“Are you sure this is the place?” Sophia asked, frowning.
She found it hard to believe. Surrounded by basic rural buildings, this grand construction stood out. If Wood Kesha’s family was so poor that they couldn’t afford her treatment, how could they afford to build such a house?
“I’m sure! There’s a river next to their house. I came here last time to donate money. I can’t be wrong!” Mary insisted.
At that moment, a woman carrying a kettle walked out and called to some workers, “Come have some water before you continue.”
“Wood Kesha’s mother?” Sophia called out.
The woman, Tamia, was startled and looked uneasy. Sophia remembered her as a plain, simple woman who had appeared in old, worn-out clothes in donation photos with Wood Kesha. But now, she was wearing a brand-new black fur coat and high heels, looking rather well-off. What’s more, the way she spoke suggested that the house under construction belonged to her family.
“Dr. Sophia, why are you here?” Tamia asked, her tone awkward.
Sophia’s frown deepened. She had begun to piece things together.
“It’s time for Wood Kesha to pick up her medicine, but she didn’t come, so I came to check on her.”
“Medicine?” Tamia forced a laugh, then sighed. “Dr. Sophia, to be honest, our family really can’t afford her treatment anymore. We can’t even afford the medicine. Besides, Kesha’s cancer is in the late stages. The doctor said it’s incurable.”
“Is it incurable, or did you just not bother treating it?” Sophia’s tone was sharp, and her expression darkened.
Tamia rolled her eyes and said, “Dr. Sophia, people like us in the countryside don’t have the money for this kind of treatment. Cancer is a death sentence here! Where would we find the money for such an expensive illness?”
This excuse might fool others, but not Sophia.
“Rural medical insurance covers more than urban plans, reimburses a significant portion as long as the medications aren’t imported. Besides, didn’t netizens donate money to you? I heard you raised over 500,000 dollars. Where did that money go?”
Tamia’s expression stiffened, and she stammered:
“What 500,000 dollars? That’s nonsense! It was just over 100,000, and we spent it all on Kesha.”
“You think I’ll believe that?” Sophia retorted angrily, pointing at the house. “Then where did this house come from? If you’re too poor to treat your daughter, how do you have money to build this? Did you use the donations to build it?”
Tamia refused to admit it no matter what.
Mary stepped forward, listing the donations one by one.
After calculating, they confirmed that over 500,000 dollars had been raised.
Realizing she couldn’t deny it, Tamia shamelessly confessed, her tone defensive:
“Yes! Fine, I’ll tell you the truth! We got some donations, but the doctor said my daughter’s chances of recovery were slim, and even if she got better, it would relapse. I didn’t want her to die, but sometimes you have to face reality. Why waste money when it’s hopeless? Should I let us lose everything for nothing?”
Sophia’s voice grew colder. “So you used your daughter’s life-saving money to build a house instead?”
“I…” Tamia, thinking herself clever, tried to act pitiful. “Dr. Sophia, what could I do? My son is just a year younger than Kesha, and he’s getting married. Our family only had two shabby houses before. What girl would marry into such a place? Her family demanded a dowry and a proper house, or no marriage! What choice did I have? If I didn’t build this house, my son would remain a bachelor for life. What about our family’s future? How would our family line continue?”
Sophia was furious but held back her anger as she asked, “What’s more important—your daughter’s life or your son finding a wife?”
“Of course, life is more important,” Tamia replied. “But isn’t it hopeless? If the treatment doesn’t work and she still dies, we’ll lose both her and the money. At least with the house, my daughter can live comfortably in her last days.”
As they spoke, Wood Kesha’s younger brother came out. He looked impatient and glared at Sophia.
“Another volunteer? Aren’t you people annoying? You know our family is poor. How we spend our money is none of your business!”
He exuded a brazen, shameless attitude. Sophia remained calm, her expression unreadable, as she stared at him.
“Your family’s money? Is this money really yours?”
“None of your business!” he retorted arrogantly.
“I have no interest in your family affairs,” Sophia replied coldly. “But it’s clear you have no money of your own to build a house or get married, so you’re draining your parents and sister dry. Now you’re even using your sister’s life-saving money for your marriage. Do you have any shame?”
