All because she heard that grinding down finger bones made a great beauty treatment, my husband, Brad, chopped off my finger and gave it to his childhood sweetheart, Ashley. I died from the infection in the rundown shack across the street from our house. Before I died, my daughter, Lily, begged him to take me to the hospital. But Brad just didn’t care, and he threw her out of the house. In front of all the staff he said, “She’s really going to extreme lengths to get my attention.” Later, my hands and feet were shaking and I was coughing up blood. Lily swallowed her pride and went to him again. Brad just laughed, “It’s just one finger. It didn’t kill her. Why is she still going on about this?” Later, Lily knelt in front of him, banging her head on the ground. Blood was everywhere. He finally lost it and slapped her across the face. “You’re a useless little twit. What if she does die? If you bother me again, I swear I’ll sell you to some hillbillies in the mountains.” At her wit’s end, Lily stole my cell phone, which he'd confiscated, and called 911. But his sweetie Ashley caught her. She snatched the phone and stomped on it, looking totally unconcerned. “The company just got started. Calling the cops will ruin our reputation. As for your mom dying…who cares?” 1 Lily knew that her dad didn’t care about me. He was obsessed with his precious Ashley. To save my life, Lily knelt in front of Ashley and begged her to help me. Once, Lily had pointed her finger at Ashley and called her a shameless woman. Now, she was giving up everything to grovel at Ashley’s feet. “Ms. Ashley, please help my mom. She’s really going to die…” Lily was sobbing and banging her head on the floor. She didn’t know what price she could pay. She was just hoping her actions would work. Ashley looked down, watching coldly without saying a word. Lily kept banging her head on the ground, over and over. Blood started oozing out, staining the floor red. Finally, Ashley slowly smiled, her words dripping with sarcasm: “You’re just like your trashy mother. Pathetic, crawling on the ground.” Lily looked humiliated, her face burning red, but she grit her teeth and said, “You can say whatever you want. Just please save my mom.” Ashley just smirked, not agreeing or refusing. Instead, she lifted Lily’s chin with her foot. “If you like crawling around like a dog so much, then lick my shoes clean. Show me how sincere you really are.” Lily flinched. She hesitated for a few seconds, then lowered her head and stuck out her tongue, licking lightly. The maids all started laughing, taking pictures with their phones. “Wow, she’s a natural at being a dog, even at her age.” “We don’t need to keep a dog. We can just chain her up outside…” “Quiet, she’s still the master's daughter. He wouldn’t like it if he heard you.” “Who cares? Everyone knows he hates that kid. He wouldn’t lose a second of sleep if she died out there…” Hearing the maids’ taunts, Ashley looked even more pleased. She kicked Lily. “Filthy thing! I wouldn't even want your spit on my shoes!” Lily didn’t care. She just looked at Ashley with pleading eyes. But all she got was a cold smile. “We’ll see,” Ashley said. She sashayed away, leaving Lily standing there in despair, tears streaming down her face. I saw it all. I squeezed my eyes shut and whimpered, “Lily, come back…” A sharp pain shot through me, like my whole body was burning. I couldn't stop shaking. I was trying to grab something for support but I knocked over a glass. Crash! The sound made the door fly open. “Mom, what’s wrong!” Lily ran to me, trying to stop me from shaking. Her tears were flowing again. “Mom, I’m so sorry. You’re suffering because of me…” Everything started to blur. My head was pounding. I slowly lifted my blue hand and touched my daughter’s head. I wasn’t going to make it. My only worry was Lily. She was too young to take care of herself. I forced a smile. “I’m okay, sweetie. Don’t worry.” Lily cried harder. “You’re lying! You were coughing up blood last night. You thought I didn’t see you!” I tried to explain, but I just coughed. My face was bloated, my body was blue. Brad wouldn’t even look at me. Why would anyone come see me? I was leaving. I didn't want Lily to see me at my worst. “I want some candy. Can you go get me some?” I tried to smile, trying to seem calm. Lily started to nod, then stopped, shaking her head. “No! Mom, I don’t want to leave you!” Lily was smart. She knew what I was planning. But she had to go. I pulled out the last of my money and smiled, handing it to her. “Don’t you think I look a little better? ” Lily paused and looked at me closely. She nodded excitedly. “Mommy’s face… it’s got color again!” “See? Go now. Get a bunch of different kinds. I want to try them all…” “I promise, I’ll be here when you get back.” Lily nodded over and over. She wasn’t worried anymore. She ran out. I kept smiling until she was gone. I laughed softly, coughing up blood. I fell back on the bed. My moment of clarity didn’t last long enough. I wouldn’t get to taste that candy. “I’m sorry for breaking this promise…” 2 Maybe because I had unfinished business, my soul was floating above my body. I was surprised, and then I looked in the direction Lily had gone. I drifted that way. “Excuse me, do you know where I can buy some candy?” She left the house and then realized she didn’t know where to go. She was in a hurry. She didn’t have time to turn back. So she asked a stranger. “Get away from me! You’re filthy! You disgust me!” A woman looked disgusted and waved her purse at Lily, running away like she was escaping a disease. Lily couldn’t get out of the way. The purse hit her head and she fell. She stared at the woman as she left. “I just…wanted to know where to buy it.” My heart hurt. I ran to her and tried to help her up. But I floated right through her. I forgot. I was dead. Lily took a deep breath, clutching the money. She got up