I ignored the tears falling down my face and let out all the pain I had held in for years. My grandparents rushed into the room after hearing the noise and heard my words.
Grandma quickly held Mom up and looked at me like I was something dirty. "Hazel! Do you have any conscience at all?”
“If it weren’t for you, your mother wouldn’t have gotten depression after giving birth! Eighteen years, eighteen whole years!”
“Do you know what your mother has been through all these years? How could you say such things to her?”
Those same words again. Because of me, because she suffered postpartum depression.
So ever since I was a child, everyone in my family tried not to upset Mom. They always told me to give in to her no matter what.
As her daughter, I wanted to and would give Mom her happiness. I tried hard enough, so many times, so why do they still treat me like this?
Why? My questioning made Mom stop. But Grandma’s words only made Mom even angrier.
Mom broke free from Dad and Grandma, ran toward me and pushed me hard.
I was caught off guard and fell to the floor. Behind me was my bag, the one with the box cutter I always carried.
The sharp blade cut into my lower back. I couldn’t move.
Still not satisfied, Mom kicked me again and again. Each kick drove the blade deeper.
I wanted to beg Mom to stop, but the heavy feeling of being unable to breathe kept me from saying a word.
Maybe seeing my face grow paler stopped me from saying a word.
Dad suddenly shouted, "Enough! Enough!"
Mom stopped and looked at him in shock.
"You're protecting her? You're really protecting her? Fine! Then I’ll die! I’ll make space for you two!”
The next moment, before anyone could move, Mom ran out of my room and rushed toward the balcony railing at the end of the hallway.
A loud bang rang out and the world fell silent as everyone froze in shock.
Grandma was the first to move, crying out in pain, "My precious daughter!"
She was the first to run out of the room, with Dad and Grandpa right behind her.
No one even looked at me, still lying on the floor. I just listened to the screams and frantic voices from downstairs.
"Wife, wife!"
"Daughter, daughter!"
"Don’t be afraid, don’t be scared. Dad will take you to the hospital."
Soon, the noise faded and silence filled the house again.
I quietly watched the pool of blood beneath me spread wider, feeling the strength in my body slowly fade away.