"Hurry, we need to act immediately," said one of the doctors as he ran toward the ER.
"Doctor, please help Grandma Shen!" pleaded a young woman, blocking the doctor's path.
"I'll do everything I can. Don't worry. Just pray that your grandmother can make it through this critical moment," the doctor replied, trying to reassure the patient's family.
The doctor rushed into the ER. The atmosphere was tense. Doctors and nurses worked quickly, trying to save the patient who was suffering a heart attack.
The heart monitor beeped rapidly, then began to slow—making the situation in the ER even more intense.
"Oxygen saturation is dropping!" shouted one of the nurses, eyes fixed on the monitor. "Her blood pressure is crashing!"
"Get the defibrillator!" ordered the doctor as he moved closer to the bed. "We're losing the rhythm. Get ready!"
A nurse quickly wheeled over the defibrillator and placed the pads on Grandma Shen's chest. The doctor gave the signal:
"Clear!"
Grandma Shen's body jolted slightly as the electric shock was delivered. All eyes turned to the monitor—no change.
"Again! 200 joules, clear!"
Thump!
A small wave appeared on the monitor. The nurses held their breath, watching the screen with hope.
"Increase the charge, quickly!" the doctor urged.
"Raising to 300 joules! Now!" yelled the doctor, his eyes locked on the monitor that now showed a flatline.
The nurse increased the charge and handed the control to the doctor. Swiftly, the doctor applied the defibrillator pads to Grandma Shen's increasingly pale chest.
"Everyone stand back. Clear!"
Thump!
Her body jolted again from the electric shock. Everyone stared at the monitor—still a flatline.
"Raise it to 360 joules. We're not giving up yet!" the doctor said, breathing heavily but full of determination.
"Ready, doctor. Charge increased."
"Clear!"
Thump!
The doctor and nurses had done everything they could to save the patient. But her heartbeat could not be restored.
"She's no longer breathing. There are no signs of life," said the doctor as he removed his gloves.
"I'll go inform the family," he added as he walked toward the ER door.
The room fell silent. The machines that had been beeping earlier were now quiet, leaving only a faint hum from the overhead lights. The nurses lowered their heads, some exhaling long sighs, their faces showing exhaustion and sorrow. On the hospital bed, Grandma Shen's body lay still, her face peaceful—as if she had finally been freed from all her pain.
The doctor felt a heaviness in his chest as he prepared to speak to the girl sitting just outside the ER, sobbing uncontrollably.
A soft creaking sound came from the ER door. A doctor stepped out slowly, his head bowed in sorrow.
He opened the door with a heavy heart. In the waiting room, a young woman who had been waiting anxiously stood up immediately.
"Doctor… how is my grandmother?" she asked, her voice trembling with fear and hope.
The doctor looked at her for a moment, then sighed before speaking in a gentle but clear voice, "We did everything we could. We administered electric shocks, performed CPR, followed all emergency procedures. But… we couldn't save her."
The young woman froze. Her eyes widened as if unable to grasp the reality. Slowly, tears began to stream down her face.
"No… this can't be… she was just…"
The doctor gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "We know this is hard. But your grandmother passed peacefully. She's no longer in pain. And she knew you were here, waiting for her."
The young woman broke into sobs, covering her face with both hands. Several family members who had come with her moved closer to hold and comfort her.
Inside the ER, a nurse slowly covered Grandma Shen's body with a white sheet. The lights remained on, but the warmth in the room had vanished. That day, everyone was reminded how thin the line is between hope and goodbye—and how precious the time is that we share with our loved ones.
Upon learning that her grandmother had passed, the girl ran into the room and hugged her grandmother tightly.
"Grandma, how could you leave me like this?" she whispered through her sobs, clinging to her grandmother's still body.
"I can't cry… I have to be strong. You'd be sad if you saw me like this. I hope you're at peace now," she said, looking at her grandmother's face one last time.
Her cries filled the silent room. Her body trembled as she tried to warm her grandmother's cold body, even though she knew it was too late. Her tears fell one by one onto her grandmother's pale cheeks, which still looked peaceful.
"Grandma… I promise I'll be strong," she whispered, her voice hoarse and shaking. "I'll keep going… just like you always taught me."
She gently stroked her grandmother's hair, remembering the times those same hands had lovingly caressed her head. Now, they were memories—only to be held in silence.
A nurse near the door bowed respectfully, giving the girl space to say her final goodbye. No one dared disturb her, for everyone understood—this farewell was more than just a loss. It was the end of a deeply bonded soul connection.
The girl slowly stood up, wiped her tears, and kissed her grandmother's forehead one last time.
"Goodbye, Grandma. Thank you… for everything."
With unsteady steps, she left the bedside. But in her heart, the love and memories of her grandmother would live on—always and forever.
The girl tried to stay strong, but the grief was overwhelming. She continued to cry, unaware that she hadn't eaten or drunk anything. Her sorrow eventually wore her down, and she cried herself to sleep.
Her name was Mia. A 23-year-old girl from a small village, she had just lost her beloved grandmother. Mia was now at the Shen family cemetery. Not many people knew about this vast private graveyard belonging to the late Grandma Shen.
