Only My Death Can Fix This Family
When Mom is pregnant with me, Dad has an affair.
The happy family that my older sister, Zara Johnson, once has falls apart after my birth.
From then on, my parents become a couple who splits the bills. They keep track of every penny they spend raising me in a cold and calculated manner.
By the time I'm undergoing my third round of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer, they've been arguing nonstop.
"This good-for-nothing child was conceived in the year you cheated on me. Why should I pay half of his medical bills?"
"Because you enjoyed yourself in the process too! If you don't want to pay, then let him die. But don't you dare touch the tertiary education fund I've saved for our daughter!"
Frustrated and furious, my parents storm out of the house one after the other.
Right then, my illness flares up. I've already run out of pain medication at that point. The pain swallows me whole and even radiates deep into my bones.
Clenching my teeth, I gather every penny I've managed to save and beg Zara to buy me more painkillers.
She's in a hurry to meet her friends. So, she impatiently stuffs a handful of chewy candies into my medicine bottle before tossing it back to me.
"Just take these. Stop pretending you're dying and keep dragging everyone down. I'm sick of looking at you," she says irritably.
I stare at the chewy candy I'm holding in my palm.
In that moment, my heart shatters into tiny little pieces.
Maybe the only way Mom, Dad, and Zara can ever be happy… is if I disappear.