My Mother Chose Her Ex's Daughter Over Me

My mother's "true love" had a daughter, and she was kidnapped.

Without hesitation-despite my struggles-my mother traded me to get her back.

Later, when the girl was safely rescued, my mother and her "true love" somehow forgot to gather the full ransom for the kidnappers.

The kidnappers called to demand the ransom, warning that if she didn't pay soon, they would beat me to death.

But my mother was too busy at the hospital, fussing over her beloved's daughter. She simply said, "Go ahead. Kill her if you dare!"

1

With a sharp beep, my mother hung up the phone.

The burly man in front of me, enraged by her indifference, wasted no time. His fists came crashing down on me, one after another.

"Damn it! We should've never agreed to that exchange! Useless brat-nothing but a burden!"

I felt as if my organs were shifting inside me, the overwhelming pain forcing me into a state of painful clarity and utter despair.

When he finally got tired of hitting me, he slumped onto a chair, while his lackeys took over, kicking me around like a ragdoll.

"Too bad for you, huh? Having a mother like that? You might as well be dead." The gang leader spat on the ground.

At that moment, my mind went blank. My mother's cold, heartless words echoed in my ears over and over again.

Then, suddenly, the pain started to fade. It was as if I were floating-my soul drifting away from my battered body.

Beside me, my phone kept flashing.

My dad was calling-again and again.

I tried to reach for it, but my hand passed straight through.

That was when I realized-I was already dead.

My soul drifted away, until I found myself at the hospital. There she was. My mother. She was bustling around, completely preoccupied.

Across the hospital lobby, her beloved-Nolan Moore-sat with his daughter, Lucy, watching as she hurried to register.

"Lucy, I got you checked in. You can go right in," My mother said, smiling warmly, almost... eager to please.

Lucy barely spared her a glance. "I told you I was fine. You didn't have to drag me here."

My mother awkwardly rubbed her hands. "I was just worried, sweetheart. You must've been scared."

I had never seen my mother like this before. The mother I knew was always yelling. At me. At my dad.

In the end, Lucy reluctantly went to see the doctor.

Outside, the sun was blinding, the heat sweltering. Yet when the light passed through my ghostly form, I felt nothing but cold.

Her own daughter had been beaten to death by kidnappers. And here she was-fussing over someone else's daughter.

My mind drifted back.

A month ago, my dad left for a business trip. My mother, in his absence, hardly came home.

Back then, I was handing out flyers at the mall, saving up for her birthday. I wanted to buy her a necklace.

That was when I saw her. She was holding hands with a man. A girl-about my age-walked beside them, her arms weighed down with luxury shopping bags.

"Lucy, is there anything else you want? I will buy it for you." My mother smiled as she reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind the girl's ear.

"Moira, you're spoiling her too much. She won't even use half of this stuff." The man beside her made a half-hearted attempt to protest.

Lucy, spooning Häagen-Dazs into her mouth, didn't even pretend to be grateful. She glanced around lazily.

"I want the new bag from that store."

Lucy's gaze landed on me. The store she was pointing at was right next to where I was handing out flyers.

She looked me up and down. Then she laughed.

My mother followed her line of sight-and the moment she saw me, the smile vanished from her face.

"Eva Cummings, what the hell are you doing here? Handing out flyers? Are you trying to embarrass me? Have I not given you enough to eat? A place to live? Get your ass home. Now."

Her words lashed out like a whip.

2

More and more people were staring at me. My face burned with embarrassment, and I wished I could disappear right now.

But the truth was, she wouldn't let my dad give me money, saying that too much money would lead a young girl astray.

My dad sometimes secretly slipped me some cash, but if my mom found out, they would have a huge fight. So, I rarely asked him for money.

As for my mom, during the month my dad was away on a business trip, I would have starved if I hadn't found a part-time job.

I clenched the flyers in my hand and forced out a "Sorry."

But after today, I could finally buy the necklace for my mom.

I hoped that when she saw it on her birthday, she wouldn't be mad at me anymore.

Under everyone's gaze, I quietly walked away.

Behind me, Lucy let out a mocking laugh.

I went outside to continue handing out flyers. The sun was relentless, scorching my skin.

Sweat dripped into my eyes, stinging them.

By evening, I had finally saved enough money and bought the necklace.

On my mom's birthday, I cooked a full meal and bought a small cake.

I burned my hands twice with hot oil, but I told myself it was worth it. When Mom came home, she'd see everything, smile, and tell me I did great. Then, the pain wouldn't matter.

But I waited until midnight, and she still hadn't come home.

I placed the necklace and a birthday card on her bedside table and went to bed.

In the middle of the night, half-asleep, I was startled awake by loud, urgent knocking.

I opened the door.

My mom stood there, tears in her eyes. Without a word, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me outside.

I was confused and struggled free from her grip.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

She slapped me-hard.

"Stop talking! Lucy's life is on the line. Don't waste my time!"

Before I could react, she shoved me into the car.

The car sped through the night. Soon, we arrived at an abandoned warehouse.

Fear crept over me. I stayed frozen in my seat, afraid to get out.

Then, I saw him-the man from the mall. He and my mom yanked me from the car.

"Eva, Lucy has a heart condition. She can't handle stress, or she might die. You'll take her place for now. We'll get the money and bring you back, I promise."

My mom pulled out a rope from the car and started tying me up. Panic surged through me. I tried to scream, but the man stuffed a rag into my mouth.

Then I saw Lucy. She was tied to a chair, but her face was perfectly fine-rosy, healthy, nothing like someone in distress.

The moment she saw us, relief flooded her face.

"My dad's here! They found someone to replace me! Hurry up and let me go!"

Her voice echoed in the empty warehouse.

