Chapter 4

Unlike Dad and my brother's agitation, Mom's abnormally calm reaction sent chills through me, making my skin crawl.

Her voice was ice-cold: "This is good news, Stella. Come on, let's go home and celebrate."

But there was no joy in those words, not a trace of a smile on her face, and the hand she extended toward me was trembling slightly.

Clearly she was barely holding herself together, desperately suppressing her emotions.

"No, I don't want to go home." I scrambled to my feet in panic, stumbling backward into the crowd.

Mom's brow furrowed into a dark cloud, her eyes revealing a sinister, vicious look as she demanded coldly: "Stella, what are you doing? It's getting dark—if you won't go home, where will you go?"

My parents were about to grab me.

I quickly grabbed onto a neighbor, pleading through my tears: "Please save me! I can't go back with them—they'll kill me!"

The neighbors looked at each other in confusion.

Everyone knew that our family doted on me. Even if I did something wrong, it was only natural for my parents to discipline me. Outsiders really had no place interfering.

Just as everyone hesitated, Mrs. Martinez stepped forward. "The child seems to have something on her mind. Don't force her."

"That's right. Stella's always been such a good kid. Talk it out nicely—don't use force. Look how scared the child is."

But my parents seemed consumed by rage, unable to hear any advice. Their faces twisted as they closed in on me.

"Stella, are you having some kind of episode? Stop spouting nonsense!"

"Come home with us right now! Stop making a scene!"

As soon as the words left their mouths, Dad and my brother came forward without another word and grabbed me.

Seeing this, Mrs. Martinez hurried to block them. "Don't be so rough with the child! What if you scare her badly?"

"I'm disciplining my own daughter—it's none of your business!" Dad's eyes were red as he roared at Mrs. Martinez.

Mrs. Martinez was elderly after all—there was no way she could stop my strong young brother.

I felt my wrist gripped tightly as I was forcibly dragged out, the rough ground scraping my knees painfully.

The watching neighbors, no matter how kind-hearted, wouldn't dare fight my parents for me.

Just then, a pair of hands blocked my brother's path.

"Who said you could drag a young girl around like that!"

Hearing this stern rebuke, my brother finally let go. It turned out a neighbor had called the police.

Seeing the officers, Mom quickly explained: "Officers, this is our daughter. It's getting late and she won't come home. We're worried about her safety, so we wanted to bring her back."

The officer turned his gaze to me.

I immediately protested loudly: "That's not true! I won a big prize and they want to take me back and lock me up!"

The three people behind me stood frozen, their expressions unspeakably strange.

"If you don't believe me, ask the neighbors. My family's been acting really weird since they found out I won."

The officer asked around the crowd. The neighbors confirmed one after another that my family's attitude had indeed been suspicious.

After getting confirmation, one officer questioned them sternly: "Why are you trying to stop the child from claiming her prize? Are you worried she'll keep all the money? But the child already said the money would be for the whole family."

My parents sneered disdainfully. "We don't care about any prize money. We just want to bring our daughter home."

"Illegally restricting someone's personal freedom is against the law."

The officer's tone grew more serious.

But they still looked completely unconcerned.

I anxiously grabbed the officer's sleeve: "I just want to know why they'd rather break the law than let me claim the prize. Why do they have to lock me up?"

Under the police's stern questioning, Dad reluctantly handed over his phone, his movements full of resistance.

When I saw clearly what was on the phone, I finally understood why they wouldn't let me claim the prize.