My mom is an “illness influencer.” The catch? I’m the one with cancer. Every day, she goes live, forcing me to swallow a cocktail of pills on camera and perform my suffering for an audience. By monetizing my fake symptoms, she’s made a fortune. Then a local man offered her ten thousand dollars. He claimed to have a miracle cure and insisted on administering it to me in person. My mom agreed. Mom ended the live stream, wiped away her crocodile tears, and her eyes lit up as she counted the day’s earnings. Meanwhile, I was dizzy, seeing stars, a cold sweat breaking out all over my body from the pain. She didn’t even glance my way. “Lily, my little cash cow, you were wonderful today!” she crooned, leaning in for a kiss. A wave of nausea twisted my stomach, and I flinched back instinctively. Her smile dropped. Her eyes turned sharp and cold. She seized my arm, her fingers digging into the tender flesh. “Why are you pulling away? If it weren’t for me, you’d be dead in a ditch! What’s the big deal about pretending to be sick? It’s not like it’s actually killing you.” My arm was a canvas of old yellowing bruises and fresh purple ones. It started with her just making me act weak and frail on camera for sympathy. But when she saw how slow the money trickled in, she got her hands on some pills. She claimed they would just make me look tired, that they were harmless. But I knew better. After taking the pills, my vision would darken, my ears would ring, and my heart would pound like crazy. I tried spitting them out a few times, in secret. When she caught me, she dragged me by my hair, shoved my face into the toilet bowl, and forced me to retrieve the dissolving pills. “Spit it out, will you? Go on, spit it out again! I spent my money on these damn pills, how dare you waste them!” After that, I never tried again. Yesterday’s live stream went differently. The pills hit me harder than ever. My body wouldn’t stop twitching, and I vomited my entire dinner across the bedsheets. Mom panicked for a second, then instantly burst into tears for the camera. “My baby is getting worse! It’s a complication! Please, everyone, we need your help!” That stream set a new record for donations. That night, for the first time in ages, she bought me a little cupcake. The sickly-sweet frosting made my throat seize up, threatening to make me vomit again. “Lily, Mommy wants to talk to you about something.” Her voice was soft, unnaturally so. Every time she spoke in that tone, I knew something worse was coming. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “There’s a man, a local guy, who feels really bad for you. He wants to come over and see you, maybe bring you some food.” She watched my face closely. “He said his daughter had the same illness, and… she passed away. He wants to make up for his regrets through you.” A chill ran through me, and my teeth started to chatter. “No… Mom, I don’t want to see strangers.” She grabbed my hand, her grip terrifyingly strong. “Just for one visit! He said he’d give us ten thousand dollars just to see you! Ten thousand, Lily! We won’t have to stream for half a year!” Her eyes were bloodshot, like a demon’s. “But Mom, you said that last time… and the time before that…” My voice was barely a whisper. Last week, to film a “critical condition” video, she somehow got an oxygen mask and strapped it to my face, almost suffocating me for real. After it was over, she also said we could take a break. But the very next day, because there was a live stream challenge, she gave me double the pills. “This time it’s for real!” She impatiently flung my hand away, then forced herself to calm down and coaxed me. “Lily, just help Mommy this one last time. Once we get the money, Mommy will take you to the amusement park, and buy you the prettiest dresses, okay?” An amusement park. I’d only ever seen it in other kids’ photos. I watched as she pulled another strip of white pills from her pocket. “Here, take your medicine first. Later, your face will look worse, it’ll seem more realistic.”
