My Daughter Turned Into My Son

Was the daughter in my memory truly just a figment of my imagination?

My parents had stopped urging me to treat Henry nicely. Jerry no longer tried to convince me to face the reality.

To keep me from potentially harming Henry, my parents quietly took him to live with them. Meanwhile, Jerry stayed behind to care for me personally.

He made me three meals a day and advised me to take my medicine on time. He took care of every little detail of my life.

He made an effort to make me happy and laugh again, like when we were in love.

Sometimes, my parents would bring Henry over to visit me.

Every time, his eyes filled with anticipation and he tried to get closer to me and yet, I kept giving him a cold treatment.

In the face of my rejection, although his eyes were full of sorrow, he would still force a smile and say to me, “Mom, no matter what you do to me, you're still the person I love most."

"I believe… one day, you'll remember me and welcome me back."

Time flew by and eighteen years had passed.

Today was Henry's wedding day.

Jerry woke up early in the morning to wash and dress up. The excitement was attached on his body and every cell of his body brimmed with expectation.

Before he left, he looked at me and asked one last time, "It's our son's big day, as this is his wedding. He said he's been hoping for your blessing more than anything. Are you sure you don’t want to go?”

I shook my head and said quietly, "I'm not going."

Seeing the reaction on my face, Jerry did not force me anymore. He just shook his head dejectedly and exhaled, then headed to the wedding alone.

As I sat all alone in the room, a strange sense of uneasiness and panic rose in me.

After all these years of medication and therapy because of being diagnosed with paranoia, my condition has been much more stable than before.

Almost nothing could affect my emotions anymore and yet, for whatever reason, when I looked at the wedding update that my parents had posted on their feed, an extraordinary sense of panic crashed over me in a flash.

This feeling mounted when I saw everyone smiling around Henry.

It felt as if something vital was being torn from me forever. The sense of loss was so intense that I could barely breathe.

I shook as I went to get the medicine from the bedside table. However, since my hand shook, I could not hold anything.

As soon as I took the medicine bottle, it slipped and rolled under the bed.

I was on the floor to get the medicine, but under the bed I saw a pink Barbie doll.

All of a sudden, my eyes went wide.

Suddenly, memories of my daughter surged through my mind like a flood. As all the bits and pieces of all these years came to my mind, I was able to review all the details I had never noticed before.

Suddenly, a light shone before my eyes and I was enlightened. So, it turned out that the truth was actually like this!

After figuring everything out, I rushed nonstop to Henry's wedding site.

The venue was packed with guests and very lively.

Henry was wearing a suit and was leading his bride to give a toast.

When he spotted me, his eyes lit up instantly. He immediately rushed toward me and said happily, "Mom! You came! Are you coming here to my wedding to give me your blessing?"

The excitement and joy that filled Henry's face were hard to conceal. It was as if the fact that I was here was the greatest gift he could receive.

Jerry also greeted me. His face was full of a smile. "Wife, you finally came around."

"Henry's been looking left and right for you all day. He kept waiting for you to come to his wedding."

He continued, “It's a good thing you came, or else how sorry he would be for this wedding!” Jerry looked at me with relief.