Their Debt for My Heart

Sylvia said nothing, just hung her head.Mom looked at her with disappointment, lifting her chin gently.“You’re going to get into a top university and inherit your father’s company someday—you’re nothing like that ungrateful wretch who can only get into a lousy second-tier college. Haven’t you forgotten how she snuck into the homeroom teacher’s office during the second year of high school and deleted your name from the math competition?”“If you hadn’t begged us to spare her, we would have kicked her out of school long ago. How could we have let her frame you during the SAT exam!”“Sylvia, did she ever consider you a sister? Look at her now—first it’s feigned sickness, then a pretended death, all an act to win sympathy. Next she’ll be up to something far more serious! Had I known her true nature, I should’ve never given birth to her in the first place!”Mom’s words were like poisoned swords, stabbing into my heart one after another. I was in so much pain that I curled up into a b

Mom’s face was shadowed, impossible to read.“What are you talking about? My daughter is alive and well…”Mrs. Wilson was too caught up in her grief to notice the oddity in Mom’s words.“This is Zinnia. I picked her up myself—there’s no mistake.”Mom panicked. Her eyes turned red, and her voice shook: “That’s impossible! You’re lying! She doesn’t even have a heart condition—you’re cursing her! Get out!”She snatched the box and threw it to the ground violently. The box shattered, and a cloud of ashes filled the air.Mrs. Wilson froze.She screamed, dropping to her knees to scoop the ashes back into the box carefully.When she looked up at Mom again, her face was filled with grief and anger.“You’re not poor—why is a teenage girl malnourished? Zinnia never complained, so I thought you just didn’t have time for her.“But now I see you never treated her like a child at all. You didn’t even remember she had a congenital heart condition!“I’m actually glad she’s dead—she’s final

"You’re lying! All of you are lying!”Mom’s eyes were red with tears, still refusing to believe the truth.I couldn’t understand her.What was she holding onto?Mrs. Wilson sat nearby, watching Mom’s tantrum with her arms crossed.“You only start looking for her after she’s dead. The hospital told you the truth—you didn’t listen. The police told you—you didn’t listen. Now it’s on the news, and you still don’t believe it! If you’re so sure, why don’t you investigate it yourself!”“Zinnia is so unlucky to have a mother like you.”Mrs. Wilson snorted, explained everything to the police, and left without looking back.Mom held the report, her face filled with disbelief.“I’ll check myself… I’ll go to the hospital and check…”The police didn’t understand our family’s situation, so they just comforted her.“The child is gone. She wouldn’t want you to be this sad. Please calm down.”No.I couldn't help but argue back.It would serve Mom right to be sad forever.If only I could

“Aren’t these all things you did? Why are you blaming me alone?“I just wanted more love. And you—didn’t you want to run away from her too?“We were just using each other.”Mom screamed at her to shut up, rushing out of Sylvia’s room in anger.I glanced back at Sylvia. She sat on the floor with her head down, saying nothing.I trembled suddenly, following Mom as she floated away quickly.Sylvia’s sudden hatred for me had only one reason: she wanted all the love for herself, and she saw me as a rival.If only she’d told me earlier—I would have given up.I only had that little bit of pitiful love to begin with. I could have given it all to her.Mom found an old photo somewhere.In it, a smiling Mom held a small child, standing next to a young man.It was the first time I’d seen this photo.The little girl in the picture looked round and cute, smiling at the camera—obviously a child who’d grown up in love.I was surprised. So I’d had a happy childhood once.But after I could