Misread Mind: Dad Gave My Life Away

On the day I'm diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer, my dad suddenly gains the ability to hear people's inner thoughts. My stepmother, Pauline Barton, scolds inwardly, "Why isn't this old fool dead yet?" But what my dad hears is, "Honey, I'd gladly trade ten years of my life for your health." I kneel before him and beg him to take me to the hospital. In my heart, I'm crying, "Dad, please save me. I'm in so much pain." But what he hears is, "Hurry up and give me some money, old man. I want to buy the latest designer bag." So, he dotes on Pauline while throwing me, who is gravely ill, into a dog cage without food or water. Pointing at me, he snarls, "How can you be so vicious? I can't believe you want me dead!" Curled up in agony, I sob as I try to explain. However, all I get in return are even harsher beatings and insults. The moment I die, his ability finally starts working properly. My soul drifts above as I watch him hold Pauline and weep. But inside, she's laughing hysterically. "They're finally all dead. Now the entire family fortune is mine." This time, Dad hears every single word, loud and clear. Chapter 1 I had been locked up in the dog cage in the basement for seven days now. I curled up in the cage, reeking of urine. I was in so much pain that my whole body was convulsing. I felt something well up in my throat. Some retching later, a mouthful of dark red blood appeared on the dirty rug. This was already the third time I had vomited blood that day. The door to the basement opened. Dad was wearing an expensive tailor-made suit, and his leather shoes clacked on the concrete floor. He looked down at me, his gaze filled with nothing but disdain. I painstakingly raised my head and reached an emaciated hand out to him. I screamed in my mind, "Dad, please help me. I'm in so much pain. I'm seriously ill. Please take me to the hospital, even if it's just for some painkillers. I don't want to die, Dad. Please. I'm your biological daughter, your flesh and blood!" Dad's expression instantly darkened. He suddenly gave the cage a powerful kick. The impact was so loud that it left my ears ringing. "Shut up! You vermin!" He jabbed a finger at me and started hurling insults at me. "I locked you in there so that you can reflect on your actions, but you're cursing me instead? And even now, you want money to buy a new bag, and you want to spend all the family fortune? And what's with that evil attitude? You wish I could just die already, and you even want to take me off life support?" I froze. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. I opened my mouth, but I couldn't make a single sound. I could only explain again and again in my mind, "Dad, I didn't say that, I swear. I'm just in so much pain. I have stomach cancer. I'm going to die soon." When Dad heard that, his expression twisted even more. Grabbing a broom nearby, he stuck it through one of the gaps in the bars and viciously poked me with it. "Lying and cursing again! I can't believe you'd make up a terminal illness just to get money! I can read your mind as clear as day. You're thinking, 'Where's the money? This old geezer just refuses to drop dead!' Nadine, what did I do to end up with an ingrate like you?" The solid handle of the broom slammed into my stomach. The intense pain caused my vision to go black, and I almost passed out. I gave up on explaining. I knew that no matter what I was thinking, it would turn into the most vicious curses in his mind. This was the cruel joke fate had played on me. Just then, my stepmother, Pauline Barton, entered the room. She wore a silk nightgown and held a mug of herbal tea, a gentle, polite smile on her face. She looked at me in my pitiful state in the cage. An extremely subtle hint of glee flashed across her eyes. She thought viciously, "What a hardy little wench. I can't believe she's still alive. Come on, just die already. Stop hogging the spot you don't even care about. The family fortune will go to Howard." Dad turned around, his expression instantly softening with emotion. Holding Pauline's hands, he said with reddened eyes, "Honey, I'm glad that you're still so nice to me. That brat is infuriating, but you're still silently praying for me. You said you'd trade ten years of your life for my health, right? I will never forget that." Pauline was stunned for a moment. Then, she went along with it and leaned into Dad's embrace. "Oh, honey, what are you saying? It's the least I could do." Dad held her in his arms, then took one last disgusted glance at me. "Don't give her any food or water for the next few days. She should starve for a bit. Let's see if she's still thinking about bags then." The iron door slammed shut, and the whole world seemed to fall into dead silence. I leaned against the ice-cold bars, closing my eyes in despair. I never knew