Chapter 4

To salvage my image, I worked hard, hoping to leave a good impression on mom.

Award certificates covered wall after wall, trophies overflowing the cabinet.

It didn't earn a single word of praise, only admonishment:

"Even if you don't do well in exams, don't forge results or cheat."

I had a natural talent for painting, effortlessly winning city-level awards.

I showed my winning piece to Sarah.

The painting depicted a mother and daughter.

Under the light, the mother gently brushed her daughter's hair.

The warm yellow glow made the scene especially beautiful.

I had always longed for mom to brush my hair.

Sarah glanced at it, casually putting the painting in a drawer.

"Focus on studying. Don't mess with this nonsense."

"Drawing these things all day, you'll go crazy sooner or later."

Then she picked up my report card:

"Grades have dropped. Can't find anyone to copy from anymore?"

I lowered my head, quietly listening to Sarah's scolding.

Mom didn't like me painting, so I never showed her my artwork again.

Nor did I mention learning to paint.

Mom always came to parent-teacher meetings.

Some parents, hearing I was a single-parent child with such good grades, grew jealous and were unkind to me.

Kids followed suit, mocking me: "Lily is a child without a dad."

They made up a rhyme, surrounding me, singing in shrill voices:

"Lily, no daddy, gets bullied, cries to mommy, cry cry cry, what a baby."

I didn't know how to refute, so I resorted to force to shut them up.

I straddled them, punching again and again.

They cried, saying they'd never do it again.

I believed them and stopped.

They flipped me over.

A pencil pierced my left hand. The red that flowed stung my eyes.

I was sent to the hospital.

The teacher quickly contacted parents.

Mom arrived, saw my bandaged left hand, and sneered:

"Such a light injury, probably healed already. Learning from that useless father of yours."

Some parents saw their kids disheveled, angrily coming to school.

Wanting an explanation.

The teacher tried to mediate, saying both sides were at fault.

The parents realized mom was the recently famous star lawyer and left reluctantly, not wanting to offend her.

I watched their retreating figures, incredibly envious.

They had adults to back them up. I didn't.