Let Her Die

I stared at the door, and a complicated emotion flashed through my sight before I concealed it immediately and stood straight before giving a response in the exact tone, “Mom, I can die here, but never apologise to your so-called angel daughter! Remember that!”

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“You!”

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“Alright then, just die there! Because I am not opening this door until you fix your mind!” Mom shouted and stomped to leave with heavy footsteps, but then I heard the same annoyed, sobbing sound.

“Mom, what are you saying? Sister will apologise. Just let her go.”

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I chuckled. ‘What an actor!’

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“Ashley, I will not listen to anything. Now, let’s go.”

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“But Mom, Sister didn’t eat anything for the last three days. What if something happens to her?” Ashley tried to look concerned, but all she was doing was rubbing salt in my wound by letting me hear all this. I smiled hollowly.

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“Stop it. She surely had food hidden in her room, or else how could she be so stubborn until now? Huh! She doesn’t need our care. She’s too spoiled!” My mother declared brutally and left with heavy footsteps.

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My chest felt as if someone ripped it open to let the blood flow without mercy, as regret wrapped around my every cell more deeply. To think, she came for me…

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I was truly ridiculous to hope for something like this and could only laugh at myself for believing they still cared for me as a daughter.

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Soon, silence fell out there, and I returned to my bed with a hurting soul, slowly dozing off into a deep sleep, which also aided me in avoiding starvation.

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With the sun setting out there, I could again hear laughing and talking voices clearly right next to my door at the dining table.

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“Mom, this is the weekend. Shall we go out?” Paul spoke up earnestly.

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“Yes, Great idea. I also love to have steak out there.” Ashley excitedly followed right after him.

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“Hahah! Alright. Let’s go. How could I ignore my precious daughter’s wish?” My Father joked lightly, leaving a dull ache to settle into my chest, then my mother's sweet voice came like a last blow.

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“Hey, don’t forget your only son.” My mother argued, but my brother said gently, “It’s alright, Mom. If it’s Ashley, I can let it go.”

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Hearing him, everyone laughed while a violent rush churned in my chest, and nausea rose sharply in my throat.

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They can smile, be happy, be forgivable, but just for Ashley, not for me. I am truly nothing but just a living shadow here.

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A single tear rolled from the corners of my eyes, wetting my hair.

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“Mom, Dad, What about Mia? She is still inside there, locked. Can we at least take her with us?” Ashley's upset voice rose, and I already knew what they would say. But still, I held my breath and waited for them to talk.

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“It’s alright, Ashley. She is there because she needs discipline. She invited that herself.” My mother sounded dryly, and then my brother voiced in agreement, “Mom is right. Don’t worry about her. She just needs our attention and does silly things. Just like a foolish product.”

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Yes, I am a foolish product for wasting my childhood and teenage years on you bastards.

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“It’s enough. Let’s stop talking about her. My headache will get worse listening to it. I don’t understand why she can’t be empathic like her younger sister.” My father taunted me in agreement, and fatigue had settled deep into my bones. I pressed my palms against my ears to stop listening to their venomous talk.

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Time passed; I heard their footsteps heading to the front door while they continued to talk about the worst thing about me, as if I wasn’t even there.

It was as if they believed my wooden door was soundproof and I couldn’t hear their cruel words, when in reality my room was one of the worst storage rooms before I shifted into it. A single sound made in the house could be heard easily.

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I still remember, at the age of 7, my parents one night announced that my bedroom no longer belonged to me, and I could not help but cry in front of them.

Guess what? What did they do?

They shouted at me and even locked me in this exact room. I almost fainted that night, but they blamed me, saying that I was acting, and that, as an elder sister, I had a responsibility to take care of my younger sibling.

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Recalling the past always hurt me worse, so I shut my eyes to avoid reality and let their voice slowly disappear, and they soon locked the door, leaving their three-day-starved daughter fainted in her bedroom.

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The reason was just to fulfil their darling son and daughter's wish to have dinner out.

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I let myself sob quietly without moving and fainted right there. If they opened the door, good, I could save myself. But now, I felt like I would die right here. My bed will become my deathbed.

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“Grandma, I guess I am coming to meet you sooner,” I murmured before losing consciousness.

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