My Real Parents Came From The Fridge

To celebrate my younger brother getting into a prestigious private academy, my parents took him on a lavish island vacation, pampering him for a whole week. They completely forgot that a week ago, they had locked me in the dark basement to "reflect on my behavior." When the door finally opened, my parents expected to find me starving, weak, and begging for their forgiveness on my knees. Instead, they found me wearing a beautiful new dress, eating a slice of expensive chocolate mousse cake. My mother froze. "Chloe, who gave you that cake? Where did you get the money?" I pointed to the broken, unplugged old refrigerator in the corner. "My other mom and dad inside the fridge gave it to me. They said they're taking me away tomorrow." My father flew into a rage, kicking the old fridge hard. "Lying brat! You're just jealous of your brother, and now you're losing your mind!" He had no idea that through the crack of the fridge door, a pair of cold eyes was staring right back at him. 1. "Dad, Chloe must have hidden some allowance in there to buy that cake. She’s just pretending to be miserable to guilt-trip you guys." Leo peeked out from behind Eleanor, a smug smirk on his face. Eleanor frowned. She marched over, snatched the mousse cake from my hands, and threw it right into the trash can. "Chloe, you are such a disappointment. We locked you in the basement to teach you a lesson about lying. And now you’re making up stories about having parents inside a fridge just to spite us?" I looked at the ruined cake in the trash can, feeling a pang of sadness. The parallel-universe mom had handed me that cake just half an hour ago. But she had warned me not to pick fights with this family yet. So, I turned my face away, pretending I didn't care. A week ago, my brother, Leo, was playing soccer in the living room and shattered Richard’s favorite antique vase. Hearing the crash, Leo immediately sat on the floor, crying hysterically. He pointed at me, fresh home from school, claiming I had pushed him and knocked the vase over. Richard didn't even listen to my explanation. He grabbed me by my collar and shoved me into the damp, dark basement. "Since you love lying and bullying your brother so much, stay in there and think about what you did! Don't come out until you apologize!" With the harsh click of the lock, I was completely abandoned in this cold, damp corner. For the next seven days, the three of them flew off to an island resort to celebrate Leo getting into the prep school. They left so quickly and callously, never once stopping to think that there wasn't even a drop of water for me in the basement. On the first night, the hunger pains in my stomach were so sharp that I curled into a ball, breaking out in cold sweats. It wasn’t until the second night that the old, broken fridge—which had been unplugged for three years—suddenly hummed to life. A warm, golden light seeped through the door crack, and a plate of piping-hot beef stew and mashed potatoes was gently pushed out by a pair of hands. Those hands were pale, but incredibly gentle. A woman's choked-up voice drifted from deep within the fridge. "Eat up, sweetie. Don't starve." From that day on, I received delicious food and clean, beautiful clothes from the old fridge every single day. They claimed to be my real parents from a parallel world, promising they would fully open the portal and take me away tomorrow. Thinking of this, I looked up, staring directly into my furious biological father's eyes. "I’m not lying. My other parents in the fridge are picking me up tomorrow." Richard let out an angry laugh, pointing a finger at my face. "Still talking back! That piece-of-trash fridge has been unplugged for three years. There's nothing in there but cockroaches!" "You're just jealous of your brother's new school, so you're acting crazy to get our attention, aren't you?" Eleanor sighed beside him, her voice filled with exhaustion. "Chloe, when will you stop throwing these tantrums? We feed you and clothe you. Your brother is younger than you—what's wrong with letting him have his way? Do you have to ruin the family mood by acting insane?" Looking at my mother's accusing face, my mind drifted to the gentle voice of the fridge-mom, who reminded me to eat well every day through the crack of the door. I shook my head and replied quietly. "I'm not acting crazy, and I don't want your attention. You can go back to pampering Leo. You don't have to worry about me." My calmness completely set Richard off. He yanked me by my arm and dragged me brutally out of the basement. "Fine! Let's see if those imaginary fridge-parents of yours can save you once you're out of this basement!" 