After my daughter’s death, I finally
gave up.
Chapter 1
My best friend, Lily, and I, we both married
into the Miller family six years ago.
We got pregnant at the same time and gave
birth to our daughters at the same time.
My husband, Mark, said that his ex–girlfriend,
Jessica, loved kids, so he took both our
daughters to her birthday party.
He told us to stay home and wait for them.
At midnight, he sent both our girls downstairs
alone to get allergy medicine for Jessica.
They were hit by a truck and killed instantly.
When Lily and I got to the hospital, my
daughter’s medicine box was crushed.
uynizable.
We were hysterical, sobbing uncontrollably. I
called Mark, shaking.
Before I could even speak, he yelled, “Why
didn’t you tell me you were taking the girls? Why didn’t you send the medicine up first? Do you know Jessica almost died from an
allergic reaction?! You’re always so selfish!”
He hung up. Then he blocked my number.
Lily was furious, she called her husband,
David.
Before she could even explain, he interrupted,
“I was just celebrating Jessica’s birthday!
Why would you lie to me about the kids? I’ve
never seen a mother who would curse her
own children! Stop being dramatic, okay? It
wasn’t just me at the party!”
1
Lily clenched her phone, her voice tight, “I’m
getting a divorce.”
“Me too,” I said.
Lily and I supported each other through our
daughters‘ funerals. The hospital staff looked
at us with such pity.
From the moment our daughters arrived at
the hospital to the moment they were
declared dead, their fathers didn’t contact us
once.
Eight years of relationship, six years of
marriage, finally ended.
After the funeral, Lily and I rushed to a lawyer
to get divorce papers.
Our feet were blistered and bleeding, but we
were numb with grief.
We got home, and they weren’t there.
Exhausted, we collapsed onto the sofa. I
checked my phone and saw Jessica’s new
post.
A cozy photo of the three of them in a hotel
room. There was a custom cake I’d ordered
with imported liquor–filled chocolates inside
and an expensive perfume gift set.
The caption read: “[Despite a little allergy mishap, this was the best birthday ever!]” My heart shattered. I’d searched the whole city for that cake, for his happiness, and it became the excuse for her killing my daughter!
What allergic reaction, what medicine? A
woman who never leaves home without
perfume should be desensitized to alcohol!
Sending two five–year–olds out at midnight…
what was her motive?
I realized I’d been a fool, played for a fool for
years.
My grip on my phone tightened, my knuckles
white.
Lily saw the post and thought of her
daughter, tears streaming down her face
again. She went to pack our things.
Then we heard the lock click.
Mark stormed in, his eyes blazing with anger.
“Didn’t I tell you to send the medicine up
first? Didn’t you hear me? Do you know you
and your daughter almost killed Jessica? She
had to get an IV!”
“And that cake, didn’t you know she’s allergic
to alcohol? You ordered liquor–filled
chocolates
were you trying to kill her? If I
hadn’t been too late, I could have driven her
to the hospital! She might have had a serious
allergic reaction and died!”
“I’ve put up with your jealousy, your drama,
but this is beyond cruel! I can’t believe how you raised your daughter! No wonder she ran off with the life–saving medicine!”
I stared at him, my vision blurring. I hadn’t eaten in days.
The first thing he said was to blame me for his ex’s problems. My daughter’s life meant less than Jessica’s finger to him. And he
didn’t even need to know about his brother’s
daughter’s death, he didn’t care anyway. His
brother even treated it as a joke!
My gaze turned cold.
“Should I and my daughter kneel and
apologize to her?”
He was enraged, stepping towards me.
The smell of hospital disinfectant hung in the
air. He didn’t notice.
He pulled a small gift box from his pocket
and threw it at my feet. The logo matched the
one in Jessica’s photo, it looked like a free
gift.
Suddenly, memories of his previous gifts to
me flashed before my eyes.
I laughed, a bitter, mocking sound. My gifts
were just leftovers from his affection for
Jessica. And I gratefully accepted those pitiful
scraps. That’s why he thought my love was
worthless. Even our daughter didn’t deserve
his love.
He yelled, “What’s your attitude? Just
because Jessica didn’t blame you doesn’t
mean it’s over! She’s in the hospital because of you, and she still sent you a gift! Are you even worthy?”
“Your daughter is like you! This is all your
fault! You need to apologize to Jessica at the hospital!”
“I need to teach our daughter a lesson, get her out here!”
