After That Day

My sister-in-law, Alicia, insisted that her son was a chosen fighter, blessed by God and immune to harm. The truth was far darker: every injury meant for him was being transferred onto my daughter.

His congenital heart disease disappeared overnight.

While most children his age were still carefully protected, he was already taking part in extreme sports and never suffered so much as a scratch.

Meanwhile, my once-healthy daughter weakened day by day.

She began to suffer unexplained fractures throughout her body. There was not a single place left uninjured.

It was impossible not to see the connection.

When I voiced my suspicions to my husband, Jeff Charlton, and my mother-in-law, Kelly Freeman, they dismissed me as delusional. They accused me of being jealous that Alicia had given birth to a prodigy, while I had nothing but a "worthless" daughter.

Later, Alicia's son completed a trek across the Saharain Desert and became an overnight sensation, a child star adored by millions.

At the same time, my daughter suddenly collapsed from heatstroke and died without warning.

Alicia went live on her platform, accusing me of making false claims out of envy.

Her followers believed every word. They hunted me down and ended my life.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back at the moment Alicia first proclaimed her son a miracle child.

This time, I was no longer a powerless mother.

As a specialist doctor, I calmly pulled on my gloves.

"Alicia," I said with a smile,

"Let me examine my nephew and see if he's truly cured."

"Harriet, are you accusing me of lying? What would I gain from that?" said my sister-in-law Alicia, her tone dripping with sarcasm, as she led her son. He had just been discharged from the ICU and was already bouncing with energy.

I clenched my hands, fighting to keep my composure.

"I'm just worried about Tony. He was on an IV just yesterday, and now, he's acting like nothing's wrong. It's concerning..."

"Go ahead, check him then. Don't you think I'd know if my son wasn't well?" Alicia cut me off with a sneer, patting Tony's back and nudging him toward me.

After a thorough check-up, the results left me cold with shock.

…

Tony was four, and he had been fighting for his life in the ICU. He was born with a congenital heart defect so severe that leaving the hospital could send him into shock.

However, his vitals this time were perfect.

His once frail arms were then muscular, as strong as a young bull's.

Alicia, seeing my astonishment, yanked Tony back to her side, impatient.

"I've always said my son is a fighter, protected by the gods! No disease can touch him, let alone a heart condition."

'Impossible,' I thought to myself.

A patient chuckled in disbelief nearby, clearly not buying Alicia's claims.

"Protected by the gods? You're kidding, right? He's just a kid..."

Before he could finish, Alicia leaned in and whispered to Tony.

Without hesitation, Tony dashed to the window and leaped out.

"Oh my God! Someone check on the child, quick!"

My husband, Jeff Charlton, and mother-in-law, Kelly Freeman, panicked, but Alicia calmly strolled down.

Tony was standing at the hospital entrance, not a scratch on him.

The onlookers gasped in disbelief as they watched from below. "How could anyone survive a fall from the fourth floor without a scratch?!"

However, my attention was abruptly diverted by a call from the kindergarten teacher.

My little girl, Laura, had collapsed out of the blue.

Worse still, a gentle attempt to move her by the teachers had somehow broken both her legs!

I frantically told my husband to fetch Laura from the kindergarten and take her straight to the hospital.

Alicia was not having it, though. "My boy's just gotten over a nasty bug and is itching for a thrill. Jeff promised to take us bungee jumping!"

Memories of my daughter's previous ordeal flashed before me, and I yelled without thinking, "No! I must get my daughter first!"

A sharp slap landed across my cheek.

Kelly's eyes bore into me with discontent. "Go get your daughter yourself. I'm taking my grandson out for some fun!

"If you don't agree, I'll cause such a scene, and it'll cost you your job!"

Rage bubbled in my chest.

I had paid for that car, yet Jeff kept the keys, claiming he needed them to drive Alicia to the hospital.

With Alicia's son already on the mend, my daughter was in trouble. What were the odds?

Alicia had to be behind that!

I knew better than to expect Jeff and Kelly to take my side after what happened before.

I had to uncover the truth to prevent history from repeating itself with my daughter.

I could not afford to lose time arguing, so I borrowed a colleague's car and sped off to the kindergarten.

Meanwhile, Alicia had started a live stream on her phone.

My heart raced as I watched Tony leap from a 50-meter-high platform, his safety rope dangling precariously unsecured.

Just as I feared, the rope came undone as he neared 10 meters.

Miraculously, Tony landed perfectly on the safety mat, unharmed.

I rushed to the kindergarten just in time to find Laura lying there unconscious, her legs smeared with blood.