All Chapters of After That Day: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Harriet, are you accusing me of lying? What would I gain from that?" said my sister-in-law Alicia, her tone dripping with sarcasm, as she led her son. He had just been discharged from the ICU and was already bouncing with energy.I clenched my hands, fighting to keep my composure. "I'm just worried about Tony. He was on an IV just yesterday, and now, he's acting like nothing's wrong. It's concerning...""Go ahead, check him then. Don't you think I'd know if my son wasn't well?" Alicia cut me off with a sneer, patting Tony's back and nudging him toward me.After a thorough check-up, the results left me cold with shock.…Tony was four, and he had been fighting for his life in the ICU. He was born with a congenital heart defect so severe that leaving the hospital could send him into shock.However, his vitals this time were perfect.His once frail arms were then muscular, as strong as a young bull's.Alicia, seeing my astonishment, yanked Tony back to her side, impatient."I'

Chapter 2

The hospital's head doctor came to check on Laura himself."Your daughter has a congenital heart condition? Why on earth was she in gym class?" he asked, his face etched with concern and a hint of reproach."That can't be right!" I was on the verge of tears.Laura was born in this very hospital, and I had her checked by colleagues immediately. She was the picture of health with no sign of any congenital illness."Also, your daughter's fracture seems to be from a severe impact. You need to get some answers from the kindergarten!" he advised."Poor kid, she's going to need at least three months to recover."A shiver ran down my spine.I checked every second of the kindergarten's surveillance footage.Nonetheless, the mystery was right there!In the video, no one came near Laura. The kids were simply doing their running drills when suddenly, Laura began to cry out in pain.The teacher called the school nurse right away, but when they found nothing wrong, they had to call me in a

Chapter 3

I kept a close eye on Alicia's streaming antics.I found out that in three days, she planned to have Tony take on monstrous waves, some as high as buildings. Tony was just a kid, barely taller than a surfboard!When the day came, my parents and I were glued to the stream, faces all tense. They believed my worries, not a shred of doubt–nothing like Jeff!My eyes started to water. If only I had listened to them and not married Jeff out of pity!Then, from my phone, the broadcast began. Alicia and her entourage had made it to the beach.Tony clutched his oversized surfboard and sprinted into the ocean. The waves knocked him around as expected, but he popped back up in no time, not a hint of a cough.I rushed to my daughter's room to check on her. She was still lost in slumber, and I let out a sigh of relief.However, in a heartbeat, she started crying and coughing up water, her face turning ghostly white. My parents and I jumped into action, giving her CPR. Still, she seemed stuck

Chapter 4

With the pieces put together, I rushed Laura to the closest clinic.The pharmacist, noticing Laura's flushed face, shrieked, "Get this kid to a major hospital, stat! She's got heatstroke, no question!"But how? It's not even that hot here! How did this happen?"Ignoring the pharmacist's astonished stare, I started to draw blood from Laura."You're bleeding her while she's like this? Are you trying to end her life?!" The pharmacist was frantic, shouting, but I might as well have been deaf.Had he not known I was her mother, he might have thought I was a criminal.I bought some bandages and painkillers from him and headed home.To my surprise, Laura was awake only three hours later, tearless and pain-free.At the same time, Alicia's live stream had come to a halt because her phone overheated and shut down, and she could not keep up with the broadcast.Nonetheless, Tony had genuinely walked across half a desert.Alicia became an instant sensation with a million followers.Every

Chapter 5

Alicia's response was a sneer. "Why keep up the act? I've seen your posts. Your daughter has been gone for a while–"She was cut off mid-sentence as Laura popped up beside me, handing me a glass of milk. "Here's your milk, Mom."Alicia and her friends looked like they had seen a ghost.I raised an eyebrow and let out an icy huff. "What's with the looks? Did you want Laura to be dead?"Apparently, Alicia had not clued in Kelly and Jeff about Tony's newfound prowess. They quickly accepted the truth.However, Alicia, in disbelief, cried out, "How can this be? Tony was supposed to be..."Her odd reaction raised eyebrows among the viewers.[Can't stand to see your niece healthy? You were just pretending to care!][What's this got to do with Tony? Why are you hiding him? Didn't he get hurt crossing the desert or something?]Alicia defensively shot back, "Impossible. My son's invincible! He's a true fighter!" She fumbled for words. "I…just heard Laura had a heart problem, and after s

Chapter 6

My parents thought I had lost my mind.Letting little Laura take on rock climbing?Jeff, whom I had blocked on Messenger, even called just to taunt me."Are you so obsessed with cash that you've lost your mind? If you grovel and say you're sorry, and help me out with my son, maybe I'll throw a few bucks your way!"Let's not forget, Alicia has hit the big time but hasn't forgotten Mom and me. Not like you, strutting around the house like you own the place!"I did not bother with a reply; I just hit 'block' on his number once more.He was just a poor kid from the sticks, with a sickly brother who did not make it.Alicia was the girl his family had spent loads to bring home. Heck, he got through school on loans.I was the one who pulled strings to get him internships and jobs. I did not even ask for a wedding present.However, Jeff got tired of the grind and snagged a cushy job that barely paid, with more off days than work. He would kill time fishing while I shouldered all the b

Chapter 7

"But if Tony isn't tired or hurting, why the long break? You could've just told us straight up. But every time we asked during your streams, you'd ignore us like we were invisible!"The audience was not dumb; they immediately picked up the inconsistency. "What's this got to do with the competition? Don't let her sidetrack you with her lies!" Alicia snapped at me, losing her cool.I just grinned wider. "Struck a nerve, did I, Alicia? Scared that Tony lost his magic touch during that time?""That's ridiculous–you're spouting nonsense! I just wanted Tony to take a breather!"Don't believe me? Just wait, I'll have Tony show you what a real fighter looks like!" she said.With my taunt hitting its mark, I did not waste any more words. I brought Laura out from behind me.Alicia was stunned at the sight of Laura, healthy and blushing. She was so taken aback, her mouth hung open wide enough to fit two eggs.Alicia charged up to Laura, grabbed a wet wipe, and started scrubbing her face ha

Chapter 8

"Swapping pain?" I asked. "I don't know what you mean."I yanked Laura closer, my eyes locked on Alicia, who cradled Tony in her arms. "You think you're the only one who can pull something like this off?"The onlookers were lost, trying to make sense of our cryptic exchange.I laid out my purchase history for all to see.The bracelet for Tony? That was my doing. The sponsor for his safe ventures? Also me.I laid out the story, from start to finish.Everyone was taken aback."Swapping pain and sickness?"I broke it down for them, keeping my cool. "The bracelet is a life-swapping charm. I linked Tony and Laura with it."I was just playing by their rules–returning the favor!"My eyes were frosty as they swept over Alicia, sprawled on the floor.I remembered when Laura was a newborn, Alicia had gifted her a red string anklet. As Laura got older, I kept it on her.It was during Tony's desert trek that I spotted the red string.A thought struck me: if science had no answers, cou

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