Riley's heart ached as she watched her mother in the ICU, her body entangled in a web of medical tubes.
Jack and Mary had once been the picture of happiness, until Mary brought Riley into the world. From that moment, the Sullivan family's disdain for girls unraveled a string of misery for Mary and her daughter.
Jack's anger from failed social endeavors often meant Mary was dragged along to charm his business partners.
His wrath had even driven her grandfather to a heart attack and left her uncle crippled.
Riley clutched Mary's hand tightly, the same hand that used to cradle her face with tenderness, now skeletal and lifeless, adorned with scars and bruises that refused to fade.
The rhythmic beep of the heart monitor punctuated the silence, a constant reminder of their reality.
"Mom,
