The Will

1 My mother was dying. In a moment of lucidity in the ICU, she decided to make her will. "Mrs. Lewis, you want to draft your will?" "Yes, while I'm still clear... I need to settle my estate." Mother took a deep breath. Her voice was weak, but every word was clear. Mr. Lee, the lawyer, took out his pen and notebook, his expression serious behind his glasses. "Alright, Mrs. Lewis. Go ahead." "Besides the house, I have $200,000 in my bank account." The sentence was a bombshell. I stared at my mother in disbelief. When did she save $200,000? She was a retiree living on a small pension of $1,500 a month. "The house goes to Daniel." My brother, Daniel, smiled slightly. He expected this. That house was worth at least $300,000. "As for... the s-savings... that also goes to Daniel. The jewelry in my old chest goes to Sarah." Mother finished trembling, but her tone was firm. The air in the room solidified. My breathing stopped for a second. I stared blankly at my mother, ears ringing, sounds distant and unreal. "Mom..." "What... did you say?" I opened my mouth, but my voice was dry and barely audible. Mother’s gaze remained on Daniel, as if she hadn’t heard me. Her fingers gently stroked Daniel’s hand, eyes full of tenderness. "Daniel has had it hard these years, struggling out there," she said weakly but firmly. "The house and savings are for him. It's the least I can do as a mother." Daniel was hit by the jackpot! Eyes shining, he hugged Mother excitedly. "Mom, Mom, I don't want it... You have to live a long life. I haven't been filial enough yet." My heart felt squeezed, breathing difficult. I looked at Mother’s pale face and suddenly felt she was a stranger. Growing up, she never looked at me this long, let alone spoke to me so gently. "Mom, what about me?" I couldn't help but ask, voice trembling. "I'm your daughter too." Mother finally turned to me. Her eyes lacked the warmth I hoped for. Her gaze was sharp, even impatient. "Sarah, you've always been sensible. I don't need to worry about you." Her voice was cold. "You have a stable job, good income, you can take care of yourself. Daniel is different. He needs this house." My eyes burned, throat blocked. I wanted to say something, but my voice choked. "Mrs. Lewis, are you sure about this distribution?" Mr. Lee pushed his glasses up, calm and professional. "Legally, children have equal inheritance rights. Without special reason, this could lead to legal disputes." Mother’s eyes sharpened. She stared at Mr. Lee, tone unyielding. "This is my decision. Daniel is my son. House and savings go to him. It's only right." Daniel stood by, expression complex. He looked at Mother, then at me, wanting to speak but ultimately lowering his head, gripping Mother's hand. "Mom, don't say that." He finally spoke, voice hoarse. "Sarah is your daughter too, I..." "Daniel, say no more." Mother cut him off, sounding tired. "This is my decision. No one changes it." My heart sank. Looking at her familiar yet strange face, I realized I never truly entered her heart. No matter how hard I tried, her gaze always rested on Daniel. I thought being excellent would make her see me. Now I knew, some things never change. "Mom, I understand." I spoke, surprisingly calm. "Don't worry, I won't fight for it." Mother seemed surprised, a flicker of complexity in her eyes. I opened my mouth to speak but just sighed. "Sarah, don't blame Mom." Her voice softened, tired and helpless. "Mom just... wants Daniel to live a little better." I nodded silently. My eyes were hot, but I held back the tears. I had to be strong. Mr. Lee looked at me, then at Mother, and recorded the will. The room was heavy and oppressive, the ticking of machines loud in the silence. "Mrs. Lewis, the will is recorded." Mr. Lee closed his notebook. "If there are no other requests, I will process the paperwork." Mother nodded, smiling wearily. "Good. Thank you." Daniel stood by, joy mixed with complexity on his face. He looked at Mother, then me, wanting to speak. But he just lowered his head and held her hand. "Mom, rest well." He whispered, choking up. "I'll stay with you." Mother’s eyes softened. She patted his hand, smiling with relief. I watched silently. My heart felt stabbed, pain making it hard to breathe. I knew I had lost the last shred of hope. "Mom, I'm going