Reborn and Done Trying

When my mother-in-law, Lucy Miller, came back, she was panting as she dragged a sack filled with venomous snakes and scorpions.

She looked proud as she addressed everyone.

"Give it a couple of days, and the old man will be just fine. I found a special remedy for crooked mouth and eyes. I begged the man for a long time before he agreed to sell it to me. It's a family secret, not something he shares lightly."

"What kind of remedy?" Charlotte Smith, my aunt-in-law, asked curiously. "What's in there? Why is it moving?"

Lucy explained that the sack was filled with venomous snakes and scorpions. They'd be soaked in a herbal alcohol mixture, and then my father-in-law, Edward Smith, would sit in it for three days. With acupuncture on top of that, he would supposedly make a full recovery.

Everyone looked uneasy except my brother-in-law and his wife, Kenneth Smith and Susan Taylor.

Charlotte hesitated. "Shouldn't we go to the hospital?"

"Hospital? What for?" Lucy shot her a sharp look, clearly annoyed.

Kenneth jumped in with a grin. "Aunt Charlotte, the remedies my mom finds always work. Remember how Susan couldn't have a son before? Mom found her a remedy which she drank for two years, and then she had a baby boy.

"And back in February, when my brother got sick, it was Mom's remedy again. He used it for less than half a month and got better. No more spasms. It worked great, and it didn't cost much either."

The more Kenneth talked, the prouder Lucy looked, her chin lifting higher and higher.

I sneered inwardly. Of course it "worked." Susan had four daughters before she finally had a son on the fifth try.

Meanwhile, my husband Dylan Smith had suddenly developed full-body spasms, which could have been treated at the hospital. But after Lucy used her remedy, the spasms did stop.

He just ended up completely paralyzed, barely holding on to his life.

Charlotte nodded, uncertain. She wasn't really part of the immediate family here, so she didn't feel it was her place to say more.

As she was about to leave, she turned to look at me.

"Emily, you went to college. Do you really think this will work?"

For a moment, it felt like I'd gone back to my previous life.

Back then, Charlotte had asked me the same question. I had firmly refused to go along with it and tried to call 911 for my father-in-law, but they snatched my phone and smashed it.

Charlotte tried to help me convince them, but Lucy cursed her out until her eyes turned bloodshot. In the end, Charlotte had no choice but to leave.

I insisted on taking Edward to the hospital. But he shoved me hard, and I fell down the stairs.

I died from that fall.

I came back to myself and tugged my sleeve down, then clapped lightly like I approved.

"It's fine, Charlotte. Lucy's remedies always work."

Charlotte froze when she saw the scars on my arm. In the end, she just sighed and turned to leave.

Lucy looked surprised by my reaction, and then she mockingly said, "Well, look at you, finally behaving. Aren't you the one who always loves to argue with me?"

"Lucy, you run this family. Of course its your call. We all depend on you and Edward to get by."

I didn't bother with her after that. I walked straight over to Edward and checked his condition again.

His face was drooping, one arm hung weakly at his side, and his speech was slurred.

It was a stroke. No doubt about it.

I smiled at him.

"Edward, you’re fine. Just listen to Lucy and use her remedy. You'll be fine in no time."