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His eyes were as sincere as when he was eight,lying in the hospital,saying,"Sis,I wanna know what candy tastes like."
Back then,I had never even tasted candy myself.
Our parents ran a diner to cover James's medical bills.
I was tasked with taking care of him in the hospital,then went home to wash dishes and clean the diner.
One night,working until 11 p.m.,I hid some empty bottles,sneaking out to sell them while my parents were busy.
With twenty cents,I bought two candies at a store around the corner.
Staring at those vibrant candies,I struggled to resist the temptation to eat them all night but held off until I got to the hospital.
James snatched both,popping them into his mouth.
I watched him chew,mimicking his motions with my own mouth.
"Sis,it's so good,so sweet!I want more!"
I promised to bring more next time.
But he threw a tantrum,convulsing,the machines blaring.Doctors and nurses rushed in.
That night,Mom stripped me naked,whipping me with a saltwater-soaked belt.
Each lash burned.
Her eyes blazed with hatred."You stole our money to kill your brother!You're evil—I'll beat you to death!"
"I didn't!James wanted candy!I sold bottles,I didn’t steal!"I sobbed,curled up in a corner,battered,pleading.
But she believed James,who claimed I had forced the candy on him.
I passed out from pain,burning with high fever for two whole days.
She never even glanced at me.
Back then,I naively wondered:If I died,Mom,would you regret it?
They took a cab to my workplace,only to hear from the guard that I had been fired.
Mom refused to believe it,shouting at the entrance,"Oh come and see!My daughter's being held by this shady company!What kind of place stops parents from seeing their kid?"
Dad and James nearly fought the guard.
A bystander called the police,who took them to the station,fining them for disturbing social order and lecturing them for two hours.
At the station's exit,they cursed me.
"All this is because of Claire,that useless girl,getting fired and not telling us!"
Mom snarled,"She must've got a severance and hid it.If I find her,I'll whip her to death!"
She didn't need to.The police called with news of my death.
She screamed at the phone,"Tell Claire,even dead,she's giving up that kidney!And tell her to send this month's money now!"
Thinking it was a scam,she hung up,cursing.
But her face suddenly went pale,and she rushed to the bedroom.
James,confused,asked,"Mom,what's wrong?"
For the first time,she ignored her precious son,kneeling to drag a safe from under the bed.
"What's that?"James had never seen it.
Dad patted his shoulder,proud."You're a father now—act like it.This is for you."
Mom's face was grim until she opened the safe,took out some papaers,and sighed in relief.
I gasped,seeing the contents.
There were deeds for the diner and house,plus stacks of cash. Also legal documents that tied me to inside my family.
"I knew Claire couldn't steal the documents,"Mom said,patting her chest.
She had money but still hounded me monthly for cash.
I couldn't afford extra food,let alone treat my stomach cancer.
Resentment surged,my soul growing more transparent.
Didn't I always know she didn't love me?
I drifted away,calming myself.
