Chapter 2

To my despair, Mom refused to even glance at them. She tossed them on the floor and snapped at me, "I’m too busy to deal with your nonsense!"

My condition worsened over time until I eventually went blind because of a nerve condition. I had become bedridden by that point and was tortured by grueling pain every day.

Dr. Videu could no longer bear it and went to Mom. "Mrs. Barlowe, Willow is not going to make it at this rate, so please help her."

Without even bothering to look up at him, Mom accused him, "What did she offer you for you to play along with this farce? All she’s trying to do is trick me into giving her attention. A brain tumor? I sure hope she gets one so she can leave me alone!

"If you keep playing along with her, I'll fire you, too. Now get out!"

Dr. Videu tried to get a word in, but upon noticing that Mom would not have it, he shook his head and retreated helplessly.

Although we couldn’t employ Dr. Batiste’s help, we could not afford to let my condition worsen anymore. Left without a choice, Dr. Videu arranged for the best neurosurgeon in the hospital to attend to me.

Before the surgery, I asked Dr. Videu to let me have one last video call with Mom. Even though I was blind at that point, I longed to hear her voice and give it one last shot to convince her to believe me.

All I got in return was her jests. "Another gimmick? Are you pretending to be blind this time? Do you really think I'll buy that? That’s enough. Your condition is nothing a minor surgery cannot address. Enough of these gimmicks!"

Before I could get a word out, she went to attend to other patients.

To my surprise, she showed up the same evening with a serving of nutritious dinner she cooked herself. This was the first time she had bothered to visit me since I was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

I barely managed to express my joy when she stamped it out by announcing, "By the way, I appointed Mia to operate on you instead."

I was completely blindsided. As if not helping me get in touch with Dr. Batiste wasn’t bad enough, she even appointed Mia, an intern, to operate on me. That was as good as a death sentence.

I begged her to reverse her decision, "Mom, please! Please don't let Mia operate on me. This is my last chance at survival! Do you truly need me to get on my knees and beg?"

She slapped me across the face instead and yelled at me, "How did I ever give birth to a selfish girl like you? Mia just started her internship. Can’t you give her the chance to practice?"

I cried and pleaded, "No... Mom... please... I don’t want to die. I'll do anything if you let me live…"

She was unfazed by my pleas and put away the food she had brought me. "If you don’t want the carrot, then the stick it is! I don’t get why you’re being so dramatic over a minor condition. This is my final decision, and there will be no negotiating!"

With that, she packed up everything and left my ward without sparing a glance at me, leaving me all alone to despair in the darkness.

On the day of my surgery, she hovered anxiously outside the operating theatre. She was not waiting for me but for Mia, who was conducting her very first surgery that day.

Mia had always been a timid girl. Her hands were already trembling when she first stuck the scalpel into my skull.

Dr. Videu advised her to stop, but she insisted on proceeding because she wanted to prove herself.

Shortly after the operation began, she made a mistake that caused my heart rate to plunge.

Dr. Videu immediately seized the scalpel from her and took over.

Meanwhile, frightened, she ran out of the operating theatre to look for Mom.