Died with My Daughter

“Feeling weak? Can’t keep pretending anymore?” I sneered.

“I’ll find a way to get Adeline a kidney. It was an emergency and Harith is just a child—I couldn’t just stand by and watch him die,” Paul replied, furrowing his brow at me. His expression suggested I was the cold-blooded one. Then, he noticed the lunchbox in my hand.

“By the way, Beatrix’s been sick the past few days. Harith doesn’t have anyone else to take care of him, and I don’t trust Auntie alone. Why don’t you go check on him? When you make soup, prepare some extra portions for Harith and Beatrix. They both need to build up their strength.”

I clenched the lunchbox tightly.

“No. Adeline’s condition is worsening. She needs someone with her all the time.”

“You’re not a doctor. What good does it do for you to be here constantly?” He frowned, dismissive. “Besides, it’s not like you can find her a kidney by staying here. If you push me, I may be too distracted to arrange it myself.”

A chill swept over me. I could barely believe that Paul, her own father, would threaten me with Adeline’s life.

He softened his tone slightly. “I’m only saying this to avoid wasting time on unnecessary arguments. I’ll get Adeline a kidney as soon as possible; she’s my daughter too.” The apology held no sincerity.

I laughed bitterly, trying to stay composed. “Fine. I’ll go make the soup.”

But as I turned, a wave of dizziness overcame me. My vision blurred, and I stumbled. Paul caught me, a crack forming in his calm exterior.

“You haven’t rested since that day, have you? I’ll take you to get checked out.”

I struggled out of his grasp. “I don’t want to trouble you. Don’t worry—I’ll take care of Beatrix and Harith.”

His face darkened and he called for a nurse. “Alice, must you punish yourself to spite me?”

I fought against the vertigo. “Think whatever you want. Just save Adeline.”

Paul’s calm facade crumbled as he raised his voice in frustration. “You’d better pray you don’t collapse first, or who will take care of Adeline?”

I closed my eyes, feeling a hollow laugh rise. In the past, I’d lost myself in Paul’s shifting affections, but now, his false concern only left me empty.

Later, the nurse handed me my test report, her face tense. “It’s a tumor,” she said softly.

I accepted the report, calmly placing it in a drawer. “Please don’t tell my husband.”

“But it’s serious…”

“Don’t worry. He has other concerns now. I’ll tell him eventually. This is my responsibility.”

After making the soup, I took it to Beatrix’s hospital room. As I entered, Beatrix’s frail face lit up with a mocking smile.

“Look at Mrs. Alice herself, making soup for me and my precious son,” she said scornfully.

Ignoring her jab, I placed the soup down, prepared to leave. Her voice cut through the air, sharp and venomous.

“How long does your precious daughter have left? A month, without a proper kidney? My son has a strong sense of timing—don’t you think it was fortunate he needed a kidney when he did?”

My fists clenched. “When Adeline recovers, I’ll be done with you.”

Beatrix laughed darkly. “Recover? I took it once; I can take it again. You should be preparing your daughter’s farewell.”

I slapped her. Before I could strike again, Paul grabbed my wrist, forcing me aside.

“Alice! What’s gotten into you? Beatrix saved your life and you repay her by treating her like this?”

Beatrix’s voice softened to a pitiful whimper. “I chose to help Alice. If she’s anxious over Adeline, don’t blame her. It’s my fault—I’m just useless.”

Paul pointed to the door, his voice cold. “Get out. I should never have let you come here. You’re both mothers—can’t you be more understanding? Is Adeline the only child who matters?”

I leaned against the wall, feeling a weight press down on me. For the first time, I could admit the truth: the most helpless person here was me.

Since I was nineteen, my life had been trapped in the shadow cast by Beatrix. And I had never managed to escape.