1 After my father died, my mother tried to kill us both. At three, she forced sulfuric acid down my throat—until my melting face scared her away. I survived, but lived as a monster for 25 years. Then came Larry, who loved my scars, and his stepsister Aurora, who called me her closest friend. On Aurora’s birthday, I brought her favorite cake to their family party. Through the door, I heard Aurora’s voice: "Don’t worry, Mom. The donor is Larry’s girlfriend—she’s desperate for us. She’ll do it." The door swung open. The woman froze. It had been 20 years, but I knew her instantly—my mother. "Go die," she hissed. "Don’t ruin my life." I set down the cake. "Happy birthday." For a second, guilt flickered in her eyes. I walked away. I’d waited for this day so long. … The next day at work, Larry rushed over, his voice a mixture of concern and reproach. “Cora, what happened? It was Aurora’s birthday yesterday. My parents waited for you. Why didn’t you come?” I looked into his eyes, trying to gauge how much of his concern was real. “Something came up,” I said. “You couldn’t have sent a text? I called you a dozen times. We were worried sick.” I just nodded and went back to my work. Larry glanced around, then pulled me by the hand into a deserted stairwell. He handed me a medical file, his expression serious. “Cora, I need to ask you for a huge favor.” I thought back to the conversation I’d overheard. The bone marrow. My heart sank. The first page of the report confirmed it: Aurora had been diagnosed with leukemia. The next page was a compatibility test. A perfect match. Between her and me. “My sister… Aurora… she has leukemia,” he said, his voice tight. “She needs a transplant. At the last company health screening… I had a sample of yours tested against hers. It was a match, Cora. A perfect match!” “I was going to tell you at the party yesterday. Look, I know my parents can be… difficult… about your appearance. This is the perfect way to win them over. Once you do this for us, getting married will be a breeze.” His voice was bright with a triumphant certainty. He was so sure of himself. “Larry,” I said, my voice flat. “I won’t do it.” The thought that I might refuse had clearly never crossed his mind. He just stared at me, stunned. Aurora and Cora. Our names were a world apart. She was the morning glow, the rising sun. I was just dust, easily swept away. After my mother disfigured and abandoned me, it was an elderly neighbor who found me and rushed me to the hospital. For the past two decades, I have lived on the verge of suicide. Every day, I cake my face in thick foundation and hide behind a surgical mask. Because of how I look, it doesn’t matter how smart I am or how talented. The only jobs I can get are the most basic ones. I can’t have mirrors in my home. I’m terrified of seeing the monster that looks back at me. But now, I needed to see what Larry would choose. “Cora, she’s your best friend!” he pleaded. “Are you worried about the surgery? The side effects?” He grabbed my arms, but his eyes were fixed on my lips. He couldn’t bring himself to look at the horrifying scars that covered the rest of my face. “It’s not a painful procedure. The hardest part is finding a match, and you’re a perfect one! Some donors are walking around the same day. Please, Cora. Save her.” His confusion was turning into frustration, a hint of resentment creeping into his eyes. Of course the match was perfect. I was her daughter, too. I knew Larry didn’t know the whole story. But was he really with me because he could look past my scars, or was he just tolerating me for the sake of this donation? Why couldn't he even meet my gaze? “I’m sorry,” I said, turning to leave. “I can’t. You’ll have to find someone else.” He grabbed my arm, his grip like iron. “Cora, how can you be so cold-blooded? Everyone looks down on you, they whisper about you behind your back! But Aurora and I—we never did! Who else would ever give a freak like you the time of day?” His voice rose, cracking with disbelief. “It’s a minor procedure, and you won’t even do it to save her life?” I turned back to face him, my eyes locking onto his. “I’ll do it,” I said, my voice dangerously calm. “On two conditions. First, you give me five million dollars. Second, I want Vivian to come to me, on her knees, and beg for my forgiveness.” “Meet those conditions, and I’ll be at the hospital in three days.” Late that night, a message from Larry appeared on my phone. 【The family agreed. I didn’t know about your history with Vivian. I’m so sorry, Cora.】 Too little, too late. In three days, I would be gone. But this time, I would be the one doing the abandoning. 