Chapter 3The Diary Of The Eldest Daughter

After getting Ella to the hospital, I had planned to start raising the money to save Naomi. But Ella’s condition was critical, and the doctors said she might need surgery. Then, Rachel fainted from the stress, so I stayed to sign the paperwork.

It wasn’t until five days later that I was finally free to focus on getting Naomi back. But by then, Naomi had already returned.

She was found unconscious on our doorstep, her clothes torn and her body covered in bruises.

The men who were arrested later confessed to beating Naomi with steel rods, burning her with cigarettes, and feeding her scraps of leftover food.

They had been planning something far worse, but she managed to escape under the cover of night, walking three days and nights through wilderness. Her feet were bloodied from the journey, and she survived by eating leaves and drinking muddy water. By the time she reached civilization, she resorted to rummaging through trash for food.

After those horrific five days, Naomi was never the same. She was plagued by nightmares, waking up in terror. Even the slightest touch made her flinch, and she would drop to her knees, begging us not to hurt her.

Then, she fell gravely ill with a fever that lasted for three days and three nights. When she finally recovered, she had lost all her memories of what had happened.

From that moment on, she became a different person. She was quiet and obedient. Anytime there was only one of something, Naomi would give it to Ella without hesitation, even before Rachel or I could say a word.

The more she did this, the more guilt I felt. The truth was, the person Naomi had become was entirely my fault.

Just as I reached this realization, Rachel interrupted my thoughts with a pat on my shoulder. “Donovan, have you finished the calculations?”

“She’s rich and successful now, all thanks to us raising her. We should add up every penny and make her pay us back, with interest.”

Before I found the diary, I might have agreed with Rachel. But now, having read Naomi’s diary, I couldn’t help but question whether we had ever truly “raised” her in the way a parent should.

And after everything, how could we demand that she pay us back?

Just then, Lucas Foster, Ella’s husband, walked in and told us that Ella had been diagnosed with kidney failure and urgently needed a transplant.

Without hesitation, Rachel and I rushed to the hospital to get tested, but neither of us was a match.

Crushed by the news, Rachel slumped in her chair. But suddenly, her face lit up with an idea. “Naomi. Naomi is Ella’s sister. She must be a match.”

My heart sank. Naomi had cut ties with us. She wanted nothing to do with our family anymore. Even if her kidney was a match, I doubted she would agree to help.

Rachel grabbed my arm, desperation in her voice. “Donovan, we can’t lose Ella. We have to convince Naomi to get tested.”

Lying in her hospital bed, Ella looked frail and tearful. “Dad, I don’t want to die. Please, please save me.”

“Naomi is kind. If her kidney is a match, I know she’ll save me. Please, go find her.”

Both of them were my daughters, and I didn’t want to lose either of them.

After much deliberation, I finally decided to go to Naomi.

I just prayed she would help, for the sake of sisterly love.

As we drove to her apartment, with Lucas at the wheel, I couldn’t help but feel a deep, gnawing guilt.

In fact, Lucas was originally the boyfriend of his eldest daughter, Naomi, and was already talking about marriage at that time.