He Chose My Step-sister Over My Dying DaughterCHAPTER 1
"Mommy! I want to see the lanterns!" Stacey squealed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. That was my daughter’s final wish— to witness the Lantern Festival one last time.
I pleaded with Alpha Maximus, her father, to grant her this dying request. Stacey was gravely ill, and our time together was running out.
"Carrie, I have a lot of things to do, but I’ll try to take her to the festival," Alpha Maximus would always say, his familiar excuse echoing in my mind.
I could see the flicker of hope in Stacey's eyes, believing that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t let her down this time.
"Mom, I want to fly my lantern, and I hope Daddy comes with me," she said, her smile fragile and tender.
"Of course, darling. We’ll just hope for the best," I reassured her, fighting back the tremor in my voice. "But remember, Mommy will always be with you."
Friday evening arrived—the night of the festival. I waited, hoping Maximus would show up. Instead, I received a message: he couldn’t make it; work was keeping him.
"Where's Daddy?" Stacey asked, the shadow of disappointment creeping into her eyes, cutting me deeper than any knife.
"Daddy might be a little late, sweetie, but don’t worry. We’ll have a wonderful night, just you and Mommy, okay?" I forced a smile, but the disappointment mirrored in her eyes was a reflection of my heartbreak.
At the festival, we bought a lantern together. We lit it and watched it ascend, a tiny star climbing against the darkening sky.
Stacey snuggled closer, her tiny hand clutching my arm. "What did you wish for, baby?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
Her eyes, bright as the stars she longed for, met mine. "I wish to be with the stars, Mommy, so Daddy could see me shining." Her smile, a beacon of innocence, shattered my heart into a million pieces.
That night, Stacey’s wish was fulfilled — she joined the lanterns, soaring toward the stars and the moon.
Two weeks later, I stood at her graveside, placing delicate flowers on her small plot. Tears spilled down my face, blurring the inscription on her headstone.
My phone suddenly beeped so I took it in my pocket. There's a notification from my stepsister's social media account and it caught my attention.
It was a cheerful beach photo where Maximus and my stepsister, Lalaina, grinning wide.