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OpticSnips
  • 6 hours ago
Mom's Fairness Killed Me
Transcript
00:00Mom, please let me in! I'm so cold!
00:04It was a snowy night, minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
00:08I was locked outside, wearing only thin pajamas, slowly turning into a snowman.
00:14Inside, the fireplace was roaring.
00:16My mom sat on the couch, sipping hot mulled wine,
00:19while my twin brother, Jacob, wrapped in a wool blanket, curled up in her lap, watching cartoons.
00:25Mom said Jacob had suffered from the freezing wind for 20 minutes during the parade, and he was traumatized.
00:32So, just for fairness, I had to stand in the cold for 20 minutes, too.
00:36Then, we were even.
00:38Jacob and I are twins, so Mom insists on fairness and everything.
00:43When he ate ice cream from the food stall and got diarrhea,
00:48my mom knew that I was lactose intolerant,
00:50so she forced me to drink milk and suffer just like him, just for fairness.
00:55As I curled up on the bathroom floor, pale and completely drained,
01:00Jacob stood at the door, sobbing.
01:01Mom, I'm sorry! I'll never eat street food again!
01:06Mom was satisfied, just smiled, and stroked his hair.
01:10Meanwhile, under Mom's disgusted glare,
01:13I had to choke down cold oatmeal and spent two days in bed just trying to recover.
01:17When Jacob failed to finish his homework and got detention,
01:21Mom dragged me to school and forced me to rip my own homework right in front of the teacher,
01:26just for fairness.
01:28Seeing me burst into tears, ripping my hard work page by page,
01:32Jacob started bawling.
01:33Mom, I promise I'll do my homework!
01:36Please don't do this to Helen!
01:38Even my teacher just stared at me with pure pity, unable to say a word.
01:42And today, during the Thanksgiving parade,
01:45Jacob got separated from the crowd and was lost for 20 minutes.
01:49When we got home, Mom's face was dark.
01:52Helen, your brother was lost for 20 minutes.
01:55He was terrified out there.
01:57To be fair, you need to feel exactly what he felt.
02:00She dragged me to the front door and slammed it shut.
02:03It was minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit,
02:06and I was wearing thin cotton pajamas, standing barefoot outside.
02:11It was freezing.
02:13I curled up in the corner of the porch steps.
02:16The wind sliced through the wooden cracks like needles, piercing my skin.
02:20I picked up a twig with numb fingers.
02:22I scraped it for a bit of warmth, just like Little Match Girl.
02:25But no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't light.
02:29I was so tired.
02:30I just wanted to sleep.
02:32I reached into my pocket and felt the drawing I did in art class.
02:36In the drawing, Mom was sitting by my bedside,
02:39holding a fairytale book, smiling gently as she read me a bedtime story.
02:43I pressed the drawing tightly against my chest and closed my eyes.
02:47In a daze, I felt myself sinking back into that warm, soft bed.
02:52Mom was whispering gently, and I could smell the faint, lingering scent from her.
02:57Go to sleep, sweetie.
02:59Mommy will always be here with you.
03:00The snow kept falling, but suddenly, I felt warm.
03:05Mom, I'm falling asleep now.
03:07Maybe when I wake up, you'll open the door and get me back inside.
03:11You'll read me a gentle bedtime story, just like in my drawing.
03:15Snowflakes drifted down, landing on my hair, my eyelashes, and the drawing in my arms.
03:21And finally, I couldn't feel cold anymore.
03:24I was jolted awake by Mom's screeching voice.
03:28Opening my heavy eyes, I realized I was floating in midair, hovering beside the chandelier in the living room.
03:35I tried to scream, tried to rush down and grab them, but my fingertips passed right through Jacob's hair without
03:42stirring a whisper of wind.
03:47Mom, where's Sissy?
03:49Mom was busy packing.
03:51Two massive suitcases were stuffed with clothes, toys, and snacks.
03:55Hearing his question, she didn't even look up.
03:58Her?
03:59That ungrateful brat.
04:00I made her stay outside to reflect for fairness last night.
04:03This morning, she was gone.
04:04Probably ran off to Grandma's to complain about me.
04:07Complain?
04:08Mom, no, I didn't.
04:10I hovered in the air, opening my mouth to explain, but the air just slipped through my throat.
04:16Not a single sound.
04:20Complain?
04:21Yeah.
04:23She was acting out yesterday, thought it wasn't fair, and ran off at night.
04:29Well, she went to Grandma's to have fun.
04:31Then I'm taking you to the Fairyland theme park for three days, just to be fair.