"Alright. You have three days to get me the money. I let you swap her out, but if you don't pay up... Well, you might as well start making funeral arrangements."

The leader shoved me into the chair and pushed Lucy toward my mom.

My heart plummeted. I couldn't believe it-my own mother had traded me for Lucy.

I wanted to scream, to ask her why, but my mouth was gagged. All I could do was let out muffled cries.

The pain in my chest was unbearable.

I watched as my mom, Lucy, and Lucy's father hugged each other. Then, all three of them happily got into the car and drove away.

I trembled. The kidnappers dragged me into a basement. I felt numb all over. When my mom left, she hadn't even looked back at me once.

The gang called my mother every day, demanding the ransom, but she never picked up. Meanwhile, I endured endless beatings. Finally, after days of silence, my mom answered. They pulled the rag from my mouth.

Sobbing uncontrollably, I pleaded, "Mom, please, save me! They're going to kill me!"

In the background, I could hear the sound of a hospital. Her voice was impatient.

"Eva, stop acting. I know you're fine. I'm busy right now. Lucy has a doctor's appointment. It's not like I'm not going to save you. Stop bothering me."

The line went dead. Another beating followed.

Back to the present.

The hospital test results came out-Lucy was perfectly fine. No health issues whatsoever.

My mom let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank goodness. To celebrate Lucy's safe return, let's go out for dinner tonight!"

The three of them happily left the hospital.

Then, my mom's phone rang.

3.

"What do you want? Don't you know I'm busy with work?" My mother's voice was particularly impatient.

My dad's anxious voice came through the phone.

"Moira, where's Eva? She hasn't been answering my calls."

My mom rolled her eyes. "How should I know where your daughter is? She's probably out having fun with her friends. I'm busy. Don't bother me."

She hung up, just as decisively as she had when she ignored my desperate cries for help.

I wondered, if my mom knew I was already dead, would she even care?

A bitter laugh escaped my lips, laced with sorrow.

I continued to float above, silently following my mom.

They were sitting in an upscale restaurant, a bottle of red wine now open on the table.

Glasses clinked, the deep red liquid swirling inside.

The color looked eerily similar to the blood that had pooled around me before I died.

As the meal neared its end, my mom finally remembered the ransom. "Nolan, give me the money you set aside for Lucy's ransom. I have some as well. I'll try to get more from Eva's dad. Otherwise, I'm afraid..."

Nolan frowned.

"Why bring that up now? It's a celebration. Relax. They won't actually do anything to Eva. We can stall for a little longer."

My mom hesitated.

"Exactly. Didn't you always say Eva never listens to you? This is the perfect chance! Let her suffer a little-it'll be a good lesson for her." Lucy's face was all sincerity, but her eyes gleamed with malice.

My mom thought for a moment, then nodded, convinced.

"You're right. Eva's been too spoiled. She needs to learn her lesson."

Spoiled? Mom, when did you ever spoil me?

Even as a spirit, my heart ached.

I wanted to grab her and scream, demand to know if she even had a heart.

Had she ever truly thought about her daughter?

4.

Lately, the weather had been oppressively hot.

My body, left in the basement, rotted and reeked in no time.

Finally, my dad came home early from his business trip.

He searched for me like a madman, turning the whole place upside down.

My mom was forced to return home after my dad bombarded her with calls.

"What now? Have you lost your mind? I just got back from a beauty treatment," she complained the moment she walked through the door.

My dad's eyes were bloodshot with worry. "Have you even thought about Eva? Where the hell is she?"

It was only then that my mom seemed to remember me. A flicker of unease crossed her face, her expression stiff and unnatural.

Her gaze darted around. She stammered, "Eva... she... she hasn't been home for days."

"Then why the hell haven't you looked for her?" My dad's patience snapped. He pulled out his phone and immediately dialed 911.

Panic flashed across my mom's face. She lunged forward and snatched the phone from his hands. "You can't call the police!"

Her voice cracked.

"If you call the police... Eva... Eva will be in danger."

The more she spoke, the quieter she became.

My dad frowned, suspicion creeping into his eyes. "Moira Barker, what do you mean? Do you know something?"

Realizing she couldn't hide it any longer, my mom left out the part about exchanging me for Lucy and only admitted that I had been kidnapped.

My dad didn't hesitate. He rushed to get the ransom money and told my mom to contact the kidnappers.

But it was already too late. The kidnappers had blocked my mom's number and vanished.

The phone rang and rang, but no one picked up.

A sense of dread finally set in. My mom started to panic.

She texted Nolan while my dad drove straight to the warehouse.

It was completely empty.

My body was right there, in the basement. But it was hidden too well-they didn't find me.

My dad turned to my mom, his bloodshot eyes filled with fury. "Moira, is this how you are as a mother? Is this how you take care of Eva?"

My mom bristled at his words, her face twisting in anger.

"Declan, who the hell do you think you're yelling at? If Eva hadn't run off on her own, would she have gotten kidnapped? Oh, so now it's all my fault, huh? And what about you? You're always too busy working to even care!"

My dad was so furious he could barely speak. He jabbed a finger at her, took a deep breath, then reached for his phone to call the police again.

In a flash, my mom smacked the phone out of his hands.

"If you call the police and something happens to Eva, can you live with that?"

She was worried about the truth coming out-that she was the one who had given me up in the first place.

My dad sat in silence, smoking cigarette after cigarette, his bloodshot eyes making him look almost unhinged.

Then my mom's phone rang. Nolan's name lit up the screen. She hesitated for a second before making an excuse about work and hurrying out the door.

Before leaving, she repeatedly warned my dad not to call the police.

But he did anyway.

The police got involved immediately.

My dad took them straight to the scene.

After a careful search, they found me. In the basement. Rotting. Reeking.