When my husband’s mother, Sarah Brown, was hospitalized due to illness, I took care of her around the clock, never leaving her side. After Sarah’s condition finally stabilized, Rita Brown, the wife of my husband’s brother, finally showed up, appearing at the door of the hospital room. Though she arrived empty-handed, Sarah couldn’t stop praising her for her devotion, showering her with compliments. I rolled my eyes in frustration and quietly left the room, feeling a mix of emotions in my heart. Once Sarah was discharged and recovered, I suggested that she stay with Rita for a while so that Rita and her family could have the chance to show their filial piety to her. I couldn’t help but smile coldly when I saw Rita hesitating and reluctantly trying to avoid my suggestion. She had to experience some things herself. “Cynthia Brown, what kind of food did you bring me? Is there anything here that I actually like?” Sarah’s angry shout suddenly rang out, and at the same time, food splashed all over me. The metal lunch box hit my abdomen hard, making me feel a sharp, dull pain. I looked down at the food all over the floor and then at my wet clothes. The sticky feeling was unpleasant and uncomfortable. Not wanting to disturb others’ rest and to maintain my own dignity, I chose to remain silent. With a sigh, I began cleaning up the mess. Once the mess was cleaned up, I changed into fresh clothes before explaining to Sarah. “Sarah, the doctor said you shouldn’t eat greasy food right now, so I made you some light soup and vegetables.” Even though my tone was full of helplessness, Sarah stubbornly turned her head away and kept yelling at me. Knowing that further communication with Sarah was pointless, I quietly reminded her to follow the doctor’s advice before shutting my mouth. Sarah huffed disdainfully and turned away, no longer paying me any attention. It was nearly noon, and everyone else had gone out for lunch. The room was left with only Sarah and me. An oppressive silence filled the air, so thick that even the sound of a falling needle would have seemed loud. I was about to step out of the room for some fresh air when suddenly, I heard the sound of a woman crying uncontrollably. Before I could react, a figure quickly rushed toward Sarah’s bed. “Sarah, how are you feeling? Is there anything else bothering you? I’ve been so worried these past few days. I can’t even sleep at night thinking about your suffering in the hospital…” A stream of concerned words poured out like rapid fire. I looked up and saw that it was none other than Rita Brown, the wife of my husband’s brother, who was sobbing as she clung to Sarah. Seeing her fake display of concern, I felt a wave of disgust wash over me. Just a month ago, Sarah’s chronic condition flared up again, and this time it was quite serious. I rushed Sarah to the hospital and called my husband, Jeffrey Brown. Because it was an emergency, I had no choice but to sign the surgery consent form as the doctor advised. By the time Jeffrey arrived, sweating and panicked, Sarah had already been wheeled into the operating room. We hadn’t even had a chance to inform Jeffrey’s brother, Earl Brown, about the situation yet. And now, Rita, like a latecomer, appeared to lament how much she cared about Sarah. Her insincerity left me feeling completely contemptuous.
Although the doctors had clearly told us that the chances of success for the surgery were quite high, Jeffrey and I still paced nervously outside the operating room, our minds filled with worry about the unknown outcome, fearing any unexpected complications. Luckily, our fears turned out to be unnecessary. When we saw Sarah safely wheeled out of the operating room, the heavy weight that had been hanging over me finally lifted. Though the surgery was a success, the doctors recommended that Sarah stay in the hospital for a month to rest to monitor her recovery closely. I had no objections to the doctor’s advice and readily agreed. However, the reality of the situation presented a challenge. We had a young child at home to care for, and both Jeffrey and I had demanding jobs, making it hard to find enough time to stay with Sarah. After giving it some thought, I called Rita, hoping we could work out a shift plan to help care for Sarah so we could all share the load. Unfortunately, as soon as I mentioned that Sarah was in the hospital, Rita quickly ended the call, citing the busyness of her own household. I tried calling several more times, but no one answered. It was clear that Rita didn’t want to be involved in caring for Sarah. Faced with this reality, we had no choice but to take on the responsibility ourselves. Since Jeffrey worked in sales and was currently in his peak season, his hours were unpredictable, though his income had increased significantly as a result. After weighing the options, I decided to take a month’s leave from work to devote myself entirely to taking care of Sarah in the hospital until she fully recovered. At the same time, considering that Jeffrey couldn’t manage the children, I used my lunch breaks to drop our child off at my mother’s house for her to look after. Despite all my efforts, I never earned Sarah’s full approval. She often criticized my work, either pointing out something I hadn’t done well enough or complaining about things I had done wrong. I tried to bear her criticisms, but what hurt the most was how often she would say that if Rita were taking care of her, she would do a much better job than I did.
