My Sister's Secret

In order to force me to give money to my sister, Marlee Robinson, to buy a house, my mother drank a bottle of paraquat, a deadly herbicide known for its irreversible effects.

The result was excruciating pain and black blood spewing from her mouth, leaving my mother in a panic.

"But I filled it with water!"

My mother exclaimed, unaware that this was exactly what Marlee wanted.

A big secret was revealed directly in front of me by Marlee.

1

In order to force me to give money to Marlee to buy a house, my mother drank a bottle of paraquat, a deadly herbicide known for its irreversible effects.

The result was excruciating pain and black blood spewing from her mouth, leaving my mother in a panic.

"But I filled it with water!" she exclaimed, her speech slurred, with blood still at the corners of her mouth.

Paraquat was infamous for making people regret their actions without giving them a chance to survive.

I watched the doctors and nurses bustling around in the hospital, having signed my name several times already.

My mind was still blank.

Just an hour ago, my mother suddenly called me and told me that I had to give Marlee one hundred thousand dollars so that she could buy a house.

I refused.

I had just graduated from college. How could I possibly have the money for Marlee's house?

While others might have a traditional preference for sons over daughters, my family was the opposite.

Yes, I was a son, but every time my mother contacted me, it was always about Marlee.

Either she wanted me to help Marlee with something or to give Marlee money.

I resented her favoritism.

"Bailey Robinson, no matter the cost, you must save me! I don't want to die!" my mother had shouted earlier.

Many people gave me judgmental looks, as if I were a rebellious son unwilling to pay for my mother's treatment.

But she drank the poison herself!

"Sis, mom is at Greenwood Medical Center."

I had to call Marlee.

"Yes, I know," she replied calmly.

I clenched my phone tightly. How could she be so calm?

Our mom drank the poison to force me to give her money!

For a moment, I felt extremely disappointed.

The list of people I resented grew by one.

"Bailey, do you hate me?" Marlee suddenly asked over the phone, catching me off guard.

Did I hate her?

From childhood to now, my mother had always favored Marlee, while I received nothing but scolding and beatings.

Marlee and I were twelve years apart.

The day I was born, my father died in a construction accident.

To be precise, I was born prematurely by half a month because of the news of my father's accident.

In my memory, Marlee was always my mother's treasure.

Why would Marlee think I hate her?

2

"No, she couldn't make it, her organs were failing." the doctor sighed.

"I only drank a little! I'm fine, I... ugh!"

My mother struggled, gripping my hand tightly.

Her eyes stared at me, as if I dared to say the word "give up", she would pounce on me and strangle me to death with her last bit of strength.

Then she vomited black blood all over me, causing another chaotic rush.

Marlee finally arrived, nonchalantly late.

Seeing the bloodstains on my clothes, she reached out to tidy my collar.

"Have you eaten?" she asked casually, a gentle smile on her face.

I felt a chill run down my spine, finding Marlee's demeanor terrifying.

How could she remain so nonchalant, even joyful, while our mother was still being resuscitated?

"Marlee, my mom is still in critical condition," I reminded her.

"I know," she replied nonchalantly, glancing at me before sitting down and pulling out her phone to play a game.

Anger surged within me.

She could be so indifferent just because she was favored.

Growing up, I could only play with toys that Marlee didn't want, and only by following her could I have the chance to eat sweet candies and various delicious snacks.

My mother named my sister Marlee Robinson, while I was named Bailey Robinson.

It was ridiculous. My mother once had a yellow dog named Bailey, which died before I was born.

Then I was born and I was named after this dog.

I learned from a neighbor that my name had been used for a dog.

I was shocked.

"Marlee! Do you have any humanity left? That's your mother! Your mother is fighting for her life!"

I growled, clenching my fists, afraid I might smash her phone in a fit of rage.

"You don't have to remind me, I know," she said without looking up.

"Marlee! She drank the poison for you!"

My voice trembled.

On the one hand, I felt heartbroken that my mother had done such an outrageous thing, and on the other hand, I was angry at Marlee's indifferent attitude.

"She actually asked me to give you 100, 000 dollars so that you can buy a house. How can I have 100, 000 dollars when I just graduated from college?"

My eyes reddened, my face contorted with frustration.

Every time my mother contacted me, she tried to find ways to get me to serve Marlee.

During my four years in college, I worked tirelessly, earning scholarships, participating in competitions, and taking on part-time jobs.

Otherwise, my mother might have driven me to despair.

And Marlee had been married for five years.

"Family of the patient, please come sign the papers."

3

Hearing the nurse's words, my hands trembled.

Could it be...

Since my father's death, my mother had struggled to raise two children. Despite her favoritism towards Marlee, life had been hard for her.

"Is she okay now?" I asked in disbelief.

Didn't the doctor say there was no hope?

How could she suddenly be ready to be moved to a ward?

I stared at the paperwork, confused.

Marlee snatched the papers and signed quickly.

