Chapter 5

I listened from the next room, tears streaming down my face with heartache.

But I knew I had to do this. Otherwise, next time, it might be me who died.

The next morning, I opened the door to Lily's room. The walls were covered with her scratch marks.

She was scratching her own neck like a trapped animal, her eyes red, staring at me with hatred.

I cried and hugged her: "Forgive Mommy, Mommy didn't want to do this."

After I gave her the silencing concoction, my daughter became mute.

We had gone from a happy family to this.

But this was still much better than everyone dying, as in my previous memory.

I worked diligently, wanting to take care of everyone in the family.

But ever since David became disabled, his personality had grown strange.

Every time I came home from work, I'd see his sullen face.

If the food I cooked wasn't to his liking, he'd suddenly throw the utensils.

"Sarah, let's get a divorce!"

I was stunned for a long time, then frantically asked if I had done something wrong.

He pointed at Lily and me, cursing, "If it weren't for you two, my parents wouldn't be dead, and I wouldn't be a cripple!"

I was consumed by guilt, begging him not to leave us, mother and daughter.

I pulled Lily over, wanting her to apologize too.

But Lily immediately shook off my hand and ran back to her room.

I cried and hugged David, "I only have you, please don't leave us, okay?"

David was silent for a moment, then hugged me back, suppressing a low growl: "Why? What did we ever do to her?"

I also didn't know why my daughter would curse us.

What had we done wrong?

Lily treated David and me like enemies.

But I had forgotten one thing: she couldn't speak, but she could write.

While cleaning Lily's room, I found her writings in a diary.

'Daddy and Mommy, don't go near fire, watch out for burning to death!'