Chapter 1
I was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer, and honestly, I didn't have much time left.
I popped twice my usual dose of painkillers and dragged myself to my daughter's parent-teacher conference.
But the moment I reached the classroom door, I realized that I was just an outsider here.
Arturo Vasquez, my husband, had my daughter Paloma in one arm, and his other hand was holding Lisa Horton, the woman he'd always loved.
I gave a bitter, wry smile. They really did look like the perfect, happy family.
When Arturo caught sight of me, his face twisted with disgust.
"What are you doing here? Get lost! Don't embarrass yourself here!" he snapped.
Paloma quickly hid behind Lisa, eager to pretend she had nothing to do with me.
"She's not my mom! I don't even know her!" she shouted.
And just as they wished, I left this world for good.
I figured that once I was gone, they'd all finally be overjoyed.
But to my surprise, both Arturo and Paloma went completely crazy.
Paloma's school was almost out for winter break.
After folding up the critical condition notice from my doctor and stuffing it into my bag, I swallowed twice my usual dose of painkillers, getting ready to drag myself to her parent-teacher conference.
This might be the last parent-teacher conference I'd ever attend for her.
I just wanted to catch a few more glimpses of my daughter before I was gone.
When I finally reached the school gate, I hauled myself out of the car, feeling weaker than ever.
Every step after that felt like walking on needles.
The classroom blackboard was covered in colorful chalk drawings for the New Year, the whole place overflowing with New Year vibes. Even the teacher's desk was stacked with presents.
Not far away, Arturo had his arm around Lisa, laughing and chatting with the other parents like they were the center of attention.
There was a look of deep affection in his eyes, something I'd never seen before.
Paloma clung to Lisa's hand, her smile as bright and radiant as a flower in full bloom.
"I don't care! I want Lisa to be the one who speaks on stage! I want everyone to be jealous that I have such a gorgeous mom!" Paloma exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement.
"Lisa, will you be my mom?" Paloma asked, her eyes shining with hope.
Lisa giggled and affectionately tapped Paloma on the nose.
"Paloma, you'll have to ask your dad about that," she said with a gentle smile.
Arturo ruffled Paloma's hair and grinned, "No need to ask me. As long as you're happy, Lisa can be your mom!"
Lisa's cheeks flushed at Arturo's words.
I clutched the hem of my coat, not daring to go any closer. Even with a full face of makeup, I couldn't hide how sick I looked.
After all, the hospital had already issued my critical condition notice.
Every breath of fresh air I took now felt like a blessing from God.
When Arturo looked up and saw me standing at the door, his smile disappeared instantly, replaced by a look of utter loathing.
"What are you doing here? Get lost! Stop making a fool of yourself!" Arturo barked.
Arturo's sudden outburst instantly drew everyone's attention in the classroom.
"Who's that woman? She looks so old. Is she some kid's grandma?" someone muttered.
"Grandma? Come on! She looks more like a nanny to me," another person scoffed.
"Hold on, didn't Arturo just talk to her? Is she actually Paloma's mom?" someone blurted out.
Her expression turned sour the moment Paloma heard that.
"She's not my mom! I don't even know her!" she shouted.
Right after, she clung to Lisa's leg, sobbing her heart out.
I knew she was doing this just to prove to everyone that Lisa was her real mom.
In that instant, the pain in my heart eclipsed the agony in my body.
I went through three days and nights of labor, ended up with an emergency C-section, and the daughter I'd poured my whole soul into now looked at me with the same disgust as Arturo. She was desperate to pretend I didn't exist.
I gave a bitter smile and shook my head. If I'd known it would end like this, I might as well have just waited to die alone in the hospital.
When Arturo saw me just standing there, frozen, his patience finally snapped.
He stormed over and gave me a rough shove.
"Don't you know today's the parent-teacher conference? Are you just here to embarrass Paloma in front of her classmates and teachers? Is that what you want?" he yelled.
Arturo shoved me with so much force that my legs buckled and I went down hard, hitting the floor in front of everyone.
My arm slammed into the marble steps, leaving a long, raw streak of blood.
Arturo's veins stood out on his forehead as he pointed at me, his face twisted with rage.
"Still not done with your performance, huh? Let me guess. Today, you're going for the pathetic mute routine? Would it kill you to say something?" he sneered.
Seeing things were getting out of hand, Lisa hurried over with Paloma in tow, her voice soft and soothing as she tried to defuse the situation. "Arturo, this is a school. Don't argue with Melany here. It's not appropriate."
"Melany, your arm is bleeding. Come on, let's get you to the hospital," Lisa said.