When my parents were young, each was abandoned by the person they loved most. Their families pushed them into a blind date, and they married in haste.

They loved each other, but neither would ever admit it.

So, they could only vent their resentment on me.

Mom remarked about me, "Those tiny eyes... exactly like your father's."

Dad said to me, "So clumsy hands. You're just as useless as your mom."

They searched for traces of each other in me, then used those supposed flaws as knives to stab back.

Later, Dad's beloved crush divorced, and Mom's beloved one returned to the country.

From then on, they stopped arguing with each other—only to start chasing after their past loves and fawning over their children.

I was seven when I suffered a high fever that sent my body into convulsions.

But Mom and Dad were both busy picking New Year's gifts for their beloved crushes' children.

Neither was willing to take me to the hospital.

I licked my dry lips and begged, but Mom only cast a cold glance at me.

"Stop pretending it. You caught a bit of wind yesterday—now you're dying? You really did inherit your father's rotten genes!"

Dad got angry upon hearing these words and smashed his cup, snapping, "My bad genes? You were the one who climbed into my bed wanting a baby! I never wanted this child in the first place!"

The intense quarrel kept going on. I lay on my small bed, my mind drifting in and out through the haze of fever.

Finally, my whole world went deadly quiet.

And this time, there was nothing left for them to fight over.

***

The shouting grew louder.

A glass cup shattered against the floor. Shards flew across the room, slicing my cheek.

I stumbled towards Mom, grabbed onto her skirt with all my strength, and pleaded softly, "Mom, I don't need to go to the hospital anymore... Please don't fight. I'm sorry."

But the next second, I was pushed away by a strong force. My hand landed on a pile of broken glass. Pain shot through my arm, making my vision swim.

Mom glanced at me with disdain and then kicked me with impatience. "Enough, Judith. Go ask your father, or just lie here and die. I'd really like to see whether a simple cold can actually kill you!"

She crouched down to brush the dust off her skirt where I had touched it, not sparing me another glance.

Dad strode past my body and grabbed her wrist. "Rhoda, don't you leave now! Tell me again whose genes are bad! Isn't Judith's awful temper exactly like yours?"

Mom shook Dad's hand off and shot back, "Her temper is like mine? Then what about her face? She's your miniature copy! I feel sick just looking at her!"

Dad got furious, roaring, "You think you're the only one who feels sick of her? Me too! I can't stand the sight of you. Let's get a divorce!"

With a cold sneer, Mom glanced at me and then said to Dad, "OK, but with one condition. You'll have the custody of this little bitch. I don't want her."

But Dad hurriedly waved his hands, his eyes filled with aversion. "Why would I keep what you refuse to take?"

I wrapped my arms around his leg, whispering, "Dad, please don't leave me alone. I'll be a very good girl and won't cost you much."

Maybe he saw the cut on my cheek. His expression softened for a moment. He picked me up and laid me back on the bed.

"I need to choose a gift for Alicia, and I really don't have time for you. It's just a fever. You'll be fine after a nap."

Without waiting for my response, he then turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

Mom shot a glance full of resentment at me, saying, "If he won't take care of you, I won't either!

"You might as well die this time. In this case, none of us will be troubled!

Then, the door was slammed closed again.

Darkness filled this room, making me feel like I was in a bottomless abyss.

The high fever made me convulse all over, and my eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

It hurt. Everything hurt.

Mom... I feel awful...

A tearing pain ripped through my chest. My lungs burned so fiercely I could no longer make a sound.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself standing lightly in the room—weightless. The pain was gone.

I looked at my body quietly, which was curled up in a strange posture due to excessive pain before my death.

I faced my death without much sadness.

Instead, I was rather glad that I died, just as Mom said.

In this case, they wouldn't be troubled because of me anymore, and they could finally move on to their own happiness.

However, before I came back to my thoughts, a strong suction force pulled me to Mom's side.

At this moment, she was picking gifts with patience in the shopping mall. It took her two whole hours to finally pick out a plush doll.

Then, she went to buy some thick cotton coats and even some cotton socks.

I looked down at my thin coat and unfitted pants, which were too short, with my ankles exposed.

Suddenly, I remembered that Mom hadn't bought me new clothes for two years.

I once took a fancy to a Princess Elsa down jacket and pleaded with Mom to buy it for me.