04:36My dead body was just outside the door, huddled in the corner, buried under the heavy snow like an abandoned
04:42snowman.
04:43My soul drifted upon the ceiling, while Mom, just to be fair, was taking my brother out to a theme
04:49park.
04:50Mom, what about me?
04:51You haven't even found me yet.
04:54But Sissy has never been to Fairyland.
04:57Are we really not bringing her?
05:00Jacob, remember, she left us first.
05:03She only cared about herself and went Grandma's, leaving you here all frightened.
05:06Just to be fair, she will get punished, and you deserve to go have a good time.
05:11Outside that door, my body had already gone stiff.
05:15The last thing I remembered was the bone-chilling, cold, and endless despair.
05:19I had wanted to strike a twig, wanted to wait for Mom to come and get me.
05:24But until I froze to death, that door never opened.
05:34The snow is so heavy, the roads must be bad.
05:37Maybe we should call and check if Helen arrived okay?
05:40Call her?
05:41For what?
05:42If she's got the nerve to run away, then she can look after herself.
05:46If you call her now, you're giving in to her!
05:50You want her to behave like this all the time?
05:52If we want our children to grow up into leets, we must use fair discipline and give them cold treatment
05:59if necessary.
06:01Just wait for it.
06:02She will come back crying for forgiveness!
06:04In this house, Mom's fairness was the law.
06:08I stared at Dad's back.
06:10Strangely, I didn't feel any hate, but just sad for him.
06:14Turned out, in their eyes, my leaving was just a solo drama they needed to handle.
06:19They finished packing, laughing, and chatting as they walked out the door.
06:24Mom, look! There's a snowman! I think Helen made it!
06:28The mound trembled slightly, but it didn't collapse.
06:31My body was just inside, frozen stiff in a curled position.
06:36Don't touch that. It's dirty.
06:39Must be that little brat making a mess at the doorstep.
06:42Let's go. The fireworks are about to start.
06:45They got into the car. The exhaust fumes blasted against the mound, instantly melting a tiny patch of snow to
06:53reveal a corner of my gray pajamas.
06:56But no one noticed.
06:58It wasn't until the tires rolled over the edge of the mound that the car jolted.
07:03Dad glanced at the rearview mirror.
07:05That tiny flash of gray pajamas caught his attention.
07:08Sarah, I need to get out and look. I think I just saw...
07:11Come on, we're going to be late for Fairyland. It's just a rock in the snow.
07:16I'm sure it's from your baby girl.
07:18Just to be fair, when she comes back, I'm making her shovel every last spot of snow from the driveway.
07:23In fact, she's going to clear the roads for the entire neighborhood.
07:27She should be doing this while we are out, right? It's just not fair!
07:31With her perfect makeup, Mom smirked.
07:33I was already dead, yet she was still thinking about my punishment, her fairness.
07:39On the way to the park, Jacob remained silent, holding the toy bear I had gifted to him.
07:45It was a gift for his sixth birthday. I had saved up for over half a year for it.
07:50Back then, Mom had said,
07:52You got a gift for your brother, then you need to give one to me, too.
07:55Just to be fair, it needs to be the same price.
07:57I didn't have any money left, so Mom punished me by making me wash the dishes for a month.
08:05Cheer up, Jacob! We're going to Fairyland! You're going to see Superman, your favorite!
08:10Jacob forced a smile, burying his face into the bear's plush fur.
08:16Inside the theme park, it was packed.
08:18Cheerful music, colorful balloons. It really felt like a fairy tale paradise.
08:24Excitedly, Mom dragged Jacob into a souvenir shop.
08:28She picked out a blue princess gown and began holding it up against Jacob.
08:33Here, Jacob, put this on!
08:35That's for girls! I'm not wearing that! Helen likes it, not me!
08:40I remembered that dress. I had seen it on TV once, my eyes glowing with envy.
08:47At the time, Mom had told me,
08:49Want a dress? Fine. Just to be fair, your brother doesn't wear dresses, so neither do you.
08:57And now, she was forcing that exact dress onto my brother.
09:01Who says boys can't wear dresses?
09:05Your sister is definitely dressing up over at Grandma's right now.
09:09I bet she even got new clothes.
09:11Just to be fair, you gotta wear new clothes, too.
09:14And the exact one she wanted the most!
09:16That'll teach her a lesson!
09:18But I don't want to!
09:21Put it on!
09:22I am doing this for your own good, to make sure you get what's fair.
09:26Why can't you understand how much I sacrifice for you?
