I knew exactly what the "big gift" Mom had prepared was—it was all the bribe money Dad had taken over the years. Ever since he met Denise, Dad had been buying her luxury goods, designer brands, and even a house. Sure, Dad worked for a state-owned enterprise and had a decent salary, but we were a middle-class family, living paycheck to paycheck. I was born with a heart condition, and my medical bills were overwhelming, leaving us with no savings. But Dad's lavish gifts to Denise didn't come from his salary—they came from bribes. I remembered vividly how, during one of my worst health crises, Mom had tearfully begged Dad to fork out some money for my treatment. And what had Dad said? "The company's not doing well right now, we don't have any money." In the end, it was my grandparents who sold their house to cover the cost of my surgery. Yet, the same Dad who claimed we were too poor to pay for my life-saving operation had plenty of cash to spoil Denise with luxury handbags.
Three months after I died, Mom sent evidence of Denise Taylor's plagiarism to her fashion design company—proof that she had copied a renowned designer's work. It didn't take long for Denise to be labeled a disgraced designer and fired from the company. That evening, Dad went home with his face twisted in fury. The moment he opened the door, he hurled my favorite piggy bank against the floor, shattering it into a thousand pieces. "Nicole," he snarled, pointing a finger at Mom, "you will go to Denise's company right now and tell her boss that the evidence you sent was fake. Do you even realize what you've done? Because of your nonsense, Denise lost the job she worked ten years!" Mom, gaunt and pale as she sat on the couch, barely moved. But when the piggy bank broke, something inside her snapped. She leaped from the couch and dropped to the floor, frantically gathering the shards of ceramic with trembling hands. Her fingers were cut by the sharp fragments piercing her palms
Denise was Mom's foster sister. Two years ago, after Grandma fell ill, Mom—soft-hearted as always—took Dad and me to visit her. From that day forward, Denise latched onto Dad and refused to let go. She didn't stop at manipulating Mom with Grandma's illness to force her way into our home. Once she moved in, she began accusing Mom of hitting and abusing her, creating a rift between my parents. They fought constantly. And just a year ago, she took things further—using her depression as a weapon to steal Dad away entirely. Even when my heart condition worsened and I was hospitalized, Dad didn't come to see me. Mom would tell me he was busy with work, that he had important things to handle. But I knew better. He was with Denise, taking care of her. After all, Denise had depression—she was so fragile, so prone to suicide attempts, that she was considered more delicate than me, his daughter born with congenital heart disease.That injustice gnawed at me. So when Mom broke t
Mom fainted from blood loss. Normally, whenever she passed out, she'd wake up in half an hour, but this time, she was out cold the entire day. Panic gripped me. I was terrified something had gone horribly wrong. Desperate, I tried using Mom's phone to dial 911 for help, but no matter how hard I tried, my hand passed right through it. I glanced at Mom's pale, lifeless face, and the pain in my chest surged so violently that, before I knew it, my soul had been drawn to where Dad was. I didn't know how it happened, but suddenly I was there, next to him. Under the dim, flickering light, Dad was gently helping Denise toward the bed. "Your headaches seem to be getting worse again," he said gently, "I'll take you to the hospital tomorrow."Denise stumbled, collapsing into his arms with a fragile, helpless sigh. "I'll be fine," she murmured. "It's just… thinking about how much my sister hates me, it hurts so much." "I really don't understand," she continued, "what do I have to do
Maybe it was the overwhelming hatred I felt for Dad that made me snap back to Mom's side the very next second. When I saw her, still lying cold and lifeless on the ground after an entire night, the tears came rushing down all at once. I collapsed over her body, my sobs wracked with frustration and grief. "Mom, please wake up," I cried. "Dad's so awful! He's trying to report you for taking bribes during surgery. He's trying to get you banned from being a doctor! "You didn't even take the money, you gave it back to the patient! But Dad believes Denise, and he didn't even bother to check!"Mom, please! Please don't die. I don't want to be dead anymore, especially with a Dad like that."I didn't know if my sadness was affecting her, but through my tear-filled eyes, I thought I saw her fingers twitch. My heart leaped with hope, and for a brief, shining moment, I thought she might wake up. But before I could scream out in joy, the sharp trill of the phone pierced the air. My wh
Dad came home at 9 p.m., and of course, Denise was with him. The sight of Mom lying on the floor, her face pale and lifeless, only caused him to frown slightly as he said, "Now you know what pain feels like, huh? Do you even remember when you sent those fake documents to Denise's company, accusing her of plagiarizing a famous designer? You got her fired. Do you know how much that hurt her?" "Did you know Denise's depression worsened because of you? She almost jumped off a building!"His tone turned condescending. "So what if you've been suspended? It's no big deal. Maybe it's even better that you're not a doctor anymore. Now you'll have time to stay home and take care of Mary. You were always too busy with your job and never cared for her properly. If she weren't so mature, she would have abandoned a mother like you long ago." Hearing Dad use me to torment Mom, my anger exploded. Hatred surged through me, overwhelming every thought. I couldn't take it anymore.I rushed at him,
"What are you doing?" Dad looked at Mom in disbelief. But Mom only let out a cold laugh, no hesitation in her eyes as she plunged the syringe deep into Denise's back and yanked it out just as swiftly. Watching Denise grimace and wince in pain, Dad's face instantly turned crimson with fury. "Nicole, have you lost your mind? Do you even realize what you've done?" His voice cracked. Mom let out a bitter, tearful laugh. "Yes, I've lost my mind. I lost it the day Mary died." She gestured towards the left, her voice icy. "Ethan, turn your head and look over there. Do you know what that is? That's your daughter's memorial photo.""Mary died three months ago. You're her dad and you don't even know! And how dare you bring your mistress to our home to question and scold me. How pathetic is that?" Dad froze. Trembling, he stumbled towards the table where my black-and-white portrait was displayed. When he saw it, his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor. "No... no, that's im
Mom drove the syringe into Denise's back again, more viciously than before. "Denise, you've always been this wretched, haven't you? I used to be afraid of you, afraid you'd destroy my family, my life. But now... Mary is gone. What do I have left to fear?" Mom's voice dripped with bitterness. "Don't worry, someone as wicked as me? If I'm going to meet Mary, I'll make sure I bring you along." As she spoke, Mom grabbed Denise by the hair and dragged her toward the balcony, all the while stabbing the syringe repeatedly into her back.Watching this horrific scene unfold before me, my vision blurred with rage. My eyes turned crimson as I rushed forward. "Mom, no! Mom, please don't! I don't want you to die. I don't need you to come down here with me. I want you to live, live well!" But no matter how much I screamed, Mom couldn't hear me. She kept pushing Denise closer and closer to the edge, half of Denise's body already dangling outside the balcony. Her shrieks echoed through the