The Will of Betrayal

"Mom, the daughter you hid for 20 years is here to ask for the house." I stood by the hospital bed, looking at my haggard mother. Her eyes dodged me, lips moved a few times. "Ethan, that is your sister..." Sister? I served her for 8 years. Changing Bedpans, quit my job, didn't marry, no life. 8 years. She hid a daughter for 20 years, didn't let me know a single phone call. Now, that "sister" is here. To split the Inheritance. ... Chapter 1 When that woman stood at the door, I thought she had the wrong room. "Excuse me, is Linda Miller staying here?" I stunned a bit: "Who are you looking for?" "Linda Miller." She said again, "I am her daughter." I didn't understand. "What did you say?" "Linda Miller's daughter, Ruby." She said calmly, "I came to see my mom." Linda Miller is my mother's name. I am Linda Miller's only child. "You have the wrong room." I said. She smiled, took out her phone from her bag, flipped to a photo. It was my mother. Mother when young, about forty years old, standing beside a little girl, seven or eight years old look. Mother's hand, rested on that girl's shoulder. Under the photo was a line of handwritten words. "Ruby 8th Birthday, Mom loves you forever." My hand started shaking uncontrollably. "Who exactly are you?" She put away the phone, looked up at me: "Bro, my name is Ruby. My dad is Robert. 20 years ago, my mom was with my dad." Bro. She called me Bro. I held the door frame, only felt the world spinning. "Impossible." I said, "My mom impossible..." "Enough." Mother's voice came from the ward, "Ethan, let her in." I turned back. Mother leaned on the bed, no surprise on her face. No surprise at all. She knew. She long knew this person would come. "Mom..." "Let her in." Mother repeated, voice hoarse, "I have words to say to you guys." That afternoon, I knew a secret hidden for 20 years. Mother had an affair when I was 10. The other party was Robert, her colleague at the time. They were together for three years. Had a daughter. Ruby. "I don't know how to tell you." Mother didn't look at me, eyes staring out the window, "It's been too long." Too long? I am 32 this year. This matter hidden for 20 years. Does my dad know? "Your dad knows." Mother seemed to guess my mind, "Later, I cut contact with that man. Your dad forgave me." Forgave? I felt chest blocked by a giant stone, couldn't breathe. "Then her?" I pointed at Ruby standing aside, "You cut contact, how is she still here?" "I cut with her dad." Mother said, "But she is my daughter, I can't ignore." Can't ignore. "These 20 years, you always caring for her?" Mother didn't speak. Ruby answered for her: "Every month, Mom would send living expenses to my dad. My college tuition, was also Mom paid." Every month. Living expenses. Tuition. I remembered something. Senior year of high school, I wanted to sign up for a Coding Bootcamp, one summer $2,000. Mother said too expensive, no need. I worked part-time myself, saved for three summers, then saved enough for exchange program fees. And she, every month sending living expenses to another man. Paying tuition for another child. "How much?" I asked. "What?" "How much did you give them every month?" Mother didn't speak. Ruby said: "Two thousand." Every month two thousand. 20 years. I calculated. $480,000. Plus college tuition, tens of thousands a year, four years at least $50,000. Added up, over $500,000. My $2,000 bootcamp, too expensive. She spent $500,000 on a secret daughter in 20 years, not expensive. "Mom." I heard my own voice, dry and trembling, "These years, why didn't you tell me?" "Tell you for what?" Mother finally looked at me, a trace of impatience in her eyes, "What use saying it out? Let you hate me?" Let me hate her. I clenched my fists. "I don't hate you." I said, "I just want to know, in your heart, what am I." Mother didn't answer. Ruby spoke: "Bro, let the past pass. Mom is not well now, let's not make her worry." Her tone calm, even carrying a few points of concern. As if she is the real child of this family. As if I am the extra person. "Why did you come?" I asked her. "See Mom." She said, "Also meet Bro." "And then?" She paused. "Mom said, want to settle the Inheritance matter." Inheritance. Turns out came to split inheritance. Chapter 2 Mother's illness was found four years ago. Late stage Breast Cancer. Doctor said, at most one year. I quit my job, focused on taking care of her at home. One year became two years, two years became three years. Now is the fourth year. In between Mother hospitalized six times, big small surgeries did three times, chemotherapy did more than ten courses. Every time, was me accompanying. Registration, queuing, paying fees, picking up medicine, delivering food, wiping body, changing bedpans. 