Jack didn't think this was a problem at all.

"If you meet him at the weekend, you will know that he is a very good man.

"You can give birth to a child soon."

I leaned against the door, and my voice was emotionless. "Are you urging me to get married for the child?"

Jack said, "Of course. It is a big deal for our family."

Was I a reproductive tool?

I didn't understand how I had survived until now, and I felt very sad.

"Why do you ask about this? If you want to go out, go out and close the door. It's freezing!" Mary said.

I walked aimlessly on the street. My stomach was empty, but I didn't want to eat anything.

I met Bruce.

Bruce looked very sincere and said, "Jessica, I think we are unsuitable."

Standing in the cold wind, I felt numb from the cold.

Even though I informed him beforehand, he backed off under my parents' continuous pressure.

He bit his lip and said, "Jessica, I like you very much."

He showed a humiliated expression on his face.

"But no one can tolerate a family like that."

I had lived in that home for more than twenty years.

Now I understood that I was nothing but a doormat.

I could understand Bruce's retreat.

A few days ago, he came to my house for dinner for the first time.

He brought many gifts and was full of joy.

My parents prepared a table full of food, but when they saw Bruce, they immediately showed dissatisfaction.

Their faces were filled with resentment.

When Bruce said that he would consider having children when he was 30 years old to provide a good enough life for his children, my parents were furious.

During the meal, they kept mocking Bruce.

Bruce didn't expect that.

His face looked embarrassed.

When the meal was over, he left in a hurry.

Jack followed behind him and said, "He is so skinny and doesn't have much money. Maybe his sperm is inactive."

Mary scolded me for having a bad eye.

I was stunned and said nothing.

What exactly would satisfy them?

I always felt that I didn't deserve Bruce.

In the end, he gave up on me.

I walked aimlessly on the street. It was night and the street lights were lit one by one.

My figure was reflected in countless elongated and lonely shadows.

I walked into a convenience store and bought some sugar.

I secretly touched it with my fingertips and took a sip.

It was not sweet but bitter.

My disease was serious, and even my saliva tasted bitter.

My life was so bitter that there was nothing I was afraid of losing.

I plucked up my courage and went home.

When I came home, Mary said, "I thought you died outside."

I raised my eyes and said, "I would rather die outside than have a child."

Jack's face darkened, and Mary pointed at me, her voice trembling. "You must give birth to a child. You owe us two lives!"

I felt a little tired and wanted to go back to my room, but Mary grabbed me.

"You ungrateful girl! Back then, if your brother had survived, I wouldn't have given birth to you!

"If you don't have a child, you will be sorry for your dead brother and us!"

I said, "Did I want to be born?"

I was immediately slapped in the face.

Jack looked at me with a look of disappointment.

I felt sad in my heart.

Before he spoke, I apologized to them.

Why did they blame me for everything?

My brother died before I was born, but they put the blame on me.

After my parents got married, they soon had a boy, my brother.

The family was happy.

Unexpectedly, the following year, Mary was pregnant with me.

My parents decided to have an abortion.

They had made an appointment with the hospital.

I shouldn't have lived more than three months in my mother's womb.

But my brother fell seriously ill at this time.

Although my parents took good care of him and prayed for him, he still couldn't survive the winter.

Mary canceled the abortion appointment but gave birth to me.

But I would rather have died in her womb.

I would rather my brother survive so that he could bear this for me.

In that way, I wouldn't have to spend every day in pain.

This was not the first time Jack had hit me.

He often looked at me with indifference.

Since I was young, I had always been afraid of Jack because I would always remember the way he looked at me with indifference.

When Mary punished me, Jack would use all his strength to whip me.

His tall body completely covered me and frightened me.

I was used to that.

Once, when Mary was on a business trip, there was no one to cook for me at home.

Jack could only take me with him to a dinner outside.

At that time, I looked at the people coming and going and Jack's smile.

I pulled his sleeve with my hand, wanting to say something to him.

He never lowered his head to pay attention to me, but I still said it.

I didn't know if he heard my words. "Dad, I always thought you wouldn't smile."

It turned out he just wouldn't smile at me.

In the end, I compromised.

I added Luis' WhatsApp.

He accepted my request quickly.

After chatting for a while, we had nothing to say.

I threw my phone away, feeling terrible.

Luis sent me a message: [Were you scolded by your parents just now?]

Did he guess it?

Then he added: [They seem to be sharp-tongued. I'm worried that you will be wronged.]

A subtle feeling rose from the bottom of my heart.

I thought he was on the same side as my parents.

But suddenly, I realized he was not.

He was on my side.

I didn't know how to answer him, so I pursed my lips and replied: [Since you know what kind of people they are, why don't you stay away from my family?]

He replied: [The person I want to know is you, not them.]

My eyes were dry.

[But I don't know you.]

He replied: [It's okay. Let's meet up on the weekend. It's late now. Have a good sleep.]

I felt moved in my heart and buried my head in the pillow.

But I couldn't fall asleep.

My disease always struck in the night.

I could feel the pain in my bones clearly.

I turned over and over again.

"Jessica, can you please be quiet?"

Mary's hoarse voice sounded.

She stood at my door with an impatient look, and I couldn't avoid the light she turned on suddenly.

There was only a wall between my parents' room and mine.

Mary always slept very soundly before. They were the ones who would wake me up, but I never woke them up.

I tried to open my eyes and look at her.

Mary's face was flushed red. She took a breath and wanted to continue scolding me.

But she covered her chest and coughed violently.

I realized something was wrong.

The next second, she fainted.

I was startled and hurriedly called the hospital.