A Daughter’s Ordeal

After seeing Ms. Chapman off, I returned to the ward.

Natalie was sleeping peacefully on the hospital bed, her lips pale, her small body drowning in the oversized hospital gown.

The doctor told me that Natalie didn’t just have low blood sugar. She also had moderate anemia and gastric mucosal damage, and many of her vitals were lower than usual.

Such a level of malnutrition was almost certainly not a result of missing a couple of meals, but long-term starvation.

Aside from that, the doctor also found many old bruises on her arms, back and thighs.

The doctor asked tactfully if the child has been subject to any physical punishment.

My mind blanked out at his question.

Natalie had been living with my mother-in-law. Could she have been abusing her?

The mere thought of it felt unbelievable.

Over the past six months, I would video-call home at least three times each week. Every time I called, there would be a feast laid before Natalie: Grilled salmon, pork ribs, poached shrimps…

My mother-in-law, Olivia Smith, would keep aiming the camera at the food laid out on the dining table and telling me all about the dishes, as though worried that I wasn’t able to see them clearly.

“Wanda, look. I prepared pork ribs for Natalie today.

“She’s really picky and only eats the food I cook.

“But don’t you worry. Her appetite has been great recently, and she had a huge bowl of pasta just now.”

I occasionally did realize that Natalie had become much quieter than in the past.

Whenever I asked her if she was happy at school and if she missed her mommy, she would just bow her head and keep silent.

Olivia would always smile and explain things on her behalf.

“She’s grown distant from you. Naturally so, since you’re gone for half a year. It’s easy for a child to forget things. She’ll be fine once you come back and keep her company for a few days.”

Whenever she said that, guilt would fill my heart. It only drove me to work even harder.

I wanted to give Natalie a good life and an opportunity to grow up without worrying about anything.

Yet now, it seemed like Natalie wasn’t having a good time.

I called Olivia, and she only picked up after a long while.

“What’s the matter, Wanda?”

It was very noisy on her end, and I could hear the sound of children laughing and playing.

“Mom, Natalie fainted at school. Did you know that?”

She paused for a moment before exclaiming exaggeratedly, “What? How did that happen? Is this how the school takes care of its students? Did the PE teacher overexert her or something?”

She anxiously pushed the blame to the school, using the exact same words she used in the past.

“Ms. Chapman said that Natalie only brings one plain bun to school every afternoon. Mom, what’s with that?” I asked, my voice cold.

Olivia fell silent for a few seconds before sighing.

“So it’s because of that.

“Wanda, you have no idea. Natalie has become so picky as of late. I’d prepare food for her and she’d refuse to bring it to school, insisting that she prefers eating plain buns.

“I can’t force her to bring food if she refuses to, can I?

“As for the malnutrition, it might be because she’s been going through a growth spurt recently. Coupled with the possibility that her body might not be absorbing the nutrients well, that’s why she looks a little skinnier.”

Her explanation sounded reasonable at first, but on second thought, it was filled with loopholes.

No matter how picky a six-year-old got, a child couldn’t possibly just eat plain buns every single day for a few consecutive months.

Even if Natalie refused to bring food to school, Olivia could have contacted her teachers or prepare some other food instead of causing Natalie to faint from hunger.

What’s more, Ms. Chapman clearly said that the first person the school contacted was Olivia.

They called her three times, but she never answered any of their calls.

Olivia was lying.