A Death Certificate

Half a month later, my mother showed up again along with Jeremy.

She had truly lost all sense of decency and driven my grandmother out.

"Don't blame me. Isn't she the one who's always been the most filial to you? If something happens to you, she's bound to show up."

Jeremy clung to my mother's arm, feigning concern. "Mom, Grandma is getting old. Stop putting her through this. Charlie must still be upset that I stole your love. That's why she's deliberately staying away."

He covered one of his eyes dramatically. "My other eye still works. I'm fine."

My mother immediately pulled him into her arms. "Jeremy, don't worry. I'll find that little wretch."

Her voice was sharp with anger. "She made you suffer like this. She won't get away with it."

Her gaze turned icy as she fixed it on my grandmother. "If you don't want to starve out there, you'd better find her. I've already contacted the hospital. As soon as she shows up, we'll proceed with the surgery."

My grandmother was a woman who loved reading and staying informed. She sneered at her. "Selling organs is illegal, and so is neglecting your elderly mother. If you're not afraid of me calling the police, then go ahead and make a scene."

"I'm not leaving. If I go, Charlie's spirit won't be able to find me, and she'll be distressed," she added firmly.

A sharp pain pierced my chest.

'Can Grandma sense my presence?' I mused.

My mother threatened, "You know my temper. Feel free to test me."

My grandmother trembled with fury. "She's already gone. Why can't you accept that? She wasn't your biological daughter, but she loved you like you were her real mother. How can you treat her like this?"

My mother's face twisted with hatred. "Because she killed my father and blinded my son in one eye."

"It was an accident," my grandmother said weakly. "No one wanted that to happen."

My grandmother tried to explain, "If Jeremy hadn't insisted on going out to play, how could this have happened—"

Jeremy quickly interrupted her. "Please don't argue because of me. I've never blamed Charlie for leaving me behind. She just didn't want to share your love with me," he added, lowering his right hand.

As he did, he revealed his bloodshot right eye, an eye that got stabbed in an accident all those years ago.

That injury was a constant reminder of my mistake to my mother.

And my mother? She always fell for it.

Her tone softened even further as she comforted him. "In the end, nothing compares to one's own flesh and blood. Those taken in are just ingrates. Even if I have to dig three feet into the ground, I will find her."

I floated above, watching her twisted expression. It felt like a heavy weight was pressed against my chest. I couldn't breathe.

She was never going to find me. After my body was donated, all the procedures became confidential. Even I didn't know which university or hospital was using me as a teaching cadaver.

My grandmother brought out my body donation agreement, but my mother tore it apart without even glancing at it.

"Don't try to fool me with fake documents. What were you thinking?" she sneered. "Someone as selfish as her—she wouldn't even share a piece of candy with Jeremy when she was little. How could she possibly donate her body?"

My grandmother bent down and picked the torn pieces of paper up from the ground. Her lips quivered as she called out my childhood nickname. "Lilie, don't be afraid. Grandma will come find you soon," she said softly.

I didn't want my grandmother to come find me. Not at all.

My mother clearly had other ideas. She kicked aside the scraps of paper on the floor.

"Mom, where is Charlie? Where is she?" she demanded.

My grandmother snapped. Her anger, raw and sudden, spilled over as she threw a piece of paper at my mother.

"Look at it yourself! Look at the seal! Are you blind or just plain dumb? Who could forge something like this?" she yelled.

My mother was stunned by her yelling.

She stared blankly at the death certificate in her hand. The official words stared back at her:

"This certifies that Charlie Sawyer, female, 25 years old, died on July 7, 2010. She suffered three years of brutal abuse before her death. Her reproductive organs were severely damaged, and her body bore countless injuries..."