- 12.
Dad stopped Mom.
“Honey, stop it.
It’s just a kidney.
We’ll take care of him.
He can still live a normal life!”
“Normal life?”
Mom screamed.
“Didn’t you read the report? He only has one
kidney left! He’ll die!”
Ashley was in shock.
“What report?
What do you mean?”
She remembered the report the nurse had
given her, but she was too angry to look at it.
<
Mom didn’t answer her.
She just started hitting Dad.
“It’s your fault! It’s your stupid idea! My son
doesn’t even know who I am!”
Mom was crying, but Dad just hugged her.
Suddenly, Mom stopped.
She glared at Dad.
“Wait, why did you want Ryan to do the
surgery?
Why did you adopt Brandon?”
“How did Ryan and Brandon have matching
kidneys?”
Dad didn’t say anything.
Mom’s mind was working fast.
She had no proof, but she knew something
was up.
“How could you do this?”
“How could you do this to Ryan?”
Mom slapped Dad, but he didn’t react.
It all pointed to one thing.
<
Brandon was Dad’s son from another woman.
“Divorce! I want a divorce!”
“Do you know what Ryan’s been through?
Brandon did it!”
“Brandon’s a menace! We can’t do the
surgery!”
Mom started pounding on the operating room
door.
“Stop it! Stop the surgery!”
“Why should my son give him a kidney after
what he did?”
Mom was crying.
She was losing it.
Dad knocked Mom out.
Ashley stared.
“Dad, is what Mom said true?
Did you lie to us?”
Emily also turned pale.
She remembered how I was the day before
and how I looked at her.
<
I looked at her with peace.
I didn’t ask for her help.
She was afraid that I didn’t like her anymore.
- 13.