2 The nightmares I’d had for over a decade came roaring back. My face began to itch, a deep, maddening sensation, like a million ants were eating my skin from the inside out. I scratched until I drew blood, but it brought no relief. I’d seen countless doctors. They all suggested I see a psychologist, convinced it was a phantom pain, a scar on my mind left by the acid. To keep my skin from getting worse, I slathered on some ointment and put on my mask before heading to the office. “Cora, you’re finally here! Your mother has been waiting for you at your desk for ages.” Mother. The word stopped my breath. For a second, I was back in that night of agonizing, searing pain. I peered through the crowd of gawking colleagues. Vivian was sitting in my chair, looking impatient. She was dressed in expensive designer clothes. Life had been good to her. My first instinct was to run, but she spotted me. “Cora!” she called out. “Do you remember me? It’s Mom. I’m so sorry about that night. I just… wasn’t ready. Please don’t hold it against me.” She looked me up and down. “You’re all grown up.” The sight of her saccharine, fake sincerity made me want to vomit. “I’m not donating my bone marrow to Aurora,” I said. “Give up.” A crack appeared in her perfectly crafted, pleading expression. Her eyes narrowed, filled with a venomous light. “Cora, name your price. I’ll give you anything. Just save Aurora.” “What happened before was my fault, I know. But your life is already ruined. Aurora is still so young. She has her whole future ahead of her.” She grabbed my hand and slapped her own face with it, then threw herself at my feet, clinging to my legs. “She’s your sister! You can’t just let her die! Larry told me what you want. You want me to kneel? You want to hit me to feel better? Fine, do whatever you want.” “You want five million? Her father and I will give it to you. Just save her!” Vivian groveled on the floor, knocking her head against the linoleum, her voice thick with performative worry for her precious daughter. I watched her, and the memory of the night my father died flooded back. He was a truck driver. Not a man of great means, but he adored my mother and me. He never let Vivian work a single day in her life. He worked himself to the bone for a meager salary, and she would spend more than half of it on skin treatments and beauty salons. He never complained. He just worked harder, which is why he fell asleep at the wheel and died on the highway. Vivian thought her world had ended. She bought a bottle of acid for her grand, tragic suicide pact, but when she tried to pour it down my throat, I thrashed in terror. The acid splashed across my face, searing into my skin, twisting my features into an unrecognizable mask of agony. The sight of what she had created sent her scrambling backward. She dropped the bottle and ran. I almost walked out right then. I didn’t want to wait three days. I wanted to destroy her now. “It’s not enough,” I said, my voice cold. “You could bow a hundred times, and it wouldn’t even begin to soothe the hatred in my heart.” My colleagues started whispering. “Cora is so cold. She’s always been a weirdo, hiding behind that mask. Now her own mother is on her knees, and she won’t even save her sister.” “See? I told you. Never feel sorry for people like that. There’s always a reason they’re pathetic.” “She won’t even help her own sister. She’s not human.” Seeing my resolve, Vivian’s face finally changed. The mask of the grieving mother fell away, revealing the monster beneath. “Have you had enough?” she snarled, getting to her feet. “Is that any way to speak to your mother? I knelt, I apologized, I brought the money! What more do you want?” “I know you’re dating Larry. Don’t think for a second you’ll ever be a part of my family without my permission.” I just laughed and started to walk away. Panicked, Vivian grabbed my arm. “Cora, I’m warning you. Don’t push your luck.” “I gave birth to you! The only reason you’re alive is because of me! And now I’m asking you to donate a little bone marrow, and you dare to give me this attitude?” Her voice dripped with contempt. “I should have strangled you in the womb. You’re just as useless as your deadbeat dad.” 3 I spun around and grabbed the collar of her expensive blouse, my eyes blazing with fury. “You have no right to talk about my father!” I screamed. “The moment he died, you wanted to drag me down with you! Every good day you ever had was because of him! I look like this because of you!” “The person who deserves to die most in this world is you, you venomous bitch!” “You shut your mouth!” SMACK. Her hand connected with my face, sending my mask flying across the room. A collective gasp went through the crowd of onlookers. Some of them gagged. “Oh god, that’s disgusting! What is that? Her face is so… vile!” “No wonder she wears a mask all the time. She’s uglier than a demon. How can her boyfriend even look at her? My eyes are burning.” “Who even hired someone like that? I have to sit near her all day. I’ve lost my appetite. I think I’m going to be sick.” The hideous face I had hidden for more than a decade was now on display for everyone to see. Listening to their revulsion, I began to tremble uncontrollably. I wanted the earth to swallow me whole.
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