Semua Bab My Mother Gave My Specialist Appointment to My Half-Sister: Bab 1 - Bab 9

My mother has a thing. If anyone is kind to her, she feels indebted, and she has to pay them back, no matter what.One winter, old Mr. Wang from downstairs carried a crate of fruit up the stairs for her. That same day she went to the supermarket and came home with a haul of groceries to give him. He said it wasn't necessary. She said it was. She couldn't live with herself otherwise.At church, everyone knows her as the warmhearted one. Sunday service every week, first in line at the Christmas drive, first on the scene when a neighbor needs help.She says God's eyes are always on her. She can't let her conscience slip.Sometimes, after giving away something of mine, she'd say, "Mia, you have to learn to let go. Giving is more blessed than receiving." She genuinely believed that making me lose things was building up my virtue with God.After she remarried, she went above and beyond for Serena. My stepfather is a quiet, decent man who barely speaks. Serena moved in with us, and Mom fussed

I turned to look at Serena. She was still standing in the same spot, the slip clutched in her hand, watching me like she was waiting.I walked up to her and stopped."What gives you the right to take my appointment?"Serena sighed. "My heart isn't well either, and I'm older. Treatment's harder at my age. Emma's young, she has options. No other hospital has a specialist like this. I looked it up. You need connections and you need time. I can't go through that."I glanced at my mother, who was standing there silent. "You can get a check-up at any hospital. A specialist appointment is a different story. I'm not giving it to you.""Carol, if Mia would just give me the appointment, I'd do anything for you. Anything." Her knees went out and she dropped down in front of Mom, eyes streaming.I grabbed Mom's wrist before she could reach for Serena. "Mom. You actually want me to give it to her? Do you know what I went through for this slip? Even Serena knows you can't get it without time and the

The doctor was a little taken aback. "Cancel it? These appointments are incredibly hard to get."I nodded. Said it again. The appointment had been for my mother. It was made for her condition specifically. If she didn't want it, there was no reason for me to rush it to anyone else.My mother grabbed my arm. Her voice was unsteady. "Mia, I was wrong, I really didn't know."I looked down at her hand clinging to me. "Mom. The Tesla was mine. The emergency fund was mine. The appointment slip, I spent three months getting it. Emma's medicine, I had alerts for it. Every time you said your conscience couldn't bear it, the price came out of me."I pried her fingers off, one by one, finished the cancellation, and walked back to Emma's room. Behind me, she was murmuring my name. I heard her. I didn't stop.She showed up again the next day with a peeled mandarin, smiling, said it was for Emma. Bright orange, glistening. Emma's face stiffened.I took the mandarin out of her hand before she could p

The title to the Tesla. Transaction records on the emergency fund. Every transfer made without my consent. I was going to get all of it back.Serena dug in. Said Carol gave her all of it. The lawyer said, evenly, "The Tesla is registered to Mia. Carol had no authority to transfer it. Serena's use of a spare key to drive the vehicle constitutes theft. The savings account: Carol initiated transfers without Mia's authorization. Also unlawful."My mother's and Serena's faces cracked at the same time. Serena's voice went up an octave. Don't listen to her, Mia is jealous, Carol loves her too much, this is a frame job. My mother's tears slid down her face. She said I couldn't lie like this. She'd raised me better than this. God would punish a daughter who didn't honor her mother.I exhaled. Then, completely unexpectedly, I crouched down and beckoned toward the doorway. Tyler darted out from behind the door and grabbed Serena's leg."You stomped on Emma's medicine that day. You were proud of i

Blood was hitting my face, drop by drop. My mother had one arm shielding me and Emma, and her other hand was wrapped around the knife, refusing to let Serena get an inch. Serena's eyes were bloodshot, frantic to drag someone down with her, pressing down on the blade. The cut got wider. The dark red on the floor was spreading.Security took Serena down. My mother let go. The wound was on her arm, not fatal.The police came. Serena was pinned to the ground, still staring wildly at Emma. "I'll drag all of you down with me."I walked up to her with shaking hands and slapped her. The sound rang through the whole hall.She froze. Looked at me. Tyler was crying for her in the corner. Serena's eyes locked onto her son. Her lips trembled. She tried to twist free and was held down. "No, no, I have a son to raise, I can't go in."The livestream crashed to the floor when she did. But the screen recordings were already everywhere. I handed everything the bystanders had filmed over to the police, al