Chapter 1

When I brought my third boyfriend, Tyler, home to meet my mother, I repeatedly warned him not to eat her homemade macaroni.

But he just ruffled my hair, smiling dismissively.

"Maybe the first two guys were just a coincidence, Chloe? Don't overthink it. We don't want to hurt your mom's feelings."

A few minutes later, sitting at the dining table, he ignored my frantic eye signals and took a huge bite of the macaroni.

My chest tightened. I silently began to count down in my head.

"Three. Two. One."

Right on cue, Tyler’s face contorted into pure terror. He slammed his chair back and bolted out of the front door.

He ran straight onto the busy road outside. Before the oncoming semi-truck could slam on its brakes, the tires screeched, crushing him instantly under the chassis.

My body went numb. I collapsed onto the asphalt, screaming and crying hysterically.

The bright afternoon sun beat down on me, yet I felt an icy, piercing cold.

Instinctively, I looked up at our balcony.

My mother, Sarah, was standing there. She watched the bloody scene with cold, vacant eyes, as if the man who had just died was a complete stranger.

Amidst the horrified murmurs of the gathering crowd, I lost my mind. I ran back upstairs, slammed the door, and screamed at her in despair.

"What did you put in that macaroni?! Why do you hate my happiness so much?!"

"Is it because Dad left you, so you can't stand to see me with any man?!"

Those were the toxic rumors whispered by the neighbors behind our backs. But at that moment, my mental stability had completely shattered. I didn’t care anymore.

A flicker of something complex and unreadable crossed my mother's eyes.

"It has nothing to do with me," she said flatly, before turning and locking herself in her bedroom.

I clenched my fists. Outside, the neighbors were whispering on the sidewalk, filming our house for TikTok.

Without another second of hesitation, I dialed 911.

The police arrived with grave faces and escorted my mother out of the house. They took the leftover macaroni to the forensics lab for a full toxicology report.

But the results only left me more confused.

There was absolutely nothing in the macaroni. No poison, no chemicals, nothing.

My mother sat in the interrogation room, facing the swarm of local reporters. No matter how hard they pressed, her only response was: "It has nothing to do with me."

The case became an internet sensation, shrouded in mystery.

Once someone leaked the story on Reddit, our house was surrounded by hundreds of looky-loos every day. The online comment section became a breeding ground for wild theories.

"What kind of macaroni makes you want to commit suicide after one bite?"

"I’d pay good money for that recipe. Need to send some to my ex, seriously."

Inside the house, my mother and I were trapped, staring at each other.

Looking at my bloodshot, tear-stained eyes, she sighed.

"Why do you do this to yourself, Chloe? Do you really believe I murdered them?"

"If not you, then who?! Nothing makes sense! The only common link is that damn bowl of macaroni!"

"Mom, I’m begging you, just tell me the truth. Every time I close my eyes, I see Tyler’s mutilated face. I’m going insane..."

I fell to my knees, my vision blurring with tears.

My mother hadn't always been like this. But after my seventeenth birthday, she became a completely different person. She stopped smiling, and she treated every boy who came near me with cold hostility.

But I still couldn't bring myself to believe that my own mother wanted me to suffer.

Seeing me on the floor, she sighed with weary resignation.

She went into her room, packed two large suitcases, and dragged them to the front door, throwing them at my feet.

"If you distrust me this much, then leave."

"From this day on, pretend you don't have a mother."