The Birthday Party Bought With My Daughter's Life

A crowd of patients and their families had gathered outside the hospital room to watch the show. Naomi sat up in bed and gave me a worried look.

I whispered a few words of comfort to her and asked the nurse to keep an eye on her before leaving with the police.

At the station, I presented my ID, marriage certificate, and property deed to prove that the apartment was mine. I explained that I had forced the door open only because I couldn't get in and that I had forgotten to tell my wife that I had reset the passcode.

After verifying everything, the police finally released me the following afternoon.

For fear that Naomi would worry, I raced back to the hospital, only to be told by the nurse that Heather had insisted on discharging Naomi that morning despite the doctor's objections.

I rushed home again. When I stepped through the door, I saw Jared playing video games while Heather fed him fruit and snacks like a devoted caretaker. They sat so close that when she fed him apple slices, their mouths were nearly touching.

I didn't bother with them, as I was too worried about Naomi.

After scanning the room, I finally spotted her in the kitchen. She was standing on a stool, washing vegetables and cooking pasta. Her face was pale as she tried to scoop the pasta onto a plate.

I rushed over, snatched the ladle from her, and carried her out of the kitchen.

I demanded to know why Heather had discharged Naomi and made her cook in the kitchen when she had just left the hospital. She hadn't recovered, and she was still so young, so what if she was scalded?

Heather glanced at us indifferently. "She's not sick or in pain, so keeping her in a hospital bed is just a waste of resources. It's better if she moves around in the house and builds her strength.

"I'm doing this for her health's sake because a little housework is good exercise. It's not like she's going to drop dead from cooking pasta, so what's the big deal?

"And if we're talking about her health, Jared cares far more than you do as a dad. He heard there's a specialist in the neighboring city who treats her condition, so he made an appointment to bring her over tomorrow.

"I've looked into the doctor's credentials. He's top-tier and one of the best in the country who can definitely cure her heart condition."

I eyed them suspiciously and wondered if she was telling the truth.

Seeing my hesitation, she thumped her chest and assured me everything would be fine. She even showed me a refund confirmation from the hotel, saying the money would go toward Naomi's treatment.

She was Naomi's biological mother, after all, so I wanted to believe that she wouldn't harm Naomi's life. Maybe the doctors here couldn't be of help, and a specialist elsewhere might offer a different approach.

With that thought, I didn't object and carried Naomi back to her room so she could rest. When I came out, the two of them were still cuddled together.

I didn't bother saying anything else and went into the kitchen to finish cooking the pasta. All Jared did was glance at me and say nothing.

Once the pasta was ready, I took it to Naomi before making sure she ate until she was full and took her medicine. Then, I quickly took a few bites myself and lay down to rest.

Heather and Jared were none of my concern. They weren't going to starve anyway.

The next day, I woke up at dawn and instinctively went to check on Naomi in her room. It was empty while Heather and Jared were gone.

I frantically called Heather, who picked up after several rings and told me that she was with Naomi. They were taking Naomi to a major hospital in the neighboring city for the specialist's appointment. She even sent me the location pin for a well-known hospital.

Slightly relieved, I hung up and got ready for work.

A second later, my phone screen lit up with a text from Naomi. It had just three simple words.

"Dad, save me!"