Moments ago,

The pill had softened, it was a matter of time before she expelled it from her mouth. Yet, her father lost in his stubbornness, ignored Bian's every plea.

She already lost her appetite because of the fever, and the pills' bitterness only worsened the situation. If only I had syrup on hand, this whole ordeal could have been avoided.

She vomited the pill once more. It seemed too much for her to bear any longer. And her father's relentless persistence made her fever worse.

As I moved forward to console her, I noticed a sudden rage in my husband's eyes. His uncontrollable anger hints that he is ready to slap Bian. 

Before I could intervene, he struck her head forcefully causing her to fall from the bed.

"Have you gone mad?" I shouted in shock and desperation.

"Let go of me." He growled in response.

I was utterly shocked when I saw him prioritizing his anger over our daughter's well-being. "Have you forgotten about her fever?" I tried to reason with him, hoping to bring him back to his senses.

"Let go. She needs to learn a lesson through beating." His intentions are revealed through his response.

"Are you blind? Can't you see she's just a child?" With all the strength I could muster, I fought to restrain him.

Trembling with fear, Bian met my gaze as she raised her head. At that moment, I told her to get out of the room, but it was a fatal mistake.

In that fleeting moment of distraction, he broke free from my grasp. He ran towards her for another blow. Tears flowed down from her face as she fell to the ground once more, her face became full of despair and confusion.

I'm full of confusion right now. I don't understand anything that's happening right now. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I fell to the ground once more. Everything seemed like a blur of bottomless events. Lots of questions swirled inside my mind.

Why did Dad slap me? Did he cause my fall from the bed too? The ache in my head only added to the puzzle.

Amid everything, Mom was pulling Dad urgently. My stomach felt queasy like it was about to turn upside down. The world seemed strange, and I felt lost in a whirlwind of emotions that I couldn't understand.

It felt like everything was a fog of confusion and disarray, like a puzzle with pieces that just didn't fit together in my mind.

**Blech, Blech**

Despite spitting it all out, the uneasiness refuses to disappear. I tried to get up, but the room swirling around me made me dizzy. Before I can gather my thoughts, another sharp slap causes me to back down.

**Blech, Blech**

My insides feel like a storm about to burst, but there's nothing left to come out. Why do I feel this way? The chaos around me only adds to my confusion and emotional turmoil.

"Stop it. Can't you see her condition has worsened?"

"This is how she'll learn to take her medicine."

He's lost in his mind that he is deaf for any reason. How can he be so oblivious to our daughter's suffering? I never imagined he could treat her like this.

"Bian, get up! Go to my room and lock the door!"

**Blech, Blech**

The sight of her agony pierces my heart. The scars of this moment will linger on for a long time. I prayed continuously she wouldn't have to bear a moment like this. However, she still has to suffer like this. 

I've lost track of the blows I've taken trying to shield her. Why can't he see that Bian is still a child?

No matter how hard I struggle, I can't restrain him for long. He dragged me towards her and delivered her another blow.

"Bian get up, Bian, Biaaan!" My heart shrank when I didn't see any movement of her. My head pounds with a mix of fury and fear. Shoving him aside, I rushed to her side.

The world spins around me. My ears ring with silence, my sight covered by a haze. I sensed someone touching my body, and it made my body tremble with fear. I'm afraid of getting another blow. Yet I felt a gentle touch on my head and cheek, a familiar embrace — I knew it was Mom.

But then, a force pulled me away. Suddenly, there's nothing beneath me, just a weightless void. And then a jolting crash as I hit the ground hard. 

"Aaaahhh!"

I start screaming as every inch of my body shouts in pain, leaving me writhing in agony.

(Did Dad... throw me? No, it can't be. He wouldn't.)

Suddenly I couldn't breathe, because a pressure clamped down on my throat, suffocating me. I started struggling for air. Overwhelming fear clenched me so much that I started calling Mom.

(I can't breathe. Mom, help. Mom.)

However, my voice won't come out. The fear urged me to run away from this situation. I'm strangling because of the terror. 

Something is shoved into my mouth, a finger pushing it down my throat. I don't understand what it is, but he wants me to swallow it.

(I can't breathe. It hurt so much.)

I gulped it down as I tried to grasp some air. However the pressure in my throat eases, and the finger withdraws.

"Haah, haah, cough."

I struggled to draw breath, each inhale was so painful. Suddenly, a figure covers me in a tight embrace. After a few moments, they gave me water. As I try to drink, the water catches in my throat and reminds me of what happened a little while ago.

Feeling scared, I brace myself for more beating to come. But instead, gentle pats on my back smothered me. After a little wait, they gave me the water again. I managed to drink it this time. The person waits, offering more water a moment later. Gradually, my vision returned and I saw Mom embracing me.

She strokes my face, planting soft kisses, tears also falling from her face as she caresses me. Though I still can't hear her words, her tears speak volumes. Seeing her in pain, I too began to weep uncontrollably.

A torrent of questions and words fight within me. For now, all I can do is cry. Mom holds me close, her embrace a lifeline amidst the agony.

(Mom, the pain is unbearable. Why does Dad do this?)

**********

I constantly wish never to see those haunting memories in my dreams again,  yet those vivid fragments flickered like ghostly images before my eyes in this dream of darkness. Each time Dad talks to me like that, these painful recollections flood back. No matter how often I relive these moments, the pain they bring remains as fresh as ever.

A multitude of unanswered questions linger on my mind, with no one to answer. I was hospitalized for a few days because of a high fever. Even the doctors were shocked as my fever wasn't reducing, yet met with a resounding silence. 

In the aftermath, Mom also started to change. Dad also arrives with apologies and embraces me. A fragile attempt at reconciliation. However, he said if I had listened to him, perhaps all of that never happened. His words lost me in a world of helplessness and sorrow. But, Dad, I was just a child back then.