When Mom's Fairness Became Fatal

To be fair, Mom forced mesomeone with a heart conditionto participate in the fitness test.

At five hundred meters, my heart started hurting. I reached for my medication.

The moment I pulled it out, Victoria Hayes, the class president, snatched it away and threw it aside.

Only five hundred meters and you're already faking it? Just because your mom is the assistant principal doesn't mean you can slack off.

She glanced toward Mom in the distance and said ingratiatingly, "Ms. Carter, Aria is trying to give up again. Don't worry, I'll make sure to encourage her to keep going."

Mom looked at me coldly, without a trace of sympathy on her face.

"Everyone else can run. Why can't you? Are you just being a drama queen? Today, you're going to finish this fifteen hundred meters even if you have to crawl!"

I gritted my teeth and kept going, but my chest felt like it was exploding. My vision gradually darkened.

At one thousand meters, I collapsed on the track. I couldn't get up anymore.

My soul slowly rose into the air as I looked at Mom with guilt written all over my face.

I'm sorry. I've disappointed you again.

This time, I really can't finish the fifteen hundred meters.

My heart felt like it was about to burst from my chest. My legs gave out and I fell flat on the ground.

Victoria stopped beside me and kicked me with her foot.

"Stop lying there. You're dragging down the whole class!"

Seeing that I didn't move, she grabbed my upper body and pulled me up, then let go.

My forehead hit the track with a dull thud.

I knew it must hurt, but I couldn't feel it anymore.

After all, compared to the tearing sensation in my chest, this pain was nothing.

"Who do you think you are, some delicate princess? Stop acting weak. It's just fifteen hundred meters. Ms. Carter is watching right over there. Get up now!"

A few classmates passing by stopped and glanced at me.

"I heard she has a heart condition. Could she actually be dying?"

"How is that possible? Ms. Carter is her own mother. If she really had health problems, would she let her run?"

"Besides, if she were actually dying, would her mom have that expression? She looks like she wants to kill someone, not like she's worried about her daughter."

They laughed mockingly and their footsteps gradually faded away.

They say that when you die, hearing is the last sense to go.

I floated in mid-air and looked up anxiously toward Mom.

She was frowning, looking at me with disappointment and disgust.

I instinctively lowered my head and murmured to myself.

I'm sorry, Mom. I've disappointed you again.

Mom walked over from the other end of the track and stopped about ten feet away from my body.

"Aria! Stop faking it. I just saw your arm move. Get up right now."

I still didn't move.

Victoria came over and said quietly, "Ms. Carter, maybe Aria is angry? She's so stubborn. How about we just forget about this fitness test?"

I stood nearby, shaking my head desperately.

Mom, how could I be angry? I just don't have any strength left.

I really just want to rest for a moment. Just one moment.

But Mom couldn't hear me.

Seeing that I remained motionless, her expression grew darker.

She walked up to me and kicked me hard in the stomach.

My body swayed with the force of her kick, like a useless bag of garbage.

"Get up right now! How long are you planning to lie here?"

I lay on the ground without moving, as if deliberately defying her.

She trembled with rage, her face flushed red. "Aria, you've really outdone yourself. To avoid this fitness test, you're actually playing dead with me?"

"You're disgusting. Just as disgusting as your father!"

My heart clenched painfully. I sobbed once in grief.

I raised my hand to wipe away tears, only to find my face was dry.

So dead people can't cry.

Mom raised me alone. From the time I could remember, Mom repeatedly told me that Dad had betrayed their relationship and betrayed our family.

Mom put all her energy into me.

She knew my heart wasn't good, so every morning she would get up early to run with me, doing adaptive training.

But when I started high school, everything changed.

Mom was a teacher at this school.

She said she wasn't just my mother, but also everyone else's teacher, and she had to treat all students equally.

To avoid suspicion, she gave the first-place chemistry competition award that should have been mine to second-place Victoria.

To avoid suspicion, she forced mesomeone with a medical exemptionto stand on the starting line for the fifteen hundred meter run.

And now, she was saying I was like that man she'd hated her entire life.

But Mom, I really wasn't playing dead. I just couldn't hold on anymore.

Victoria bent down and grabbed my arm.

"Aria, get up first. You've already run one thousand meters. Just hold on a little longer and you'll be done."

She pulled hard on my arm.

Maybe I was too heavy. She couldn't pull me up and instead stumbled backward a few steps before falling on her butt.

My body, half-lifted, fell heavily back to the ground.

Another dull thud.

Victoria froze, her eyes suddenly reddening.

"Aria, there's no need to take your anger out on me. I didn't offend you. Why did you have to push me?"

"Besides, Ms. Carter is doing this for your own good! Why can't you appreciate her intentions?"

She sniffled, tears streaming down her face.

"You don't know how much I envy you for having a mom like this."

Mom walked over, pulled Victoria to her side, and comfortingly patted her back.

"It's okay now. Don't cry."

Then she turned to me, her gaze sweeping over my body.

"Aria, is this how determined you are to defy me?"

"Since you want to play dead, I'll beat you awake today and see how long you can keep this up!"

She reached down and grabbed my hair, slamming my head hard against the track.

Once, twice, three times...

Blood seeped out, spreading across the track.

I floated nearby, watching her grab my hair and slam my head down again and again. My heart ached so much I could barely breathe.

I remembered that Mom used to be so good to me.

When I was little and accidentally scraped my skin, Mom would frantically find iodine and carefully clean my wound.

Then she'd gently comfort me, "Aria, don't be scared. It'll get better soon."

But now, all the disgust and anger on her face poured out with each violent impact.

