The Unforgiven

"Admittedly, your wife hurt your daughter. It happened while your wife was having an episode. It may be hard to accept, but she is not fully aware of what happened and what she did," the psychiatrist tried to pacify me.

"I know she was diagnosed with this Capgras-thing, but how could I forgive her? She killed our daughter…"

"Have you read the autopsy?" She asked.

"Yes, I have."

"According to the autopsy, your daughter died of starvation. Your daughter had suffered from a disease called Cotard delusion. It's a rare mental illness in which the affected person believes that she is already dead, does not exist, putrefying, or lost her blood or internal organs."

"What are you saying?" How dare she insinuate, I screamed in my mind.

"You know she did not kill your daughter..." she tried to explain further, but I could no longer hear her. My mind went dead. I knew I was also to blame.

"…I should have not left her with her mother. I should have brought her when I moved out."

"Try to forgive yourselves." She gave me a sympathetic stare and patted my shoulder.

"I don't think I can…"

"You need to consider each other's well-being. Your wife has a better chance of recovery under our care. And she needs your support."