Choosing One Life Over Another

In the final three minutes of my life, my soul drifted to my mother's side.She was sitting beside my younger brother Felix Goodman's hospital bed, her face filled with worry as she prayed, "Felix, please don't scare me like this. Wake up, okay?"My father stood nearby, his face twisted in fury. "If Sean had done his job and protected him, Felix wouldn't be in this state! Just wait. I'm going to beat him to death!"I stood and watched at the side, bitterness rising in my chest."Dad, there's no need for that. I'm almost dead. Not that you guys would care."At that moment, the doctors were gathered around Felix's bed in a circle.After confirming that his injuries were only scrapes and nothing major, one of the older doctors finally dared to bring me up. He asked cautiously, "Ms. Blanchard, are you sure we shouldn't check on Sean? His injuries from the car crash seem very serious."Mom's gentle expression instantly turned into one of disgust as she roared, "What's he trying to pu

A few days later, under the family's meticulous care, Felix was discharged from the hospital.Mom was busy packing his things, while Dad had already parked the car right outside the hospital door, afraid Felix might have to walk even a single extra step. And Ashley wouldn't even let him put on his shoes by himself.On the way home, Mom muttered irritably, "Sean is really something else. He didn't even visit his brother at the hospital even once, let alone apologize. I'm going to teach him a lesson once we get home."Dad glanced at Mom and said coldly, "I told you keeping him at home was asking for trouble. Sooner or later, something bad was bound to happen."Hearing the words "teach him a lesson" left me feeling a complicated mix of emotions.Long-buried memories came flooding back into my mind.Since I was young, Mom had always favored Felix. I was expected to always give in to him. It was all because on the day Felix was born, I had accidentally spilled water, causing Mom to

Mom froze in shock as she heard the nurse's words.Refusing to believe it, she tried to recall the car accident that day, frowning as she said confidently, "That's impossible. He was in the same car as Felix, and Felix is already out of the hospital. How could he have been so badly injured?"Don't think I can't see through his little tricks. He's just trying to compete with Felix for attention, wanting me to worry about him."I'm warning the both of you—stop with this ridiculous act! Otherwise, it won't end well for you two!"Seeing that Mom wouldn't believe her no matter what she said, the nurse sighed helplessly. "Ms. Blanchard, I'm really not lying. If you don't believe me, just go to the morgue and see for yourself."Mom began to grow anxious. She paced the room back and forth, her footsteps heavy and frantic. "You good-for-nothings are ganging up to deceive me. You really don't know your place!"Before the nurse could respond, Mom angrily jabbed at the screen to end the call

A few days later, perhaps out of guilt, Mom held a somewhat decent funeral for me.Apart from some relatives and friends, some doctors from Mom's hospital attended, too.The nurse who once tried to help me was also there. She walked up to my grave with a bouquet of flowers and said, "I'm sorry. If I'd been a little braver back then, maybe you'd still be here."Among all these people, she was the only one who had ever helped me. Yet, she was also the only one who apologized.In contrast, Mom showed no remorse at all. Instead of apologizing, she criticized me, as if doing so could wash away her guilt, "Sean was a difficult child from the start. He couldn't let go of the past and always tried to hurt his brother. This time, he finally paid the price for it."Everyone present knew how biased she was toward Felix. They were also well aware of the injustices I had endured all these years. But no one wanted to cause trouble, so they pretended to comfort her.Amid the noise, a wail of si

Half a month later, the court verdict was announced.Felix was sentenced to death. Mom was sentenced to life imprisonment.Perhaps because my revenge was complete, my soul finally felt free. I could now go wherever I wanted, no longer bound to Mom's side.In those final days, Felix was consumed by the fear of death. Every day, the food brought to him by the guards was knocked to the ground. In just a short week, he had visibly lost a lot of weight.If this had been before, my parents and Ashley would've been heartbroken. But now, no one even came to see him.On the day of his execution, I quietly hovered in the air and watched. The moment he died, his soul floated out of his body just like mine once had.He stared at me in terror. "Sean, I'm sorry. I know I was wrong. Please don't kill me. Don't kill me…"I laughed. "Aren't you already dead?"He looked down at his lifeless body and screamed. His soul then scattered.Only I, a fellow spirit, was able to hear him.Seeing the on