That evening, after finishing work, I video-called Tania and asked her how her day had gone. What did she say?
"Dad, I had a great time with Mom. She gave me candy, played games with me and even cooked for me. Mom says she'll take me out to play tomorrow to celebrate Children's Day. Dad, when will you come back? Tania misses you ..."
After a long day of meetings, I believed her words. I thought Sherry's motherly instincts had kicked in, so I didn't check the surveillance footage.
Later that night, when they went to bed, Sherry slept with Tania, but halfway through the night, she took the whole blanket for herself.
Tania woke up in the middle of the night, tugging at the blanket, but couldn't pull it back, so she curled up into a ball.
The next morning, Tania woke up clutching her stomach, looking unwell, she probably caught a cold the night before. Tania said, "Mommy, my tummy hurts."
Sherry, who was doing her makeup, didn't even raise her head and casually said, "Just lie down and rest, sleep it off. Mom has to go run some errands. Be good and wait for me at home."
Tania gazed at Sherry with admiration and hope, saying, "Mommy, will you come back to spend Children's Day with me?"
"Yes! I'll be back before it gets dark!" Sherry hurried out, she was talking to Colin on the phone as she closed the door.
On the surveillance footage, Tania slept for a while before waking up and clutching her stomach, curling up on the bed and groaning, "Mommy, my tummy hurts so much ..."
She was in so much pain that she couldn't straighten her back. She crawled to the door, but it had been locked from the outside by Sherry. For an entire day, my daughter Tania was sick, without food or water.
As the sky outside grew darker, she repeatedly went to the window, looking and hoping. Sherry still hadn't returned and Tania, afraid she wasn't looking far enough, brought a stool and leaned half of her body out of the window.
Then the accident happened. After a day without food and with her stomach aching, Tania lost her footing, her body unbalanced and she fell headfirst.
My poor Tania, my sensible Tania. And just like that, she was gone.
I trembled as I shut off the video, unable to watch the final moment and pounded my head in agony. If, if I had taken her with me on my business trip like I usually did, would this tragedy have happened?