On the Day My Mother Dies - Chapter 1

The day my mom died, my boyfriend, Chad, got kidnapped for the twenty–sixth time. To save him, I dove into a freaking ice–water tank even though I can’t swim. It was some sick game for those guys.

Five minutes later, they yanked me out, and I passed out, blood pooling under me.

Chad showed up, holding his phone, and said, like it was a joke:

“Shelly, what’d I tell ya? That moron would totally save me to get her mom’s hospital bills paid. Drowning’s awesome on camera, right? Knocked her right out, even got her period going.”

“You promised you’d marry me if I helped you get enough ‘ways to die‘ for your movie, so you can’t back out now.”

“I’ve got one more surprise for you at the wedding, baby.”

He had no idea that wasn’t my period. It was our three–month–old kid. Later, his buddy, Kyle, looked uneasy.

“Chad, I get helping Shelly, but there’s tons of stuff online. Why put Amy through this? Twenty–six times? You fake a kidnapping, she risks her life… she’s been with you for two years. That’s cold, man.”

Chad waved it off, told the cleaning guy to mop up the blood, and grinned.

“Movie stuff is so fake. No good reference material. Shelly wants to be a hotshot director, and I’m busting my butt to help her. And why Amy? Shelly’d get jealous. I promised Shelly I’d help her find 27 ways to die, that’s our thing, gotta do it for her. It’s our 27th anniversary.”

Kyle frowned.

“Aren’t you worried Amy finds out? Then what?”

Chad scoffed.

“I only hooked up with her because she looked a bit like Shelly and was still a virgin. I needed the clean kind. Purely physical. The wedding thing? Just so she doesn’t run. She’s the star of my plan. I’ll mess with her one last time at the wedding, then marry Shelly. Amy will beg me to take her back.”

Kyle sighed.

“Hope you don’t regret this. It’s messed up to do this to Amy. She loves you a lot…”

“What’s messed up? She owes me. Her mom would be on the street if it wasn’t for me. I paid for so much of her mom’s hospital bill, it’s enough, right? Focus on the wedding. I want the works, top shelf, for Shelly.”

Kyle shut up and walked away, tears in his eyes.

My mom was dying, and I needed money for her hospital bills, so I ended up waitressing at a club. Chad rescued me when some creep got handsy. He even paid my mom’s bills.

He said he fell hard for me and would always take care of me and my mom. Then, every month, when the bills were due, Chad got kidnapped. They didn’t want money.

I jumped off buildings, hung myself, suffocated… Chad would hug me and cry, saying he was sorry. And the next day, the hospital bills were paid.

He thought I was saving him for the money. He was just using me to impress some chick. I was his toy. Chad had no idea my mom was already gone.

I had the money I’d been saving to pay him back. I loved him, and that was it. I woke up in the car, on the way to the hospital.

Chad was telling the driver to floor it, his eyes all red.

“Amy, you’re awake! I am so sorry. You lost blood. I’ll take you to the ER.”

“Don’t sweat it. The bills are paid. The wedding’s in three days! You can’t be hurt. You’re gonna be my wife forever.”

I looked at him with the least emotion possible. I pulled out the bank card and gave him a weak smile.

“Thanks, but it’s okay. This is all the money you paid for my mom. Take it.”

Chad looked shocked pushed my hand book and said gently:

“Amy, you don’t owe me anything. We’re getting married. Your mom is my mom. I’ll do anything for you.”