without sleep. You know that, right?”
“Mommy…Mommy didn’t completely not love
you!”
I knew her words were lies.
She was just trying to get a lighter sentence.
When I was ten and had a high fever, Mom
tossed a towel at me.
“Put it on yourself!”
“Don’t be dramatic. We’ve missed two days
of school!”
Ironically, the first thing she remembered
when confessing was this ridiculously trivial
Ironically, the first thing she remembered
when confessing was this ridiculously trivial
incident.
Tommy ran in, crying.
“Sister, I want my sister!”
Dad stopped him and hugged him.
Tommy cried uncontrollably.
“If Sister hadn’t been hung up, she wouldn’t
have been hurt. She would have taken care of
me, and I wouldn’t have been burned.”
“I want my sister. I want my sister to come
back…”
Dad was full of self–blame. Their mistakes
had killed one daughter and injured a son.
Mom cried, slapping herself repeatedly until
her face was swollen.
“I’m a monster! I don’t deserve to be a
mother!”
“It’s my fault, all my fault…”
Slap after slap.
Slap after slap.
Her hands were red and raw, but she didn’t
stop.
Finally, she kowtowed to me, her forehead
bleeding.
Regardless of Mom’s confession, she and the
uncles were detained. Dad took Tommy
home.
Back home, Dad went to my room and
opened the diary.
“I was locked in the bathroom again today. I
tried not to resist, like Mom said, but they
laughed even harder…”
“If Dad had come to school to see me, would
things have been different? He said he was
too busy the day before, yesterday, and
today.”
“I won’t ask anymore. I know he’ll be too
busy tomorrow…”
Dad wept uncontrollably. Every word showed
my despair.
He was consumed by guilt. When his wife
insulted Riley, he ignored it, burying himself in work to avoid being home. When he did see
it, he only tried to reason with Riley.
“Give your mom a break. It’s not easy for her; it’s all for your own good.”
Again and again, he didn’t notice the bruises
on Riley’s body, didn’t see the changes in her
heart.
Even when Riley cut her wrists, he only made
the bold decision to let her leave school.
Why? Why didn’t he investigate further, find
out the truth about the bullying?
Dad slapped himself repeatedly.
It was too late.
Mom escaped!
On the way to court, she used the restroom
and ran away.
On the bathroom wall, she’d written in blood:
”
“Those who bullied my daughter will pay in blood!”
Warned by the police, the bullies and the
teacher were terrified and stayed away from
school.
One day, they each received an anonymous
letter and a dead rat.
The letter said only one thing: Don’t apologize
publicly, and this is what will happen to you.
The teacher was the first to break, making a
public apology. She wasn’t a bully, but she
had enabled it. She was guilty.
Then the bullies made apology videos. The
police started investigating.
Mom also made a video, revealing the truth
about Riley’s bullying.
The video ended with this:
Even in death, I will get justice for my
daughter!
Mom’s mental state was concerning.
Days later, the police received a call.
Three families were affected.
My uncles‘ families were poisoned by
anonymously delivered cakes.
When the police found them, they were hung
up, from the balcony clothesline.
Mom was soon arrested.
The uncles were furious, trying to get at
Mom.
“You wicked woman! I’ll kill you!”
“If you have a problem, take it out on us, not
our families!”
Mom laughed hysterically.
“Try losing your family. You won’t know how
much it hurts until it happens to you!”
Mom was sentenced to death for her crimes.
The uncles were imprisoned.
Dad became depressed; he dreamt of Riley
every night.
Riley was on a rooftop about to jump; he
reached for her, but his fingers were always
centimeters away, watching her fall.
Riley was on train tracks; he tried to push her
away, but the train ran over her.
Riley had just eaten food he’d made, and
blood flowed from her mouth. She fell to the
floor, her eyes wide.
Again and again, he couldn’t save her.
Again and again, he woke up in a cold sweat.
Dad wept uncontrollably. He’d been absent
when I needed him most. When he finally
realized it, I was gone.
Looking at Tommy sleeping beside him, Dad
resolved to live on.
Even if life was difficult.
Years later…
“Dad, I got into college!”
Tommy opened the door and found Dad lying
peacefully in bed. charcoal burning nearby
Tommy opened the door and found Dad lying peacefully in bed, charcoal burning nearby. On the table, a letter.
Tommy, I’ve seen you grow up.
But Riley was lonely, and I need to join her.
This time, he slept soundly, free from
nightmares.
