The Sterile Nephew

My sister-in-law has severe OCD.

When my nephew turned one month old, she wanted to soak him from head to toe in disinfectant, claiming it would “wash away all the filth.”

I did everything I could to stop her.

“A child can’t grow up in a completely sterile environment.”

I never expected my sister-in-law to hold a grudge.

Whenever my nephew came down with even a minor fever or headache, she would repeat to him, “When I was giving you a bath, your aunt stopped me. It’s because of her that you keep getting sick. You should have been healthy and free of illness your whole life.”

After hearing it over and over, my nephew believed her and grew more and more resentful of me.

Then he was accidentally outed, and to appease my sister-in-law’s fury, he joined forces with her and pushed me from the eighteenth floor.

When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn on the day my sister-in-law planned to bathe my nephew in disinfectant.

This time, I didn’t stop her.