The argument with my sister, Morgan, started on the drive to Grandma’s upstate home for the New Year holiday. It ended when she abandoned me at a highway rest stop and drove back to Harbor City alone. By the time I stumbled through the front door of the cabin, New Year's Eve had long passed. Seeing me alone, Grandma gasped, her eyes wide with shock. “You walked all the way back? Where’s your sister?” My mind went blank. I realized, with a sickening jolt, that I had completely forgotten about the argument. Grandma’s face darkened with dread. She immediately drove me to the small clinic in town for a checkup. When the results came back, she collapsed into a chair, sobbing as she called Morgan. “You little monster! Didn’t you know your brother has brain cancer?” she choked out. “How could you leave him stranded on the highway? He walked for over twelve hours—his feet are raw!” I could hear Morgan’s cold laugh through the phone. “You two are in this together, aren't you? Trying to con me. It’s Kai’s birthday today. There’s no way I’m driving back there.” She hung up. Grandma wailed, then slumped over, unconscious. In the ensuing chaos, I heard the doctor call my name. “Jamie,” the doctor said, his voice flat. “For your condition, surgery is useless now.” “Notify the family. You need to start making preparations.” … My breath hitched for several seconds. I stared at the doctor in a daze. I had a strange, overwhelming feeling that I’d heard those exact words not long ago. But the memory was just out of reach, frustratingly buried deep in my mind. The doctor sighed. “The brain tumor is pressing on your nerves. It’s completely normal for your memory to be unreliable.” “You have a sister, right? Call her now. From this moment on, you can’t be left alone.” My heart plummeted. A chill swept through my entire body. Grandma stirred slightly on the hospital bed, as if she sensed my panic. I quickly gripped her hand and asked the doctor, “Is Grandma really okay?” The doctor patted my shoulder in a calming gesture. “Don’t worry. Your grandmother simply passed out from emotional shock. She’ll wake up soon.” He paused, his expression solemn. “Young man, your situation is the one that’s truly serious.” I nodded numbly. As he left, I pulled my phone from my pocket. It was dead. I charged it and powered it on. A torrent of unread notifications flooded the screen—nearly a hundred missed calls. All from Grandma. She had been desperately calling for me during the twelve agonizing hours I was walking back home. My eyes welled up instantly. I scrolled through my messages, finding only a single text from Morgan. I ignored Grandma’s calls. Let me know when you actually get there. I dialed her number. The phone rang for a long time before she finally answered, her voice tight with impatience. “What is it?” I couldn’t help but shout, “You drove Grandma to collapse! Does Kai mean more to you than your own grandmother? You need to get—” Beep, beep, beep. She had hung up before I could finish my sentence. I stared at the screen in disbelief. Another text popped up from her: It’s the holidays. I don’t have time for this drama. I’ll come collect you on the sixth. My heart hammered in my chest. I called her again. The line was instantly busy. I kept trying for several frantic minutes until the truth sank in: I had been blocked. A knot of fury and despair tightened in my chest, making me tremble. Beyond angry, I snatched Grandma’s phone and tried calling. This time, it rang. She didn't answer. I tried a second time. Grandma's number was now blocked too. “Morgan, you monster!” I screamed, my voice cracking as tears streamed down my face. The door flew open. A nurse frowned, stepping into the room. “This is a hospital. Keep your voice down.” I wiped my face haphazardly and opened Kai’s social media. That night, he’d posted three updates. Thanks, Morgan, for coming back to celebrate with me. Everyone else is celebrating New Year's, but I get to celebrate my birthday first! The necklace Morgan commissioned, captured by a private photographer—only two of these exist in the world. I love it! Have you ever seen a ten-tier birthday cake? My fingers clenched around the phone. My heart felt like it was being flayed alive. Tears hit the screen, blurring the text. Suddenly, Morgan’s furious voice echoed in my head: “Jamie, if you can’t manage to be civil, then