I had countless moments when I wanted to directly tell Sarah that Rita, upon hearing the news of her hospitalization, had coldly hung up the phone and, over the past few days, neither showed up nor even bothered to call and check on her. But each time I saw Sarah’s pale face, weakened by her illness, my impulse to say that was quickly suppressed, as I didn’t want to upset her and risk interfering with her recovery. Honestly, I could understand why Sarah might not like me; conflicts in family life were nothing new. What I found hard to accept, though, was Sarah’s clear favoritism toward Rita. Over the past ten years, since Jeffrey and I got married, Sarah has lived under the same roof with us. Our child, Keith Brown, was already seven years old now. I had done my best to show filial piety, but I had never earned Sarah’s genuine affection in return. My thoughts drifted back to the time when Jeffrey and I got married. Both our families were ordinary, living simple lives. When we discussed our wedding, I only symbolically proposed an engagement gift of sixty-six thousand dollars, and after the wedding, I brought it all back as start-up money for our little family. However, when Earl and Rita got married, she immediately asked for an engagement gift of two hundred eighty thousand dollars. As far as I know, this money ended up in her brother’s hands, and it was used to buy property. Not only did she not bring back a penny, but she also often moved things from her home to her parent’s place. So, whenever I saw Sarah’s preference for Rita, a deep sense of injustice would rise in my heart. At that moment, Rita sat on the hospital bed, her eyes full of tears as she expressed her concern for Sarah. Sarah, equally emotional, tightly grasped Rita’s hand, tears streaming down her face in response. Seeing this scene, I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. I couldn’t bring myself to look at Rita’s hypocritical face any longer. I rolled my eyes and turned, walking out of the room. I wasn’t surprised at all by Rita’s sudden appearance at the hospital today. Yesterday, the doctor informed Jeffrey and me that Sarah was recovering well and would be discharged soon. Hearing the news, I was genuinely happy. Even though Sarah had always been cold towards me, I sincerely wished for her to be healthy and free from illness. Jeffrey was also glad. Although he held a grudge against Rita’s family for their indifference, the bond of brotherhood was not so easily broken. After thinking it over, he still decided to share the good news with his brother, Earl.
As for why Rita showed up today, I was well aware. She probably thought that since Sarah’s condition had improved, they no longer needed to pretend to care for her. So, she rushed over to act as the good wife and good son in front of Sarah. After all, when she came, I made sure to glance a few times. She didn’t even bother bringing a box of supplements or anything. She showed up empty-handed. I sat outside for a long while, watching as the evening sky grew darker. It wasn’t until I realized how late it had gotten that I slowly walked back into the hospital. However, when I returned to the room, I found that neither Sarah nor Rita were there. Since Sarah wasn’t due for discharge yet, and with it being so late, where could Rita have taken her? With this question in mind, I quickly pulled out my phone to call Rita. But before I could dial, Joan Arnold, who was in the bed next to Sarah’s, suddenly looked at me. “Cynthia, Rita gave Sarah something to eat a while ago. Not long after, she started vomiting. They’ve taken her to the emergency room…” Joan’s words froze me in place. But as soon as I snapped back to my senses, I widened my eyes and rushed towards the ER, not even bothering to thank Joan. By the time I reached the emergency room, I saw Rita sitting on a chair outside. But I had no time to question her. Instead, I focused on calming myself down and waited anxiously at the door. Fortunately, the panic didn’t last long. The doctor came out quickly. He removed his mask and calmly spoke to me, “We just induced vomiting in the patient. She’s fine now. But you need to follow the doctor’s advice on what to feed her. Don’t give her anything random. She’s elderly and can’t handle this kind of stress repeatedly.” The doctor’s tone held a hint of