As if the person lying on the ground wasn't the daughter she'd carried for ten months, but an eyesore and a burden.

More and more students gathered around to watch.

"She's definitely faking it. If she really felt bad, would Ms. Carter be this angry?"

"She's taking advantage of having a teacher for a mom, trying to get special treatment. Now she's getting what she deserves."

"It's just fifteen hundred meters. Is playing dead really necessary? So dramatic."

More and more students crowded around. Mr. Parker, the head of discipline, also appeared.

Mr. Parker immediately told Mom to stop.

"Ms. Carter, how can you hit a student?"

Mom finally stopped and sighed lightly.

"Mr. Parker, this is my daughter. She's playing dead to avoid the fitness test."

"Spare the rod and spoil the child. Today I have to teach her a proper lesson!"

Mr. Parker saw the crowd of students and coughed lightly.

"Ms. Carter, so many students are watching. Even when disciplining children, you need to use appropriate methods. Leave her some dignity."

With that, he turned and left.

Mom looked down at me.

"Still not getting up?"

"Fine. You can lie there all you want. No one's going to care about you!"

She took a deep breath, suppressing the anger churning inside her.

"Continue the fitness test. Don't let one person hold up the entire class."

The sound of footsteps gradually faded.

The murmuring voices also disappeared.

No one looked at me on the track anymore.

The sun grew stronger and stronger, beating down directly on my body.

I still lay there lifelessly, the blood on my forehead gradually drying.

Half an hour passed. The fitness test was completely over.

Some students glanced my way, their eyes showing some reluctance.

"Aria's health isn't good. Nothing really happened to her, right?"

Victoria pursed her lips.

"She's totally faking it. Didn't you see how angry Ms. Carter was?"

"And she's still lying on the ground playing dead."

Her close friends chimed in quietly, "Aria's just been spoiled rotten. Taking advantage of her mom being assistant principal, she always steals the spotlight, and now she's faking illness to drag down the whole class."

"Exactly. Does she really think she owns the school?"

Victoria listened to these words, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.

Then she turned and walked toward Mom.

She lowered her voice and said quietly to Mom, "Ms. Carter, just now some students wanted to help Aria up, but Aria said..."

She paused, hesitant to continue.

Mom frowned. "Said what?"

"She said... she won't get up unless you apologize to her."

Mom's expression instantly darkened.

"Ms. Carter, Aria has been lying there for a long time. If this continues, something will definitely happen. How about... you just apologize to her? It's just one sentence. Get her up first, then deal with it."

The plastic water bottle in Mom's hand deformed slightly from her grip.

She clenched her back teeth, her voice filled with endless fury.

"Who does she think she is? Wanting me to apologize to her? Completely useless!"

"She's taking advantage of the fact that I'm her mother to be this brazen!"

"If she's got guts, she can lie on the track all day!"

The few students who had been worried about me heard Mom's words and simply turned away.

No one looked at me anymore.

The sky suddenly darkened.

The glaring sunlight from moments ago was swallowed by thick, heavy clouds.

It started to rain.

Large raindrops pelted my face.

The rain mixed with the dried blood on my forehead, flowing down my cheeks and into my mouth.

Students on the track scattered, running toward the school building.

As Mom passed by me, she said, "Get up soon. When you've figured it out, come to my office."

Then she turned and left too.

In less than three minutes, there was no one left on the track except me.

I lay there as rain poured into my ears, into my nose, into my mouth.

My clothes were soaked through, clinging to my body, ice-cold and bone-chilling.

But I couldn't feel it anymore.

My soul floated up and followed the students to the school building.

Mr. Parker hurried into the office.

"Ms. Carter, isn't your daughter still on the track? It's raining. Stop being angry and get her back inside. Don't let her catch a cold."

Mom sat at her desk without looking up.

"She's clever enough. How could she let herself get hurt?"

"She's deliberately throwing a tantrum with me, waiting for me to apologize and personally invite her back."

Mr. Parker opened his mouth, finally sighed, and turned to leave.

Half an hour later, someone knocked on the door.

Mom relaxed for a moment, but when she saw who came in, she felt vaguely disappointed.

Victoria and a few other students came in with some practice problems for Mom to explain.

Mom showed no impatience. She patiently explained over and over until everyone nodded in understanding.

I stood nearby watching her.

She used to explain things to me patiently like this too.

The office door suddenly sounded.

Mom froze for a moment, then relaxed and leaned back in her chair.

Victoria smiled. "Ms. Carter, it must be Aria coming to apologize to you."

The corners of Mom's mouth turned up slightly, then quickly pressed down again as she put on a mocking expression.

"Just now she was lying on the ground playing dead, and one rain shower washes away your backbone?"

"Aria, if you know you were wrong, shout 'I was wrong' three times, then go apologize to everyone in class and say you dragged down the entire class!"

The knocking continued.

Mom frowned and got up to open the door.

When she saw who was outside, Mom was shocked.

"Mr. Hawkins, why are you here?"

The principal's face was grim. He asked, "Your class had the fitness test last period, right? That girl who collapsed on the trackis she from your class?"

The panic in Mom's heart was instantly replaced by disdain.

She scoffed lightly and waved her hand.

" Mr. Hawkins, don't worry. That's just my daughter Aria. This child has been spoiled since she was young. She's so stubborn. She's faking a collapse to avoid the fitness test and throwing a tantrum with me."

"Don't worry about her. When she's done making a scene, she'll get up on her own."

The principal's expression grew even worse.

He was about to speak when the school nurse rushed over.

"Mr. Hawkins, this is bad. The girl on the track isn't breathing."