09:29Right there, with everyone watching, she stripped off Jacob's jacket and forced the princess gown over him.
09:35Jacob's face flushed from humiliation.
09:37Tears streamed down his cheeks.
09:39In the crowd, there were whispers and mockings.
09:42But Mom ignored them all.
09:45She took out her phone, snapping photo after photo of Jacob as he sobbed.
09:50Then, with a satisfied smile, she uploaded them to Instagram.
09:55Her caption read,
09:56My little princess, a million times sweeter than some little brat.
10:00Little brother fulfills his sister's dream.
10:04Fairness is everything.
10:05Mommy loves you both.
10:07I stared at the phone screen, a sharp ache piercing my heart.
10:11I watched the light in my Jacob's eyes slowly die down.
10:15Just like last night in the snow, the little twig I tried to strike it would never, ever light.
10:20At night, the theme park started fireworks above the castle.
10:24Jacob, look! So pretty!
10:27Jacob was in that loose princess gown, shivering in the wind.
10:31Mom, can Helen see the fireworks too?
10:35Why do you keep bringing her up?
10:37You're ruining the mood!
10:38She's probably stuffing herself in grandma's forgotten us already.
10:42Just to be fair, let's just have fun.
10:44You are not allowed to think about her.
10:47The fireworks were so beautiful, so warm, so full of life.
10:52But my body was lying hundreds of miles away, right outside our house.
10:57A new flurry of snow began to fall.
11:00The flakes drifted down, burying the mound that hid me even deeper.
11:05Occasionally, stray dogs would pass by, sniffing around it, then run away from the freezing wind.
11:12I couldn't feel the cold anymore, but I was terrified they would eat me.
11:16If they did, would Mom still be able to recognize me?
11:20Three days later, they returned.
11:27Still not melting yet. It's getting dark.
11:32It better melt soon. What a mess to look at.
11:35Jacob's eyes were glassy. He had been running a low-grade fever.
11:39Mom, Teddy says he's cold. He wants to play with the snowman.
11:45Play? It's filthy!
11:48Your sister's not even home, yet she leaves this here just to ruin the view.
11:52This driveway looks like a dump site.
11:55Just to be fair, she made a mess out here.
11:57None of her junk is allowed inside my house.
12:03Get inside! You leave it there!
12:05Let her and her garbage rot outside until she learns her lesson.
12:18A week has passed.
12:20The temperature began to climb, and the sun became bright.
12:24The snowmound started shrinking.
12:26It turned filthy and gray.
12:29The little toy bear had slid off and was caked in mud.
12:32Mrs. Margaret, the neighbor from next door, was walking her dog when she passed the house.
12:37She covered her nose, frowning as she looked at the mound.
12:40Just then, Mom came outside to take out the trash, and Mrs. Margaret called out to her.
12:45Hey, Sarah.
12:48What on earth is that by your steps?
12:50What is that weird smell?
12:52It was the smell of rot, thick, and foul.
12:54Though it was still cold.
12:56After a week, the smell came out.
12:58Oh, hi.
12:59That's just a snowman Helen made.
13:01Naughty girl.
13:02God knows what garbage she stuffed inside.
13:04Where is Helen anyway?
13:05Haven't seen her in days.
13:06Over at her grandmother's.
13:08She's a brat.
13:09We can't control her.
13:11Just to be fair, I'm letting her learn a lesson out there so she'll finally appreciate us.
13:17Sarah, I'm not being mouthy.
13:18My dog was sniffing around that mound last night, and I couldn't even drag him away.
13:22You really gotta clear it out.
13:23It's quite creepy.
13:25What a jinx.
13:26Even when she's gone, she leaves a bloody disaster behind.
13:29Fine, I'll have David shove it away.
13:31Just to be fair, when she gets back, the cost of labor comes straight out of her pocket money.
13:36I drifted behind Mrs. Margaret, watching her walk away while shaking her head.
13:41She obviously felt something was wrong, even if she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
13:47A moment later, Dad came out carrying a snow shovel.
13:50He looked hollow, his eyes bloodshot.
13:53For the past few days, nightmares had hunted him night after night.
13:57He dreamt of me crying alone in the snow.
13:59As he approached the mound, the stench hit him.
14:04What the hell is that smell?
14:06Right before he raised the shovel, he stopped.
14:09The mound had melted more than halfway down, and there, a patch of gray fabric appeared.
14:14It was my gray pajamas.
14:16He bought those pajamas for me.
14:19At the time, Mom had said,
14:21Jacob got new sneakers.