just walk back to the cabin yourself!” The extreme emotion triggered a break in the fog. I finally remembered why Morgan and I had argued that morning. Days earlier, Kai had been crying, begging Morgan to stay in Harbor City to celebrate with him. Morgan was torn. Kai was an orphan, and his birthday falling on New Year's Eve meant he never got a proper celebration. But Grandma was getting older, and the New Year was the only thing she truly looked forward to all year. Seeing her struggle, I suggested Kai join us. He refused. “That’s your family home. I would feel awkward there.” He sighed dramatically. “Besides, you and Grandma don’t like me… I can tell.” As soon as he finished speaking, Morgan glared at me, a flicker of profound displeasure in her eyes. She announced that day she wasn’t coming home; she was staying with Kai. I was shocked and spent days pleading with her. I used every argument, kind or desperate, but she held firm. Finally, Grandma blew up, and Morgan reluctantly agreed to come. But the entire drive, she wore a dark expression. I noticed her mood and cautiously tried to lighten the atmosphere. She irritably knit her brow. “Stop talking. I promised I’d go home for Grandma, and I will. Don’t worry about me leaving halfway.” I fell silent, afraid to say another word. Then Kai called, crying that he was sick and needed her. I couldn’t help myself. I snatched the phone and shouted at him, “Who are you to demand Morgan abandon Grandma for you?” The call dropped. Morgan furiously backhanded me. The slap cracked across my face. “What has Kai ever done to you that makes you despise him so much?” Stunned, my mind went blank. She didn’t spare me a single glance. She slammed the accelerator, driving to the nearest rest stop and screeching to a halt. When she spoke, her voice was hard and absolute. “This is a rest stop. You can catch a bus home from here. Get out.” Tears of betrayal and hurt streamed down my face, but I refused to move. I thought, She’s just angry. She won’t really leave me. But she saw my inaction and, without a word, got out, walked around, opened my door, and physically dragged me out of the car. “Call Grandma and tell her I’m not coming back. Don’t worry her with the details.” She released me, got back into the car, and sped off. I stood there, watching her taillights disappear, the tears falling harder and faster. For a long, long time, I stood frozen. Then, the memory vanished. I wiped my face and began the long walk home. If I hadn't been under extreme stress, I might never have remembered. Because in my mind, the only thing I remembered was Morgan's kindness. When I was little, a simple wish for ice cream meant she would run all over the city to find the flavor I liked. When our parents died, she held me and promised she would protect me, that I would never suffer. I still didn't understand how we had come to this point. “Jamie…” Grandma’s raspy voice pulled me back. She was awake. Her clouded eyes searched mine, a hint of hopeful anticipation in their depths. “Your sister? Did she come?” I lowered my gaze. “Morgan didn’t answer. She must be busy.” Grandma’s face paled further. After a long silence, she asked, “When did this illness start? Why didn’t you tell me?” I gripped her hand, forcing a comforting smile. “I forgot. It’s okay, Grandma. I’ll take care of myself.” She closed her eyes, seemingly aging years in that single moment. She didn't mention Morgan or my illness again that night. The next morning, she brought me home. She cooked a quick pot of pasta, then immediately started packing. She insisted we needed to go find Morgan. I didn't want to go back to Harbor City. I held onto her, begging her to stay. Grandma’s expression hardened. “I have to ask Morgan what she’s thinking.” She put her hand on my shoulder. “And your illness—you need treatment in the city. The facilities here are not good enough!” So, we drove back to Harbor City. We opened the door to the high-end condo. Morgan wasn't home. Kai was standing in front of a mirror, admiring the vibrant jade pendant around his neck. When he saw us, he immediately crossed his arms. “What, you can’t manage a holiday without Morgan, so you came crawling back?” I bristled. “Kai, show some respect to my grandmother!” “Respect? Why? If this old woman hadn’t forced Morgan to come back in the first place, I wouldn’t have had to