Chapter 7 When she arrived , I was hooked up to an IV . Wary of what she might do , I watched her suspiciously , my lindy instantly tensing " It's just a little gastroenteritis , and you're acting like you're on death's door . Who are you putting on this show for ? " Grumbling , she opened the food container , releasing a blast of spicy aroma into the air , I stared at the chicken soup in it , red with oil and chili sauce , and shrank back with a grimace . " The doctor said I need to avoid spicy food . I'm not eating that . " " Not eating ? " Hearing my " audacious " refusal , Darlene's face instantly contorted with rage . " I went through all this trouble , and you dare refuse ? Just eat it ! " Next second , she suddenly pinned me down and grabbed a piece of meat , forcing it into my mouth . Instantly , the slippery , chili oil covered meat slid down my esophagus into my stomach . I spluttered and sneezed several times as my throat and stomach burned like fire . Tears streamed down my face from the pain . Seeing my suffering seemed to fuel Darlene's enthusiasm . She held me down and forced several more pieces of meat into me . My body broke into a cold sweat from the agony , my face covered in tears , with no strength to call for help . It was midday when the nursing staff was minimal - even if I managed to call out , it might not do any good . " What the hell you're doing ?! " A thunderous shout suddenly exploded from the doorway . Darlene turned toward the voice and instantly paled . " Y - you … how did you get here so quickly ? " " If I hadn't , your daughter would be dead by now ! " It was the officer from before ! His face dark with anger , he strode over and snatched the container from Darlene's hands , immediately calling Raymond to come right away . Soon my father arrived , disheveled and rushed , only to be met with a barrage of reprimands . By then , patients returning from lunch had gathered at the doorway . After hearing the officer describe what had happened , they raised their voices in outrage : " How can these parents be so heartless ? Their poor daughter is hospitalized from their beatings , and they're still forcing her to eat spicy chicken soup ! " " Exactly ! How hasn't a bolt of lightning struck these monsters down yet ? " Some even asked the officer if these heartless parents could be thrown in jail . The officer calmed the crowd , explaining that they were gathering more evidence , and before leaving , issued one final warning to my parents . This public humiliation made Raymond's face flush crimson . Once he was certain that the officer and onlookers had truly gone , he turned and slapped Darlene hard across the face . " Try another stupid stunt like that , and you'll regret it ! " After warning Darlene , Raymond forced an awkward smile and tried to comfort me . " Listen , Tiffany , this won't happen again . Look , we're family . If you have any complaints , we can talk about them behind closed doors . Don't b ^ ^^ quick to call the police - you're just making us a laughingstock . " I wiped away my tears and gave a barely perceptible nod in response . From that day on , with Raymond's warning hanging over her , Darlene indeed became much more restrained . She stopped her scheming , and I finally enjoyed a period of peace - eating well and resting properly . By discharge day , I'd actually gained some weight . It . All Down ! 12.4 % As I was leaving , the nurse who had been taking good care of me pulled me aside to give me her phone number and waif Carpe Tiffany , call me if you ever need anything , okay ? " Seeing her sincere concern , my eyes instantly welled up . In this miserable life , at least I hadn't been left completely without hope , I kept looking back as I said goodbye to the nurse . It wasn't until we'd left the hospital that I realized something odd - Darlene , who had come to pick me up , was unusually quiet . Normally , she would have already smacked me for being so sentimental . I took a glance at her and was surprised to find her eyes red - rimmed . She looked remarkably haggard , Though curious , I didn't want to ask questions . But that night , when I got up to use the bathroom , I found Darlene sitting alone on the living room floor eyes bloodshot , clutching a phone that clearly wasn't hers , looking completely devastated . Suddenly it clicked ! In my previous life , this was exactly when our household had descended into chaos . Remembering the reason , I immediately had an idea and approached her with feigned concern : " Mom , what's wrong ? "