The year the earthquake hit, my sister and I were buried under the rubble. The rescuer said, "The structure is unstable. Saving one might cause the rest to collapse." My parents screamed without hesitation: "Save my older daughter first!" My sister also screamed from inside: "Save me first! Save me first!" During the rescue, the firefighters emphasized again and again: Do not move. But my sister didn't listen. She pushed violently against everything around her. Because of her, the debris shifted, and I was crushed to death by the collapsing weight. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the earthquake. 1 I jolted awake in bed, checking the date on my phone. It was the day. Two hours left. The quake would hit at 2:00 AM. It was exactly midnight. I didn't have time to think. I put on my shoes and ran out. In my past life, the earthquake crushed so many people. Since I was reborn, I couldn't just stand by. I had to save as many as I could. I started from the first floor, banging on doors one by one. Once I confirmed the sleepy residents were awake, I moved to the next. By the time I woke up the entire seven-story building, only five minutes remained. I sprinted home. Two minutes left. In my past life, I wasted the best escape window trying to save my sister. This time, I'd leave that heroic opportunity to the mother who loved her most. I ran to my parents' room. "Mom, Dad, earthquake! Wake up!" They woke up groggily. Forty seconds left. "I just tried to wake Chloe, but she won't wake up. What do we do?" My parents started to argue: "Who says there's an earthquake? In the middle of the night, you..." Before they finished, the building began to shake. "Chloe is still sleeping!" I urged. Mom's face filled with terror. She rushed towards Chloe's room, screaming, "Chloe! Wake up! Get up, earthquake!" Dad grabbed me and we ran downstairs. The quake was violent, giving no time for hesitation. Just as Dad and I escaped the building, a deafening BOOM echoed. The building collapsed. Mom and Chloe were trapped in the ruins. Screams and wails filled the air. A piercing ring filled my ears, blurring my vision. Memories of my past life flooded back. That day, when the shaking started, I jumped up and ran to the door, seeing Chloe still asleep. I tried to pull her, wake her, but she slept like the dead. Mom and Dad had already escaped, and I missed my chance. We were both trapped. When daylight came, rescuers found us. I heard Mom calling out in distress, but only for Chloe. "Chloe, hang in there! Someone is coming to save you! You have to hold on!" After assessing the site, the rescuers told Mom: "The terrain is complex. Saving one might cause a secondary collapse. We suggest saving the one on the left first; it's more stable." Chloe and I both heard this. I didn't even need to guess; I knew Mom wouldn't pick me. From childhood, Chloe was the apple of her eye. And I, the second child, was always the unwanted one. Sure enough, Mom said firmly: "Save Chloe. Save the one on the right. The one in white." Chloe screamed at that moment: "Mom, save me! My leg hurts! Save me first, Mom!" I felt cold all over. Through the cracks, I saw Mom's worried gaze fixed solely on Chloe. The firefighters moved gently, trying their best to save both of us. They kept warning Chloe: "Don't move. If you move, your sister might get crushed." As they slowly pulled Chloe out, she ignored them. She flailed her arms, pushing everything around her. She shoved whatever she could reach, disregarding the firefighters' shouts. The moment Chloe was pulled free, a massive weight crushed down on me. It squeezed the air out of my lungs. The pain was unbearable. I screamed, "Mom, save me! It hurts! Mom, help!" The rescue team sped up, calling for more hands to dig me out. But then I heard Mom say to them: "Don't bother with the one inside. Even if you save her, she'll be crippled. I don't have the energy to raise a cripple." I watched the small hole of light get completely blocked. Just like my life, fading into darkness. Lying in the dark ruins, I waited in terror for my death. After an eternity, I finally closed my eyes in exhaustion. When I opened them again, I was back on the day of the earthquake. This time, I want you to feel what it's like to be chosen, and then abandoned. 