14:22Just to be fair, let's get Helen a pair of pajamas.
14:25Not like anyone's going to see her in them at home anyway.
14:28He seemed to realize something, yet he refused to believe it.
14:32Dropping the snow shovel, he slowly knelt.
14:35He extended a trembling finger, wanting to touch the fabric.
14:39David! Get in here! Jacob fainted!
14:42He glanced at the mound, where the gray fabric peeked out, his eyes wide, with terror and denial.
14:48In the end, he turned his back and rushed inside.
14:52Such is human nature when facing huge terror.
14:56Our instinct is always to flee from the truth.
14:58Inside, it was pure chaos.
15:01Jacob's face was flushed from the fever, his jaw locked tight as his whole body trembled.
15:07Jacob! Jacob! Don't scare Mommy like this!
15:10Hurry! Get him to the hospital now!
15:16At the hospital, the doctor diagnosed it as acute pneumonia, compounded by a severe stress reaction.
15:24After his sedative, Jacob finally calmed down.
15:27But he was in a coma.
15:28He kept murmuring.
15:31Helen, cold matches.
15:34It's all Helen's fault. She's not even here yet. She's still torturing Jacob.
15:38When she gets back, I am going to punish her. It's just not fair.
15:42Why should Jacob suffer while she's living it up at Grandma's?
15:48It was a call from Grandma.
15:50Mom glanced at the screen, let out a cold snort, and answered it on speakerphone.
15:55Mom, so you finally decided to call?
15:57Helen must be enjoying herself over there.
15:59Huh? Do you know that Jacob got sick because of her?
16:01Put her on the phone!
16:02Sarah, what on earth are you talking about? Helen never came here!
16:09What did you say?
16:10I said Helen never came here!
16:13That day you said you were going to teach her a lesson and hung up on me.
16:16I've been worried sick ever since, but you haven't been answering my calls for days!
16:20Where on earth is Helen? It's been a whole week!
16:25That's impossible. She said she was going to Grandma's. She must be hiding.
16:28She's lying to me!
16:29Dad stood to the side, his face as pale as a sheet.
16:33The stinky snowdrift by the driveway flashed across his mind.
16:36He remembered the patch of gray pajamas.
16:40He remembered the stiffness that had been within his finger's reach.
16:45And more suddenly ripped from Dad's throat.
16:48Clutching his head with both hands, he collapsed to the ground, tearing at his own hair.
16:52It's over. It's all over.
16:53We killed Helen.
16:59Losing his mind, Dad bolted out of the hospital room.
17:02Mom froze for a few seconds before stumbling out after him.
17:06They climbed into the car and tore down the streets, blowing through red lights, rushing back home.
17:12It had gone completely dark.
17:14By the driveway, the streetlight flickered on and off, casting a dim glow over the snowdrift.
17:20Dad threw himself forward, scrambling on his hands and knees.
17:24He no longer cared about the smell or the filth.
17:27With his bare hands, he dug frantically.
17:31Once, twice, black slush splattered across his face and into his mouth, but he felt nothing.
17:36Helen!
17:38Helen!
17:39Mom stood a few meters away, her entire body shaking, her teeth chattering.
17:44No, it can't be.
17:46This is a prank.
17:47Just to be fair, she wouldn't dare scare me like this.
17:49The snowdrift was peeled away piece by piece.
17:52First, there was that muddy toy bear, then my gray pajamas, and finally, my face bruised, bloated, and utterly deformed.
18:03I was huddled just like that, arms locked tightly against my chest, my fingers still clutching the drawing I had
18:09painted from my imagination.
18:11My eyes were shut, my eyelashes frosted with ice.
18:16She stared at my dead body, the daughter she had once seen as a burden, the one who had caused
18:21others to point fingers at her for not being fair enough.
18:24Helen!
18:25Dad is so sorry!
18:28I'm a coward!
18:29I'm a monster!
18:31He tried to warm my hands, trying to wake me up.
18:34Strangely, I didn't feel any joy in finally being found by my parents.
18:39Instead, a bittersweet ache welled up in my eyes.
18:42Turned out, only after I died, they shed tears over losing me.
18:46Only when I became a corpse was I worthy of my father's hugs.
18:50Right at that moment, the wail of sirens approached.
18:55Oh my god!
18:56This is devastating!
18:58How could a mother treat her own child like this?
19:01She doesn't even deserve to be a parent.
19:03The police set up a cordon, and the medical examiner knelt beside me, switching on her flashlight to examine my
19:10body.
