It was the twentieth of the tenth month.
She was weak and fragile like a dry leaf during a windy day. She never chose to be sick and bedridden. Mei Ling was once healthy and strong just like most young ladies of her age, up until six months ago.
She tossed when the door to her room quietly opened.
"Oh. You're awake dear?" Jing Yue, the woman who took her in after her aunt attempted to kill her, said as she walked towards her bed with a tray of breakfast. She was also the best friend to Mei Ling's deceased mother.
"Yes auntie." Mei Ling whispered weakly as she attempted to sit up.
Jing Yue quickly rushed to her side to help. "Don't strain yourself so much Mei. " She comforted as she took the soup from the tray and slowly fed Mei Ling.
"It's so good." Mei Ling whispered as she smiled at Jing Yue, who simply smiled and caressed her thinning hair.
"I'm glad you like it dear." Jing Yue said as she stood up, took the tray and left the room but not before assuring Mei Ling, that she would be back soon with her medicine.
As soon as Jing Yue left, she took a bucket from her bedside and threw up. She suddenly had a fit of coughs until a metallic taste invaded her mouth. Mei Ling looked at her hand and saw blood stains.
A painful smile graced her pale lips as she returned the bucket to it's original position. It was now a daily experience and she had gotten used to it.
It had all started when her mother's sister, Fang Lei, decided to take her in after her mother's death. At first, she was nice but as the days progressed, her behavior changed drastically. She became a monster in Mei Ling's eyes.
All along, Fang Lei wanted the condolence money that Mei Ling had received following her mother's passing. She was greedy alright but Mei Ling had no intention of giving it to her since that money was to cover her school and future expenses.
Flashback
"Hello, darling." Fang Lei said as she opened the door to the room that Mei Ling occupied.
"Hey, auntie." Mei Ling answered as she got up from her study desk and headed towards her.
"I brought you some sweets. You've been working hard for your entrance exams lately. You need a break."
"Thank you, aunt."
"And I also want to apologize for the ugly argument we had earlier. I was just worried that you would lose the money hence I wanted to keep it for you. But I forgot that you're already 19. So of course you can keep it."
"I apologize too auntie, I was rude to an elder. "
Fang Lei was about to speak when her husband and five year old daughter arrived home. She smiled sweetly at Mei Ling and excused herself.
Mei Ling proceeded to sit at her study desk and continued to read her favorite novel, Silken Ties, from her phone. She ate the sweets as she did.
A notification from her other phone popped, distracting her from reading.
'The date of the competition has been set to the 13th of this month. Don't miss it.' The text from her friend read. It was a hacking competition arranged by one of the top tech companies in the country. The winner would be awarded prize money as well as get a job there.
She looked at the calendar. It was practically two days from then.
She wanted to continue reading her book when she suddenly had a fit of coughs. She covered her mouth and felt wetness and the corner of it.
When she looked at her hand she was perplexed. There was blood. She eyed the candies that her aunt had brought for her and smiled painfully.
'How could someone be so greedy to even fathom killing their own blood just for monetary funds? Surely, a leopard doesn't change it's spots. She is a monster.' She thought as she stumbled into the bathroom and threw up blood.
She had to save her own life, one way or another because if she stayed here any longer she would not live to see the light of the day ever again.
" Mei. We've gone to the grocery store. We'll be back soon." Her aunt yelled from downstairs as they left.
She took a deep breath and shouted an 'okay' back. After she heard the door close and their car drive away, Mei Ling stumbled back into her bedroom and took a small duffel bag. She packed some clothes, her laptops, her books, the money and all her essential items. She knew that another moment spent there would be like a ticking time bomb.
She headed downstairs as she used the wall as her support. She had called a taxi before leaving the house and the driver was already waiting for her.
She opened the door, got in and handed the driver the address that was written in a paper. When her mother was in her deathbed, she had written down an address and told her to go there if anything happened. Even her mother knew that her sister was not the angel she portrayed herself to be.
"Are you okay, miss?" The driver asked as he started the engine.
"No." She answered as she leaned on the seat and closed her eyes. A splitting headache, a stomach ache and her legs felt like jelly. She was also sweating buckets, soaking her clothes. Of course she was not okay. Besides, what could the driver do if she was not okay?
Thirty minutes later, the driver stopped and through her blurry vision, she could make out a woman, hunched over, tending to her garden, outside her house. She paid the driver and stumbled to the gate.
Just as she was about to knock, her knees gave out and she fell down. The last thing she saw before she lost her consciousness, was the woman dropping everything and rushing towards her.
She woke up later on a bed with an IV drip attached to her arm. She blinked, adjusting her eyes to the sudden brightness.
"Oh darling, you are finally awake." The woman said as she closed the blinds to darken the room a bit. "You were asleep for three days. You had me worried there. By the way, I'm Jing Yue and I suppose you are Fang Xi's daughter."
Mei Ling nodded her head weakly. She internally groaned when she realized that she had missed the hacking competition. But that was unimportant at the moment.
"You look just like her. Beautiful." She said as she caressed her hair and gave her a smile . "I'll prepare some light food for you." Jing Yue said as she got up and left the room.
End of flashback
During her six-month stay with Jing Yue, she reread her favorite novel until it was literally imprinted in her mind. However, the writer had gone on hiatus towards the end of it, hence leaving Mei Ling and other readers on a cliff hanger.
She suddenly coughed again but this time it was worse. Her mouth flooded with blood and her heartbeat increased pace with every second. Was she going to die?
She had anticipated death at her door anytime, since she was poisoned. However, the thought of it at the moment scared her. Her life was not meaningless. She wanted to get into a prestigious university, get a boyfriend, get a stable job, get married, have children and live her remaining days with her beloved, drinking tea while watching their grandkids play. But that was all but wishful thinking.
She selfishly took in deep breaths as she felt her body become lighter and lighter.
Jing Yue rushed to the room and caught her body before she fell.
A painful smile graced her face as she watched the life dim in Mei Ling's eyes. At least she would join her mother in heaven.
She put a hand on Mei Ling's eyes and closed them. She didn't deserve death but at least she would be in a better place.
Mei Ling's limp body was laid back on the bed as Jing Yue called an ambulance, tears forming in her eyes.
Mei Ling's weighty struggle was finally over. She had fought hard till the end.
.....
She took a deep breath as she opened her eyes in a hospital room.
"You're finally awake." A rough voice said as the person took a seat by the bed. "You've been out for six months." He added.
What the heck was going on?