fake being sick to get her back.” Kai sneered. “Are you here to start a fight?” “Too bad. Morgan is out buying me clothes. Come back later.” His arrogant, entitled attitude ignited Grandma’s temper. She pointed a trembling finger at him. “This is Morgan and Jamie’s home. Get out!” “You get out, you old woman!” Kai’s eyes narrowed, his gaze predatory and cruel. “You chose to stay in that dusty old cabin, and now you’re back. What, decided city life is better? You don’t want the ‘hard life’ anymore?” He laughed, a sharp, unpleasant sound. “Morgan works so hard to earn money, and she still has to send you money every year. Why should she?” My pupils constricted. I clenched my fists, shaking with disbelief. Grandma was panting, her chest rising and falling rapidly. None of us expected Kai to be this brazenly awful. Seeing Grandma getting hysterical, I quickly ushered her to a chair. I then stormed over to Kai and swung my hand, landing a solid slap on his cheek. CRACK! Kai staggered back, stunned. “This is my house. You’re nothing but a charity case Morgan decided to fund. You call her ‘sister,’ but you are not a part of this family.” I yelled, ready to hit him again. He wasn’t going to just stand there. He grabbed my wrist, and we lunged at each other. “You little bastard! Don’t think being blood relatives means anything! Morgan likes me better!” Kai bit out, grabbing a handful of my hair. I kicked him in the kidney. He grabbed a heavy water glass from the counter and smashed it down on my head. BANG! “Jamie!” Grandma’s scream sliced through the air at the same time as the glass shattering. Dazed, a warm liquid streamed down my forehead, blurring my vision. My head spun, and I collapsed to the floor. Glass fragments dug into my palm. Strangely, I felt no pain in my hand, only a searing, piercing pressure, like steel needles being driven into my skull. Through the haze, I saw Grandma and Kai grappling. Grandma managed to land a few desperate slaps on him, and he finally shoved her hard. THUD! The sound was sickeningly loud. Grandma’s body hit the floor, her limbs twitching once, then going completely still. My body was numb. I wiped the blood from my eyes with my sleeve and struggled to focus. A slow, crimson pool was spreading beneath Grandma’s white hair. “I didn’t mean to!” “You old hag, why are you faking it? You attacked me first!” Kai’s voice was suddenly frantic. I gasped, crawling on my hands and knees toward Grandma. I touched her head. A jagged piece of glass was buried deep in the back of her skull. It scraped my finger, but I barely registered the pain. I drew a ragged, desperate breath, then let out a horrifying, agonizing scream. “Grandma—!” The front door opened. Morgan, loaded down with luxury shopping bags, froze at the sight. Her face went slack, her smile instantly vanishing. “Grandma!” Morgan shrieked, dropping her bags and stumbling toward us. When she saw the glass shard in Grandma’s head, her pupils shrank to pinpricks. She grabbed my wrist and screamed at me. “What is going on? Why did you bring Grandma back without telling me?” My vision was swimming. My mind went blank again—the familiar, terrifying feeling of weightlessness. More blood dripped down my temple. Morgan’s face went white. Her eyelashes fluttered. “Jamie, what did you do to yourself?” She released my hand and cupped my head, checking my wound. Kai, tears streaming down his face, sounded utterly pitiful. “Morgan, he’s gone crazy! I tried to hand him a glass of water, and he smashed it into his own head, and he hit me! Grandma tried to stop him, but she slipped on the broken glass…” Morgan’s hands stilled. Her face turned to stone. “Jamie, is that the truth?” “I don’t remember…” My voice was a choked sob. I was hyperventilating, desperately trying to catch my breath. I didn’t remember. I didn’t know what had happened moments ago. How could this be? Why was this happening? “It’s the holidays! Why are you always making a scene!” Morgan roared, her face iron-hard. “If anything happens to Grandma, I will never forgive you!” Before I could react, she shoved me aside. She picked up Grandma and rushed out the door toward the hospital. Kai stood over me, looking down. “See? No matter what I say, Morgan believes me.” He flashed me a chilling, triumphant smile. “Jamie, I think your grandmother is already dead.” “You killed her!” I looked