that I was such a despicable person in his eyes. … On my third day without any food or water, my consciousness began to blur. Chapter 2 I had already gotten numb to the pain in my stomach. Instead, I felt a frost that seeped into my bones. I could feel my life gradually fade from my fingertips. Actually, death didn't sound like a bad idea. If I died, I wouldn't have to endure this unjustified suffering anymore. If I were gone, I wouldn't have to watch Dad mistake his worst enemy for a savior. Suddenly, a piece of bread was stuffed in through the gap. It was accompanied by a bottle half full of water. It was from my stepbrother, Howard Fowler. He was only eight, and he was nothing like his two-faced mother. He pressed himself against the crack in the door as he called out to me in a whisper, "Nady, eat this. Dad's not home, and Mom's taking a nap. Nady, you're bleeding so much. Are you going to die?" I looked at the piece of bread that had already gotten dusty. I wanted to eat it, but I didn't even have the strength to lift my hand. I said weakly in my mind, "Thank you, Howard, but I'm not hungry. You should go. If your mom finds out, she'll spank you again." I wasn't sure if Howard could read minds. Maybe Dad was the only person in the family who had that ability. Howard began to cry. He shoved his small arm through as he tried to grab me. But he couldn't reach me, no matter how hard he tried. "Nady, please don't die. I'll go talk to Dad. I'll make him let you out!" I was reminded of my own childhood. Mom was still alive back then. Dad hadn't received his strange ability, and Pauline wasn't in the picture yet. When I had a fever, Dad ran almost two miles to the hospital with me on his back. When I wanted to eat strawberries, Dad drove to the next town in the middle of the night just to get some for me. He said I was his little princess and the most important person in the world to him. I wondered, "When did that change? Was it the day I was diagnosed with stomach cancer? Or was it the day he suddenly woke up with the ability to read minds?" He was convinced that he had mastered the truth and knew all about the darkest side of human nature. He had no idea that it was all a complete inversion of reality. I began to feel lighter. My soul was slowly leaving my tattered body. I saw myself sprawled at the bottom of the cage. I could even see dark red bloodstains at the corners of my lips. My face was ashen, and my eyes were deeply sunken. I was so emaciated that I was essentially just skin and bones. Just like that, I died. I passed away in the basement of my biological father's villa. To my surprise, my final thought before I died was an apology. I thought, "I'm sorry, Dad. I couldn't hold out until the day you can finally hear my truest thoughts. I didn't manage to expose the ugly truth behind the woman closest to you." I drifted upward, passed through the ceiling, and arrived at the living room. It was sunny, and the blinding light was too much for me. In the living room, I spotted the family of three having lunch together. A feast was laid out on the table. There were poached halibut, grilled pork tenderloin, and sweet corn gazpacho, which was my favorite. Dad was seated at the head of the table, and he was placing a piece of fish on Pauline's plate. "Here, you should eat more. You've done a lot for this family lately." Pauline smiled as she accepted the piece. But inwardly, she complained, "Stupid old geezer! I'm so sick of all this clean eating. I'm not here for some diet! When that little wench dies, and I get my hands on the money, I'll get myself a boy toy or two." Dad froze for a moment with a fork still in his hand. Then, he seemed overwhelmed with emotion. He gazed at Pauline with deep affection and said, "Honey, you really are the perfect homemaker. You're constantly thinking of ways to help me save money, and you even want to cook for me for the rest of your life. You're the best wife anyone could ask for." Pauline was obviously used to Dad's "nonsense". She knew that she just had to smile and play along with it. "As long as you're happy, honey." Nearby, Howard suddenly put down his cutlery. His eyes turned red as he looked at the food on the table. He said in a small voice, "Dad, can we share some of this with Nady? She hasn't eaten anything in the basement for days. She'll die from hunger. She's also bleeding so much that it got all over the cage." Dad slammed his fork on the table. "Don't you ever mention that ingrate again! Die of hunger? She's a scourge that simply refuses to die! You have no idea how hard she's cursing me out in her mind. She wants me to die as soon as possible so that she can inherit my fortune!" Startled, Howard shrank back a little and started wailing. "No! Nady won't think like that! She just told me to be a good kid so that Mom won't be mad at me. She's dying, but she's