2 Dad's scream snapped me back to reality. I pulled him back: "Dad, watch out for aftershocks. Let's go to the open area. Rescuers will come soon. Mom and Chloe will be fine." Dad was in shock, completely dazed. Yeah, experiencing this for the first time would shatter anyone's world. But I was different. I had already died in this earthquake once. I wasn't afraid. Every day I lived now was a bonus. Rescuers arrived quickly. Dad rushed over, begging them to save his family. But the building was a pile of rubble; it was impossible to tell where Mom and Chloe were buried. But I knew. I deliberately led the rescuers in the opposite direction, "coincidentally" hearing an old lady's cry for help. They saved her. Two more hours passed. Six hours from burial to discovery. I shouted: "Dad! Mom is over here!" Dad called the lead rescuer over. They surveyed the terrain, observing the situation inside. They delivered the bad news: "The terrain is complex. Saving one might cause a secondary collapse." Such familiar words. Through the cracks, I saw Chloe's pale face and Mom's terrified expression. Dad hesitated. Both were his loves. How to choose? Unlike me, they made up their minds quickly back then. Heh. I heard Chloe scream: "Dad, save me! I don't want to die! Dad, I can make money when I grow up, I can marry, I can take care of you! "Mom is just a woman who does chores. You can find another one, right? I'm worth more than Mom, Dad!" I watched Mom's expression shatter. I lowered my head, hiding a smile. Surprise, Mom. The daughter you treasured sees you like this. To her, you're just a replaceable nanny. Dad made his decision: "Save my daughter." Mom was abandoned. She shrieked: "David Zhang, don't you dare remarry! If I die, I'll haunt you! "And you, Chloe Zhang! I was blind! I didn't know you were so selfish!" Chloe's legs were pinned, pain driving her mad. "So what if I'm selfish? I'm telling the truth! I am more valuable. Dad choosing me is smart!" Mom's look of hatred was truly delightful to see. But I couldn't let Mom die just like that. I shouted into the ruins: "Mom! Mom, don't be scared! I will definitely save you! You have to hold on! Mom, don't give up! I'm coming to save you!" Such heartwarming words. Compared to Chloe, I was the perfect filial daughter. Only I knew, I just wanted to deepen her resentment towards Chloe. The terrain was tricky. It took a lot of effort for the rescuers to pull Chloe out. When she was dragged out, I noticed her legs had turned black. I heard a medic say: "These legs might need amputation." After Chloe was out, the secondary collapse didn't happen on Mom's side. Maybe because the position was different, or maybe because Chloe didn't flail around this time. Mom was saved too. Both were sent to the hospital. Dad went with Chloe, and I went with Mom. I was getting more and more excited. After waking up, would Mom resent Chloe? Or, despite being stabbed in the back by her beloved daughter... Would she still only have eyes for her? 3 Looking at Mom, unconscious in the hospital bed, I stared at her intensely. For so many years, this was the first time I could look at her face so seriously. Growing up, Mom never really looked at me. Grandma said Mom wanted a son for her second child. She paid a huge fine just to have me. But alas, I was a girl. Mom was furious. From birth, I was dumped at Grandma's. Grandma had no choice. She couldn't watch me starve. Luckily, two neighbors had just given birth. I survived by scavenging breast milk here and there. Until I was eight and needed to start elementary school. Grandma called Dad, and he brought me to town for school. Chloe was two years older. When I started first grade, she was in third. I had zero educational foundation. First grade was a struggle. My grades were always at the bottom. Mom didn't like me. Every day after school, I had to do chores. Dishes, laundry, sweeping, mopping... that was my daily life. My study time was compressed to the limit. My grades never caught up until middle school. Chloe, however, was always top three. Parents spoiled her like a princess. My birthday was a month after hers, but they never celebrated mine. I couldn't even eat her birthday cake. They said I would steal her luck. But now, Chloe's legs were amputated, her face ruined by rebar. Would they still love her? I stared at Mom's face, my expression shifting from resentment to concern. Because she woke up. She looked at me, stunned at first, then relieved. I stepped forward with concern: "Mom~ You're awake? