I'm Dad's Guinea Pig

My sister always got away with everything, so I naturally became Dad's favorite guinea pig to make an example of. When we were little, my sister refused to eat vegetables. He threw me into the bathroom, locked me in for five days without food, and starved me until I vomited blood. My sister was so terrified that she never dared to be a picky eater again. When we got older, she became obsessed with video games. Dad tied me to the computer and ordered me to play nonstop for thirty hours until my eyes bled. My sister swore she would never touch a computer again, and only then did he stop. Later, once puberty hit, my sister refused to wear thermal underwear. When Dad found out, he threw me into the freezer at our family-run supermarket. Facing my sister's stunned expression, he simply shut the freezer door. "Nicole, today I'm going to show you what frostbite looks like! Let's see if you dare disobey me again!" "Dad!" My sister dropped to her knees. "I know I was wrong. I really do! Please let him out!" No matter how she begged, Dad remained unmoved. I collapsed onto the floor as the freezing air slowly seeped into my body. Feeling my heartbeat grow weaker and weaker, I finally forced a bitter smile. 'Dad, I don't want to be your guinea pig anymore.' Chapter 1 The minus-22-degree-Fahrenheit chill from the freezer gradually seeped into my body. Outside the door, my sister Nicole Schmidt's voice was already breaking with sobs. "Dad, I'm begging you!" She kneeled on the floor and clutched our father David Schmidt's pant leg. "I promise I'll listen to you from now on, okay?" "Please let Chris out. He's frail. He can't take this!" David merely looked down and coldly shook her hand off. "Nicole, I expect you to become someone great. Everything I do is for your own good. "How many times have you promised me? And yet what happened? You kept disobeying me again and again!" Nicole's voice grew increasingly desperate. "I mean it this time! If you let Chris out, I promise I'll get into Hulton College! I swear!" David fell silent for a long moment. He didn't immediately berate or refuse her. For a second, I thought there was hope. Then his cold voice passed through the iron door. "No. This time, I'm going to make sure you remember the lesson." I sat on the floor and rubbed my body repeatedly while trying to warm myself. I slowly dragged myself to the door and begged weakly, "Dad, I'm so cold. Please let me out. It's freezing in here." The tone he used with Nicole was stern but still carried warmth, but the tone he used with me was far colder. "Just endure it, Chris. This is why you were born. You don't get a choice!" My nose stung. David was right. It was all because he firmly believed I was the perfect tool to push Nicole toward success. He always said, "What's the point if both of them fail? It's better to put all our effort into raising one successful child! There's nothing wrong with sacrificing the other one." Whenever Nicole's grades slipped, he made me run laps around the school field in the dead of winter until my knees bled. Once, Nicole came home ten minutes late. David threw a fit. "Nicole! Do you know how dangerous it is out there?" As he scolded her, he stripped off my clothes and tossed me outside. "I'm going to teach you that nowhere is safe except home and school!" I was only in the seventh grade. I stood there naked while strangers stared and pointed at me. "Dad! Please let me back inside!" Feeling their gazes all over me, I could never forget the humiliation. It still haunted me to this day. 'It's so cold. Why is it so cold?' I was beginning to lose consciousness. Within minutes, frost covered my eyelashes and eyebrows. Outside the freezer, Nicole seemed to stand up. She shouted through tears. "Chris! Hang on! I'm going to find someone to save you! Please wait for me!" Then came hurried footsteps and David's angry roar. "Nicole! Get back here!" He ran after her. Their voices gradually faded. I forced my eyes open. There was still hope. 'Don't fall asleep. Nicole will come back for me.' I hugged myself and rubbed my body while trying to fight the cold that had seeped into my bones, but my whole body shook uncontrollably. Soon, I heard a frantic, heartbroken voice. "Chris!" My breathing quickened. I pressed against the door and said, "Mom, I'm so cold." My mother, Rhonda Jackson, pounded on the door repeatedly. "Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid! I'm getting you out!" She then screamed at David. "Give me the key! You've completely lost your mind!" David was breathing heavily, but he shouted back. "Absolutely not! The fact that Nicole went to find you proves she still doesn't understand what she did wrong!" "Dad!" Nicole's voice trembled. She was clearly sobbing. Seeing her like that, David softened slightly. His tone wasn't so cold anymore. "Enough! I'm not actually going to freeze my own son to death! I raised the freezer temperature by 54 degrees. Besides, he was wearing a down jacket. He'll be fine!" I looked down at my thin, worn-out clothes. These were the clothes I'd had for years, and the padding had long since flattened. My chest felt cold. David had probably forgotten about this, but two years ago, the freezer had malfunctioned after some meat spoiled inside. Since then, the temperature control stopped working. It had been stuck at minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit ever since. Chapter 2 Instead of feeling relieved, Rhonda became even more determined after hearing that. "I'm telling you one last time. Give me the key and let Chris out! I swear, you–" Before she finished her last sentence, she suddenly screamed, "David! You're insane! "You actually tossed the key down the drain!" My already sluggish thoughts seemed to freeze completely. Nicole rushed to the drain and began tearing through the clogged muck with her bare hands. "N-No! Don't!" Rhonda shoved David away. Her voice trembled with rage. "You've completely lost your mind! You're gambling with Chris's life!" David ignored her. Instead, he grabbed Nicole, who was nearly breaking down beside the drain, and pulled her up. His expression was stern, but there was concern in his voice. "What's the point of groping around in there? You'll hurt yourself!" Nicole stared at him in disbelief. "Hurt myself? Aren't you worried that Chris will get hurt?" Without hesitation, David blurted out, "Why should I care? Boys are tougher. What's going to happen to him?" Inside the freezer, I could feel my heart breaking. I used the last bit of strength I had to speak. "Dad, I really can't take it anymore. Please let me out. It's so cold in here." Nicole threw herself against the door. Her voice was full of guilt. