And since I returned to the Holmes family, Vivian had done everything to "improve" our relationship.
I had foolishly believed she wanted to make up for the motherly affection I'd missed. But it turned out she only wanted to keep her other daughter alive.
The monthly blood donations, even during pregnancy, weren't out of kindness or care. They were sacrifices—for Patricia.
Denise, you are truly foolish.
I mocked myself silently
For abandoning the foster father who gave me unconditional love...For returning to a mother who only saw me as a tool...For cherishing a husband who never cherished me...For loving a man so deeply that even my child had to suffer for it.
Overnight, I lost my baby, my husband, and my mother.
The wound in my heart was torn open once again. If felt as if salt had been ruthlessly rubbed into it—pain so sharp I could barely breathe.
As I drifted into uneasy sleep, I saw a vision.
A little boy stood at the gate of heaven, waving at me with a bright, innocent smile.
"Mom, I'm leaving," he said softly. "Don't worry. I'm just going to find my brothers and sisters."
His small voice trembled with warmth. "Mom, don't cry, okay? You have to be happy."