19:10She aimed the light at the object, clutched tightly in my hands, the drawing now tattered and soaked.
19:17Drawn in crooked crayon strokes, mom's hair cascaded down softly, the light giving her silhouette a warm, golden glow.
19:24Her head was bowed, a faint smile on her lips as she read me a bedtime story.
19:29I was lying in bed, tucked beneath a thick blanket, my eyes bright and listening intently.
19:33Now, this heartwarming drawing was held in a death grip by my fingers, my knuckles frozen.
19:40After the medical examiner carefully slid the drawing out from between my fingers with a pair of tweezers, everyone fell
19:47into a dead silence.
19:49Though the paper was blurred from the blood and snow, the words written on it remained crystal clear.
19:53Mom reads me a bedtime story every day.
19:55As two female officers hoisted up mom, she was still struggling.
20:01Let go of me!
20:02I was teaching my child a lesson!
20:05This is fairness!
20:07Her brother was terrified, so his older sister should reflect outside!
20:11This is all her prank!
20:13She loves doing this!
20:14She's been playing mind games since she was little!
20:16Look, she's still pretending to sleep!
20:19Helen, get up! Stop faking it!
20:21She screamed at my corpse, her gaze vacant and wild.
20:24It wasn't grief, it was denial.
20:26Let me in! Let me see her!
20:28She's perfectly fine!
20:30Why is she doing this to me?
20:32Help!
20:33Shut up!
20:34That is a corpse!
20:36The corpse of your own daughter!
20:38She looked at me and was suddenly drained.
20:40She slid down to the ground.
20:42Dad.
20:45Dad.
20:48Inside the interrogation room,
20:50Mom sat on a cold metal chair,
20:52handcuffs binding her wrists.
20:54She was no longer hysterical.
20:56Instead, she had become strangely calm,
20:59even a bit self-righteous.
21:01Officer, you don't understand.
21:03My husband and I also come from twin families.
21:06Ever since I was a child,
21:08I've known that fairness is the most important thing.
21:10When the brother eats ice cream and gets diarrhea,
21:13how terrible would he feel if his older sister is perfectly fine?
21:17Just to be fair,
21:19the sister has to get diarrhea, too.
21:22Only then can the two children love each other.
21:25So that's why you forced her to drink milk,
21:27knowing she was lactose intolerant?
21:29Of course.
21:29That is discipline.
21:31Then what about this time?
21:33You locked her outside to freeze to death.
21:36Was that for fairness, too?
21:37That day, Jacob almost got lost during the parade.
21:40He was so traumatized.
21:42As the older sister, Helen, failed to look after her brother.
21:46Jacob had to suffer the freezing wind,
21:48so Helen needed to feel it, too.
21:49Jacob was terrified,
21:50so Helen needed to clear her head outside.
21:53I was just trying to make things fair.
21:55Make things fair?
21:56This is how you do it.
21:57This is a human life.
21:58The daughter you carried in your womb for 10 months.
22:02But I got the time right.
22:04In the past, her timeouts were always 30 minutes.
22:06This time, I only intended to lock her out for 30 minutes, too.
22:09Then why didn't you open the door?
22:11Because Jacob started crying.
22:13I went to comfort him, and then I forgot.
22:16After that, I thought she wasn't knocking anymore.
22:18She must have run off to grandma's.
22:20I thought she was acting out.
22:21Just to be fair, I couldn't back down first.
22:25The results are back.
22:26Helen's stomach was almost empty.
22:29We found only a bit of moldy grain fiber.
22:31The estimated time of her death was over 36 hours.
22:34In other words, she had gone without a proper meal,
22:36for at least a day and a half before she died.
22:40Sarah, we checked your household's dining records,
22:42including food delivery orders and credit card statements.
22:46During the week of the incident,
22:48Jacob's dinners were logged.
22:51What about Helen?
22:53We looked through the receipts from those seven days,
22:56and we couldn't find a single transaction related to Helen.
22:59Tell me, how on earth did you manage to treat them fairly?
23:04She ate home-cooked meals.
23:07What was that?
23:08Oatmeal.
23:10She didn't like meat.
23:11Just to be fair, I had her eat more grains.
23:13Didn't like meat?
23:14Then why is it that on the same day Jacob was having steak,
23:17there wasn't a single purchase record for grain meals or ingredients in that kitchen?
23:24Outside the interrogation room,
23:26Dad curled up in a corner of the hallway,
23:29burying his face in his hands, weeping.
23:32He had confessed to everything.
23:35He confessed to his cowardice,
23:37his long-term enabling of Mom's twisted parenting.
