Chapter 3

I quickly learned the survival rules of that school.

No matter how they insulted me, how they pranked me, I remained expressionless.

They didn't let me study, so I pretended not to listen to anything in class.

Then, in the evening, back in the attic, I'd study little by little.

Until one day, Melanie tore all my notes to shreds.

"Lily, Mom won't give you money for college anyway. This junk is taking up too much space. I cleared it out for you, no need to thank me."

In that moment, something inside me just snapped.

I used all my strength and shoved her hard to the ground.

She hadn't expected me to fight back and fell heavily, hitting her forehead on the corner of a table. Blood started to seep out.

"Ah!"

Mom and the household staff immediately rushed up.

Melanie cried and threw herself into Mom's arms: "Mommy, Lily hit me! She said I'm a bad person and she wants to kick me out of this house!"

Mom looked at the cut on Melanie's forehead, then at me, her eyes turning instantly vicious.

"You ungrateful snake! Melanie has been so good to you, and you dare lay a hand on her!"

Her hand came down before I could move. The sting spread across my face, sharp and hot.

Robert also rushed over.

"You dare hurt Melanie? You’ll pay for this!!"

He grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the wall. My scalp screamed with searing pain.

Melanie hid behind Mom, revealing a pair of red-rimmed eyes, "Dad, don't blame Lily, it's my fault, I shouldn't have ruined her things…"

"What things does she have? A lowlife, eating my food, living in my house, and daring to bully my daughter!"

He looked around, then grabbed a leather belt from the wall.

The cold gleam of the belt flashed, but Mom's eyes showed no ripples, instead, she hugged Melanie even tighter.

Crack!

The belt landed heavily on my back.

My clothes instantly ripped, and the burning pain made me curl into a ball.

"It wasn't me…" I could barely speak through the pain, but I still used all my strength to argue, "It was her… she tore up my notes…"

"Still talking back! Still slandering Melanie!"

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The belt struck again and again. My back, my legs, everywhere burned with tearing pain.

I looked up at Mom by the door, casting her a final plea.

She finally spoke, but it wasn't the plea I'd hoped for.

"Just like your kidnapper father, full of lies, a born bad seed, rotten to the core."

Robert threw down the belt and started kicking my body with the tip of his shoe.

My chest, my abdomen, my back… each kick made me feel like my insides were being torn apart.

The taste of blood filled my mouth, and my vision began to blur.

Before closing my eyes, I saw Melanie peek out from Mom's embrace, a barely perceptible smirk curling at the corner of her lips.