Mom's Favoritism Made My Sister Drink Death

Every time my mom, Miranda Turner, comes over to clean my apartment, something goes missing. The first time it happens, a silk scarf I bought goes missing. Not long afterward, my younger sister, Sheryl Colson, gets a promotion and a raise after giving a scarf to her boss as a gift. I think it's just a coincidence. The second time, every premium apple I store in the refrigerator disappears. That very night, Sheryl posts photos on Instagram. She writes, "Thank you, Mom. You're the best. Authentic purple star apple! And eight of them!" I can't help asking about it. Mom hides herself underneath the covers and cries all night, insisting I've wrongfully accused her. Later, several bottles of mineral water labeled "Imported" mysteriously vanish from my apartment. Coincidentally, Sheryl, who's been trying to get pregnant for five years, finally conceives. She proudly tells everyone that even the water she drinks is flown in from overseas. This time, I shudder at the thought of how dire the situation may be. What's missing is imported water from Esithra. It is water from the Gorga River, where there have been corpses floating around. Anyone who drinks it is asking for trouble. Chapter 1 While I was at work, my team leader, Rick Ziegler, asked if I'd picked the material for my next microbiology research project. I nodded and said, "A friend brought me a container of water from the Gorga River in Esithra. I heard that some locals bathed in it, some used it as a toilet, and some even immersed corpses in it. "It has E. coli, V. cholerae, S. typhi… All kinds of parasite eggs—you name it. It's practically a miniature toxic ecosystem. I think it's more than enough for research." Rick praised me for preparing such good research material. He told me to bring the water to the lab in a couple of days. But when I got home, I searched through every cabinet and drawer. Yet, I couldn't find it anywhere. I knew that my mom, Miranda Turner, must've taken it. For the past six months, every time she came to my place to help clean, something always went missing. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence. Until one time, the premium apples I'd left in the refrigerator disappeared. On that same day, my younger sister, Sheryl Colson, uploaded a post on Instagram. Her photo showed the exact same purple star apples I'd bought. There were exactly eight of them. That was when I realized something was off and decided to ask Mom about it. Mom reacted strongly, as if she were deeply wronged. She locked herself in her room and refused to eat or drink. She even threatened to jump off the building and kill herself. She said she might as well die. Then, she said that if anyone asked, they would find out she'd been falsely accused of stealing by her own daughter and driven to suicide. People would rip me apart. I had no choice. I stood outside her door comforting her the entire night. In the end, I had to give her another two thousand dollars before she finally calmed down. After that incident, whenever something went missing, I just turned a blind eye. I told myself it was for the sake of keeping peace in our family. But I never expected her to take the water that was meant to be used for research experiments. Afraid something might go awry, I immediately called Mom and told her to return it. However, she refused to admit she'd taken anything. "What water? I don't know what you're talking about. I worked so hard to clean your place. My back's so sore that it could snap every day. What exactly am I doing this for? "And this is how you repay me? You're accusing me without any proof! Last time, you said I stole your apples. Now, you're saying I stole your water. What kind of person do you take me for? Is this how a daughter treats her mother?" I was extremely frantic. "Mom, that was water from the Gorga River! It was for laboratory research. It's extremely toxic! You absolutely cannot drink it! If there's something you want, I'll buy it for you. No matter what, you have to return that water. If you still won't give it back, I'll call the police and have them investigate. "Over the years, so many things have gone missing from my home. Altogether, the value is close to ten thousand dollars. That's enough to open a criminal case. If they find out it was you, you'll be looking at least three years in prison." The moment Mom heard that, she was obviously rattled. She stammered incoherently for several seconds. Finally, she stopped pretending and reluctantly owned up. "Andrea Colson, do you have to go this far? Fine! I took it, okay? If you've got the guts, then call the police and have them arrest me! Have me thrown into prison! Everyone will talk about what a terrible daughter you are! "I just can't stand seeing you living better than Sher. You drink imported bottled water whenever you feel like it, but Sher's never even had any. What makes you think you deserve such good