23:41I'm an accomplice.
23:42I'm a co-conspirator.
23:43Meanwhile, across the internet, the story exploded like wildfire.
23:48When Grandma Ruth arrived at the police station,
23:52her entire body was trembling.
23:54The officer handed her a evidence bag containing my drawing,
23:59the one soaked through with blood and melted snow,
24:01its edges already turned black.
24:03She stared at the mom in the picture,
24:06who was smiling and reading a story.
24:09Grandma suddenly clutched her chest,
24:11her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed straight backward.
24:15Acute heart attack, she was brought in too late.
24:18Grandma passed away.
24:19She closed her eyes forever,
24:21carrying endless guilt toward me and hatred for her own daughter, Sarah.
24:25Overnight, Grandpa Henry seemed to age 20 years.
24:30He stood in the hospital hallway.
24:32When my paternal grandparents arrived to beg for mercy,
24:36he didn't scream or strike them.
24:38He simply handed them a formal legal notice.
24:43I am suing Sarah for intentional murder,
24:45and I am taking Jacob with me.
24:48Henry, please, we are all family here.
24:51Dragging this into a courtroom won't do anyone any good.
24:56Family?
24:57My granddaughter froze to death in a snow drip
25:00right outside your front door.
25:02For a whole week, you all went off to enjoy themselves at a theme park.
25:07And because of all this, my wife didn't survive,
25:09and you dare speak to me of family?
25:12Sarah is your daughter, after all.
25:16She's sick.
25:17She's a patient.
25:18Patients deserve treatment, but they must also face the law.
25:21Henry, don't do this!
25:22Jacob is our grandson.
25:24Sarah made a mistake, but the child has nothing to do with this.
25:27Nothing to do with this?
25:29A child raised in that kind of environment is already half destroyed.
25:32Do you want him to be completely ruined?
25:35Helen is already gone.
25:36I will not allow Jacob to become the next lunatook Sarah
25:39or the next coward David.
25:40The headline,
25:41North Dakota girl locked outside and frozen to death by her mother
25:44in the name of fair discipline,
25:46soared to the top of X trending topics
25:48and read its front page,
25:51circulated by major media outlets.
25:53Two hours after the news broke,
25:55in the comment section,
25:57someone dropped a link to a screenshot.
25:59It was the photo mom had posted on Instagram
26:02when she took my brother to the Fairyland theme park.
26:05In the image,
26:06a young boy stood in the middle of the theme park square
26:09wearing a blue princess gown with tears on his face.
26:12Behind him, it was the brightly lit castle.
26:15The post originally had over 400 likes
26:17and the comments like,
26:19so cute and what a cool mom.
26:22Now, however,
26:23the comments section was upended.
26:25Wait,
26:26that older sister who wanted to wear a dress
26:28is same little girl who just froze to death outside?
26:31While she was posting this,
26:33her daughter was already dead in the snow.
26:36I can't believe she actually has a public parenting account.
26:39Her entire feed is filled with this absolute fairness garbage.
26:41Before long,
26:42the internet found mom's full profile.
26:45Calling herself Fairness Mom,
26:46she had nearly 20,000 followers
26:48and regularly posted about her
26:50scientific and fair parenting method.
26:53Her posts featured well-staged living room backdrops
26:56with comment sections full of mothers writing,
26:58so helpful,
26:59and I wish I could be a mom like you.
27:01And that photo of the princess gown
27:03was the most liked post
27:05in her Fair Education and Practice series.
27:08Users took screenshots of these posts,
27:10compiling them into long-form images
27:12marked with red lines.
27:14Within two hours of being uploaded,
27:16the post racked up over 100,000 retweets.
27:19This isn't fairness.
27:20This is murder.
27:21Where was the father?
27:22He's an accomplice!
27:23I treat my children fairly,
27:24but her son gets stakes
27:26while her daughter gets nothing.
27:28That poor little girl.
27:29She deserved a much better life.
27:31The Fairness Mom account
27:33was reported more than 80,000 times
27:35within 30 hours
27:37before being forcibly purged by the platform.
27:39However,
27:40that photo of the princess gown
27:42had already been permanently archived
27:44by hundreds of accounts.
27:46The screenshot showcasing Jacob's tear-stained face
27:50right next to the line Mom had written.
27:53Fairness is everything.
27:54Mommy loves you both.
27:56Became one of the most viral images
27:59on the internet that year.
28:01No one was staying so sweet anymore.
28:04I stared at these comments,
28:06my heart untroubled by any emotion.
