Chapter 3

In the afternoon, Mom and Dad returned, carrying a blue bassinet embroidered with little bears.

Mom couldn't stop smiling, placing the bassinet in the center of the living room and telling Dad, "Noah will definitely love this. He always loved sleeping with a teddy bear."

Dad glanced at my room, then quietly asked, "Shouldn't we check on Scarlett?"

Mom's face instantly hardened. "Why check on her? She'll come out when she's hungry."

She sat by the bassinet, gently rocking it, humming a lullaby, her eyes filled with a tenderness that could melt.

I floated closer, looking at the blue bassinet.

It was small, delicate, just what Noah would have liked.

Mom used to say she'd buy it for his birthday, but Noah left before his birthday came.

Now the bassinet was finally here, and its little owner would soon return in another form.

Mom suddenly looked up, as if sensing something, and glanced towards where I was.

I quickly floated to the ceiling. Her gaze swept over the empty living room, then she frowned and lowered her head, continuing to rock the bassinet.

"Noah, Mom is waiting for you to come back," she whispered. "I'll never let you leave again."

I looked at her profile, feeling no sadness at all.

Mom was finally getting her Noah back. And I, the replacement, was finally fading away for good.

This way, everyone could find happiness.

On the third morning, a knocking on the front door echoed through the house, so loud it sounded like the doorframe would splinter.

I floated to the living room, watching Mom impatiently open the door. Ms. Rodriguez, my school teacher, stood outside.

"Scarlett's mom," Ms. Rodriguez's face was stern, "Scarlett hasn't been to school for three days. I couldn't reach you by phone, so I came to check."

She peered into the house. "Is Scarlett home?"

Mom's face immediately darkened. She blocked the doorway, preventing Ms. Rodriguez from entering. "She's home, just throwing a tantrum and refusing to go to school. Please don't worry about her; I'll talk to her."

"It's not about a tantrum," Ms. Rodriguez frowned. "Last week, some students reported that Scarlett was being bullied at school. Those kids were trying to pull off her clothes and splashing cold water on her. I wanted to discuss how to handle it with you, but I couldn't get a hold of you."

Mom jumped up like a cat whose tail was stepped on. "Don't listen to those kids' nonsense! Scarlett must have provoked them herself! She's been mean-spirited since she was a child; she killed her brother, and now she wants to act pitiful at school for sympathy!"

Ms. Rodriguez's face grew even more serious. "Scarlett's mom, I saw Scarlett's injuries, they're all recent. And from what I understand, Scarlett was protecting a classmate when those children bullied her. She's very well-behaved at school and works hard. You can't talk about her like that."

"Well-behaved, my foot!" Mom shrieked, her voice so loud it could be heard throughout the hallway. "If she were well-behaved, how would Noah have died? She's a jinx! I shouldn't have let her live!"

Ms. Rodriguez was startled by her outburst, sighing. "If you continue like this, I'll have no choice but to contact child protective services. Scarlett is a good child; you can't treat her this way."

With that, she turned and left. Mom continued to curse behind her until Ms. Rodriguez's figure disappeared down the stairwell.

After closing the door, Mom trembled with rage. She walked to my bedroom door and kicked it hard. "Scarlett! Look at the trouble you've caused me! Now even the teacher is showing up at our door! Why don't you just die!"

I floated beside her, looking at her distorted face, and suddenly remembered the drowning incident when I was four.

Noah and I fell into the river. I desperately clung to his hand, but the current was too strong, sweeping us apart.

When I was rescued, I saw Mom crying, holding Noah's lifeless body. The first thing she said to me was, "Why aren't you dead yet?"

Dad, Robert, emerged from his study, stopping Mom. "Stop yelling, the neighbors can hear you."

His voice was low. "Scarlett hasn't eaten in three days. Let's go check on her."

Mom shook off his hand. "Why check on her? She won't die!"

But this time, Dad didn't listen to her. He pushed open the door and entered the room. Mom hesitated, then followed him in.

Dad walked over, pulling back the blanket. Sunlight fell upon my body.

I could clearly see my pale face, my purplish lips, and the dried blood at the corner of my mouth…