Then my mother was wheeled out, transferred to a ward.

"See, I told you that doctor was just trying to scare us. I feel okay, just a bit of tightness in my chest. Bailey, were you hesitating earlier because you were worried about the cost?"

Looking at my mom on the hospital bed, aside from her pale complexion, she seemed no different from usual.

The moment she came out, she targeted me.

"I'm thirsty. Go buy me a soda."

My mom's expression was unfriendly, and she spoke to me with impatience.

I glanced at Marlee, who was sitting silently beside us, and felt despondent.

Even at this point, my mom still favored Marlee, ordering me around to spare her any trouble.

"You don't have to go," Marlee stopped me.

"What's wrong, Marlee? Are you upset because I didn't give you money? It's all Bailey's fault. He claims he has no money, even though his school provides plenty of subsidies and he earns extra on the side."

Watching my mom speak to Marlee with a fawning smile made my eyes sting.

I couldn't understand.

What reason could there be for my mom to despise me so much? Was it because my dad had an accident

that I was born prematurely that I make her suffer? So she hated me?

How could I have known anything as a baby?

All these years, I've tried my best to be the perfect son, striving to do everything right.

Yet my mom couldn't see it!

She only cared about Marlee!

"When we get home, I'll thoroughly search Bailey. He must be hiding money."

My eyes were sore and my mother's appearance was blurry.

What was she talking about?

I was barely scraping by!

I gave her all my money, and the clothes I wore were the ones she bought me at the start of the school year.

The mobile phone I used was still the oldest model, and I tried to save as much as possible.

At school, I didn't fit in because I was too poor.

But I couldn't explain it all. I received scholarships, won competitions, and earned a high hourly wage at my part-time job.

To my classmates, I was just aloof and low-key.

Little did they know that I had a lot of pain in my heart that I couldn't tell anyone about. My mother asked me for money to support Marlee like crazy.

"Mom, stop pretending," Marlee suddenly said coldly.

What did she mean?

4

I looked at my two closest relatives, feeling momentarily adrift. What kind of secret game were they playing?

"All these years, you've been exploiting Bailey. Haven't you had enough?"

Marlee's words left me confused.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Isn't it all for you?"

My mother was lying on the bed, and when she heard this, she almost jumped up.

Her eyes fixed on Marlee with such intensity that I thought she might devour her.

Had they fallen out?

"Twenty years, mom. Some things can't be hidden forever."

Marlee smiled again, a gentle smile that filled me with dread. This wasn't the Marlee I knew.

"Shut up!"

My mom suddenly yelled at Marlee, her face twisted with agitation.

How could my mother, who always cared about Marlee and spoke gently to her, actually yell at her so fiercely like she did to me?

It was unbelievable.

"Aidan Russell's father isn't Shane Russell," Marlee suddenly declared out of nowhere.

It was like a bolt from the blue. I stared at her in disbelief.

Did she know what she was saying?

Shane was Marlee's husband, and Aidan was their son.

Now, Marlee was saying Aidan wasn't Shane's son. How ridiculous!

"Really?! So it is his? I knew you had it in you, Marlee! Ha-ha!"

My mom, however, was overjoyed.

Watching their bizarre conversation, I suddenly felt like I was in a different world from them.

"No, not his either," Marlee replied indifferently, unfazed by my mom's ecstatic reaction.

my mom made a strange noise, like a goose being strangled.

"What did you say? Marlee, what are you doing? Have you been unfaithful? Are you that desperate for a man?"

My mother was frantic on the hospital bed, my sister was standing aside as if it had nothing to do with her, and I was at a loss.

"Desperate for a man? Well. You've arranged more than enough for me," Marlee said, raising her head with a mocking smile.

"Shut up, shut up! Cough, cough... you... cough, cough..."

My mom was too agitated, coughing violently, her face turning blue.

Then she suddenly started vomiting blood.

The dark blood was eerily frightening.

"I forgot to tell you, I switched that bottle of water back to paraquat," Marlee dropped a bombshell.

"Are you insane?"

I shouted at her, grabbing her shoulders.

"You ungrateful brat! ... Truly ungrateful... cough..."

"Doctor! Doctor!"

I yelled urgently, rushing out of the ward.

5

I called for the doctor and watched as my mom was taken away.

But this time, the doctor gave us a death notice.

My mom was really gone.

"The paperwork is done," Marlee said, patting my shoulder.

I felt like a puppet, my mind unable to process, as she led me around.

I couldn't react at that time.

My mom was cremated, turned into a handful of ashes.

Then Marlee took them home and dumped them into the toilet.

"Are you really insane?"

I couldn't stop her in time as she flushed the ashes away.

"Ha-ha! I'm insane! I'm finally free from it all!"

She suddenly laughed and cried, her demeanor erratic.

Having just lost my mother, was my only remaining family member now mad too?

How dark could my life get?

"Bailey, would you like to hear a story from me?"