"So what now? You want to dump your responsibilities on your brother halfway through? Do you have any sense of duty at all!"
My heart was hammering, fast enough that it scared me.
She wasn't wrong. The treatment plan had been my doing.
The moment I'd found the research on a potential cure, I called my husband, Rhys Henson. He dropped everything on the spot and spent an entire week with me poring over medical journals until we confirmed it: this rare blood disease could be treated with a newborn's cord blood.
The success rate was high.
But only if the blood type matched.
Between me and Cornelius, I was the only match.
That was why Rhys and I had this baby.
I thought ten more months, and Mom would be saved.
I hadn't even told her about the cord blood. I was afraid she'd refuse out of concern for me.
Looking back now, that was laughable.
Concern for me?
She didn't have any.
What she wanted was for me to get rid of this baby so I'd be free to wait on her through surgery.
That was when Rhys's call came in.
Before I could answer, Cornelius snatched the phone from my hand and hurled it into the fish tank.
He stood there frowning, something threatening in his expression. "Sylvia, don't even think about telling your husband."
"What if he gets mad and refuses to do Mom's surgery?"
Mad. So he knew. He knew this would make someone angry.
Before I could react, he grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the stairs. "Just fall down yourself. That way it's an accident."
I wrenched free, fighting him. "Cornelius! That's a crime!"
He let out a scoff, contempt flickering across his face. "It's an accident. What crime?"
"Even if the cops do show up, the one they'd arrest is you, the ungrateful daughter."
Daisy leaned against the doorframe, scrolling through her phone, a lazy smile on her lips. "Mom asked you to go get it taken care of on your own. You refused. Now look where we are."
I forced myself to take a deep breath. Forced myself to stay calm. I turned to my mother. "Mom, I'll pay for a home nurse. Will that work?"
"A nurse would be more professional, more qualified to—"
She waved me off before I could finish. "A nurse? Those people are all scammers!"
"If you've got money to throw around, why not just give it to me? Your brother still needs gear for his trip."
Something heavy settled on my chest. I couldn't breathe.
It took me a long moment to find my voice again. I stared at her, disbelief written across my face. "Mom. Are you serious?"
She blinked, then stiffened her neck and doubled down. "Don't blame me. I'm going to be living with your brother from now on, so of course I have to look out for him."
"Besides, isn't your husband a doctor? You two can figure out the baby situation on your own. But my surgery is a one-time thing."
I couldn't hold it in anymore. The words tore out of me. "Do you even know that your disease needs my baby?!"
"Without my baby, your disease can't be cured!"
The room went dead silent.
But within seconds, Daisy let out a sharp little laugh. "Mom, she's threatening you."
"She's saying if you don't let her keep the baby, she won't let her husband do your surgery."
"She really knows how to twist your arm, doesn't she."
My mother's whole body shook. She jabbed a trembling finger at my face and screamed, "You! You'd threaten me over some shapeless clump that hasn't even formed yet?!"
"I'll ask you one more time! Are you getting rid of it or not!"