3 AM, she shouted pain, I climbed up to massage her. 6 AM, she wanted porridge, I had to get up at 5 to cook. Four years. 1460 days. I haven't slept a complete sleep. My dad is old, health also not good, can't help much. Relatives symbolically came to see few times, sent some fruits, said few "hard work", then disappeared. All things, are me alone carrying. I am 32 this year. Age should marry, I have no partner. Age should work, I have no income. Age should enjoy, I gnaw bread in hospital corridor. I am not without resentment. But she is my mother. I thought, I am her only child. I thought, everything I did, she would remember. Now I know, she remembers, is another person. A daughter she hid for 20 years. "Mom." That night, I sat by the bed, "These four years, who was taking care of you?" Mother closed eyes, didn't speak. "Is me." I answered myself, "From you found illness start, is me quit job, is me changing bedpans, is me accompanying you surgery, is me whole night whole night not sleep." "I know." She said. "Then her?" I pointed at door, "These four years, where was she?" Mother opened eyes, looked at me. "She didn't know I was sick." "You didn't tell her?" "No." "Why?" "She is still young, has her own life." Mother said, "I don't want to delay her." Don't want to delay her. Me? I am also young, I also have my own career. When I quit, what did you say? You said: "You are my son, taking care of me is should be." Should be. "Then me?" I asked, "Have you thought about delaying me?" Mother didn't speak. "I am 32." I continued, "My classmates all married, some kids in elementary school. Me? I have no partner, no savings, no job. These four years, I have nothing." "You will have." Mother said, "When I go, you are free." When she goes. I am free. I suddenly laughed out. "Mom, do you know what you are saying?" She didn't speak. "You said when you go, I am free." I stood up, "Then what are these four years? These four years I paid, what count in your eyes?" "I remember." Mother said. "You remember?" I pointed outside door, "You remember me, or remember her?" Mother looked at me, there was something in her eyes. Not guilt. Is annoyance. "Ethan, can you not make noise?" Make noise. I took care of her four years, no complaint. She hid a secret daughter for 20 years, I ask a sentence, is "making noise". "Good." I took a deep breath, "I don't make noise. You tell me, that Ruby came for what?" "She came to see me." "She came for inheritance." I said, "Right or not?" Mother didn't speak. "Right or not?" "...She is my daughter." Mother finally opened mouth, "My things, leave to her, have what problem?" Her things. Leave to her daughter. Have what problem. I stood there, felt whole body ice cold. "Mom, then me?" "You are son." Mother said, "Son later want to bear own small family, these things leave to daughter, is to let her have a guarantee later." Chapter 3 That night, I returned home, saw Ruby standing in living room. She was looking around, looking at sofa, TV, family photo on wall. "Bro." She turned around, smiled a bit, "This house quite big." 1200 square feet. This is Mother's only real estate. Back then bought spent $400k. Now this location, at least worth $1.5 Million. "What are you looking at?" I asked. "Nothing, just casual looking." Her tone natural, "This house Mom bought right?" "Yes." "Who's name on House Deed?" I stunned a bit. "Written my mom's name." "Oh." She nodded, "That's good." That's good? What meaning? "Bro, I tell you truth." Ruby sat down on sofa, crossed legs, "Mom's meaning is, after she goes, this house belongs to me." I felt someone stabbed a knife in my heart. "What?" "Mom said, house give me." She repeated, "Also those her 401k, savings, add up about $700k, also give me." $700k. Plus house $1.5 Million. Total over $2 Million. My mother's entire life savings. All give her. "You are joking?" I said. "No." Ruby took out a paper from bag, "This is Mom's Will, notarized by lawyer. You