I Bled for Mom's Reality Show

The moment Harriet stepped off the helicopter, she was surrounded by reporters and livestream hosts.

Camera flashes burst nonstop, so bright they made my eyes ache.

"Ms. Lawson, what inspired you to design this part?"

"Ms. Lawson, some viewers say this kind of 'death-style education' is too extreme. What do you think about that?"

Harriet adjusted her suit, that perfectly practiced smile already in place.

"Young people today have very low tolerance for pressure. I did this so Elliot could understand that you can unlock your potential only in extreme situations. And look at him. In the end, didn't he do great? To protect his family, he overcame his fear. That is what growth looks like."

Thunderous applause erupted.

Comments flooded the livestream.

[Ms. Lawson is absolutely right. Kids like this need to be pushed. They can't stay in their comfort zone forever.]

[I actually cried. That look in Elliot's eyes at the end; it was so steady. That is what it means to be part of the Lawson family.]

[This is real education. It might be harsh, but it works. Respect Ms. Lawson.]

I stared at those words, a laugh almost escaping me. So this was what they called love.

Yeah. It just happened to bury me along with it.

After greeting people in the crowd, Harriet finally took her seat at the head of the table.

She cut into a piece of steak, still red inside, and chewed slowly. A thin line of blood ran down from the corner of her mouth. It looked exactly like the blood that splashed out of me when I hit the rocks.

"Why isn't Elliot back yet?" She checked the time, her brows knitting slightly. "It's been half an hour. Even if he walked up, he should be here by now."

The director was gnawing on a nearby chicken leg, speaking with his mouth full.

"He's probably still down there throwing a tantrum. He's a teenager. Realizes he got tricked, feels embarrassed. It's normal to sulk a bit."

Timothy chimed in from the side. "Yeah, Elliot's always been a bit proud. He's probably hiding somewhere, waiting for you to come comfort him."

Harriet let out an icy laugh and slammed her knife and fork back onto the table.

"Comfort him? That will only make it worse."

Her tone turned sharp. "That kid is way too self-centered. No sense of the bigger picture at all."

She glanced around at the guests, lowering her voice, which somehow made it even harsher.

"Tonight is a celebration banquet. With so many important guests here, he actually dares to embarrass me in public?"

She pulled out her phone and dialed my number. Her phone screen was still being mirrored onto the big display, and the entire room went quiet, waiting for the touching moment of a mother and son reunion.

The phone rang a few times.

"Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently powered off," The mechanical female voice echoed through the hall.

Harriet's expression darkened. "Oh, so now he dares to turn off his phone."

She stood up and shouted at the director. "Send people down to find him. Tell him if he doesn't show up in front of me within ten minutes, I'm cutting off all his allowance next month. Let him go earn his own living."

I floated right in front of her, watching her lose her temper.

"Mom, do not bother. Dead people did not need an allowance," I let out a silent, helpless sigh.

The director did not dare waste a second. He grabbed a walkie-talkie and contacted the search team below.

"Joshua, Joshua! Stop wasting time and get Mr. Lawson up here now. Ms. Lawson is angry!"

Only static came back at first.

After a long pause, a broken voice finally answered. "We checked the whole area and didn't find anyone."

"What do you mean you didn't find anyone?" The director's voice rose in panic. "Weren't there three safety airbags? Did he just vanish into thin air?"

"The airbags! The airbags are empty." The voice on the other end trembled.