Chapter 2

My dad sat on the sofa and gently asked,

"Mia, do you think we gave you too little money?"

He adopted the pose of a concerned father.

But I shivered, too terrified to speak.

Because I knew my dad's methods were a hundred times scarier than my mom's!

"Speak up, you good-for-nothing!"

He suddenly slammed the table, his voice abruptly rising.

I steeled myself and roared out all the bitterness in my heart.

"Yes! You gave me too little money, less than half of what the poorest student in my class gets! I can only afford the cheapest food." My voice grew quieter, "I can't even eat enough."

My voice trailed off, because I saw my dad suddenly sneer.

The next second, I was kicked in the abdomen, the intense pain making me fall to my knees.

Immediately after, an extremely brutal slap landed on my face.

"That slap is to teach you manners! Our Miller family has always valued respect for elders, yet you made your mother cry and yelled at me. Is that any way to show respect?"

Before I could react, another solid slap landed on my face.

"That slap is to teach you gratitude! Do you know how much hardship your mother and I endured to build this family fortune? We worked tirelessly to raise you, ensuring you never worried about food or clothes since childhood. What right do you have to complain about it being too little?"

Another violent slap followed.

"This slap is to teach you shame! You get money and don't think about giving back to your parents, but you're thinking about buying underwear. What kind of thoughts are you harboring, a young girl like you? Have you no shame?"

By now, my right cheek was severely swollen, and blood seeped from the corner of my mouth.

But they only left me with a single command.

"You will kneel here and reflect."

And so, I knelt on the cold living room floor all night.

I dared not resist again, hoping they would calm down and give me the money as promised, seeing that I was obedient.

But it wasn't until they boarded their flight to Switzerland that I discovered my card was completely empty!

"I can't even afford to eat anymore."

Tears streamed down my face, my heart filled with despair.

After hearing my story, Lily's eyes also welled up. She pulled out her own meal card and slipped it into my hand, gently comforting me.

"Mia, you should still call your parents tomorrow and beg them. You're their only child, no matter what, they'll surely feel pain seeing you suffer."

I held Lily's meal card in my hands, this kindness from an outsider making my heart ache even more.

Yet, a tentative hope began to rise within me.

Would they really feel pain?