and ran to another person. “Sir, can you tell me where I can buy some candy?” This time, Lily was more careful, keeping a distance from the man. The man looked her up and down, looking disgusted. Her hair was a mess, her clothes were dirty, and her face was grimy. Only her bright eyes stood out. “You want to buy candy, beggar?” Lily nodded, looking eager. She held up the money. “I can pay!” The man's eyes narrowed. He smiled slyly. “I have some right here. Come on in.” A few minutes later, Lily was kicked out. She landed hard on the ground. She was crying. She glared at the man. “Why did you steal my money!?” The man smirked, “You were stealing my money. I should be the one yelling at you. Get out of here before I call the cops!” Lily was furious. Her face was red. She pointed at the man, but she couldn’t think of anything to say. “I’m… I’m Brad’s daughter! Brad from the Brad Corporation!” The man laughed. So did the people watching. “The Brad Corporation? Take a look in the mirror. You’re not good enough.” The man picked up a chair. He laughed, holding it up. “If you can get the CEO of the Brad Corporation, I’ll leave you alone. Otherwise, I’m going to beat you with this chair, and you’re going to meet your maker!” Lily looked scared. She scrambled away, ignoring the pain. She ran around a corner and couldn’t hold it in anymore. She started sobbing. A soft voice spoke behind her. “Little girl, I have some candy. Do you want some?” Lily flinched. She turned around, looking terrified. “Sorry, I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to be here. I’ll leave…” She tried to leave, but the man stopped her. “Don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you.” The man smiled and pulled out a bag of candy. “You want candy, right? Here, take it.” Lily looked stunned. She looked at the man for a long time and then got excited, thanking him over and over. The man waved his hand. He thought for a moment. “You haven’t eaten, have you?” “Brad from the Brad Corporation is throwing a big party to welcome back a woman. It’s at a restaurant not far from here. He’s invited the whole town to eat…” He smiled. “That woman is his childhood sweetheart. No one would look down on you at a party like that.” Lily trembled. She looked down. She remembered a lot when she heard Brad’s name. She remembered his cold face. She remembered her mom kneeling, getting whipped until she passed out. Her own father was the one throwing that party. “I understand…” I stood behind Lily, heartbroken. I knew how she felt. I used to be the most important person to Brad. I had everything I could want. Brad would always look at me with love. He was so caring. But then Ashley came along. Everything changed. She was Brad’s childhood sweetheart, the woman he could never have. Now she was here, and Brad was crazy about her. They were like a couple in love. Just because Ashley said something, Brad dragged me to the hospital and cut off my finger. She didn’t want to share Brad’s love. She just wanted me to die. Because of who Brad was, he wouldn’t let me get away, even if I ran. The man watched Lily. He pinched her cheek. “You’re so cute. Your parents must be beautiful.” “Parents?” Her eyes dimmed. She looked down, twisting her fingers together. “I don’t have a dad.” “My mom… is dying.” 3 Lily ran back with the candy. She was imagining how happy I would be. She turned a corner and saw Ashley talking on the phone. Lily slowed down, trying not to bother her. Since Ashley had moved in, Lily was always getting punished for something. Sometimes she had to stand in the corner. Other times she got punched and kicked. Ashley paused and glanced at Lily. Her voice was playful. “Honey, I’ll talk to you later. There’s a stray dog in the house.” She put the phone on speaker. The phone blasted Brad’s worried voice, “Stray dogs are filthy. Don’t let it bite you. Have the maid throw it out. I don’t want you seeing that…” Lily bit her lip, looking sad. Lily and I were no different than stray dogs. We lived in a rundown shack. We wore Ashley’s old clothes. We could only eat if Ashley was okay with it. Ashley was like the lady of the house. Lily and I were like outsiders, living in humiliation. Ashley hung up and walked over to Lily. “Come here.” “Ms. Ashley…” Lily backed away. “I said, come here!” Ashley glared, her eyes cold. Lily was defiant for once. “My mom needs me. I have to go back.” Ashley’s face darkened. She slapped Lily across the face. Lily screamed and stumbled, almost falling. But Ashley wasn’t going to let her go. She grabbed Lily’s chin. “All you ever talk about is your mother. Why doesn’t she come save you?” Lily tried to break free. She dropped the candy. It scattered on the ground. “Trash,” Ashley sneered, kicking the candy away. “No!” Lily’s eyes turned red. She bit Ashley’s hand. Then she scrambled to pick up the candy. “You little brat! I’ll kill you!” Ashley’s eyes teared up. She kicked Lily in the stomach. She laughed, stomping on the candy. “You want it, right?” “You’re not going to get it!” She grabbed Lily’s hair and dragged her into the corner, kicking her in the face. “I’ll teach you to bite! I’ll teach you!” The more Lily screamed, the more excited Ashley became. “It makes me sick to see you with your mother’s face. I’ll destroy it…” I was filled with hate. I wanted to fight Ashley to the death. The phone rang again. “Are you home? I forgot a file.” Lily was crying. She said, “Dad.” Lily was covered in blood. Her mouth was torn. Her voice was barely audible. But Brad heard her, sounding confused. “Who’s crying? Is that my daughter?” Ashley stepped on Lily’s face, grinding it into the floor. Blood poured out. “It’s nothing. You heard wrong…” I was frantic. I wanted to be the one under Ashley’s foot. But a few seconds later, Brad’s cold voice spoke behind us. “What are you doing here?”
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