My mom, Bella, was an orphan, raised by the kindness of many families.

When she got to college, she started donating blood regularly.

That’s where she met my stepmother, Tanya, who was volunteering at the blood drive.

“Wow, what a coincidence!” Tanya had said. “We have the same blood type, and we even go to the same school!”

They became close friends, and Tanya even introduced her brother to my mom.

The day they met, my mom was wearing a simple white dress, her hair naturally curled.

When she smiled, it was like everything around her faded, leaving Tanya, despite her bold features and striking beauty, suddenly less radiant.

A rich boy was falling for a girl from humble beginnings. It was a perfect love story.

But there was a twist. Tanya had a hereditary condition that required regular blood transfusions.

My mom, being both her best friend and now her sister-in-law, never hesitated to donate.

It wasn’t until later that my mom learned the truth. Tanya wasn’t actually related to my dad.

She was the daughter of my grandmother’s best friend, who had asked my dad’s family to take care of her before she passed.

Tanya had grown up alongside my dad, more like siblings, but they weren’t really related.

As Tanya’s health improved, my mom’s started to decline.

Every time Tanya needed blood, my mom grew weaker. When Tanya needed another transfusion, my mom hesitated for the first time.

Tanya collapsed into my dad’s arms, sobbing,

“Don’t blame Bella! I know I’m not her real sister. It’s only fair if she doesn’t want to help me.”

“Brother, I guess it’s just my fate. Maybe in our next lives, we’ll be real siblings.”

My dad frowned, his voice sharp with disappointment.

“Bella, since when did you become so selfish?”

“It’s just blood, not an organ! You can just eat something to make up for it!”

But he didn’t think about the fact that my mom was already eight months pregnant.

Tanya eventually recovered fully.

But my mom didn’t make it through childbirth.

My dad was devastated, wracked with guilt, and cried until he fainted several times.

Tanya comforted him,

“Brother, you have to take care of yourself. Let me look after you and the baby.”

“Bella only ever made you sad. But me? I’d never hurt you like that.”

And so, a white sheet covered my mom’s body, while a wedding veil adorned Tanya.

But my dad didn’t know that my mom’s death wasn’t just a tragic accident.

There was something more sinister at play.

In my ghost mom’s version of the story, my dad was just too soft-hearted, letting Tanya weasel her way into our lives.

But even as a kid, I knew better. He wasn’t kind or blind.

He was just a plain jerk.

To everyone else, he and my stepmom were the picture-perfect couple, and we looked like the ideal little family.

The only thing left of my mom was that necklace, ‘Tears of Love’. Every other trace of her had been wiped away.

But there was no way I’d let them live in peace.

So, I made a habit of pretending to have nightmares and barging into their bedroom in the middle of the night.

I’d throw myself around Tanya’s neck, sobbing like my life depended on it.

“Mommy, I dreamed you died! Please don’t die!”

My dad would try to laugh it off, telling me it was just a nightmare and not to bother Tanya.

But she’d play the doting mother, smiling as she held me,

“It’s okay if I lose some sleep. Sienna’s well-being is what matters.”

Please, who doesn’t know how to play the victim?

I’m the real little victim here!

Then I’d turn and snuggle into my dad’s arms, rubbing my eyes and whimpering in the sweetest voice I could manage,

“Daddy, I dreamed Mommy died and told me to take care of you. You were crying so much!”

“It’s okay if Sienna dies, as long as Daddy is happy!”

Tanya’s face would immediately darken, darker than the night itself.

My dad’s eyes would flicker, his expression tense as he quietly tried to comfort me, his eyelashes trembling just a little.

The next time I burst into their bedroom crying, Tanya finally lost it.

“Look at me! I’m not dead! If you keep saying that, I’ll give you something to cry about!”

My dad tried to calm us both down, one hand patting my back, the other stroking her hair.

“Sienna’s just a kid. Why are you getting so upset?”

Tanya let out a bitter laugh.

“I told you we should lock the door, but no! You’re happy that woman’s still haunting us, aren’t you?”

My dad forced a smile, trying to keep his cool.

“Don’t say stuff like that in front of her.”

“Stuff like that? You know exactly what I mean!”

She snapped, grabbing the oil burner from the nightstand and throwing it at him. He blocked it with his arm, but the burner ricocheted back, slicing her leg open.

Blood started gushing out, and just like that, her condition flared up again.

Everything became a blur as my dad frantically called the hospital, searching for Rh-negative blood.

Amidst the chaos, I tugged at his shirt, my voice pleading.

“Daddy, give Mommy my blood!”

That’s when he noticed I was barefoot, standing on the cold floor. We’d rushed out so quickly that I hadn’t even put on shoes.

His face went through a mix of shock, sadness, and guilt.

Kneeling, he choked out,

“You’re only six. You can’t give blood to Mommy yet.”

I nodded, my heart sinking.

“That’s why Grandma keeps telling me to eat more and get strong, so I can be a good blood donor.”

My dad’s brow furrowed, and I quickly reached up to smooth it out.

“Don’t be sad, Daddy. I’ll grow up fast! Mommy named me Sienna so I could give her my blood, right?”

His expression changed like he’d been slapped awake.

Tanya had once said she envied Bella’s place in my dad’s heart.

“Why don’t we name her Sienna, in her memory?”

My dad let out a bitter laugh.

“Sienna. For her blood. You two really are something.”

I clung to his hand, my voice trembling.

“Did I say something wrong, Daddy? Does Mommy not like me anymore?”

“In my dream, she was so nice to us. Why is she so mean when I wake up?”

He didn’t answer, just held me close, gently patting my back until I drifted off.

Half-asleep, I heard him calling my grandma.

He was trying to keep his voice down, but it was clear they were arguing.

Now that’s my kind of lullaby! Way better than those sad bedtime stories Mom used to tell me.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face.