28:09Lead justice cannot bring back my life.
28:11But I suppose this tragedy
28:14will warn those parents
28:16not to push extreme education
28:17on their children.
28:19This family collapsed,
28:20piece by piece,
28:22like a row of toppled dominoes.
28:24When Mom learned of Grandma's passing
28:26while in the detention center,
28:27she broke down completely.
28:29She began screaming all night,
28:32slamming her head against the wall,
28:33crying out,
28:35Mom, I'm sorry.
28:36I'm so sorry.
28:37I wasn't there.
28:39I wasn't there.
28:41Following a psychiatric evaluation,
28:44Mom was diagnosed
28:44with severe paranoid personality disorder
28:47accompanied by psychotic symptoms.
28:49She was involuntarily committed
28:51to the state psychiatric hospital.
28:54Dad was sentenced to five years
28:56for manslaughter and child abandonment.
28:58On the day of the trial,
28:59Dad didn't hire a lawyer to defend him.
29:03Standing in the defendant's stock,
29:05he stared at the empty gallery.
29:07I am guilty.
29:10Please give me the death penalty.
29:14After the verdict was delivered,
29:16Jacob was taken away by Grandpa.
29:18When he left the house,
29:20he didn't take anything with him
29:21except for that muddy toy bear
29:24retrieved from the snow drift
29:26and the drawing I had held in my arms
29:28before I died.
29:29Grandpa's house was in the suburbs.
29:31It was quiet,
29:32and the fireplace was always crackling
29:34with warm logs
29:36a world away from that snowy night.
29:38But Jacob stopped speaking entirely.
29:42He washed the toy bear over and over again,
29:45sewing up its split belly.
29:47He dried my old drawings,
29:49taking pictures of every single one
29:51to save them properly.
29:53He cradled the toy bear in his arms
29:55just as if he were holding me.
29:57No matter how Grandpa tried to comfort him,
29:59baking his favorite chocolate cake
30:01or buying him brand new paintbrushes,
30:03he would only curl up in the corner of the sofa,
30:06clutching the bear,
30:07his hollow eyes staring blankly
30:09at the flames in the fireplace.
30:11He had developed severe PTSD.
30:14This is a form of self-defense.
30:17He believes that if he makes a sound
30:19or shows any sign of happiness,
30:20it would be a betrayal of his deceased sister.
30:24His sister froze to death in the snow
30:25while he lives in a warm house.
30:27To him, this is unfair.
30:28So he punishes himself,
30:30stripping away his own right to speak
30:31and to feel joy,
30:32to maintain fairness in his mind
30:33through this self-torture.
30:35Jacob had locked his voice away
30:37in that snowy Thanksgiving night.
30:40Grandpa didn't force him.
30:41Instead, every single night,
30:43he would sit by his bedside,
30:44reading my old diaries
30:46and telling stories
30:47of the fun things I did when I was little.
30:49Helen used to be terrified of thunder.
30:52Every time it stormed,
30:53she would crawl straight under Jacob's blanket.
30:56When Helen won that award for her drawing,
30:59she saved up her lunch money
31:00just to buy that toy bear for Jacob.
31:03Jacob listened,
31:04his tears falling silently,
31:06yet his lips remained tightly sealed.
31:08Finally, one night,
31:10Grandpa closed the diary,
31:11looking out at the pitch-black night
31:13through the window.
31:15Jacob,
31:17you're still blaming yourself, aren't you?
31:20You feel like it's unfair
31:22that Helen is dead
31:23while you are alive, don't you?
31:25Do you think that if you stay silent,
31:27that if you make yourself miserable,
31:29you are somehow suffering alongside her?
31:35Child, the fairness your mother talked about
31:37wasn't true, it was just calculation.
31:39But the love Helen gave you
31:41was never like that.
31:42On that snowy day,
31:43she would rather freeze to death
31:44than let go of that drawing against her chest
31:46because her heart was filled with love for you,
31:48not hatred.
31:49She couldn't save herself,
31:51but she left the hope of living to you.
31:53If you lock yourself away in the dark,
31:55you are truly failing the fairness
31:56she paid for with her life.
31:58True fairness isn't for you to die too.
32:00It's for you to carry her share of life
32:02and look at this world for her.
32:04Jacob began to shake all over.
32:06He looked up and for the very first time,
32:09a violent surge of emotion
32:10broke through his dead, vacant eyes.
32:13He opened his mouth,
32:15a few whispers escaping his throat,
32:17but in the end,
32:17an overwhelming terror
32:19forced his mouth shut once again.
