doll into the water on the other end of the line.

“If you don’t end up disgraced, how can you ever make up for all the suffering I’ve endured these past years?”

The splashing water was the last sound I heard.

Then, it was as if someone had choked me, my breath cut off, and I sank into darkness.

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed, my colleagues gathered around.

Facing their worried gazes, I swallowed, struggling to say, “I’m fine, just really tired.”

The doctor stood by, nodding. “All tests are normal. You probably just passed out from exhaustion.”

Right, what else could I say?

I couldn’t exactly tell them I’d drowned with a doll and actually felt myself die, could I?

After my colleagues left, I lay in bed, lost in thought.

Then, Jake’s call came in. The moment I answered, he unleashed a torrent of shouts. “Chloe! Where are you? Get over here right now!”

“Luna told me everything! You provoked her, that’s why her condition worsened!”

“I must have been blind, to think you were this kind of person! Just wait, I’m going to let everyone know how fake you are!”

I didn’t get a word in before he hung up.

A few minutes later, a colleague forwarded a post to me. The title was suggestive, the content insinuating, asking in every line what kind of scandalous things I’d been up to.

Even my manager called, urging me to step away from my current project and take some time to recover.

I took a few deep breaths, my fingers trembling as I clicked on the post.

It was Jake, of course, posted anonymously.

In his words, I was a scheming, jealous, insidious character.

Even the collaborative project I’d fought tooth and nail to secure was twisted into something obtained by improper means.

To be stabbed in the back by the person I trusted most—that pain cut deeper than any knife.

All the grievances from my past and present lives welled up, and for the first time, I felt utterly useless.

Tears streamed down my face, wetting my pillow.

In that moment, I truly considered just ending it all.

Anything would be better than being Luna’s toy.

I reached for the razor blade I’d hidden under my pillow, about to act.

Suddenly, my mind reeled, as if struck by lightning.

I understood!

Everything became clear!

How Luna had created that empathic link between me and her doll!

I furiously threw the blade into the trash, vowing never to waste another second on these rotten people.

I immediately called a car to take me to a specific place.

When I emerged from there, a cold smile touched my lips.

Luna, it was exactly as I suspected.

I could distinctly feel that the strange connection had been severed.

I felt like a massive weight had been lifted, completely refreshed.

Just then, Jake’s FaceTime call popped up.

I let it ring, ignoring it.

When enough time had passed, I slowly, deliberately answered.

“What do you want?”

“Chloe!”

He roared as if he would explode. “What did you do?! Luna suddenly started throwing up blood!”

I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

“Jake, you’re not making any sense. I’m not a god; how could I make Luna suddenly throw up blood?”

“When you take her to the hospital, you should get your head checked too.”