My whole body ached under the 39.5°C fever, my throat raw as if torn by glass, my head pounding endlessly, and my ears filled with an unbearable ringing. I wrapped myself tightly in a blanket, praying for a brief nap to escape the agony. Sleep felt like the only relief left to me.

The dreams came heavy and strange – I was wading through thick mud while invisible hands dragged me deeper. Then suddenly, freezing water hit my face. I gasped, jolted awake, and forced my eyes open – a figure loomed above me.

— Still lying in  bed?! — a sharp, rasping voice cut through the ringing in my ears.

It was my mother-in-law. Her face was severe, her lips pressed pale and thin, her fists clenched. She looked at me as though I had been caught in some disgraceful act.

— Get up! — she ba:rked. — Guests will be here in one hour! Everything must be spotless! Clean, prepare the food! Don’t laze around like a useless child!

I tried to speak, but my strength was gone. I only managed to sit up, dripping and trembling, while wiping the icy water from my face.

— Mom… my fever’s 39.5°C… I can’t even hold my head straight… — my words barely came out.
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But she ignored me.

— Oh, stop complaining! Everyone gets sick. I worked even when I was ill! Don’t you dare humiliate me in front of people!

Something inside me cracked. Her tone wasn’t just harsh – it was heartless, like the water she had just thrown over me.

And that was when I did the one thing that made her pale and beg – though by then I no longer cared.

I forced myself to stand. My legs shook, the room spun. I walked past her silently, grabbed the phone from the nightstand, and dialed 911 right before her eyes.

— Hello, ambulance? I’m very sick… fever nearly 40°C, weakness, throat pain, splitting headache… yes, the address is…

She snapped at me:

— What are you doing? Guests will arrive in an hour!

— They’re your guests. I have a dangerous fever. And this is my apartment. — For the first time, I spoke firmly, without apology.

As I packed a small bag, she stalked the kitchen, muttering about her “insane daughter-in-law.” But when the ambulance arrived twenty minutes later, I was ready. The doctor checked me, measured my temperature, looked at my throat, then said:

— You’re going straight to the hospital. This is severe.

I slipped on my jacket and, before stepping out, I faced her.

— When I return, both you and your guests will be gone. And you will never set foot in here again without my consent.

She opened her mouth to argue, but I shut the door behind me.