things?" Mom's tone was icy and unrelenting. It was as if I weren't her daughter but some unforgivable criminal. I'd never understood why she was so harsh to me. I'd always gone out of my way to be nice to both her and Sheryl. Every payday, the first thing I did was either buy gifts for both of them or take them to an upscale restaurant for a nice meal. Chapter 2 What else could Mom possibly have been dissatisfied with after everything I'd done for her? Why did she have to pull petty stunts like this? Now, I finally understood the cruel truth. Deep down, she believed I simply didn't deserve nice things. Whether it was luxury goods, premium fruits, or even a bottle of imported mineral water, in her eyes, only Sheryl deserved them. Actually, Mom had favored Sheryl ever since we were children. No matter what it was, Sheryl always came first. On the other hand, I only got whatever she didn't want or had left over. After I grew up, I got into the best university and landed an excellent job. I worked desperately hard to be good to Mom. I'd done it just so she'd look at me a little more. It was just so she'd love me a little more. I thought that if I gave enough, I'd eventually get something in return. But what she'd said today turned the family bond I'd spent so many years carefully protecting into nothing more than a joke. Right after Mom hung up, my aunt, Meryl Turner, tagged me in the family group chat. She wrote, "Andrea, your mom's crying at home. Hurry over and comfort her!" I really wanted to reply, "I'm not going." But I had no choice. The Gorga River water was a moving plague. If Mom and Sheryl actually drank that water and got sick, could I really just stand by and watch them die? I rubbed my temples. My head was pounding. I arrived at Mom's house, but she started crying even louder the moment I walked through the door. She wailed, "I saw a few bottles of mineral water at her place. They weren't even worth much! I was just curious and wanted to bring them home to try! But she accused me of stealing and even said she'd call the police and have me arrested! "I raised her, fed her, and clothed her all these years. After she grew up, I worked myself to the bone taking care of her. This is the ungrateful daughter I ended up raising. I might as well just die!" As she spoke, Mom grabbed a cleaver from the kitchen and pretended she was about to slash her own neck. She continued her theatrics. "Heavens above, please just take me away! I raised such an ungrateful daughter. What's the point of living anymore?" Once again, Mom pulled the same old trick. Her house was packed with relatives. They frantically held her back to stop her from hurting herself while telling me to apologize. Sheryl screamed and demanded that I kneel immediately. I didn't say a word and just sent everyone a file. Normally, whenever Mom took something from my house, I turned a blind eye. But after working in a laboratory for so long, keeping records had become second nature to me. Every time something was added to or removed from my home, I logged it. On the Excel spreadsheet, everything was recorded with absolute clarity. I said, "Mineral water isn't expensive. But what about everything else? The things you've taken from my home over the years add up to quite a substantial amount. If you don't believe me, we can ask the police to investigate." The moment Aunt Meryl finished reading it, she was stunned. "Miranda, didn't you say you only took two bottles of mineral water? Why are there hundreds of entries here? You… You made all of us misunderstand Andrea." My uncle, Mason Turner, gasped after reading it. "How could you take things from Andrea without permission just to give them to Sheryl? That's really unethical. To think we came all the way just to stand up for you when you're in the wrong!" Someone patted me on the shoulder and said, "I knew Andy has always been a good daughter. Last time you were sick, she paid all of your medical bills and even paid your overdue health insurance. How could she possibly make such a fuss over two bottles of water? Honestly, as a parent, you have to treat your children equally." Seeing that no one was stopping her anymore, Mom stood there awkwardly. She wasn't sure whether to keep lifting the cleaver or to put it down. After everyone left, she slapped me hard across the face. "How dare you, Andrea? You won't stop till you've humiliated me completely in front of everyone. Is that it?" I looked at her as my cheek burned with pain. Normally, I always gave in to Mom and rarely argued with her. But what happened today was like a sharp blade that completely sliced through the fake peace between us. It also severed the string called family. My voice was so calm that even I found it unfamiliar. "Mom, you were the one who slandered me first. I only told the truth." Mom's face twisted with rage as she bellowed, "The truth? I only took a few things from you, and you got upset on purpose just to embarrass