Grandma Shen was known to be a humble woman, not from a prestigious family. She chose to live a simple life in the countryside in a modest house.
In her final years, she raised Mia with love and care. Mia had been in her grandmother's care since the death of her mother in a tragic accident. Her father later remarried and had another daughter named Agnes Xiao.
A soft evening breeze swept across the Shen family cemetery, rustling the dry leaves scattered over the freshly turned soil. In the middle of the quiet burial grounds, a young girl lay asleep, leaning against a new gravestone—her hair messy, her eyes swollen, her face pale from crying and exhaustion.
That girl… was Mia.
Mia was still dressed in a simple mourning outfit—a worn long skirt and a black blouse, now slightly dirty from the dust and soil. In her hand, she still held a wilted jasmine flower—Grandma Shen's favorite.
Since her grandmother's passing, Mia had felt lost. The world felt empty. There was no longer a figure who welcomed her with a warm smile and wise words every time she came home from the fields or the market. Grandma Shen had not only been a caretaker or family—she had been a friend, a teacher, and a protector.
Few people knew that the Shen family cemetery was actually an old inheritance—a piece of land Grandma Shen never took pride in. For her, greatness wasn't about names or legacies, but about heart and character. She chose to live simply in the village, far from the spotlight and city noise.
And that was where Mia had grown up—raised with values of honesty, hard work, and unconditional love.
Behind the cemetery trees, the silhouette of an elderly woman stood in the shadows. She smiled gently—not with her body, but with a presence invisible to the eye. Grandma Shen might have left the world, but her love lingered, quietly wrapping Mia in silent comfort as her granddaughter struggled to stay strong in a now-lonely world.
With Grandma Shen gone, Mia was taken back by her father, Jerry Xiao, to live in the city. But Mia was treated like a walking ATM by her father, who had failed to manage the company that once belonged to Mia's late mother, driving it into bankruptcy.
His new wife did nothing but spend the company's money, until there was nothing left—except the house that had been inherited from Mia's mother.
"Excuse me, young miss. Your father has been waiting for you at home and wants you to return to the city with him," said Aunt Suni, a trusted caretaker of Miss Shen's house.
"All right, I'll be heading back shortly. You go ahead first, Aunt. I'll follow later," Mia replied, turning to Aunt Suni while holding onto Grandma Shen's gravestone.
"Very well, young miss. I'll take my leave," replied Aunt Suni, standing beside Mia and shading her with a black umbrella.
Mia, though reluctant to leave the countryside, had a mission: to reclaim the house that had once belonged to her mother and was now in the hands of her father and stepmother.
"Grandma, I'm leaving now. One day, I'll return to visit you. I promise—I'll fulfill my vow to avenge the pain my mother suffered," whispered Mia, kissing Grandma Shen's gravestone.
"Let's go, Mr. Jon. We're heading to Grandma's house," said Mia, walking away from the cemetery.
"Yes, Miss," replied Mr. Jon, the personal driver, bowing slightly before following her steps.
Now Mia was on her way to Grandma Shen's house, where Mr. Jerry had been waiting for quite some time. The journey from the cemetery was quite far, deep within the rural area.
But Mia didn't seem pleased about seeing her father again. Her expression was cold, despite having been apart from him for many years.
If it weren't for her mother's house, she would never have wanted to meet or live with her father's new family.
After a long and tiring trip, Mia entered the house. As she stepped inside, Mr. Jerry suddenly embraced her. But to Mia, his hug felt like nothing more than a lie—a mask to hide all the wounds he had caused.
To Mia, Jerry was a cruel father, the one who had destroyed her family for the sake of a wicked woman.
"Mia, you've grown up. I've missed you so much. It's been so long since we last met, and I also want to offer my condolences for Grandma Shen's passing," said Jerry as he hugged Mia.
"Let go of me! I don't need your sympathy. It's true we haven't seen each other for years—sixteen, to be exact. To me, you've been dead for that long," Mia snapped, pushing Jerry away from her.
"Mia, why are you treating your own father like this? I'm your biological father. You shouldn't be so cruel to me," said Jerry, clearly hurt by her words.
"You want to know why I'm acting this way? Because you deserve it. And do you know why I hate you so much? Because you broke my mother's heart! You cheated with that tramp, and you caused her accident!" Mia screamed, her emotions uncontrollable.
"You destroyed my dreams—my dream of having both parents who would be there for me as I grew up. You shattered everything," she continued, pushing Jerry back two steps with the force of her anger.
"Mia, please forgive me. Let's forget the past and start over. I know I've done wrong. I'm truly sorry. Please… forgive your father," Jerry begged, bowing his head and reaching for Mia's hand.
"No. I can't forgive you. My hatred runs as deep as the ocean. You're not worthy of forgiveness. When I was sick and crying out for you, you never came," Mia yelled, her eyes glaring fiercely at Jerry.
"Grandma told you, but you refused to visit me. You chose that wicked woman over me," Mia growled, finally voicing the pain she had buried for years, slapping Jerry's hand away as he tried to touch hers.
SLAP!