can look." I took that paper. Will. Written clearly on it. "I, Linda Miller, voluntarily leave all assets under my name, including one real estate, savings and investments, to daughter Ruby." Daughter Ruby. Not son Ethan Miller. I flipped the will, saw Mother's signature, and red fingerprint. Date was three months ago. Three months ago, I was still in hospital accompanying her chemotherapy. She while letting me serve, while secretly wrote will, gave everything to secret daughter. "Bro, don't be angry." Ruby said, "Mom said, you taking care of her these years, very hard. She left a little money for you, $10,000, count as thanking you." $10,000. I took care of her four years, quit job, lost partner, delayed life. She gave me $10,000. Another secret daughter never took care of her, get $2 Million. "Bro?" Ruby looked at me, "Are you okay?" I laughed. "I am okay." I returned the will to her. "You want house, right?" "Mom's meaning is..." "I ask you." I interrupted her, "You want house, right?" She paused: "Right." "Good." I stood up, "I move out tomorrow." Ruby stunned. "Bro, don't be like this, I didn't mean that..." "You mean exactly that." I looked at her, "You come here, is for this house. Right?" She didn't speak. "I ask you." I said, "These 20 years, how many times you saw my mom?" "...Not many." "How many?" "Five six times ba." "Me?" I said, "I lived with her 32 years. I served her four years. You five six times, I 1460 days." Ruby opened mouth, didn't say words. "But she gave everything to you." I said, "Do you know why?" "...Why?" "Because you are daughter she born with cheating man." I laughed, "In her eyes, daughter needs be pained more, son should carry himself. I took care four years, not as good as your one sentence 'Mom'." I didn't finish. I couldn't say down. "Bro, Mom her generation..." "Don't call me Bro." I said, "I have no sister." Chapter 4 I went to find Mother. "Mom, that will you wrote?" Mother leaned on bed head, looking at me. "Yes." "Why?" "I said." Her tone calm, "She is my daughter." "Am I not your son?" "You are." She said, "But son wants to stand tall, can't always think about family assets. Daughter different, need assets to depend on." "Stand tall?" I asked, "Then what about these four years? I served you four years, count what?" "I know you worked hard." Mother said, "I left $10,000 for you." "$10,000." I repeated. "Not enough?" "Mom, your meaning is, my four years, worth $10,000?" Mother frowned: "Ethan, how you become like this? Open mouth close mouth is money." I became like this. Open mouth close mouth is money. "Mom, not me open mouth close mouth is money." I said, "Is you open mouth close mouth is your that daughter." "She is my daughter, I can't ignore her." "Then me?" "You are also my son." Mother said, "I raised you 32 years, eat wear use, which item less yours?" Raised me 32 years. "Mom, I went out work at 18." I said, "My college tuition, I loaned myself. After I work, every month still send money home. You raised me how many years?" Mother didn't speak. "Do you know how much you send that man every month? $2,000." I said, "When I was senior high, want enroll a bootcamp, $2,000, you said too expensive." "That is two different things." "Where is two different things?" "He alone bringing her, not easy." Mother said, "You different, you have Dad." I have Dad. So I deserve it. "Mom, do you really feel you not wrong?" Mother looked at me, eyes carrying a trace of sorrow. "Ethan, I am old. I don't have many days. I just want to arrange after matters well." After matters. "Your after matters, is give everything to that secret daughter?" "Don't say her like that." Mother said, "She is your sister." Sister. "I have no sister." "Ethan!" "I said, I have no sister." I looked at her, "I also have no mother." Mother's face changed. "What did you say?" "From today." I stood up, "We are clear." "Ethan Miller!" "Don't you want give house to her?" I said, "I move out tomorrow. Don't you want give money to her? $10,000 I also don't want. From today, you dead or alive, no relation with me." Mother's face flushed red. "You... you dare! You dare ignore me!" "Have you ignored me?" I turned, walked out. "Ethan Miller! You stand there for me!" "You go find your daughter." I didn't look back, "This life, don't meet again."

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