Rachel’s mother, Olivia Clark, was critically ill. In her final moments of lucidity in the ICU, she decided to dictate her will. “Mrs. Clark, you want to make your will, correct?” the lawyer asked. “Yes, while I’m still clear-headed… I need to address the matter of my estate,” Olivia replied, her voice weak but each word pronounced clearly. Mr. Johnson, the lawyer, took out his pen and notebook, his expression turning serious behind his glasses. “Alright, Mrs. Clark, go ahead.” “Besides the house back in our hometown, I have $1.48 million in my bank account.” This statement exploded like a bomb in the hospital room. Rachel looked at her mother in disbelief. When did her mother save up $1.48 million? She was a retired senior citizen with a monthly pension of just over $2,000. “The house in our hometown will go to Tyler,” Olivia continued. Tyler, hearing this, smiled slightly, as if it was expected. The house was worth about $2 million. “As for… the savings… they’ll go to Tyler too. My old jewelry from the house will go to Rachel.” Olivia finished speaking, her voice trembling but her tone firm. 01 The air in the hospital room seemed to freeze. Rachel felt her breath stop for a moment. She stared at her mother, her ears buzzing, as if all sounds had become distant and unreal. “Mom…” Rachel’s voice was dry, barely audible. “What… what did you say?” Olivia’s gaze remained on Tyler, as if she hadn’t heard Rachel’s voice. She gently stroked her son’s hand, her eyes full of tenderness and pity. “Tyler has had it tough these years, always working hard out there, enduring a lot,” Olivia said, her voice weak but determined. “Leaving this house and the savings to him is just a small gesture from me as his mother.” Tyler, also shocked by this unexpected windfall, exclaimed excitedly, “Mom, Mom, I don’t want it… You need to live a long life, I haven’t even had the chance to be filial to you yet.” Rachel felt her heart being squeezed tightly, making it difficult to breathe. She looked at her mother’s pale face, suddenly feeling it was incredibly unfamiliar. Throughout her life, her mother’s gaze had never lingered on her for so long, let alone speak to her in such a gentle tone. “Mom, what about me?” Rachel finally couldn’t help but speak up, her voice trembling slightly. “I’m your daughter too.” Olivia finally turned to look at Rachel, but her eyes lacked the warmth Rachel had hoped for. Her gaze remained sharp, even carrying a hint of impatience. “Rachel, you’ve always been sensible, never needing me to worry about you,” Olivia said coldly. “You have a stable job, a good income, and can take care of yourself. Tyler is different, he needs this house.” Rachel felt her eyes burning, her throat as if blocked by something. She wanted to say something but found her voice choked with sobs. “Mrs. Clark, are you sure about this distribution?” Mr. Johnson pushed up his glasses, his tone calm and professional. “According to the law, children have equal inheritance rights. If you don’t have a special reason, this might cause some legal disputes.” Olivia’s eyes suddenly turned sharp as she stared at Mr. Johnson, her tone unyielding: “This is my decision. Tyler is my son, leaving the house and savings to him is only natural.” Tyler stood nearby, his face showing a complex expression. He looked at his mother, then at Rachel, seeming to want to say something, but in the end, he just lowered his head and held his mother’s hand tightly. “Mom, don’t say that,” he finally spoke, his voice a bit hoarse. “Rachel is your daughter too, I…” “Tyler, you don’t need to say anything,” Olivia interrupted him, her tone tinged with fatigue. “This is my decision, and no one can change it.” Rachel felt her heart sinking bit by bit. She looked at her mother’s familiar yet strange face, suddenly realizing that she had never truly entered her mother’s heart. Throughout her life, no matter how hard she tried, her mother’s gaze always remained on her brother. She once thought that if she was excellent enough, her mother would eventually notice her existence. But now, she finally understood that some things were destined to be unchangeable. “Mom, I understand,” Rachel finally spoke, her voice surprisingly calm even to herself. “Don’t worry, I won’t contest it.” Olivia seemed surprised by Rachel’s response, a flash of complex emotion passing through her eyes. She opened her mouth as if wanting to say something, but in the end, just let out a light sigh. “Rachel, don’t blame Mom,” her voice suddenly softened, carrying a hint of fatigue and helplessness. “Mom just… just hopes Tyler can have a better life.” Rachel didn’t answer, just nodding silently. She felt her eyes burning, but she held back her tears, refusing to let them fall. She knew that at this moment, she had to be strong. Mr. Johnson looked at Rachel, then at Olivia, and finally recorded the contents of Olivia’s will in his notebook. The atmosphere in the hospital room became heavy and oppressive, with only the ticking of medical equipment sounding particularly clear in the silence. “Mrs. Clark, I’ve recorded the contents of your will,” Mr. Johnson closed his notebook, his tone calm. “If you have no other requests, I’ll proceed with the relevant procedures as soon as possible.” Olivia nodded, a tired smile appearing on her face. “Alright, thank you for your trouble.” Tyler stood nearby, his expression a mix of joy and complexity. He looked at his mother, then at Rachel, seeming to want to say something. But in the end, he just lowered his head and held his mother’s hand tightly. “Mom, get some rest,” he said softly, his voice choked with emotion. “I’ll stay with you.” Olivia’s eyes softened, gently patting her son’s hand, a smile of contentment on her face. Rachel stood to the side, silently watching this scene. She felt as if something had sharply stabbed her heart, the pain almost making it impossible to breathe. She knew she had lost her last glimmer of hope. “Mom, I’ll go out first, you get some rest,” Rachel said softly, her voice tinged with fatigue. Olivia didn’t answer, just nodding slightly. Her gaze remained on Tyler, as if she had forgotten Rachel’s existence. Rachel turned and walked out of the hospital room, gently closing the door behind her. The lights in the corridor were harsh and cold. She leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions. 02 [Mom, why are you always like this? Tyler is your child, but am I not? Why do you always favor him? You give him whatever