However, after she saw the price of it, she slapped me on the spot and scolded me for my vanity.

But now, she was buying thick clothes for another kid with great patience, wanting to give her everything she could.

This scene caused dense pain in my heart, as if it were being pierced by countless needles.

Later, I followed Mom to a house, watching her enter the password to the door as if she were returning to her own home.

Through the door, I saw a clean and tidy room, as well as a beautifully decorated girl's room.

Mom carefully placed the gift on the bed and even used a pink ribbon to decorate it.

This scene used to appear countless times in my dreams.

Now, it really happened before my eyes, and I felt touched with tears.

Although I knew none of this belonged to me, I still tasted the happiness from it like a thief.

Mom busied herself in the kitchen and soon made a good and rich dinner.

Not long after, a man came back with a little girl.

Mom walked over happily, helping take off the man's coat and change the little girl's shoes.

This man was Scott Galloway, Mom's beloved crush, and the 8-year-old little girl was Wendy Galloway, Mom's favorite.

"Ms. Padgett, thank you for making us dinner. I like the pork you make the most. It's more delicious than those in the restaurants."

While saying so, Wendy picked a piece of pork with her hand and ate it directly.

"Wash your hands. They're dirty," Mom chided, but her eyes were filled with affection towards Wendy.

This was the first time I had seen Mom being so gentle.

In my memories, she always had a straight face, scolding me for being a bastard, a burden.

When she was in a bad mood, she would even get physical with me while cursing me to go to hell.

I used to believe that this was motherly love, sharp and stinging.

But now, I had realized that real love would never make people feel hurt. Instead, it would make them feel warm.

It was just that I had never experienced it, even after my death.

Tears welled up again, with bitterness filling my heart.

The three of them sat together, enjoying their delicious dinner.

When the clock struck at midnight, Mom took out a princess cake from somewhere and put candles on it.

"Wendy, this is the New Year's cake. Come on, make a wish."

Wendy's eyes sparkled, and she crossed her fingers before her chest and made her first New Year's wish.

"I wish Ms. Padgett could love only me forever."

Hearing this, Mom gently touched Wendy's head and replied softly, "It will come true."

But just as Mom's words fell, the light in Wendy's eyes dimmed, and she pursed her lips, complaining, "You're lying! You said you loved me the most, but you refused to give me Judith's cat!"

Wendy had a tendency to abuse small animals, and all the stray cats and dogs in the area had been killed by her. Mom was surely aware of it.

I knelt before Mom and begged her not to give my cat, Kitty, to Wendy.

After all, Kitty was the only gift my grandma gave me when she was still alive.

It was my family that had accompanied me for four years.

But Mom couldn't hear my pleading, or it should be said that she didn't care about me at all.

After hesitating for only a short moment, she called the pet shop and asked the staff to take Kitty, who was still in treatment, to Wendy.

Because Kitty was still ill and felt a bit stressed in an unfamiliar environment, it accidentally scratched Wendy's arm.

But Wendy got so mad. She quickly fetched some rope and tied Kitty's limbs before trying to strangle it.

I circled with anxiety, kneeling before Mom while attempting to pry open Wendy's grip on Kitty's neck.

But it was all useless.

In the end, I watched Kitty die in the most painful way in front of me.

It died in despair, just like how I died in my home yesterday.

I looked coldly at Mom, who stood at the side and turned a blind eye to all of this, and for the first time, hatred surged within me.

Suddenly, I became a bit curious.

I wondered if Mom would feel guilty towards me when she found that I experienced exactly the same kind of pain and struggle before I died.

Would she live in pain for the rest of her life?

Kitty died without a complete body left behind.

Wendy skinned it and dismembered its body. Then, she fed its body parts to her pet mouse little by little.

I cried until all my tears had run out.

In contrast, Mom only took a glance with disgust at Kitty. Then, she led Wendy to open her New Year's gifts.

The dazzling fireworks boomed outside the window. They celebrated the arrival of a new year and made beautiful New Year's wishes together, while Kitty and I died on the buzziest days of the year.

Sure enough, when a child who was not loved died, she died quietly and lonely. Nobody cared about her or her death.

At this moment, the resentment in my heart seemed to have all dissipated.

Mom spent the next two days having fun with Wendy.