2. Richard dragged me all the way into the living room. The coffee table was piled high with expensive souvenirs they had brought back from the island. Leo squealed with joy, tearing open box after box of imported toys. Eleanor sat on the sofa, holding a pearl necklace against her neck, admiring herself. They were a picture-perfect, happy family. No one cared about what I was going through. I stood by the edge of the table, watching them silently. Eleanor seemed uncomfortable under my gaze. She put the necklace down and cleared her throat. "Chloe, don't look at us like that. We took Leo on this trip to reward him for his excellent grades. Your grades are always mediocre. Taking you would have been a waste of money." She dug through a pile of snacks, pulled out a half-eaten bag of dried mangoes, and tossed it to me. "Here. Your brother didn't finish this on the plane. Taste it, and you can pretend you went on the trip too." I looked down at the spit-covered bag of dried mangoes and took a step back. "I'm not hungry." "Why are you always so ungrateful?!" Eleanor’s face darkened instantly. Leo suddenly dropped his toys, ran over to me, and eyed me suspiciously. "Chloe must have hidden some good stuff in the basement! If she could buy a mousse cake, she definitely has other secrets!" Without warning, he reached out to search my pockets. I instinctively tried to dodge, but he grabbed the edge of my pocket and ripped it. A silver pocket watch fell out, hitting the hardwood floor with a sharp clink. That was the token my parallel-universe dad had handed me last night. He said as long as I kept it on me, they could pinpoint my exact location when the portal opened. Leo's eyes lit up at the sight of the silver watch, and he immediately lunged to grab it. I threw myself over it, shielding it with my body. "Give it back! That's mine!" Seeing he couldn't grab it, Leo let out a malicious laugh and stomped his foot hard onto my hand. A searing pain shot up my arm. I gasped but didn't let go. Seeing this, Leo threw his entire weight onto my hand, grinding his shoe into my flesh while screaming at the top of his lungs. "Mom! Dad! Chloe is hitting me! And she stole money to buy a gold watch!" Hearing the noise, Richard stormed over. He grabbed me by my hair and yanked me off the ground. "Chloe! Not only are you a liar, but now you have the nerve to hit your brother!" Ignoring the blood dripping from the back of my hand, he pried the silver watch from my grip. "Where did you get this? Did you steal money from us?" I stared at him coldly, the blinding pain in my scalp making it hard to breathe. "My dad from the fridge gave it to me." "You dare mention that damn fridge again!" Infuriated, Richard hurled the watch against the wall with all his strength. The silver casing shattered instantly, and tiny gears scattered all over the floor. Looking at the broken pieces, tears finally welled up in my eyes. Leo hid behind Eleanor, sticking his tongue out at me triumphantly. Eleanor patted Leo's head lovingly, then turned to me and said the words that shattered any remaining hope I had in them. "Chloe, you are so selfish. Fighting with your brother over a cheap toy watch? Starting today, you don't eat in this house until you learn how to be a good sister." 3. I didn't throw a tantrum. I silently knelt down, picked up the scattered gears and broken pieces one by one, and carefully tucked them into my pocket. Seeing me so quiet and unresponsive, Richard scowled even harder. "What are you standing there playing dead for? Apologize to your brother right now!" I stood up, looking Richard straight in the eye. "I did nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?" "You—" Richard raised his hand to strike me. Eleanor quickly held him back, whispering urgently. "We're hosting a congratulatory party tomorrow, and all our relatives will be here. If you bruise her face, how are we going to explain it? Send her back to the basement. Out of sight, out of mind." I complied without a word, dragging my bleeding hand back downstairs. The basement was freezing and damp. I leaned against the old fridge, holding the shattered pieces of the watch in my hands. In the dead of night, the basement was so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat. Suddenly, the old fridge beside me let out a deep, heavy rumble. The metal frame began to vibrate violently, and a blinding blue light pierced through the rusty door cracks. I quickly rushed over and whispered. "Mom? Dad?" The door cracked open slightly, and an icy fog rolled out, carrying a strange metallic scent. Those pale hands reached out again, this time holding a bottle of warm milk and a roll of bandages. My parallel-universe mom’s voice sounded frantic and slightly distorted. "Chloe, what happened to your hand? Who hurt you?" I took the milk, and my tears finally spilled over. "They broke the pocket watch you gave me. Is the portal broken? Can you still take me away?" An angry growl echoed from the depths of the fridge—it was my parallel-universe