Chapter 2

Although the doctors had clearly told us that the chances of success for the surgery were quite high, Jeffrey and I still paced nervously outside the operating room, our minds filled with worry about the unknown outcome, fearing any unexpected complications.

Luckily, our fears turned out to be unnecessary.

When we saw Sarah safely wheeled out of the operating room, the heavy weight that had been hanging over me finally lifted.

Though the surgery was a success, the doctors recommended that Sarah stay in the hospital for a month to rest to monitor her recovery closely.

I had no objections to the doctor's advice and readily agreed.

However, the reality of the situation presented a challenge. We had a young child at home to care for, and both Jeffrey and I had demanding jobs, making it hard to find enough time to stay with Sarah.

After giving it some thought, I called Rita, hoping we could work out a shift plan to help care for Sarah so we could all share the load.

Unfortunately, as soon as I mentioned that Sarah was in the hospital, Rita quickly ended the call, citing the busyness of her own household.

I tried calling several more times, but no one answered. It was clear that Rita didn't want to be involved in caring for Sarah.

Faced with this reality, we had no choice but to take on the responsibility ourselves.

Since Jeffrey worked in sales and was currently in his peak season, his hours were unpredictable, though his income had increased significantly as a result.

After weighing the options, I decided to take a month's leave from work to devote myself entirely to taking care of Sarah in the hospital until she fully recovered.

At the same time, considering that Jeffrey couldn't manage the children, I used my lunch breaks to drop our child off at my mother's house for her to look after.

Despite all my efforts, I never earned Sarah's full approval.

She often criticized my work, either pointing out something I hadn't done well enough or complaining about things I had done wrong.

I tried to bear her criticisms, but what hurt the most was how often she would say that if Rita were taking care of her, she would do a much better job than I did.