8
David had shown them the report, his hands.
shaking.
Mark’s eyes filled with tears.
“Sarah really has cancer. And we treated her
like that. I’m so sorry.‘
“”
He slapped himself hard.
Jessica scoffed.
<
IS UNIS anner one of her LICKS! She s
always been dramatic. Probably faking it.”
David yelled, “Shut up! I’m a doctor! I
checked the records myself!”
Jessica ran to Mom, crying.
“David, you never yelled at me! Do you hate
me too? Mom, I don’t belong here. I should
just leave.‘
99
Mom hugged her protectively, glaring at
David.
“How dare you speak to her like that! Cancer
is cancer! It’s her fate. She shouldn’t have
been born anyway.”
“”
Then Dad, usually silent, slapped Mom across
<
the face.
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
“She’s your daughter! Your flesh and blood!
She’s dying, and you don’t even care! What
kind of person are you?”
Everyone froze.
He’d been married to Mom for almost forty
years, always subservient, never arguing.
He must have hated her in that moment to do
such a thing.
Mom kicked Dad out, divorced him, leaving
him with nothing.
“Where’s Dad now?” I asked Michael, my
voice frantic.
“He left, refusing any help from Mark and
David. Sold everything he owned, rented a
small apartment. He’s been searching for you
ever since.”
“He’s the one who told me about the cancer.
That’s why I came back.”
I’d thought I’d severed all ties with my family
the day I discovered their betrayal.
But now, all I felt was a longing for my father.
I wanted his homemade noodles.
Michael’s phone rang. It was Mark.
He put it on speaker.
<
“What’s wrong?”
“Dad…he had a brain hemorrhage. He…he
might not make it. He keeps asking for
Sarah.”
“He was always so healthy. How could this
happen?”
Mark hesitated. David grabbed the phone.
“It’s that bitch Jessica! She told everyone
Sarah was dead, then sold Mom’s shares to
our biggest competitor! Miller Industries is
about to be taken over!”
“Mom went to Dad, blaming everything on
Sarah, saying she was a curse. He had a
stroke right then and there.”
My fists clenched. My body trembled.
“Take me home, Michael.”
