Chapter 9 Chapter 9: What Is Wrong With You?
Nigel’s eyes turned red. His throat felt tight, as if something sharp was stuck there. The pain made it hard to breathe.
Allison saw the look on his face and spoke for him. “You’re trying to say that’s just how psychiatric hospitals are, right? That the patients don’t understand boundaries? That if anyone is to blame, it’s me. That I was selfish and couldn’t stand Sherrie, so I deserved to be sent there. That I should be grateful I wasn’t sent to prison instead?”
Nigel started to speak, but when she said it so plainly, he felt cornered. “Isn’t that the truth?”
Allison didn’t look at him again. She turned to Ruth and asked in a trembling voice filled with pain, “Mom, was it really me who hurt your daughter?”
Ruth was shocked after hearing Allson's question. Panic flashed in her eyes, but she quickly covered her face and cried again. “Stop fighting! It’s all my fault! If I had just died on that mountain, none of this would have happened!”
She cried so hard that her whole body shook, and she almost collapsed.
“Mom!”
Nigel and Sherrie rushed to support her and helped her sit on the couch.
Allison stood near the door and didn’t move. Her body hurt too much to take another step.
But to everyone else, she just looked cold and heartless.
Nigel’s anger sharpened with every word. He shouted at Allison, “What did Mom ever do to you? What did Sherrie ever do wrong? Was it Mom’s fault she was kidnapped? Was it Sherrie’s fault she was born into that family? You act like you’re the victim, but you’re just resentful! Mom and Sherrie had no choice in their lives, but you did! You have family, status, and money. Everything good in life already belongs to you. Yet you still envy Sherrie, who has nothing! You’re standing here just fine, while Sherrie has to take medication for the rest of her life. And you still think the whole world owes you!”
At his words, Ruth lowered her head. Sherrie bit her lip, afraid Ruth might say something she shouldn’t.
Allison didn’t look at Nigel. Her eyes stayed on Ruth, even though Ruth refused to look back.
Three years ago, Ruth saw the truth with her own eyes. She knew Sherrie framed me. She knew I was innocent, and still, she said nothing because she didn’t want everyone to hate Sherrie. She didn’t want Sherrie to be kicked out of the Rogers family. So she knelt in front of me and begged me to take the blame for hurting Sherrie.
Ruth’s exact words were, “You’re still a Rogers. Even if you make a mistake, you won’t be punished. But Sherrie is different. If she leaves the Rogers family, she’ll have nothing.”
I refused.
So Ruth gave a false statement, saying that I had stabbed Sherrie.
With her testimony, Toby and Nigel believed it.
Because to them, in a mother's heart, both daughters are her flesh and blood. She would never choose sides.
But they had forgotten something. The palm and the back of the hand are both flesh, but the palm is thicker. And people always protect the palm first.
Sherrie was the daughter Ruth had raised with her own hands for fifteen years. She was her most precious child. I, Allison, had never even been held by my mother when I was born. How could the feelings be the same?
Soon, Ruth clutched her chest and struggled to breathe. “Stop arguing. It’s late. Everyone should go to bed.”
Nigel shot Allison a harsh look, then helped Sherrie support Ruth back to her room.
Only after they left did Allison let out a long breath and curl up on her bed.
I had already stopped expecting anything from them. I didn’t even hope they would take me to the hospital.
My injuries were chronic. Even if I went for tests, they might not show up. And even if they did, I wouldn’t dare let them put me under anesthesia.
Sherrie wished I would disappear. If I was sedated on an operating table, I might never wake up again.
Luckily, I understood some pharmacology. I could treat myself slowly.
Once I recovered, I would settle everything with this family.
Allison didn’t want any more trouble, so she barely left her room for the next few days.
When Ella came to clean the room, she found a box of Alphasirox pills under the bed.
Her eyes lit up slightly. She took a picture of the pillbox and reported it to Sherrie.
That evening, Nigel came home after a day of socializing. He had been drinking, so Ronan brought him back.
As soon as they entered, they saw Ella wiping her tears while finishing a conversation with Sherrie.
Ronan looked around the room, but he didn’t see Allison. It made him feel uncomfortable.
In the past, every time I came, Allison would react like a cat. The moment she heard movement, she would look over and talk to me.
But I had come to the Rogers mansion many times in the past two days, and I hadn’t seen her once.
Sherrie noticed that Ronan seemed distracted. She also realized he had been coming here more often lately and always looked lost in thought.
She couldn’t help but feel something was wrong.
So she told Ella, “Go pour a cup of honey water for Nigel. It will help him feel better.”
Nigel sat slumped on the sofa, covering his face with his arm. He was already in a terrible mood today because of a setback at work.
He was irritated enough, but the next moment, a stream of scalding hot liquid suddenly splashed onto his legs.
Nigel let out a sharp hiss, which startled Ronan and Sherrie from their conversation.
“What is wrong with you!” Nigel yelled.
Tears welled in Ella’s red eyes as she quickly apologized and frantically wiped the spilled water.
Nigel pushed her away impatiently. “Move aside.”
Seeing this, Sherrie quickly intervened and gently said, “Nigel, Ella definitely didn’t do it on purpose. Don’t blame her.”
She then turned to Ella and asked, “You’ve seemed distracted lately. I even saw you crying secretly a few times. Is something bothering you?”
At her words, Ella became even more emotional. She covered her face and sobbed. “I haven’t been able to contact my family for days. I miss my child…”
Sherrie frowned in confusion. “How could you not reach them? Didn’t they call you?”
Ella hesitated, then glanced toward Nigel before whispering, “I’m afraid to say…”