out. Rest well." I whispered, exhausted. Mother didn't answer, just nodded slightly. Her gaze remained on Daniel, forgetting my existence. I turned and left the room, closing the door gently. The hallway lights were harsh and cold. I leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath to calm down. 2 Mom, why are you always like this? Daniel is your child, am I not? Why do you always favor him? He gets whatever he wants. And me? I care for you in old age, clean up your mess. Forget inheritance, I don't even get a kind word! I stood in the hallway, trembling, tears welling up. I wanted to rush in and question her. But I couldn't... Thinking of Mother in the hospital bed, I felt wronged and confused. I didn't understand why she always doted on Daniel and was cold to me. I remember when we were kids going to school. Every morning, Mother prepared a hearty breakfast for Daniel, while I ate leftovers. Once, I asked: "Mom, why does Daniel get eggs and milk, and I only get toast?" She didn't look up. "You're the older sister, you should yield to your brother. He's growing, he needs nutrition." I lowered my head, eating dry toast, feeling wronged. In middle school, my grades were top tier. I thought being excellent would make her look at me. It didn't. Once, I ran home with a perfect test score to share my joy. "Mom, I got a perfect score!" I said excitedly. She was peeling an apple for Daniel. Without looking up, she said "Mmhmm," then handed the apple to him. "Danny, eat fruit, it's good for you." I stood there, the test paper heavy in my hand. Watching her wipe Daniel's mouth gently, my heart ached. Since then, I never shared my grades with her. 3 After high school, I got into a top university. I thought leaving home would free me from her bias. But distance didn't change her coldness. Phone calls were brief and rushed, as if I was irrelevant. Daniel, with bad grades, was always her concern. When he failed his SATs, she pulled strings and spent money to get him into a private college. Knowing this, I felt even more unbalanced. Why did my years of effort mean nothing to her? After graduation, I found a good job and stabilized my life. I thought I finally escaped her shadow. But a phone call shattered my peace. "Sarah, your brother is getting married. We don't have enough money. Can you help?" Mother’s voice pleaded. I held the phone, bitter. She never called me unless it was about Daniel. "Mom, I have my own life. I can chip in, but I can't pay for everything." I tried to sound calm. Silence, then coldness. "You're the older sister. You should help him. Marriage is a big deal. Don't be selfish." My heart felt pricked. Why were Daniel’s needs always first, and my feelings ignored? In the end, I paid $20,000 for the wedding and banquet. But less than a year later, the bride divorced Daniel for being useless and broke. My $20,000 was gone. That was my blood and sweat money, saved dollar by dollar. 4 To care for Mother, I brought her to live with me for ten years. I gave her the best I could. In hard times, my husband and I lived in the basement to rent her a sunny room. But she still complained. I worked harder, often overtime. Coming home late, I'd find her sleepy on the sofa. Nagging: "Always waking me up at night... come home earlier, don't disturb me..." I apologized profusely. Then ate a quick meal in the kitchen and slept. Work was hard. But eating Mother’s cooking still warmed my heart. It was one of the few times I felt her care. Until a year ago. She fell ill. I rushed to the hospital daily. Smelling disinfectant, I sat on the bench, emotions tangled. Seeing her frail on the bed, I still hurt for her. "Mom, how do you feel?" I asked softly. She opened her eyes, glanced at me, then said flatly: "I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Heartache. Why was she still so cold? Then Daniel rushed in. "Mom! Are you okay? I heard you were sick and came right away!" He rushed to the bed, anxious. Mother smiled instantly. "Danny! You're here? I'm fine, don't worry." I watched her tenderness toward him, heart aching. She patted his hand lovingly, as if he was her only concern. And I stood there, an outsider, my breathing superfluous. I quietly left the room, tears falling in the hallway.

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