Chapter 2

Today was a special day. Having finished work early, I rushed home anxiously. Opening the door, I was met with Mom's unquestioning slap.

"Julia Hayes! What did you do to make Kayla sick again!"

"How many times do I have to tell you! In this house, Kayla comes first! Don't you ever understand?"

I stood frozen in disbelief, my cheek swelling high, a piercing pain spreading along with an unspeakable suffocation.

Mom carefully protected my sister in her arms. My sister's eyes stared straight at me, carrying emotions I couldn't understand.

"Mom, Mom, I feel terrible! So terrible!"

I snapped back to reality and instinctively moved forward to help.

Even though she'd never been close to me all these years, there was still some inexplicable hope in my heart.

After all, she was my sister.

"Are you trying to hurt Kayla again?!"

Mom raised her hand to block me. The momentum sent me crashing heavily to the side.

I hit the door handle. Blood seeped from my forehead.

But Mom only looked at my trembling sister, coaxing her gently.

"Don't be afraid. Mom called an ambulance. We'll take you to the hospital right away."

Then she hurriedly carried her on her back and rushed out the door without looking at me again.

"I'll settle accounts with you when I get back! Throw out those damn flowers right now!"

But Mom, the red carnations on the coffee table weren't real flowers. They were everlasting flowers I painstakingly folded from tissues.

Because of my sister's asthma, you hadn't received flowers once in twenty years.

I just wanted you to receive a bouquet of your own flowers on your birthday...

The pain in my body and the suffocating sensation in my throat surged over me. I sprawled awkwardly on the ground, gasping for air in large gulps.

This wasn't the first time this had happened.

Ever since I mysteriously broke out in hives all over my body last month, I'd occasionally have moments when I couldn't catch my breath.

The doctor's diagnosis wasn't a simple allergy. He suggested I do specialized tests and didn't rule out the possibility of asthma.

Because I didn't want to worry my family, I'd planned to wait until the end of the month for the test results before deciding what to do. I never expected...

"Mom... don't..."

In the mess of cream on the floor, I reached out with difficulty toward their gradually disappearing backs, my voice weak and hoarse.

Don't go, Mom. Happy birthday.