I took the pills anyway. Because she said if I didn’t cooperate, she’d abandon me under a bridge and let the rats bite me. She said it, and she’d do it. The pills took effect quickly, and cold sweat soaked through my pajamas. Mom changed me into an old, faded outfit, even deliberately tearing a few small holes in it. She adjusted the lighting several times to make my face look even worse. The doorbell rang. My heart lurched, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Mom rushed to open the door, her voice instantly turning humble and sorrowful. “Mr. Jenkins? Please come in, my child’s not doing well today.” A tall shadow loomed over me. It was a man in a leather jacket, carrying a fruit basket. He reeked of stale cigarette smoke, making me want to throw up even more. He walked closer, looking down at me with a complex expression that sent shivers down my spine. “Poor thing, so young.” He sighed, his voice rough. He reached out, as if to touch my forehead. I squeezed my eyes shut, stiff with fear. Mom quickly stepped in. “Sir, she’s shy with strangers, and the doctor said to avoid too much contact, for fear of infection.” The man pulled his hand back, saying nothing. He sat on the sofa and started chatting with Mom. It sounded like Mom was complaining, talking about how expensive medical bills were, and how hard it was for her alone. I curled up in the corner of the sofa, trying to fight off waves of dizziness and nausea that grew stronger with each passing moment. Their voices sounded like they were coming from very far away. “So, Mr. Jenkins, given the situation…” Mom probed. The man was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke. “My daughter was just like this before she passed.” Mom immediately started to sob. “The money, I can give it,” the man interrupted her crying. “But, I need to make sure this money is actually used for the child’s treatment.” “Of course! Of course!” Mom quickly assured him. The man stood up, walked over to me, and looked down at me from above. “Tell you what, why don’t you give the child a bit of this miracle cure I brought, right now, and I’ll observe the effect. If the child’s face brightens up a bit, I’ll transfer the money immediately.” Mom froze. “Now? Mr. Jenkins, the child just took her medicine and is sleeping, maybe we shouldn’t disturb her?” The man’s tone was uncompromising. “Just a little, I’ll watch you give it to her.” Mom hesitated. She was afraid that if I drank it, I might throw up on the spot, or show other symptoms, and expose everything. But the lure of ten thousand dollars was too great. She gritted her teeth and took a small glass bottle from the man. “Lily, come on, open up, have some good stuff.” She helped me sit up and brought the bottle to my mouth. The liquid gave off an indescribably strange smell. I clamped my mouth shut, shaking my head furiously. “The child isn’t cooperating, is she?” the man’s voice turned cold. Mom panicked, pinching my waist hard, and hissed. “Open your mouth!” The pain made me gasp, and my mouth sprang open. The viscous liquid immediately poured in. The taste was indescribably disgusting, and I instinctively wanted to spit it out. But Mom clamped her hand over my mouth, forcing me to swallow. A burning sensation spread from my throat all the way to my stomach, followed by violent cramping. I arched my back abruptly, retching uncontrollably, and my vision went black. “See! I told you it would work! The child is reacting!”
Mom tried to help me sit up, but I couldn’t control myself. I lunged forward suddenly and threw up with a loud retch. Blood splattered all over the floor and onto the man’s pants. “Lily! What’s wrong? Don’t scare Mommy!” She knelt over me, patting my back. But all I felt was the world spinning, then it went completely black. Before losing consciousness, the last thing I heard was my mom’s choked, yet incredibly practiced, shout into her phone. “Everyone! Something’s happened! My child is spitting blood! Please, help us, save my child!” When I woke up again, my throat felt like it was on fire, and I had no strength in my body. “Lily? Are you awake?” Mom’s face leaned close, her eyes swollen and red, as if she’d been crying for a long time. She grabbed my hand-the one not hooked up to an IV-and pressed it against her face, her voice softer than I’d ever heard it. “You scared Mommy so much, you really scared Mommy…It’s all Mommy’s fault, Mommy didn’t know that damn bastard’s medicine was poisoned!” As she spoke, real tears fell, hot against the back of my hand. “Mommy will never do that again, we won’t stream anymore. When you’re better, Mommy will take you away from here, we’ll go to the amusement park, and I’ll buy you lots of pretty dresses, okay?” She promised again and again, her voice so sincere that I almost believed her. I looked at her, unable to speak, just blinked softly. During these few days in the hospital, she had indeed reined herself in. She stopped mentioning live streaming, carefully fed me porridge, and slept curled up in the bedside chair at night. I thought the gates of hell had finally closed. Until that