he wants, but what about me? I take care of you in your old age, attend to your every need. Forget about your inheritance, I can’t even get a word of concern from you!] Rachel stood in the corridor, her body trembling, tears welling up in her eyes. She wanted to rush back into the room and confront her mother. But she couldn’t… Looking at her mother sitting on the hospital bed, her heart was filled with grievance and confusion. She didn’t understand why, from childhood to adulthood, her mother always pampered Tyler while remaining cold towards her. She remembered when she and Tyler were in school together. Every morning, her mother would prepare a hearty breakfast for Tyler, while Rachel had to make do with leftover rice. Once, she couldn’t help but ask her mother: “Mom, why does Tyler get eggs and milk, while I only have steamed buns?” Her mother replied without looking up: “You’re the older sister, you should let your brother have the better things. He’s still growing and needs nutrition.” Rachel lowered her head, silently chewing on the hard bun, her heart full of grievance. When she entered junior high school, her grades were always excellent, consistently ranking in the top few of her grade. She thought that if she was outstanding enough, her mother would finally notice her. But that wasn’t the case. Once, she ran home excitedly with a perfect score test paper, wanting to share her joy with her mother. “Mom, I got a perfect score on this test!” she said excitedly. Her mother was peeling an apple for Tyler and merely grunted without looking up, then continued to hand the peeled apple to Tyler: “Tyler, eat more fruit, it’s good for you.” Rachel stood there, the test paper in her hand gradually feeling heavier. She watched her mother gently wiping Tyler’s mouth, feeling a pang in her heart. From then on, she never actively shared her grades with her mother again. 03 After graduating from high school, Rachel was admitted to a prestigious university. She thought that by leaving home, she could escape her mother’s favoritism and start a new life. But she didn’t expect that her mother’s indifference towards her wouldn’t change with distance. Every time she called home, her mother would hastily end the conversation after a few sentences, as if Rachel was just an insignificant person. As for Tyler, although his grades were poor, their mother was always concerned about him. When Tyler failed the college entrance exam, their mother pulled strings everywhere and spent a lot of money to get him into a private university. When Rachel found out, she felt even more unfair. She couldn’t understand why after trying so hard for so many years, she still couldn’t gain her mother’s approval. After graduating from university, Rachel found a good job and her life gradually stabilized. She thought she could finally escape her mother’s shadow and start an independent life. But she didn’t expect that a phone call from her mother would shatter her peace. “Rachel, your brother is getting married, and we’re short on money. Can you help him out?” Her mother’s voice came through the phone, with a pleading tone. Rachel held the phone, feeling a bitter taste in her mouth. She knew her mother would never actively reach out to her unless it was for Tyler. “Mom, I have my own life too. I can contribute some money for Tyler’s wedding, but I can’t cover it all,” Rachel tried to keep her voice calm. Her mother was silent for a moment, then said coldly: “You’re the older sister, you should help your brother more. His wedding is a big event, you can’t be so selfish.” Rachel’s heart felt like it had been pricked by a needle. She couldn’t understand why her mother always put Tyler’s needs first, while her feelings were never considered. In the end, Rachel still gave $150,000 for Tyler’s bride price and wedding expenses. But she didn’t expect that the bride would leave Tyler just a year after the marriage, complaining that he was useless and couldn’t make money. And Rachel’s $150,000 went down the drain. That was her hard-earned money, saved dollar by dollar. 04 To take care of her mother, Rachel had brought her to live with her for the past ten years. She tried her best to provide the best she could. During the most difficult times, Rachel and her husband Michael would rather live in a basement to rent a small master bedroom with good lighting and ventilation for her mother. But her mother still often complained. Rachel could only work harder, often working overtime until late at night. Whenever she opened the door, she would always see her mother sitting drowsily on the sofa. Then her mother would grumble: “You always wake me up so late… Go to sleep earlier next time, don’t disturb me…” Rachel could only apologize repeatedly. Then she would go to the kitchen to eat a quick meal before going to bed. Although work was tiring, being able to eat the meals her mother cooked still brought a sweetness to Rachel’s heart. These were the rare moments when she felt her mother’s care. But unexpectedly, a year ago, her mother suddenly fell ill. Rachel rushed to the hospital every day. The hospital corridors were filled with the smell of disinfectant. Rachel sat on a long bench outside the ward, her heart full of complex emotions. Looking at her frail mother lying on the hospital bed, Rachel felt a pang of heartache. Although her mother had always been cold towards her, seeing her mother lying on the hospital bed still made Rachel’s heart ache. “Mom, how are you feeling?” Rachel asked softly. Olivia opened her eyes, glanced at Rachel, then said flatly: “I’m fine, you don’t need to worry about me.” Rachel’s heart felt like it had been pricked by a needle. She couldn’t understand why her mother was still so cold towards her even at this time. Just then, Tyler rushed to the hospital. “Mom, how are you? I heard you were sick and came back immediately!” Tyler rushed to the bedside as soon as he entered, his voice full of anxiety. Olivia’s face immediately lit up when she saw Tyler: “Tyler, you’re here? Mom’s fine, don’t worry.” Rachel stood to the side, watching her mother’s tenderness towards Tyler, feeling a pang in her heart. Olivia gently patted Tyler’s hand, her eyes full of love, as if he was her only concern. And Rachel, standing there, felt like an outsider, even her breathing seemed superfluous. Rachel quietly left the ward, standing in the corridor, tears unconsciously flowing down her face.
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