“That’s none of your concern! My sister agreed to it herself. I didn’t force her!”
Tamia quickly pushed her son aside and said with a forced smile, “Go inside! This is your sister’s donation money. If things blow up, it won’t do us any good.”
Her son left reluctantly, muttering under his breath.
—
“Dr. Sophia, how can people be so shameless?” Mary fumed.
As an only child who grew up in a loving, supportive family, Mary couldn’t comprehend such treatment of one’s own daughter. “How could parents do this to their child? Aren’t daughters their flesh and blood too? I’m going online to expose them!”
Mary posted a long Instagram thread, tagging numerous influencers and news accounts. The ongoing controversy about Wood Kesha quickly gained traction, leading to widespread reposts. Many netizens demanded that Wood Kesha come forward and explain herself.
—
At the Wood family’s makeshift dining area, amidst the dust from the ongoing construction, Wood Kesha sat at the table, coughing and struggling to breathe.
Her lymphoma had metastasized to the mediastinum, making it difficult for her to breathe. Her condition had improved slightly during her hospital stay, but since returning home, the dusty environment had worsened her health.
“Mom, how much of the donation money is left?”
She had seen the online backlash, and it pained her deeply. She wanted treatment and to stay in a proper hospital, but her mother refused, using the money for the house instead. She had even given 100,000 dollars as a bride price for her brother’s fiancée.
Tamia avoided her gaze. “Why are you asking?”
“Why can’t I ask? That money was donated to help me get treatment,” Wood Kesha said tearfully. “But instead of paying for my treatment, you used it all on my brother.”
“Don’t be ungrateful!” Tamia snapped. “As an older sister, isn’t it your duty to support your younger brother? Do you want to see him stay single for life? You know what our living conditions were like before. Who would marry him then?”
“And what about me?” Wood Kesha cried. “Have you ever thought about me? I’m dying, and you’re still worried about getting him a wife! Am I not your child too?”
“Of course you are! If you weren’t, would I cook and care for you every day? But your illness is incurable! That’s what the doctors said, not me!”
Wood Kesha clutched her chest in pain. “If it’s incurable, then stop scamming donations! Don’t you feel guilty for deceiving the donors who gave us so much money?”
“You ungrateful child!” Tamia scolded. “Shouldn’t you help your brother build a house? Those people have money to spare. A few dozen or hundred dollars from each of them isn’t a big deal. Besides, they helped us improve our lives. That’s a good deed!”
Wood Kesha couldn’t accept her mother’s justification and broke down in tears.
“Stop crying, Kesha,” Tamia said, trying to console her. “I’m not ignoring your needs. Isn’t the house for you too? When it’s finished, you’ll live in it, and maybe you’ll feel better and recover!”
Would she really? Wood Kesha stared blankly at her plate of rice, knowing deep down she wouldn’t live to see the house completed.
—
Over the next few days, furious netizens called for Wood Kesha to make a statement. They were convinced that her family had misappropriated the donations for the house instead of her treatment. Some even offered to donate directly to her account instead of her mother’s, but Wood Kesha never responded.
Village officials investigated and reported that Tamia claimed Wood Kesha had willingly given the money for the house and her brother’s marriage, insisting it was her own decision.
With no concrete evidence to the contrary, the officials had no choice but to relay her claims to the media.
—
“Netizens are outraged,” Sophia remarked while scrolling through Instagram.
Livinus, having heard the full story from her, frowned. “It’s natural for people to be angry. Exploiting public sympathy like this will make netizens more cautious in the future. When someone genuinely needs help, they might not be as willing to offer support.”
Sophia nodded in agreement. She had even reached out to Wood Kesha, offering to cover her treatment costs and provide free medicine, but she never received a reply.
“She doesn’t have much time left,” Sophia said sadly.
“There are some things we just can’t control,” Livinus consoled her.
Sophia sighed, trying to adjust her mood. She and Livinus picked up some books and began reading together.
A week later, Sophia received a phone call from Mary.
**”Dr. Sophia, Wood Kesha is gone…”**
Sophia froze upon hearing this, taking a moment to recall who Wood Kesha was.
Although the controversy had been all over the internet and she had kept track of it, Sophia had been busy with work and her many patients. Even with her good memory, she couldn’t remember everyone. It wasn’t until Mary mentioned Wood Kesha that Sophia remembered her as the lymphoma patient who had come for treatment. Sophia had prescribed a week’s worth of medicine that had shown positive effects, but Wood Kesha never returned.