afternoon, she took a phone call. Her voice started low, then gradually rose. “You said you brought the wrong thing? Ten thousand? No way, my child just barely survived.” I kept my eyes closed, but my heart sank little by little. After she hung up, she sat by the bed for a long time, so long I thought she’d fallen asleep. Then, her cold hand grasped mine. “Lily.” “Mr. Jenkins, he just called. He said he made a mistake, that the last thing he gave us was for someone else. This time, it’s the real miracle cure.” I abruptly opened my eyes, staring at her in horror. She avoided my gaze, her voice even lower. “He said if you go to his house and try the medicine just once, he’ll give us thirty thousand dollars. Thirty thousand, Lily! That’s enough for us to leave here and start a new life!” I tried to pull my hand away with all my might, but she held me in an iron grip. “No! I won’t go, he’ll kill me…” My voice was hoarse, tinged with tears. “He won’t! This time he definitely won’t!” She promised urgently, but her eyes flickered. “He guaranteed it! And Mommy will go with you, I’ll be right there watching!” “You said that last time too…” I reminded her despairingly. Her face instantly darkened, reverting to impatience and cruelty. She abruptly let go of my hand and stood up. “Lily! I’m telling you, you’re going whether you want to or not! Do you think staying in the hospital is free? Where am I supposed to get the money? Do you want us both to sleep on the streets?!” She paced the room twice, then sat back down, lowering her voice to threaten me. “If you don’t listen, I’ll leave you here in the hospital, and you can pay the medical bills yourself! See if those doctors and nurses won’t kick you out!” I knew she would do it. From the moment she pressed my face into the toilet to film a video, I knew. In the end, she dragged me out of the hospital bed.
That man’s house was in a very old apartment building. When he opened the door, he reeked of cigarette smoke. Seeing me, he grinned. “You’re here, come on in.” My mom pushed me forward, forcing me into the apartment. “The child does look pretty weak.” He reached out and squeezed my arm hard. It hurt, and I flinched. “Mr. Jenkins, about the money…” My mom rubbed her hands together, a flattering smile plastered on her face. The man ignored her, just staring at me, his expression growing increasingly unsettling. “Stop faking it,” he suddenly said, his voice hoarse and unpleasant. Both my mom and I froze. “Faking it? What are you talking about?” My mom’s voice trembled slightly. The man scoffed, pulled out his phone from his pocket, swiped a few times, and the screen clearly showed a screenshot of my mom’s live stream. “You can fool those idiots online, but you can’t fool me.” In a sudden, brutal motion, he grabbed a fistful of my hair and dragged me into the center of the living room. “Look at this pale face! Took the wrong medicine, did you? I know real sickness when I see it!” I screamed, thrashing against his grip. “Let go of my daughter!” My mom rushed forward, trying to pull him away. He threw his elbow back, a sharp, vicious blow that connected with her chest and sent her stumbling. She crashed against the wall, clutching her chest, struggling to breathe for a long moment. The man released my hair but gripped my neck, pressing me down hard onto the cold concrete floor. “Ten thousand dollars just to watch a show? I’m paying money to play for real!” I trembled, trying to run. He wasn’t some benevolent stranger trying to make up for regrets; he was a psycho. “No! Please! We don’t want the money! Let us go!” My mom finally caught her breath and cried out, begging for mercy. The man laughed, released my neck, and started unbuckling his belt. “Another ten thousand.” He looked at my mom, his eyes wild. “You help me hold her down, and I’ll give you the money when we’re done.” My mom’s face instantly turned as white as paper. She looked at the man, then at me, trembling on the floor. Then, she avoided my gaze and slowly walked over. Her voice was soft, yet it cut like a knife. “Be good, just bear with it, it’ll be over soon. Forty thousand is enough for us to live on for a long time…” She reached out and pressed down on my shoulders. The man let out a triumphant laugh, his rough hands tearing at my clothes. I don’t know where I found the strength, but I suddenly lifted my leg and kicked him with all my might. The man was caught off guard. My kick landed hard in his stomach. With a sharp yelp, he fell backward onto the floor. “You little bitch! How dare you!” Enraged, he scrambled to his feet and lunged for me. In that split second, I sprang up and stumbled toward the door. My mother moved on instinct to block my path, but I shoved her with all my strength, sending her stumbling back against the wall. Behind me, the man’s curses and my mother’s frantic shouts tangled together. I couldn’t let him catch me. I ran like crazy toward the outside. Only when I saw a woman walking her dog up ahead did I finally break, sobbing. “Help me! Please, help! Someone’s trying to kill me!”
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