She is waste of space

“She is not cursed child, but a blessing.” Jennifer said firmly. “So stop saying that about her. She is our lovely daughter. She didn’t ask for this. She didn’t choose to be sick. And none of that makes her less deserving of love and care.” Jennifer said but Albert didn't give a fuck about her opinion.

“Love? Care? For what?" He scoffed. "For a child I’m not even sure will survive? A child we have to wait years just to see if she might make it through surgery? Why should I waste everything on a child that might not even be here tomorrow?”

Emily had been sick ever since she turned two. Albert had spent a lot of money treating her. It had been so much of a burden that he sees her like a cursed child.

Emily is suffering from what seems like an incurable brain tumor. The doctor said she will undergo surgery once she turns 20 years old. That is if she managed to make it till then. That she won't survive it if the surgery is done at a tender age.

“She is still here, Albert. She is fighting every single day. And she deserves the best of us, whether she is sick or not. Our love and care goes a long way in keeping her strong. That's the least assistance we can give to her.”

"Why should she be sick in the first place?"

"Stop talking as if it's her fault."

“Then whose fault is it, Jennifer? If it’s not Emily’s fault that she’s sick, then whose fault is it? Yours, right?”

Jennifer stiffened. “That’s ridiculous. It's just an unfortunate situation. You can’t blame me for..."

“Why won't I blame you?” Albert cut her off immediately. “You are the one who carried her for nine months. You are the one who gave birth to her. That means whatever is wrong with her came from you.”

"That's not how it works, Albert. I'm the mother, yes. I gave birth to her, but you are the father. You can’t count yourself out. You impregnated me! She is your offspring too. I gave birth to what you put inside of me!” She countered, but his next words struck Jennifer like a slap.

“How do I even know she is my seed?” He said, and Jennifer froze in shock. She didn't see that coming. She couldn't believe her ears. The breath she had been holding escaped her in a shaky exhale. “What?” she whispered.

Albert took another step closer and looked directly into her eyes. “You heard me. Maybe I'm not really her father. My seed can’t produce a problem child.”

"Albert, I can endure every other trash you are saying, but I won't take this. Don’t you ever say that again!" She warned, raising her voice a little bit higher. “I have never cheated on you, Albert. Never. You married me a virgin, and I have never been with another man. Emily is undoubtedly your blood.”

“And you want me to believe that?" He asked. "Look at Stella’s son. He is strong. He is healthy. He is handsome. He never gets sick. That is proof that I have a good seed.”

"So you think that just because he’s healthy, that means...”

“Yes.” Albert cut her off again. “It proves I’m not the problem. It proves my blood is fine. It’s you, Jennifer. You’re the reason Emily is the way she is."

At this point, Jennifer could not control her emotion. She didn't know when tears began to roll down her cheek. She wiped the tears and tried to control her voice.

"Anything can happen to a child, Albert. Life is unpredictable. It’s just an unfortunate occurrence. And all Emily needs from us is love. Kindness. Support. Once she turns twenty, the surgery will be done, and everything will be fine.”

“Both of us know that the doctor said that to console and give us hope. How sure are you that Emily will survive before she turns twenty?” Albert asked. In his mind, he had thought that Emily would not survive it. It won't pass a month without rushing Emily to the hospital.

"Why won't she survive?" She asked. "Or are you wishing her death already?"

"I never said that," he replied.

"Nothing will happen to Emily. She has survived this for eight years. Eight years, Albert. If she can make it through all of that, she will make it to twenty. I believe in her. Emily has a strong spirit. Just like me. She fights every single time, despite everything stacked against her. All she needs is love and care. These are what will carry her forward. You should believe in her, too. She's your daughter."

"You keep telling yourself that, giving yourself hope. But I won’t keep wasting my attention on a child that won't survive at last. Having Emily is just like being childless. She is a waste of space.”

“You are wrong, Albert. Emily means everything to us." She countered.

"I don’t care anymore.” He shrugged. “I was worried before. I thought about living without having a normal child. But now. Now that I have a son from Stella, I no longer worry. I’m proud to have a real child. No one will insult me again. You should be happy for me, for us.”

"Listen to me, Albert. No matter what you say, Emily is still your daughter. She is your first child. She is flesh of your flesh, blood of your blood. And she deserves the best from you. I won't let any other child take her place.”

“Say whatever you want, Jennifer. I'm a businessman. I invest in what will give me profit. I don't give my attention to worthless things. If you will excuse me, I need to take a bath and rest.”

He changed into a towel and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving Jennifer standing there alone with suffocating pains.

She stared at the closed bathroom door in tears. The man who once held their daughter in his arms, the man who once spoke about family like it meant the world to him, was slipping away.

Jennifer swallowed hard, rubbing her arms as if it could comfort her. She needed to do something. She couldn’t let him abandon Emily. She couldn't afford to lose her husband to Stella and her child.