still worried about me!" Pauline hastily threw her arms around Howard. She wiped his tears away, feigning concern as she tried to calm Dad down. "Honey, she's just a child who doesn't know any better. It's not her fault." Chapter 3 Pauline continued, "Nady may be a spoiled brat, but she's still your flesh and blood. I think we should give her some food. If something happens to her, what would the others think?" But in her mind, she sneered. "That wench had better be rotting in the basement right now. I don't want to get my hands dirty if I can help it." When Dad heard that, he sighed and held her hands. "You're such a kind soul. She called you a wretched homewrecker in her mind, but you're still pleading her case. You've always been the type to sacrifice yourself for the greater good. Well, since you asked, this will be the last day we're starving her. Just give her some leftovers tomorrow morning." I remained floating in the air as I watched the absurd farce play out. Dad was kissing his worst enemy's feet. Howard was still crying, but Pauline stuffed some pork into his mouth to shut him up. I used to love pork, but now, I felt nothing but disgust when I saw it. … Early the next morning, the villa was quiet as usual. Dad had an important contract to go over that day, so he got up quite early. He stood in front of the mirror and adjusted his tie. He had a spirited smile on his face. The company had been doing well these days, and his wife was "loving and supportive". He felt like he was winning at life. Pauline was helping him hold his briefcase while thinking of ways to max out his credit card. But to Dad, it seemed that she was thinking, "Honey, you're working so hard. I'll support you as much as I can." He kissed Pauline, feeling satisfied. "I'm off to work. Get some rest, okay? Oh, by the way, remember to put some food in the basement. We don't want her to actually die. That's bad luck." Pauline nodded, compliant. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of Nady." Just then, a bloodcurdling scream rang out from the basement. "Ahh!" It was the maid, Mrs. Hobson. Frowning, Dad paused in his tracks. He said with displeasure, "What's all the fuss about? The sun's barely out, for goodness' sake!" A hint of panic flashed across Pauline's eyes, but it soon turned into hidden excitement. She thought, "Is this it? Did she finally die?" Mrs. Hobson scrambled up the stairs. Her face was pale, and her legs were shaking. "Mr. Fowler… Mr. Fowler! It's Ms. Fowler! Ms. Fowler is… She's dead!" Dad was adjusting his tie, but he froze when he heard that. "What did you just say? She's dead?" He instinctively retorted, "That's impossible! Just yesterday, she was still hurling insults at me in her mind! How could she die after just a few days of starvation? She must have faked it! I can't believe she'd do something like this just to trick me into letting her out!" He turned around, fuming, then stormed toward the basement. "Let's see how long she can keep up that act!" Pauline was right on his heels. She tried to look anxious and worried, but she couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from turning upward. I drifted behind them, following them back to the dim and humid prison. The iron door was wide open. An intense smell of blood and rot invaded their senses. Dad rushed in, but when he saw what was inside the cage, he was rooted to the floor. My body was curled up in a corner of the cage. It had already gone stiff, still in an extremely painful position. The rug under the cage was soaked in blood, and it had already turned dark brown. My fist was still tightly closed around the dirty piece of bread, which I never got to eat. My eyes were wide open, and my vacant stare was directed straight at the entrance. That was where Dad had just entered. Dad's eyes immediately widened. He reached out a trembling hand to see if I was breathing, but when his fingertips touched my cold skin, he quickly retracted them as if he had been electrocuted. I was really dead. I had stopped breathing, and my heart had stopped beating. Even my body had turned completely cold. "Nady…" He parted his lips, and his voice was bitter and hoarse. His mind went blank from the immense shock. Just then, Pauline walked up to him. She looked at my tragic corpse, her heart bursting with manic delight. She thought, "Haha! She's finally dead! The little wench is finally dead! The old geezer didn't even realize that I had swapped out his medicine to make him hallucinate. "Now, once this old geezer is dead, the hundreds of millions of dollars of family fortune will all be mine! I've put up with this for many years, and I had to fake it every single day. Ugh, that was disgusting. I'm celebrating tonight!" This time, there were no inversions. Dad could clearly read every single thought and even hear the sinister cackling in Pauline's mind.