reproach, but once I heard that Sarah was okay, my worried heart finally eased. Not bothering with further explanation, I kept nodding and thanking the doctor. After the doctor left, I let out a long breath and turned to glare at Rita. “What did you give Sarah to eat just now? What happened? Don’t you know that she’s elderly? If something serious had happened, it would have been too late by then!” As I looked at Rita’s careless attitude, my voice was filled with unmistakable reproach. “Sarah told me you didn’t feed her, and she was hungry. So, I ordered sandwiches and fried chicken for her. You know how much Sarah loves this kind of food.” I noticed her pouting as if she was in the right, which made me even more frustrated. “Even if she loves it, she should consider when it’s appropriate. Sarah’s in the hospital, and she needs to eat lighter to help with her recovery. Sandwiches are hard to digest, and with all the condiments, it’s basically just going to upset her stomach. She’s still taking medicine; how can her body handle such irritating food? And by the way, do you see anyone else eating like this in the hospital?” Before I could finish my scolding, I heard Rita mumbling. “I didn’t come here to take care of her, how should I know? Besides, isn’t she fine now? Do you really have to talk to me like this? Like I’m some kind of villain.” Her words instantly set my anger off. So now, her family didn’t come to take care of Sarah, and yet they still had the nerve to complain? Was I just supposed to suffer through this? Day and night, taking care of her? Just as I was about to completely lose it and confront Rita, Sarah suddenly spoke up. “Cynthia, that’s enough. The doctor said everything was fine. And Rita didn’t mean to, how could she know what Sarah can and can’t eat? But I know in my heart, she’s a good kid. She even remembers what I like to eat.” After saying this, Sarah looked at Rita with a loving gaze. I couldn’t help but think back to how, every time Sarah looked at me, there was nothing but cold indifference and disdain in her eyes. When I saw this, the anger that had been building up inside me suddenly dissipated. If even Sarah, the one involved, wasn’t bothered, why was I so worked up over it? Realizing this, I quietly sat down on a chair beside the bed, not saying another word.
However, the brief calm was soon interrupted by the doctor’s arrival. After everything that had just happened, the doctor suggested we stay a few more days for observation before discharging Sarah, just to make sure everything was truly fine. We nodded in agreement with the doctor’s advice. But as soon as the doctor left, Rita was already at Sarah’s side, looking guilty. “Sarah, you know how busy Earl and I have been with work. We just couldn’t find the time… You’re not mad at me, are you?” Before Rita could finish, Sarah immediately patted her hand and took over the conversation. “Rita, I understand. Don’t worry about me. Just focus on your work. As long as I know you’re thinking of me, that’s enough. Besides, Cynthia’s here, right? She can take care of me. Though she’s not my first choice, she’ll do… so don’t stress, okay?” When I looked at Rita’s fake expression and saw Sarah openly criticize and disdain me in front of her, a deep sadness spread in my heart. I had never imagined that, after all these years of carefully managing our family and serving Sarah with respect, I would be seen as so unworthy in her eyes. Just as I was about to give up and refuse to take anymore, suddenly, an idea flashed in my mind, and it quickly took shape. Given the current situation, it was clear that Sarah had figured out I would continue taking care of her. If I outright refused, with Rita’s persistent personality, who knew what kind of trouble she might cause? So, instead of refusing directly, I decided to go with the flow and keep this last bit of duty intact. Once Sarah was discharged, I could carry out my next plan without anyone being able to find fault with me. With that thought, I immediately switched gears, turning to Rita with a bright, reassuring smile. “Rita, don’t worry about it. Go ahead. I’ve got this. I was just a bit hasty earlier and said some harsh words. Don’t take it to heart, just let it go. There’s no need to argue with me.” Free Point
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