On Halloween, I was secretly reunited with my long-lost mafia parents.

They offered to take me home, but because I couldn't bear to leave the three brothers in my foster family, I refused to go with my parents.

Getting back home, I changed into the white dress and bracelet given to me by my brothers as gifts. However, this triggered the jealousy and crying tantrums of their biological sister, Tiana.

To avoid putting my brothers in a difficult position, I agreed to take off the dress and bracelet.

Despite that, she wasn't satisfied.

To appease their biological sister that they had been separated from for years, my three brothers forcefully locked me inside a transparent decorative coffin, despite knowing that I suffered from severe claustrophobia.

Suffocating, I frantically banged on the coffin's glass, begging them for help.

Tiana stood on the side, smirking at me maliciously. "Sarah, aren't you a professional actress? Why is your acting so exaggerated and fake? You're just locked inside, not being strangled, so why are you gasping?"

My brothers knit their brows in annoyance.

"It's just a little prank. How can you not even last ten minutes? Can't you just tolerate it for a bit?"

"I checked it myself. The coffin has air vents and we're standing right here watching you the whole time! You won't be in any danger, and it's impossible for you to suffocate!"

"If you didn't want to make Tiana happy, you could have just said you aren't willing! There's no need to fake being miserable and pitiful just to get our attention and sympathy!"

But I wasn't faking.

The phobia triggered a severe stress response and it brought on an asthma attack, cutting off my airway.

Through the glass, I looked at them in sheer agony and despair.

I was really going to die...

I was dressed up like a zombie and locked inside a transparent glass coffin.

"Please... let... me... out. I'm having a panic attack..."

My claustrophobia had triggered a severe asthma attack. Clutching my throat in agony, I begged the brothers standing beside the coffin to let me out.

My heavy gasps and trembling voice made it nearly impossible to piece together a coherent sentence.

"Her voice does sound a bit off."

My second brother, Donald, suggested, "Maybe we should just let her out."

My eldest brother, Raymond, seemed to remember something as well. He yelled out in a panic, "Right! I remember now. Sarah has claustrophobia! That might be why she's so scared..."

As he spoke, he stepped forward to come to me, but Tiana blocked his path. She pouted unhappily. "Brothers, I haven't had enough fun yet!"

"I knew Sarah was afraid of dark, cramped spaces, that is why I didn't play this game in a dark room. Instead, I thoughtfully chose this glass coffin for her.

"I was so considerate of her, yet she's still playing the pity card in front of you guys! She just wants to ruin my game!”

Raymond and Donald exchanged glances and nodded slightly.

"Tiana is right. This is a transparent coffin and all of us are here watching over her, how could she have a panic attack?"

"I doubt she's having an actual attack. She's likely just using us to ruin Tiana's mood."

Donald kicked the coffin in dissatisfaction, his tone growing cold. "Quiet down in there! It’s been so long since Tiana got lost and it's rare to find something that actually makes her happy. To make her know she feels valued by us, we have to keep going!"

Despair washed over me even more heavily.

The lack of oxygen was making my vision spin.

I stopped begging them for help and started pounding frantically on the glass.

Feeling it loosen slightly, I desperately dug my fingers into the seam. Ignoring the piercing pain, I tried to pry the glass open with my fingernails.

However, the glass lid was simply too heavy.

Just as I was about to succeed, Tiana noticed my movements. She immediately stepped forward, blocked her brothers' line of sight and pressed down hard on the glass surface.

"Ah!"

I screamed out in pure agony. My fingernails snapped all at once, leaving my fingertips a bloody, mangled mess.

The brothers were startled by my bloodcurdling scream.

My third brother, James, rushed over and pulled Tiana away.

Seeing the streaks of blood on the glass, he panicked and exclaimed, "Blood! Sarah! What happened to you? You're really hurting badly, I'll let you out right now."

He quickly brought out the key to the coffin.

Tiana suddenly grabbed James’ arm and snatched the keys from him.

“Oh, James! Sarah is just teasing you!” Tiana pointed at the blood on the glass and burst out laughing.

“Look, that blood is obviously fake! She even prepared a fake blood pack just to play along with my zombie game!

“And here I thought she didn't want to play. I didn't expect her to get so much into character. She practically deserves a Halloween Oscar for this!”

James froze for a moment before letting out a loud laugh and pocketed the keys.

“You're really a professional actress, Sarah! You prepared a fake blood pack ahead of time just to make Tiana happy?”

My mouth hung open as my body convulsed violently.

“Help... I… can't... breathe...”

I stared intently at James, desperately mouthing the words for help, begging him to recognize my agony.

Instead, James gave me a thumbs-up.

“This fake blood is incredibly realistic! You even got the details on the bloody fingertips down. Looks like you put a lot of effort into this!”

“That’s not all!”

Tiana giggled and pulled out her phone. “Look, Sarah’s eyes are even rolling back into her head! What amazing acting!

“A zombie rolling its eyes, how hilarious! I’m going to post this photo on social media!”

Writhing in agony, I slammed my body frantically against the coffin lid. I even smashed my forehead against the glass until blood blurred my vision.

Raymond walked over and let out a helpless sigh. “Alright, Sarah, save your energy. We agreed on one night, so just stay in there like a good girl.”

“When you come out tomorrow, Donald, James and I will make it up to you with your Halloween gifts!”

“How about that necklace you’ve always wanted?”

I shook my head in utter despair, trying to tell them that I wouldn't survive until morning. But I didn't even have the strength to gasp for air anymore.