up sharply, a cold terror shooting through me. “No, that’s not right. How could I have killed Grandma?” I mumbled, shaking my head mechanically. Kai scoffed and walked out the door. After he left, the house felt terrifyingly empty. The silence was absolute. My mind fixated on a single thought: I did not kill Grandma. After what felt like an eternity, a thought flashed into my mind. I scrambled up, shaking, and found a chair. I climbed up and ran my hand along the top of the living room pendant light. A moment later, my breath caught. A small pinhole camera was now clenched in my fist. I had installed it two months ago. When I was diagnosed with the brain tumor, the doctor warned me about the memory loss and suggested I install a camera at home. I followed his advice, then immediately forgot about it. I never imagined it would be needed today. Clutching the camera, I headed to the hospital. In the corridor, I saw Morgan hunched over, weeping hysterically. Kai was beside her, murmuring comforting words. “Morgan, don’t cry. Grandma is gone, but you still have me…” BOOM— My head went blank again. The familiar, crushing sense of void washed over me. My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the floor. Morgan heard the sound. Her eyes, bloodshot and swollen, fixed on me with raw, surging hatred. She got up and walked over, slapping me without hesitation. “This is all your fault! Why did you bring Grandma back? Why did you argue with Kai?” Her voice was choked with fury. “It was just a few days! Why couldn’t you be sensible?” “Grandma is dead. Are you happy now?” The slap burned. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. I tried to speak, but no sound came out. What was I here for? And how could Grandma be dead? Tears of confusion and helplessness poured down my face. I vaguely knew I had forgotten something crucial, but I couldn’t grasp it. The harder I tried, the worse the headache got, and the more I cried. “You have the nerve to cry?” Morgan’s voice trembled with rage. She pulled a small gift box from her pocket and threw it at me. “I was thinking of you. When I bought Kai’s birthday present, I bought one for you too.” “Jamie, you don’t deserve my kindness!” The box hit the floor and shattered, revealing a delicate jade pendant identical to Kai’s. Just as I reached for it, Morgan stomped her foot down on the pendant. “You are forbidden from attending the funeral!” “Jamie, you are no longer my brother!” I looked up in shock, but she had already turned and walked away. Kai stood over me, a smug, cruel smile on his face. “You deserve it.” He bent down, scooped up the broken pendant from the floor, pocketed it, and hurried after Morgan. A sudden, sharp pain flared in my palm. I looked down. I had crushed the corner of the small pinhole camera. I realized with a jolt that I had, once again, forgotten what I was supposed to do. People passed in the corridor, their eyes full of judgment and pity. I buried my face in my hands, sobbing in utter despair. Why did I have this disease? Why did it steal my memories, denying me even a chance to explain? A desperate voice inside me screamed that I couldn't wait. The funeral could wait. The truth couldn’t. To prevent myself from forgetting again, I prepared two ways to get the video out. First, I pulled out my phone and emailed the security camera footage of Kai pushing Grandma to the Harbor City Police Department’s official email address. Then, I slowly got up and started walking toward the police station. The truth, however, proved my fears right. After leaving the hospital, I didn’t go to the police station. Instead, I got on the bus going back to the old cabin. I was fixated on the belief that Grandma was waiting for me there. If I just went back, I would see her again. The bus slowly pulled away from Harbor City. By the time I opened the front door of the cabin, it was evening again. The house was cold and empty. A single plate of cold, congealed pastas sat on the table. I vaguely remembered those were the ones Grandma had left for Morgan. Suddenly, I felt my soul draining away. My vision went black. As I collapsed, my exclusive ringtone for Morgan started blaring from my phone. It was a warm melody, but now it sounded frantic and jarring. I didn't even have the strength to answer. I closed my eyes.
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