me! You embarrassed me in front of everyone! How did I end up giving birth to such a selfish, despicable bitch?" She cared about keeping up appearances more than anything else. Even when she came to my house to take my things, she'd always claim she was just there to help me clean. Chapter 3 That day, Mom was absolutely outraged. But I didn't want to keep giving in to her. I said, "I'm tired. I don't want to argue with you. I came here today to get the water. I'll say this one more time. The bottle contains water for my laboratory research. You absolutely cannot drink it!" I looked for the video my friend had recorded while collecting the samples and played it. There were nine bottles in total. Each was taken at equal intervals from the upper reaches to the lower reaches of the Gorga River. Some sampling sites were near industrial wastewater discharge, some near the city sewage, and some near animal carcasses. One was even taken beside a half-decomposed human corpse floating in the river. Anyone who watched the video would feel disgusted. Yet, Sheryl burst out laughing and said, "Andrea, it's just a few bottles of water. Did you really make up this whole story over them?" I had no idea where she'd gotten it, but she pulled out one of the bottles and waved it in front of me. She went on, "The water's crystal clear. How could it possibly be dirty? You're just stingy, and you don't want to share." I'd paid all of Sheryl's living expenses throughout college. After she graduated, I even used my connections and spent money to help her get a job at a prestigious national company. Whenever she wanted something, I always did my best to satisfy her. Now, she was calling me selfish. People who would take others for granted without batting an eye were hopelessly selfish. My expression became grim. I was about to explain that the water had been treated with alum, which was why it looked so clear even though it was actually full of bacteria and viruses. But before I could speak, Sheryl had already opened the bottle and taken a swig. She smacked her lips and jeered, "It's sweet. Imported water really is different. No wonder you kept this from us. Good thing Mom found it. Oh, it's so delicious. The more you refuse to give it to me, the more I want it! What are you going to do about it, huh?" She kept provoking me while Mom snorted beside her. "I'm telling you, Sheryl just found out last week that she's pregnant. She needs more nutrition right now. From now on, anything good you have must be handed over to her!" The moment I heard the word "pregnant", my heart skipped a beat. Sheryl had been married for five years, but she'd never gotten pregnant. She'd taken countless medications and gone through countless injections. Now that she'd finally succeeded, the whole family treasured the baby in her belly more than anything. No matter what, the child was innocent. Fortunately, she'd only taken one sip. So, there was still time to fix this. I stared at her slightly swollen belly. Then, I rushed forward and tried to snatch away the rest of the water. But in the very next second, Mom kicked me to the ground. "What do you think you're doing, Andrea?" I hurriedly explained, "That water is heavily contaminated and hazardous! If you don't want anything to happen to Sheryl and her baby, give it back to me right now!" I had barely finished speaking when Mom drove her foot into my stomach and scoffed. "It's just a few bottles of water. How wicked of you to curse your own sister like this." She looked down at me as though I were a disobedient dog. "I don't like how brazen you've become. Listen to me. Forget one bottle of water—if Sheryl wants anything, you have to give it to her!" I remembered when I was little, Sheryl had tried to snatch a piece of candy from me and accidentally fell down. Mom punished me by making me kneel on a rolling pin for three days and three nights. From that day on, I never fought Sheryl over anything ever again. "Apologize to your sister right now!" Mom screamed hysterically. I looked up at her with icy defiance. "Never!" Mom fumed, "Fine. You think I can't force you to comply just because you're a grown-up now? Since everything's out in the open, there's no point pretending anymore. Sheryl has had her eye on those designer clothes of yours for a long time. "Take them off and give them to her now! Consider it a gift to celebrate her pregnancy. Nothing you have is yours. I gave birth to you. Everything you have belongs to me!" Like a madwoman, Mom lunged at me and started tearing at my clothes. In no time, she stripped me completely naked. My mind went blank. I could only scramble to cover my chest and thighs desperately while begging her to let me go. However, my attempts were futile. Mom sneered. "You've made far too many mistakes today. Get out and think about what you've done! Let's see if you ever dare make such a fuss over such little things again." Sheryl put on my clothes and pursed her