Due to the severe lack of oxygen, my vision began to go black.

As my consciousness slipped away, my limbs went limp and I stopped struggling to survive.

Yet, the three brothers I loved so dearly were still busy discussing the rewards they would give me for cooperating so obediently.

“Raymond! I already bought Sarah’s favorite necklace a long time ago!”

Donald smiled and pulled out a necklace. “When she comes out tomorrow, I’ll put it on her myself.”

With that, he started to step closer, holding the necklace up against the coffin to size it up.

Just one more step and he would notice that my face was as pale as paper.

However, once again, a flash of jealousy and hatred crossed Tiana’s eyes. She snatched the necklace from Donald, her eyes welling with tears.

“You guys are breaking your promise! This was supposed to be my moment!

“You clearly said you were pulling this prank just to make me happy. But now all the focus is on Sarah and you’re even giving her gifts!

“You just like her more than me, your actual biological sister!”

Donald immediately answered anxiously, “How could you say that, Tiana? In our hearts, you are both equally important!”

Raymond also stepped forward guiltily. “I'm sorry, Tiana. I forgot this was your moment. We should be paying more attention to you…”

He glared in my direction. “We shouldn't have let ourselves get distracted by Sarah’s acting. My bad.”

“Alright then!”

Tiana flashed a satisfied smile and shot a smug look at me.

“I haven't even worn the white dress and bracelet you guys got for Sarah yet! Let's go to the bedroom. I'll put them on and show you, I will pair them with Donald's necklace!”

“Perfect. Sarah has been acting for so long, she must be exhausted. Let her rest. We'll let her out tomorrow!”

“No… If you leave, I’ll die…”

Yet, my three brothers nodded in agreement. Watching their retreating backs, I fell into total despair.

If they stepped out of this living room, I wouldn't have any hope left.

Right then, the phone beside me lit up. I turned my body with agonizing effort.

Through my blurred vision and across the glass, I saw a message as it illuminated the screen.

‘Sweetheart, you left in such a hurry. We know it’s hard for you to make a choice, but Mom and I bought candy apples to make up for your childhood.

‘We are on our way now. We’re sorry. We just wanted to spend a holiday with you.’

Tears instantly gushed from my failing eyes.

It was from my biological father, Mr. Brown, Don Brown.

They were trying everything they could do to make up for the time we had lost while I was missing. But I would never get the chance to see them again.

I closed my eyes in utter despair with tears streaming down my face.

Right then, the phone began to ring persistently, drawing the attention of my three brothers and Tiana.

“Sarah’s phone is ringing…”

Raymond frowned in dissatisfaction. “Didn't you turn off her phone? This is going to ruin the game...”

He walked over, intending to scold me, but went pale with shock the moment he saw my face. “Oh no! Why is Sarah’s face so white?

“Even her lips are turning blue! Could she actually be in shock?! James, give me the keys!”

As he grabbed the keys and was about to shove them into the keyhole, Tiana suddenly lunged at him and grabbed his wrist.

“Raymond, what are you doing?!”

Raymond violently shook off her hand. “Something is wrong with Sarah’s face. She looks like she’s genuinely suffocating!”

“What do you mean by something is wrong?!”

Furious and exasperated, Tiana pointed at me as I was suffocating on the brink of death. “She stole my makeup, that’s what is wrong!”

Raymond froze. “Makeup?”

Tiana’s eyes turned bright red and she bit her lower lip aggrievedly.

“Yes! The Halloween gift you guys got me, the limited-edition foundation brought back from abroad! I couldn't find it this afternoon.

“It turns out she stole it to paint her face! Her skin is so dull and dark, so of course she looks ghostly pale wearing foundation meant for my skin tone!”

The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she became with tears welling up in her eyes.

Raymond’s gaze instantly turned ice-cold. “Tiana, is that true? Sarah stole your things?”

“I didn't…”

My bloody fingers twitched with immense effort as I screamed the truth in my heart.

But no one could hear me.

Tiana nodded pitifully. “I guess she was bitter about having to give me the dress and jewelry, so she secretly used up the gift you guys gave me to get back at us.”

Raymond’s expression darkened completely. He raised his foot and kicked the side of the coffin with brutal force.

“Tiana is our biological sister! How dare you steal from her!

“And now you’re playing dead just to scare us? Do you have any idea how worried I was, just now?!”

He pointed at me, hurling curses.

But I didn't even have the strength to open my eyes. I could only feel my life slowly slipping away.

Donald and James also knitted their brows in disgust.

“Sarah, you’ve really gone too far this time. Did you think caking on foundation would fool us?

“What a waste of talent, you should have gone to Hollywood to play a corpse! No wonder Raymond is so furious!”

“Stop letting her hog the spotlight! She just can't stand seeing us cherish Tiana! Let’s go, we're going to pick out a new gift for Tiana right now!”

A final tear slipped from the corner of my eye.

I knew that the family I had loved most for twenty years was fading from my life, just as my own breath was.

They turned and left decisively, without a single shred of lingering regret.

My only remorse was that when I met my biological parents earlier, I shouldn't have cared so much about the feelings of these three brothers.

I had been so stingy that I even denied my real parents a hug.

Filled with regret and despair, I closed my eyes.

As my consciousness was about to dissolve into nothingness, I heard the screeching of brakes, followed by unfamiliar and frantic voices.

“This is where Sarah lives!”

“I have a gut feeling that something must have happened for she kept ignoring her phone!”

My Mom and Dad had arrived.

And I blacked out.