dad. "They've gone too far! Chloe, don't be afraid. Even without the token, we will forcefully break through the spatial coordinates to get you tomorrow at noon." "Tomorrow at noon, exactly twelve o'clock. Just stand by the fridge, and we will take you home. No one will ever hurt you again." Hearing those words, the heavy weight on my chest finally lifted. I drank the warm milk while clumsily wrapping the bandage around my wounded hand. Just a few more hours. Once tomorrow morning passed, I would leave this suffocating house forever. The next morning, the basement door was kicked open violently. Eleanor stood at the top of the stairs, throwing a dirty rag at my face. "Stop sleeping! The relatives are coming today. Get upstairs and clean the living room and kitchen. You're not living here for free." Without protesting, I picked up the rag and walked upstairs. Because I knew this would be the very last time I ever cleaned for them. As noon approached, the relatives began to arrive. The house quickly filled with laughter and chatter, with everyone crowding around Leo to praise him. "Oh, Leo is so smart! With grades like that, he’s definitely going to an Ivy League school!" "You guys are so lucky to have such a brilliant son." I walked out of the kitchen carrying a platter of sliced fruit, which immediately caught the relatives' attention. 4. Aunt Clara glared at me, her voice dripping with judgment. "Why does Chloe look so gloomy and awkward? She didn't even greet the guests. Eleanor, you really need to teach this girl some manners." Eleanor laughed awkwardly, seizing the opportunity to complain. "Clara, you have no idea. This girl has the strangest temper lately. She lies constantly and always bullies Leo." "Just a couple of days ago, she insisted that her real parents live inside that broken old fridge in the basement. Can you believe it? She's losing her mind." The moment Eleanor said this, the relatives started looking at me with weird, mocking expressions. Uncle Thomas shook his head, looking at me with disapproval. "Chloe, your parents work so hard to raise you. How can you be so ungrateful? Your brother is successful, and you should be happy for him, instead of making up these ridiculous stories to steal his spotlight." I stood frozen in the middle of the room, holding the fruit platter with a blank expression. Seeing all the adults siding with him, Leo’s ego inflated even more. He jumped up from the sofa, pointing a finger at me. "Chloe is a total liar! She's still claiming her parents are in that broken fridge! If you don't believe me, I'll drag that fridge out right now and show everyone!" With that, Leo rallied a few cousins around his age and dashed down to the basement. A few minutes later, the kids managed to drag the small, single-door, rusty old refrigerator into the center of the living room. The outer shell was completely rusted, and even the power cord had been cut off at the base. It looked like nothing but a piece of scrap metal. Richard felt embarrassed by the scene and barked at Leo. "Alright, Leo, that's enough. Why did you drag this junk up here? Get it out of here!" But Leo refused to back down. He walked up to the fridge, giving me a smug, challenging look. "Chloe, didn't you say your real parents are in here? Call them out!" The relatives burst into laughter. Aunt Clara covered her mouth, giggling. "Oh, Leo, stop teasing your sister. She’s just a little liar making things up. How could a real person fit inside a broken fridge?" I ignored their mocking laughter and kept my eyes glued to the wall clock. One minute left until noon. Seeing that I remained silent, Leo assumed I was scared. To completely humiliate me in front of everyone, he grabbed the handle of the fridge door. "Watch closely, everyone! I'm going to expose this liar once and for all!" Leo yanked it open. With a loud, rusty screech, the door swung open. It was completely empty. Leo pointed inside, laughing hysterically. "Hahaha! What a fraud! There's nothing in here!" The relatives shook their heads. Richard’s face was pitch black as he stood up, marching toward me with his hand raised, ready to slap me. "How much longer are you going to embarrass us? Go back to your room right now!" Just as his hand was about to strike my face— Twelve o'clock sharp. The unplugged, broken old fridge suddenly erupted with a blinding, piercing white light. Instantly, the temperature in the living room plummeted to sub-zero. A thick, visible wave of freezing white fog surged out from the depths of the fridge, instantly covering the entire living room floor. The laughter died instantly. Richard’s hand froze mid-air. Leo, who was closest to the fridge, let out a terrified shriek and tried to stumble backward. But in that exact millisecond, a pair of pale, frostbitten hands shot out of the blinding white light, locking tightly around Leo's neck.