The Secret in the Freezer

My name is Bella Collins. I've been married for three years and live with my husband, Leo Carter, and my mother-in-law, Georgia Clark. Last month, my sister-in-law, Mia Carter, was admitted to Medical School as a graduate student. The house was supposed to be buzzing with joy and celebration. Everything changed starting last week. That day, I got home from work and, just as I reached the entrance of my building, I saw two strangers in black coats carrying a long object wrapped in white cloth into the stairwell. The shape of the object was strange—it looked exactly like a person curled up. My heart skipped a beat, and I hurried forward, desperate to ask what was going on. Before I could say a word, one of the strangers frowned and said, "Please step aside and don't block the way." I instinctively stepped aside and watched them carry the object into the elevator, whose button lit up for the 12th floor—my floor. My heart suddenly started pounding, and I hurried after them. By the time the elevator doors opened, the two strangers were already carrying things into my living room. My mother-in-law, Georgia Clark, was standing nearby giving orders. When she saw me come back, her expression grew strangely tense. "Mom, what is this?" I pointed at the object wrapped in white cloth, my voice shaking. Georgia Clark came over and took my hand, purposely softening her voice: "Bella, don't be afraid. This is for Mia's own good." "For her own good? What exactly is this thing?" I jerked my hand free from hers, pressing her for answers. Just then, Leo Carter came out of the bedroom. He glanced at me, then at Georgia Clark, sighed, and said, "Bella, don't get so worked up. This is the 'body donor instructor' used by the Medical School. Mia just started graduate school and needs to keep on good terms with her mentor. Keeping it here for a few days is considered an act of kindness." "Body donor instructor?" My head was spinning. "Isn't that a corpse? How can you keep something like that at home?" "How can you talk like that?" Georgia Clark's face darkened. "Corpse or not, this is to help pave the way for Mia! Once she's firmly established at school, our family benefits too." "I don't care if it's good luck or not—this thing has to be moved out right now!" I was shaking with rage. Just the thought of having something like this in the house made me sick. "Bella Collins, stop making a scene!" Leo Carter's voice grew firmer. "Mia only has this one shot. Can't we just hold our tongues for a few days?" Looking at these two completely unreasonable people in front of me, I felt both furious and chilled to the bone. Is this still the home I know? Are these really the husband and mother-in-law I thought I trusted?