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? I'll call the doctor." Mom grabbed me. Her first question was: "How is your sister?" I almost lost my composure. "Sister isn't doing well. Both legs amputated, face disfigured. She hasn't woken up yet." Mom fell silent. She lay there without a word. Couldn't tell if she was sad or happy. She seemed to be thinking, weighing her options. On the day Mom was discharged, Chloe woke up. Lying in the hospital bed, seeing Mom alive, she didn't know how to react. Dad wasn't there, probably figuring out our housing situation. Chloe didn't know her legs were gone yet. Didn't know about the centipede-like scars on her face. After a long hesitation, Chloe spoke: "Mom... glad you're okay. We're both alive, that's best, right? Don't blame me, I was just scared." Mom's expression was ugly. The despair of facing death was something she'd never forget. I walked to Mom, holding her arm: "Mom, you just woke up, sit down and rest. If you weren't lucky, I would have..." I stopped there. Adults hate ominous talk. Stopping there was more effective. Mom's gaze at Chloe grew more disgusted. Chloe glared at me hatefully: "Zoe Zhang, stop trying to drive a wedge between us. Mom will never like you." Her words seemed to remind Mom of something. She turned around, grabbed my hand, eyes reddening instantly. "I didn't raise you in vain. It was Mom's fault. I treated you badly before. Don't worry, Mom will change. I will make it up to you, double." I smiled and held her hand back, tilting my head to give Chloe a triumphant smirk. But a question mark hung in my heart. Would Mom really keep her word? 4 Dinner time. Dad rushed back with three box lunches. One for each of us. None for Chloe. She demanded: "Why don't I have one?" Dad shoveled rice into his mouth: "You just had surgery, in a coma for days. Doctor said eat something easy to digest first. I'll buy you porridge later." Chloe was confused: "Surgery? What surgery?" The three of us eating froze. Chloe didn't know her legs were gone. She was only half a person now. No one answered. Her emotions crumbled. Her voice rose: "Tell me! What surgery?" Mom lost patience. She walked over and ripped off the blanket. Empty bed. Her legs were gone. Chloe opened her mouth but no sound came out. Tears rolled down like pearls. Silent breakdown. Mom seemed unsatisfied with the shock. She took a photo of Chloe's face with her phone and showed it to her. Chloe completely lost it. Screaming with her face covered, attracting the nurse's scolding. "Quiet! This is a hospital. Don't disturb other patients." I watched Chloe's face turn ghost white. She shook her head in disbelief, muttering: "Impossible, impossible, wasn't I saved? How could this be?" I ate with my head down, watching the standoff. Mom's resentment ran deep. Being looked down upon by her favorite daughter. Being heartlessly abandoned by her must have hurt like hell. I gnawed on a chicken leg, listening to Mom mock her: "Did you think being saved meant a happy life again? "You even told your dad to find another one? If he found a stepmom, look at you now. He'd run off with the new woman and forget about you! "I really didn't expect it. I spoiled you so much, and you wanted me dead. Heh, I was blind." Dad put down his lunch and went to show loyalty to Mom: "Wifey, I never thought of abandoning you. It was Zoe begging me, my heart softened." Mom glared at Dad: "That day I only heard Zoe telling me not to give up. I only heard Zoe say she'd save me. Don't treat me like a fool." They argued. My lunch box was empty. Our house collapsed. Dad used connections to solve the immediate housing problem. After Chloe was discharged, we moved into a temporary shed. Chloe's condition required constant care. Mom refused to touch her. Dad was inconvenient as a man. The burden fell on my shoulders. Chloe seemed to enjoy me serving her hand and foot. That made me unhappy. That day Chloe needed the toilet. I pretended not to hear, washing dishes outside. Mom and Dad were out. Only Chloe was inside. I finished the dishes, then hung the laundry in the sun. Mom came back, saw me working, and offered to help. Then we heard a thud. We ran in. Chloe had fallen, covered in her own filth. Mom walked out in disgust. Took several breaths before going back in. Dad returned, called me over, said he found a school for me to transfer to. I left quickly. Only Mom and Chloe remained in the shed. Chloe was dying of shame. When Mom tried to help, she pushed her away. Mom got covered in filth too. But she still dragged Chloe into the plastic tub. Chloe cried. Mom endured the smell and washed her. Neither spoke, but the care wasn't fake. How could a mother abandon her own daughter? Then what about me? Why did she abandon me back then?
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