32:21Burying his face into the toy bear's belly,
32:23he wept,
32:24his heart breaking to pieces.
32:26Grandpa said no more.
32:28He simply pulled him into a silent, tight embrace
32:31until Christmas one month later.
32:35That day,
32:36Grandpa took Jacob to the cemetery.
32:39Snowflakes drifted down thick and fast,
32:42covering my name on the tombstone.
32:46Helen,
32:47Grammy come to you,
32:48over on that side.
32:50Don't be afraid.
32:51Grammy will take good care of you.
32:53She'll never will let you freeze again.
32:55Jacob stood before my tombstone,
32:58gently brushing the accumulated snow away.
33:01He pulled the toy bear out of his pocket
33:03and leaned it against the tombstone.
33:05He knelt and pressed his ear
33:07against the cold stone,
33:08as if listening for something.
33:10Grandpa's heart seized.
33:12He was terrified that Jacob had lost his mind.
33:15Jacob.
33:21Grandpa.
33:24Helen said she's not cold anymore.
33:30Let's go home together.
33:32These were the very first words
33:34he had spoken since that date.
33:37She said that the little match girl
33:39finally struck a big match.
33:41There was a fireplace,
33:42a roast goose,
33:43and a mummy who didn't scream at her.
33:47Sissy said she's not cold anymore.
33:53She also said
33:54for me not to cry.
33:57She wants me to see
33:58the Fairyland's fireworks,
34:00to see them for her.
34:03He turned around and,
34:05for the first time,
34:07proactively,
34:08took Grandpa's hand.
34:09That hand was cold,
34:10yet it held firm strength.
34:15All right, Jacob.
34:17Let's go home.
34:19The wind kept blowing
34:21and the snow kept falling,
34:23but that frozen winter,
34:25at long last,
34:26in this very moment,
34:27had finally passed.
34:30In the ward of the psychiatric hospital,
34:33there lived a strange woman.
34:35She was always cradling
34:38a pillow in her arms,
34:39a standard-issue white pillow
34:41from the hospital.
34:42She had drawn eyes
34:45and a mouth
34:46onto the pillow
34:46and had even used
34:48an old bed sheet
34:49to make a little dress for it.
34:52Helen, sweetie,
34:53it's time to eat.
34:55Holding a food tray,
34:56Mom would carefully
34:57feed that pillow.
34:59If grains of rice
35:00fell onto the pillow,
35:01she would gently
35:02wipe them away.
35:03Eat slowly,
35:05don't choke.
35:06Just to be fair,
35:07Mommy takes a bite,
35:09then you take a bite.
35:11She would take a bite herself,
35:13then bring the spoon
35:14to the side of the pillow,
35:16wait for a few seconds,
35:17and dump the food
35:18into the trash,
35:19pretending it had swallowed it.
35:20The nurses whispered
35:22that she was the most
35:22deeply disturbed patient.
35:25Until one day,
35:26a new patient arrived
35:27in the ward,
35:28an easily angered,
35:29middle-aged woman.
35:31She snatched the pillow
35:32straight out of Sarah's arms,
35:34threw it onto the floor,
35:35and stomped on it
35:36a few times.
35:38What are you acting for?
35:39Hugging a stupid pillow!
35:41Mom let out a shriek.
35:43She lunged forward,
35:44throwing herself recklessly
35:46into a violent scuffle
35:47with the woman.
35:48Even as her face
35:49was scratched
35:50until it bled,
35:51she protected
35:52that now filthy pillow
35:53with her life.
35:54Don't touch my Helen!
35:56Nobody can hurt my Helen!
35:58The doctors rushed in
35:59and injected her
36:00with a sedative.
36:01As she lay on the bed,
36:03she still squeezed
36:04the pillow tightly,
36:05her fingertips turning white
36:07from the strain.
36:08Tears streamed down
36:09from the corners of her eyes,
36:11soaking the smiley face
36:12drawn on the pillow.
36:15Mommy will protect you.
36:17Mommy will never let you
36:18suffer again.
36:20This time,
36:21Mommy only wants you.
36:23I don't want your brother anymore.
36:25Is it fair now?
36:27Floating by the head of the bed,
36:29I stared at her tear-stained face,
36:31covered in scratches.
36:32The deep resentment
36:33in my heart
36:34seemed to slowly dissipate
36:36along with her madness.
36:37She had finally learned
36:39how to love me.
36:40Only after I was dead.
36:42show and
36:42until the end.
36:43Thank you so much for
36:43Eh,
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