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Chris. This is all my fault." David sneered. "No. I've given you enough chances, Nicole. I never expected you to keep pretending to obey me. "Today, I'm going to make sure you remember this forever!" Rhonda trembled with anger. "Chris, move away from the door. I'm going to kick it open. Don't be afraid!" She shouted. Hope flickered inside me again, but my body had already frozen stiff. I couldn't move, and I had no strength left. "Chris! Have you moved away?" Rhonda asked anxiously. I leaned against the door and murmured, "Yeah." The next second, the heavy iron freezer door was kicked with tremendous force. The impact made my ears ring, but I didn't make a sound. I didn't want Rhonda to worry even more. "Rhonda! I think you're the one who's gone crazy! Have you forgotten that this freezer door was custom-made? Without the key, even a power saw couldn't cut it open!" David snorted beside her before looking at her sarcastically. Rhonda acted as if she hadn't heard him. She kicked the door again and again. Her voice was trembling. "Chris, don't be afraid!" Nicole broke free from David's grip and ran back to the drain, but the key was nowhere to be found. Her eyes widened in horror. "Mom! What do we do?" Rhonda spun around to answer, but the commotion had already attracted the attention of a neighbor. "What are you people doing? It's still early in the morning!" I fluttered my eyelids when I heard the voice. I no longer had the strength to open my eyes. Nicole dropped to her knees before David again. "Dad! Let Chris out!" The neighbor, Justin Walker, stared at David in shock. "David, did you lock Chris in the freezer?" David immediately tried to defend himself. "He made a mistake. I was just giving him a little punishment!" He waved Justin off. "Go back home! This is my family! It's none of your business!" Justin was kind-hearted. He didn't leave. Instead, he pointed at David in disbelief. "Do you know how cold that freezer is? How could you lock a child in there! Besides, Chris is so frail. This is abuse! "I could call the police!" David became furious. "Who the hell do you think you are? I'm disciplining my own child! What gives you the right to call the police on me? "Justin, don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. You're trying to get close to my two kids and replace me as their father! "You're trying to become Rhonda's new husband!" Rhonda stared at him in disbelief. "What are you talking about? You've completely lost your mind!" David had a stubborn and crazed look in his eyes. "Aren't I right? Why else would he care so much about my family? He's always bringing food over for Nicole and Chris. Don't think I haven't noticed!" Justin was utterly stunned. He looked as if he'd swallowed something rotten. "Unbelievable! I try to help, and this is what I get? "Your family's problems are none of my business!" He turned to leave. David sneered. "Get out! You have no right to interfere with how I raise my children!" Rhonda slapped David across the face. "I know you have a spare key. I'm telling you one last time. Let Chris out!" David gasped and screamed. "How dare you hit me? Fine! Then let me tell you, the spare key is gone too! I threw it away with the first one! I won't let him out even if he dies!" There was silence outside. I smiled bitterly. Suddenly, my body felt unbearably hot. It was as if I were burning from the inside. 'It's so hot.' I couldn't stop myself from taking off my shirt, my shoes, and finally my pants. I pressed my body against the cold floor. It felt very comfortable. It was so comfortable that my heart slowly stopped beating. Eventually, I could no longer open my eyes. Chapter 3 My body felt incredibly light. I stood up and somehow walked straight through the iron door before appearing beside Rhonda and Nicole. "Mom! Nicole!" I instinctively ran toward them and tried to hug them, but I passed right through them. I froze. That's when I realized something was wrong. I raised my hand and saw my frail body, which barely had any flesh on it and was now nearly transparent. 'I'm dead.' Once the thought crossed my mind, tears immediately began streaming down my face. Next to me, Nicole stared at our obsessive, crazed father. She instinctively took two steps back, and her face turned pale. "Dad, what did you just say?" David's expression stiffened for a moment, but a man who valued his pride above everything else could never admit that he had gone too far. He could only continue making excuses. "You forced me into this. "I told you, Chris is my son too. I would never actually hurt him!" He turned to face Nicole. His eyes filled with desperate expectations and a twisted kind of love. "Nicole, I just want you to understand what happens when your legs get frostbite from refusing to wear thermal underwear. "You have to understand why I'm doing this!" Nicole subconsciously shook her head. She couldn't utter a single word. Rhonda closed her eyes and clenched her jaw in anger. "I won't let you continue doing this. Nicole, protect Chris. I'm