Chapter 2

At three in the morning, those leftover noodles wreaked total havoc on my stomach.

I leaned over the edge of the bed and threw up uncontrollably, sour, foul-smelling vomit splashing everywhere.

At the same time, a warm, humiliating mess broke past all control, spreading beneath me.

Hearing the commotion, Martha instantly shot up from the cot in the hallway. Dragging her exhausted, aging body into the room, she rushed to clean me up.

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let you eat those noodles. Let Grandma get you cleaned up, sweetheart."

She wiped me down with utmost care, but her trembling, arthritic hands slipped and grazed against my bedsores.

"Ow! Stop touching me! Are your hands even clean?!"

Guilt washed over Martha's face. Every wince of pain from me was pure torture to her.

She endured the sting of her cracked, bleeding hands as she soaked them repeatedly in hot water before daring to touch me again.

The noise woke Brenda up.

"What the hell is going on? Can a person get some sleep around here?!"

Gagging at the foul stench, Brenda refused to step inside, lingering by the doorway to complain.

"Looks decent on the outside, but underneath, you're rotting away. Pus, crap, vomit—it's enough to make me puke up my dinner. Living with you two freaks is an absolute curse."

Martha couldn't bear to hear her insult me.

"Brenda, the child isn't feeling well. If you can't lend a hand, the least you could do is keep your mouth shut."

"She's a useless burden barely clinging to life. Living like this is pure misery anyway. Just let her soak in her own filth and die."

"I let you live under this roof rent-free, and the tens of thousands from her scholarship all went to you! Just shut your mouth!"

Brenda put her hands on her hips, snapping right back.

"Listen to you, old hag! So what if I say a few words? That measly cash wasn't even enough to cover an hour at the casino tables! You spend your days wallowing in public restrooms and your nights wiping her ass. Of course you're used to the stench! Hell, you probably miss it if you don't smell it for a day."

[Wait, the aunt is a freeloader?! Who the hell gave her the right to talk to the grandmother like that? Stand up for yourself, Grandma!]

[So the aunt is the one mooching off them? Not the grandma or the girl? Why put up with her crap?! Kick her out!]

Completely ignoring Brenda's vicious insults, I snapped at Martha instead.

"I gave Brenda that money willingly! She can treat me however she wants, and I'll still be happy! Hurry the hell up, or are you trying to freeze me to death?!"

Brenda rolled her eyes dramatically.

"A paralyzed piece of trash wallowing in her own shit, paired with an old fossil—you both deserve every second of this!"

Rage and humiliation choked Martha. She fought to swallow her sobs, but massive tears kept rolling down her withered cheeks.

"Don't listen to her, sweetheart. You're not dirty. You got into college! You're never a burden."

"Your tears are getting on my blanket. It's gross."

Martha struggled on her weak legs, hauling the heavy, soiled bedding into the bathroom to wash it by hand.

I slept in until broad daylight. When I finally opened my eyes, Martha was dragging the freshly washed blankets out to dry.

Days of relentless labor had completely drained the life out of her; she wobbled, nearly collapsing onto the floor.

When she saw me looking her way, her face lit up with pure joy.

"Sweetheart, Grandma isn't tired at all! I'm just happy you slept well. I'll go brew your herbal medicine right away."

The live stream was already inundated with angry comments.

[God, this breaks my heart... That poor old woman is working herself into the grave to wait on her hand and foot, and she doesn't show an ounce of gratitude.]

[This girl doesn't deserve love. Grandma, let her and that deadbeat aunt rot together! Stop caring for them!]

[Lame legs, blind heart! She can't even tell who actually loves her!]

[Karma is coming for you! You're going to burn in hell right alongside your aunt.]

[She deserves to be paralyzed. No pity for her whatsoever! If she wants to self-destruct, leave the poor grandma out of it!]

[Her grandmother treats her like gold, yet she treats her like dirt and sucks up to a vicious leech. WHY?! Just WHY?!]