The baby was struggling to sleep. I stepped out of the bedroom and saw only Lilith and her daughter, Tara.

Holding the baby, I gently rocked him, my voice was quiet but firm, "Can you keep it down?" 

Lilith did not even bother to look up. Instead, Tara’s voice grew louder and she turned up the volume on the TV to the maximum.

I lost my patience so I yanked the television plug from the wall and in an instant, the room fell silent.

Tara let out an ear-piercing scream and charged at me like a wild animal. She rammed her head into my stomach and clawed at my arms with all her limbs over and over again.

"Lilith, aren’t you going to control your daughter?" I asked.

Lilith just crossed her arms over her chest, shook her head and smirked. "She’s not doing anything unforgivable. Why should I stop her?"

The next second, Tara grabbed the baby’s leg and yanked it downward.

The baby started wailing. I could not stand it anymore so I pushed her away.

Seizing the opportunity, Tara snatched the baby from my arms and lifted him high above her head.

"No!"

My eyes widened in horror. My voice broke as I screamed for her to stop.

Even Lilith’s expression changed as she called out her daughter’s name in panic, "Tara!"

However, Tara just pasted a smile on her face, lifted her hand high and threw the baby down hard.

For one agonizing second, my heart stopped, then plummeted. Something wet splattered onto my feet, but I was too numb to tell what it was.

"Call an ambulance! Someone call an ambulance!"

I dropped to my knees. Both of my hands trembled and I did not even know where to place them.

At the hospital, I stood in the farthest corner and watched as Mario stumbled inside. With a face as white as a ghost and sweat covering his forehead he walked into the emergency operating room in a quick stride.

"The baby is gone, Mario. The baby has died."

Lilith sobbed hysterically as if she had just remembered that this was her child.

I watched them silently as they clung to each other and comforted one another.

Then, without a word, I turned and walked away. As I walked, I heard Mario shout from behind me, "Where’s Kelly? Where did Kelly go?"

Mario's furious voice echoed behind me. His forehead veins bulged as he clenched the crumpled sheets of paper in his trembling hands.