My daughter seemed like a completely different person! My husband had been abusing me for years. My parents stood by coldly, even helped him sometimes. I couldn’t take it anymore. I was about to end my life. But then, my 8-year-old daughter rushed over and slapped me across the face. She yelled at me, “Sarah! What the hell are you doing?! Get your act together!” I was stunned. How could my usually sweet and adorable daughter say something so vulgar? Her whole demeanor wasn’t that of an 8-year-old at all. My daughter’s hand was still small, but she’d put every ounce of her strength into that slap. My face stung, a fiery throb. She glared at me, her round eyes blazing with anger. I was too shocked to react. “Lily… you…” She pointed at the rooftop ledge, her voice accusatory. “Were you going to jump?” My nose tingled, and tears instantly welled up. I didn’t know how to answer her. I’d raised this child mostly on my own since she was little. We had such a close bond. She was the only person in this world I couldn’t bear to leave. But, my darling, Mom really couldn’t go on anymore… “Good girl, why don’t you go home first? Didn’t I buy you a little stuffed bunny? Go play with it for a bit.” I wanted to coax her away, but she pulled her hand from mine, her face full of impatience. “Don’t change the subject! You’re going to jump, going to kill yourself, but did you even think about me?” “As a mother, abandoning your child to an alcoholic father and just dying – is that fulfilling your responsibility as a mother?” “And even if my dad is an alcoholic and hits you, why don’t you fight back? What kind of modern woman doesn’t know how to protect herself these days?” Her small mouth opened and closed, her expression serious and stern. I was rooted to the spot in shock! Just this morning, she was still cuddling with me, begging for a plush rabbit to be her ‘sister.’ She was only eight! I quickly reached out to touch her forehead. Was she sick? She slapped my hand away. “I don’t have a fever!” “My dear, what’s wrong? Do you feel unwell anywhere?” “I’m fine, perfectly fine. It’s you I’m worried about. If you jump, you’ll be free!” “But think about my dad, my grandma, and your entire family – who among them will take care of me?” The thought plunged me back into despair. I pulled her into my arms, tears streaming down my face. “Mom doesn’t want this either, but what can I do? I can’t take you with me…” She gently stroked my back, a comforting rhythm. “Listen to me. Neither of us has to die. They’re the ones who should suffer.” “Don’t worry, I promise I’ll free you from all this pain.”
My daughter truly seemed like a different person. But I looked her up and down, from every angle, and she was indeed my daughter. “Stop staring. It’s your daughter, authentic and genuine.” She spoke softly, as if rolling her eyes. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. I was about to talk to her when the front door of the house was suddenly kicked open with a loud bang. My heart instantly clenched. Mark was back! From the sound of him kicking the door, he must have been drunk again. I quickly led Lily back to her room. “Lily, no matter what you hear, don’t come out. Just like normal, okay?” Mark’s angry shouts echoed from outside the door. I closed it, quickly smoothing my hair. With another bang, he pushed the door open, reeking of alcohol. He squinted, scanning the room. I took a deep breath, forcing down the trembling that wracked my body, and stepped forward to help him. “You’re back…” A familiar silence, then an explosive outburst! He grabbed my hair, yanked me to the floor, first with punches and slaps, then standing over me, kicking again and again… “Bitch! Whore! You worthless woman!” I curled up, hugging my head, my eyes squeezed shut. Just hold on a little longer. He’d drunk a lot today; he’d tire himself out soon… Just a little more… Just as I felt myself fading, I heard a commotion, and he yelled, “What are you doing?! Let go of me!” I struggled to open my eyes and saw three or four police officers restraining him! He was furious, swearing at them. Lily was standing right there. Suddenly, I didn’t feel the pain anymore. I sprang up and pulled her into my arms, shielding her. “Why did you come out? Are you okay, honey?” I frantically checked her over. But she wasn’t flustered at all. She took my hand and spoke to the officers. “Officers, you saw it. This man has been abusing my mother for a long time. If you hadn’t arrived in time today, my mom might have been beaten to death!” Mark had sobered up quite a bit. “Bullshit! You little Asshole! Did you call the police?!” “Oh, Sarah, you’ve really gone too far. You’ve learned to call the police!” I shook my head frantically, but Lily continued. “Officers, he goes crazy every time he drinks. My mom is covered in bruises. You have to arrest him!” In the end, Mark was taken away by the police, cursing and swearing all the way out. I shivered uncontrollably. “It’s no use. He won’t stay in there forever.” But Lily said, “But there will be a police record, and my testimony, and the neighbors’.” “What are you planning?” A confident look settled on her small face. “First, divorce. We’ll figure out the rest later.”
Divorce… I dreamed of divorce. But Mark would never let me go that easily. For years, he’d held that one thing over my head, knowing my vulnerable situation. “It’s just your first love ran off; there’s nothing to worry about.” Lily said it so casually, and my mind went blank with a loud whoosh. How did she know about that?! Seeing me cover my mouth and stare with wide eyes, she quickly rephrased. “It wasn’t your fault anyway. You were the victim. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” “He’s always used that to threaten you. As long as you’re not afraid, as long as you’re not threatened, you’ll definitely get a divorce.” That was the first time it felt like someone was truly on my side. My tears flowed instantly, a dam breaking… At seventeen, I didn’t understand people. A few sweet words, and I believed in “love.” Against my family’s objections, I eloped without a second thought. Later, we ran out of money, and he abandoned me for a wealthy businesswoman. I returned to my hometown in shame. My parents were embarrassed; my brother Daniel and his wife Jessica looked down on me. Eventually, they forced me to marry Mark, with no conditions or expectations. Six months later, I gave birth to Lily. Everyone said she didn’t look like Mark; she was too fair and beautiful. Mark developed a grudge, and my life, from then on, became a living hell… I knew it was all my own doing. But now. Lily was saying I was the victim. I couldn’t understand how an eight-year-old could say such things. “You’re too young; you don’t understand…” It wasn’t that I hadn’t suggested divorce before. But my family would point fingers at me, calling me trashy. Mark also threatened to tell everyone that Lily was a Asshole! I honestly didn’t know what else I could do… “You’re just too weak!” Lily sighed, pulling out a tissue and handing it to me. “You’re not some ignorant woman who hasn’t been to school. You should know that no one has the right to dictate your life!” “You were hurt, and you should have faced it bravely, walked out of the predicament! But what did you do? You gave up, came back to your hometown with a bad reputation, didn’t resist your parents’ unreasonable arrangements, and after marriage, you chose to endure your husband’s abuse. You weren’t wrong, but your current situation is all because of your weakness!” Every one of Lily’s words felt like a knife piercing my heart. It hurt, but it was a sobering pain. “Yes, you’re right. I was weak. Even a child like you understands this, yet I pretended to be foolish for so many years.” Lily then added, “Mom, while Mark is locked up for a few days, let’s go back to your parents’ house tomorrow. We’re going to get even with them. I’ll tell you what to do!”
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