lips smugly. "You're the best, Mom." But as for me, I was still dragged outside completely naked, no matter how much I begged. Chapter 4 I huddled in the stairwell, shivering. The humiliation made tears stream down my face uncontrollably. I could hear Mom and Sheryl laughing inside. At that moment, family and blood ties—none of it meant anything to me anymore. I only wished they would drop dead and die. In the end, it was the neighbor across the corridor who heard the commotion, came out to take a look, and took pity on me. They gave me a set of clothes so I could go home. I'd always thought Mom simply didn't love me. Today, I finally understood. In her eyes, I didn't even deserve to be treated like a human being. I was nothing more than a walking ATM that she and Sheryl could leech off anytime. When they were happy, they pretended we were a loving family. But the moment they were upset for whatever reason, they would take it all out on me without mercy. I had no need for toxic family members like them. If they were so desperate to court death, then that was their own business. After pulling myself together, I told Rick that the samples had been lost. He went silent for half a minute before losing his temper. "Andrea, if you don't want this job anymore, then get the hell out! You were the one who proposed this research plan. The entire group postponed several projects because of this experiment. "Now that we've arranged and allocated all the equipment and personnel, you're telling me the samples are gone? Do you understand this isn't just about you anymore? More than a dozen people on this research team are going to be delayed because of this!" I knew that if I couldn't fix this, my career would be over. I'd spent years staying up late, putting in endless effort just to earn a place at the research institute. Now, Mom had ruined everything just because she'd casually taken something. From now on, I wouldn't concern myself with anything they did anymore. I immediately apologized to Rick and booked a round-trip ticket to Esithra. Following the original sampling plan, I collected the samples all over again. I walked over 100 thousand steps and stayed awake for a full 36 hours. By the time I handed over the samples, I felt like my whole body was falling apart. Fortunately, I managed to resolve the crisis. Rick's anger abated, and he even gave me a day off to go home and rest. But when I dragged my exhausted body back home, I found my front door wide open. Everything I owned had been thrown into the hallway like garbage. Even the trophies I'd carefully displayed on the cabinet had all been smashed. When Mom saw me, she didn't even bother looking up. "Andrea, we've decided to forgive you for what happened last time. I've given it some thought. Sheryl's pregnant now, so she needs the best environment and care. Hurry up and transfer this apartment to her so she can live here. "I won't repeat myself a second time. Do you hear me?" Mom lived in an old apartment. She thought the neighborhood wasn't nice enough. So, she wanted me to give up my apartment. At this point, I wasn't even surprised anymore by how shameless the two of them were. I stared at Sheryl's pregnant belly and frowned hard. Only a day and a half had passed since the last time I'd seen her. Yet, her stomach had visibly grown an entire size larger. It made no sense. Sheryl didn't notice anything unusual. Instead, she rubbed her belly proudly. She gloated, "Imported mineral water really is different. It's packed with minerals. After the baby absorbed them, it already started putting on weight. I finished all nine bottles. Hurry up and order a few more cases for me." Mom beamed with delight. "If Sheryl wants it, then give it to her. Don't be stingy and hide all the good stuff away, Andrea. If my precious grandchild doesn't get enough nutrients, can you take responsibility for that?" I took two steps backward. "I already told you that water wasn't safe to drink." This time, I wasn't warning them. I was making it clear that whatever happened next had nothing to do with me. Sheryl tilted her head and scoffed. "Keep making things up. I drank every last drop, and nothing happened to me. You're just too stingy to give me some more, so you're trying to scare me. Do you really think I'd believe you?" I smiled and asked, "Then why are there clusters of pus-filled blisters all around the corners of your mouth?" The last time I'd seen her, that patch of skin had been perfectly smooth. Sheryl's expression stiffened as she countered, "What do you know? The pregnancy is causing some hormonal changes in me. It's a normal reaction!" The very next second, her entire body began convulsing violently as she retched. She glared at me and covered her mouth. "What are you looking at? It's morning sickness! It's just morning sickness!" The moment the words left her mouth, a gush of blood poured from between her legs. This time, she stopped insisting she was fine.