Chapter 2

Rachel immediately panicked, hands on her hips glaring at the neighbors.

"Call what 911! I'll see who dares call!"

"Today is New Year's Eve! If an ambulance comes into the village, how will our family show our faces afterward? What family calls an ambulance on New Year's?"

She turned and glared at me.

"Nina, stop playing dumb! Hurry up and get rid of your half-dead son!"

"Let me tell you, tonight my brother is bringing important guests home for dinner. If he sees a bloody person lying at the door, can you handle the consequences?"

I shielded Daniel, showing only my dust-covered face.

"Rachel, are you sure you don't want to call an ambulance?"

"I think this child is seriously injured. If it's too late, I'm afraid he won't survive."

Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Survive? What survival? A worthless life!"

She glanced at the child on the ground.

"The Miller family has virtue---how did we produce this thing? Playing with fire and burning himself, even dragging down the whole family. If he dies, it's because he's cursed! Just have another one!"

She pulled out her phone, preparing to call her husband to complain.

"Nina, I'm telling you right now---if you dare call an ambulance to come cry at our house, I'll make sure you can't stay in this family! Try me if you don't believe it!"

Logan on the ground convulsed again, spitting out a mouthful of black blood.

His eyes were swollen into slits, staring fixedly in Rachel's direction.

His mother was busy making phone calls.

I looked down at the foot on the ground.

Half the shoe had been blown off, revealing bloody flesh. The remaining part still showed that swoosh logo.

Limited edition AJ children's sneakers.

Last night, Rachel had specially shown them off, saying she spent three thousand dollars on them as Logan's New Year's gift.

I curved my lips.

Since you don't want to save him, I'll grant your wish.

...

"Oh my God, how sinful! Why is there so much blood?"

My husband Derek came back from the village entrance carrying two bottles of wine, his hands shaking in fright.

"Nina, what... what happened?"

Derek ran to my side and looked past me at the child on the ground.

"This... this is Daniel?"

I looked at him.

In my past life, when he saw Daniel lying in a pool of blood, his first reaction was also to check Rachel's expression first.

Rachel rushed to complain first.

"Derek, you're back just in time! Look at what your wife's son has done! On New Year's Eve, throwing firecrackers into the manhole---he blew up the manhole cover!"

"And now look---he not only killed himself, but he's made my doorway so bloody!"

She slapped her thigh.

"Mom was so scared her heart condition almost acted up! If word of this gets out, the Miller family will be completely disgraced!"

Derek whipped around to glare at me.

"Nina! Are you brain dead? What did I tell you before I left? I told you to watch the child! Is this how you watch him?"

He pointed at "Daniel" on the ground.

"Now it's come to this---how are Rachel and Mom supposed to celebrate New Year's? My brother is about to bring his boss home. Are you deliberately trying to ruin our family?"

"Derek, shouldn't your priority be checking if the child can still be saved?"

Derek hesitated, glanced at the blood-covered person on the ground, his eyes evasive.

"Save? How can we save him when he's blown up like this? Do you want to bankrupt me?"

He lowered his voice, speaking in my ear.

"Anyone can see he's beyond saving! Even if we save him, he'll be disabled! Do you want me to spend the rest of my life taking care of a cripple?"

"So, what you're saying is, you won't save him?"

Derek stuck out his neck.

"This was an accident! His own bad luck! Besides, Rachel already said we can't call an ambulance. If we offend my brother's important guest, can you bear that responsibility?"

Rachel walked forward.

"Enough, enough. Why the long face on New Year's? It's just a child."

She pulled a stack of banded cash from her bag.

Fifty thousand dollars.

The red envelope her brother had just given her.

With a smack.

She flung the stack of bills at me, hitting me in the face.

The bills scattered, fluttering to the ground, several landing in the black-red sludge.

"Take this fifty thousand."

Rachel lifted her chin.

"Don't say I'm heartless. This whole thing was your son's own fault. Take the money and do whatever you want with it. Just keep your mouth shut."

She waved her hand.

"Hurry up and get rid of this unlucky thing, and clean the ground! If you delay my brother's dinner later, I'll make sure your whole family regrets it!"