going to find a locksmith." Nicole nodded and said okay. David immediately stepped in front of Rhonda. "You're not going anywhere! Anyone who tries to walk out that door today will have to answer to me!" "David!" Rhonda roared and shoved him aside. "It's already been more than two hours! There's no way Chris can take this!" David stumbled before regaining his balance. He shouted furiously. "How fragile can he be? Can't he handle being in there for two hours?" He snorted and walked to the freezer door before pounding on it. "Chris, make a sound! Let your mother and sister hear you!" Three seconds passed. There was no response from inside. His patience ran out. He kicked the door hard. "I said make a sound! Did you not hear me?" I stood to the side with a bitter smile. There would never be another response from inside. A minute later, David's expression froze. He pursed his lips, and panic flickered in his eyes. Rhonda and Nicole completely panicked. They rushed to the door and pounded on it. Rhonda's voice became hoarse and trembled. "Chris! Chris, are you okay? Don't scare me! Chris!" Nicole's eyes were already red with panic. "Chris! Say something! Are you alright?" But there was still no response. Rhonda’s breathing became labored. She grabbed David's arm and shoved him aside. Her expression was dark. "I'm getting a locksmith right now! "You lunatic! Something must have happened to Chris!" Nicole also looked at him with bloodshot eyes. "Dad!" David's eyes darted around, but he stubbornly clung to his denial. "He's only asleep! I turned up the temperature inside! Nothing will happen to him!" Right then, there was suddenly a commotion outside. I turned around in surprise. Justin had returned with two police officers. "He's the one who locked his child in the freezer to torture him!" Chapter 4 David looked shocked. He glared at Justin. "Justin! You've got some nerve sticking your nose into my business! This is my family. What right do you have to interfere?" One of the police officers stepped forward and spoke in a stern voice. "We don't interfere with how parents educate their children, but when it comes to child abuse, we absolutely have to intervene!" He looked at Nicole, who was trembling uncontrollably. "Is there really a child locked inside?" Nicole ignored David's warning glare and quickly nodded. "Yes! My brother is in there! We just called out to him, but he stopped responding! Something must have happened to him!" The officer's expression grew grim as he looked at David, who was clearly growing uneasy. "We need to open the door!" Rhonda yelled anxiously. "He threw the key into the drain. I'm going to find a locksmith right now!" David tried to stop her again, but the officer's stern glare silenced him. He could only clench his jaw as Rhonda rushed out the door. The officer stood outside the freezer. "Kid? We're police officers. Are you still conscious? If you are, say something." I answered, but no one could hear me. The iron door remained completely still. The two officers exchanged a look. Their expressions grew increasingly grim. Nicole's voice turned hoarse with desperation. "It's all my fault! This happened because of me!" I slowly approached her. I wanted to wipe away her tears, but my hand passed straight through her. "Don't cry, Nicole." My eyes welled up with tears, and my chest felt stuffy. "I've never blamed you." David stood to the side and frowned as if he were still trying to convince everyone. "I told you nothing would happen! Do you really think I'm some kind of monster who would kill his own son?" Justin suddenly turned to face him. "You wouldn't kill Chris, but you'd torture him over and over! "David, all of us neighbors have seen how you've treated Chris over the years! "Your son has been walking around in a daze every single day. Do you really not see it?" David snorted after hearing that. I froze. For a long time, I hadn't been able to muster any energy. Sometimes I couldn't even walk without falling. I thought I was simply tired. I never realized my mental state had already deteriorated to such an extent. The officer frowned even more deeply, and his eyes filled with fury and disgust. "Chris is my son. How I discipline him is none of your business!" David glared at him. Not long after, hurried footsteps came from the entrance. Rhonda had returned with a locksmith. She was gasping for air as she pointed shakily at the door. "Here. Please, hurry!" The locksmith nodded and was about to step forward when David snatched the toolbox away. "No one is opening this door today!" "David!" "Dad!" Rhonda and Nicole shouted at the same time. The officer finally lost his patience. "Hand it over!" Tears filled my eyes. My heart ached. I couldn't understand why, even now, with the police and a locksmith standing right there, David was still determined to punish me. He had a stubborn look in his eyes. "I said no one is opening it! He's my son. I can do whatever I want with him!" The officer's expression hardened. "David, if you continue obstructing us, we have the right to arrest you!" As he spoke, he pulled out his handcuffs. David froze. His face turned from pale to flushed and back again. After a long moment, he finally gave in. "Fine! "Fine, I'll let him out!" He then turned to face Nicole. "Once we get him out, look at his legs. That is what happens when you refuse to wear thermal underwear! Do you understand?" The locksmith quickly took back his toolbox and got to work. David snorted dismissively. He then retrieved a key from his pocket. Rhonda and Nicole nearly collapsed from shock. They trembled in anger. "Y-You actually had the key!" David spoke nonchalantly. "Of course. Do you really think I'd leave my own son in there forever? "I don't know what everyone's panicking about! Just watch. He's probably asleep!" With that, he pushed past everyone and inserted the key into the freezer door's keyhole.