Chapter 1
I was New Year’s Eve, and abo my twentieth birthday. My parentsleh a single egg as a birthday gift before heading off to work
Laecretly tament to laty a cup of instant noodles, but I discovered that my parts were spending the day with a girl, celebrating her birthday
They had booked a luxurious restaurant for her, inviting many of their colleges and friends.
They arrived in
intheet of luxury cars, accompanied by private drivers.
The birthday gifts they gave her were a villa, a pink sports car, and a tenth and euros bank card.
My father gently patted her head and smiled 1
My baby, once you graduate from university, I’ll hand er the entire company to you to manage.”
My mother held her in her arms, her eyes brimming with tears.
Good child, even though you’re not our biological daughter, we’ll love you for the rest of your life, even more than our own daughter. We’ll give you
everything we have.”
I tried to approach, but the bodyguards beat me up, leaving me bruised and sing me aside.
The egg that I treasured so much rolled onto the ground and was crushed under their feet, just like the relationship between my parents and me- a mocking family bond
I struggled to get up from the ground, my face covered in dirt, and my clothes were all dimy
I wanted to call out to my parents, but their next words struck me like a heavy blow to the heart.
My throat felt a
t as if someone had squeezed it, and I couldn’t bring myself to say Dad, Mom.”
My parents holding the girl. looked at me with mocking smiles.
“Mia Parker, look at that poor beggar. If you don’t work hard, you’ll end up like her–pinful”
“Exactly, a worthless thing like her can only look up to you.”
Mom added.
They didn’t recognize me, laughing without a care in the world.
Mia, my college classmate, recognized me and gave me a look of both provocation and pity. She acted all sweet and coquettish in front of my parents.
“Mom and Dad, don’t worry, I make you proud. I want to be your most precious little princess”
Poor beggar
Worthless
Each word cut like a knife.
I picked up the broken egg from the ground, stuffed it into my mouth, chewed swallowed, and left, feeling utterly miserable.
On my way home, I felt like my legs were made of lead, too heavy to move
That short ten minute walk felt like a century.
Tears soaked my clothes, streaming dawn uncontrollably.
Since I was born, my impression of home had always been one of decay.
No TV. no fridge, no microwave. Even the furniture was stuff my parents salvaged from trash heaps
His Affair My Glue The Screatis at 2 AM.
Chapter 1
Dad did hard labor, and his hands were always covered in cuts and bruiser vallen he came homA,
When I was in first grade, he injured his
and in swelled sop in a deep purite.
That day, I had in a corner, crying silently.
It was after that incident that 1 began to mature faster U
than my peers.
When I was little, 1 had to borrow money for school fees. I could only go at family. Once, the employer caught me and beat ine nearly to death,
to the construction site to pick up nails and sell them to help my
The dolls I liked, I could only gaze at through the shop window all day long, by just seeing them, that somehow owned them,
In college. I worked part time, wearing the same clothes year after year.
I even went to a garment factory trash bin to pick up scraps of file and sew them lato caches by hand.
I was used to the mocking looks from my classmates.
When I saw a boy liked, I could only keep my distance, afraid that my presence would dirty his eyes.
All of this, because my parents often knekt in front of me and red
“Daughter, we’re poor, and it’s because we’re useless. We’re sorry we can give you a better lite.”
But now, I understood that it had all been an act, a well–rehearsed drama of hardship.
The parents I had always respected turned out to be wealthy elites. They gave me a life of poverty and gave a fake daughter the life of luxury
I smiled bitterly, threw my dirty clothes into the trash, and took a bath
My parents came home late, thinking I was asleep. They tiptoed into the house only to be startled when they saw me sitting in the living room.
“Charlotte Parker, why are you still awake so late?
Mom sat beside me, her face full of concern
I casually asked, “Dad, Mom, why are you still working so late on New Year’s Ey? I’ve been waiting for you to come home.”
They smiled awkwardly, and then Dad placed a bag on the table, smiling in a fatherly way
“Charlotte, you’re still awake. I brought a cake bark, let’s celebrate your birthday
1 gave them a cold glance, and noticed that their previously immaculate faces were now pale again. Their branded clothes had turned back into parched–up work clothes.
I took a small piece of cake, which had dirt on it from being dropped on the door, and placed it in front of me.
Daughter, this cake fell on the ground, but it’s still good, you can eat it.”
Every year, they used to give me an egg as a birthday gift, and if there happy
even if it was one they salvaged from the trash, I wou
But thinking that this cake was one they ate with their precious daughter, and then picked up from the ground to give to me, my stomach churned.
With a sharp pang in my heart, my body began to tremble uncontrollably
I pushed the rake away.
“Dad, you eat it. I’ve had eggs before, and you and Mom have never had anything good. This cake should go to you both.”
“Especially Mom. She carried me for ten months and gave birth to me. My birthday is her day of suffering. She should eat it,
They exchanged glances, and though they tried to hide it, I still saw the faint look of disgust and disdain in their eyes.
At this point, feh even more heartbroken.
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75.94%
Chapter 1
My biological parents fed their own daughter food that had fallen on the grot, while they ordered a nine layer cream cake for their adopted daughter.
Chapter 21