She took Wendy to the aquarium, where she wouldn't take me to even if I got full marks in the exam.

I had wanted to ride a carousel for a year. But Wendy simply acted cute in front of Mom, and Mom took her to ride it three times.

Wendy said to my mom, "Ms. Padgett, I'm really so happy. You don't want Judith anyway, so can you be my mom in the future?"

Mom replied with a gentle smile, "Sure. In the future, you'll be my only daughter."

Upon hearing this, Wendy jumped with joy, exclaiming, "Great! I have a mom now! Ms. Padgett is all mine!"

My mom said she didn't want me anymore, and I heard that. However, I didn't feel as bad as I had expected in my heart.

After this episode, Mom took Wendy to try various exciting and fun entertainment facilities, and the two of them were as close as a real mother and daughter.

Just as they were having so much fun, Dad's call came, breaking the happiness of this moment.

"Rhoda, when was the last time you were home?

"The deliveryman knocked for a long time, but nobody answered the door. Do you know where Judith is?"

"Gavin, you're really a shameless man! You threw that drag on me while you went to butter up that woman and her daughter.

"You have no right to ask me to care for her when you clearly don't wanna do it yourself!"

Dad, on the other end of the phone, immediately shot back, "Aren't you also trying to butter up another family? You have no right to lecture me either!

"I'm telling you, Judith is still underage, but you actually left her alone at home for so long. If something really happens to her, you'll be held legally responsible."

Mom gave a sneer, not taking it seriously. "What could happen to her? It's just a fever. Just lie in bed and get some sleep. She'll be fine after sweating a bit. I've never seen anyone really die of a fever!

"Besides, it's not the first time we've left her home alone. Last month, you went to celebrate that woman's and her daughter's birthdays and had been away for four or five days, and Judith didn't die starving, did she? She's hard to kill."

Just then, a little girl's voice came through before Dad's response.

"Dad, come and join me with the building blocks. It's so hard. I don't know how to do it."

Dad first responded to that little girl gently before saying to Mom coldly, "You go home and check it."

Dad hung up the phone, and Mom began to curse.

Wendy frowned and bit her lips, asking her, "Mom, are you gonna go back to spend time with Judith? Do you wanna leave me alone?

"I knew it. Nobody likes me. My mom died when giving birth to me, and now, you're also gonna leave me."

Hearing this, Mom felt very sorry and immediately held Wendy in her arms. "Wendy, I'm not going anywhere. I'll always stay by your side. You're the child I love the most. As for Judith, even a dog is better than her!"

After soothing Wendy, Mom took her home, as neither of them had the mood for fun.

When it started pouring outside, Mom suddenly remembered that the silk scarf she loved the most was still hanging on the balcony at home.

Afraid that it might get wet, she called me for the first time in these three days.

At the same time, the phone watch on my stinky right hand began to flash.

Mom called me three times, but I didn't answer any of them.

She became very unhappy and cursed, "Damn it, Judith! How dare you ignore my calls? I'll definitely teach you a good lesson after I get back!"

I wanted to tell Mom that I didn't mean to ignore your phone call.

It was just that a dead child couldn't answer your phone.

Later, Mom found an excuse and left Wendy's house.

But she didn't expect that she would see a deliveryman and two policemen standing right outside her house.

One of the policemen showed her his badge.

Then he explained, "We've received a report stating that there's a child inside who has not come out for three days. The deliveryman knocked on the door for three days without getting any response. We now need to go in to confirm if the child is safe."

Hearing this, Mom gritted her teeth with resentment. "I knew it. She's just like her dad! She must be hiding somewhere, wanting to make it a big thing and embarrass me!

"Fine! Go ahead and check it! She'd better be dead!"

My tears fell from my eyes uncontrollably at Mom's words.

I wanted to tell her that I wasn't hiding. I had been home all the time.

The policemen, at the same time, frowned deeply, as they didn't expect to hear a mother cursing her own daughter to die.

Their expression turned serious as they asked my mom, "How long has it been since you last came back? You just let a child be alone at home like this? You're not worried at all?"

Their questions left my mom speechless, and her clenched fists trembled slightly.

"I'm sure she isn't home now. She's gone out already. Maybe she's now having fun at her classmate's home."

While responding, she entered the password to the door.

The moment the door was opened, a foul odor hit everyone's nose.

They were all shocked.