Chapter 5

When I woke up again, I found myself slumped over my desk, the sound of the teacher's lecture in my ears.

In my hand was a note.

It read:

"I saw you overslept so I brought you directly to school. Study hard at school!"

"The punishment you didn't finish last night continues today!"

Such a suffocating message could only be from Dad.

My stomach twisted in a sharp cramp, and I couldn't hear a single word the teacher was saying.

My deskmate, Chloe, saw my sallow face and colorless lips, and secretly slipped me a small pastry.

"Did your dad not let you eat again? Quick, eat this."

I wanted to refuse, but I didn't even have the strength.

Chloe carefully unwrapped the bread for me and placed it in my hand.

A wave of warmth welled up in my eyes; even a stranger cared about me so much.

But Dad only wanted me to study without eating or sleeping.

Just as I was about to put the pastry in my mouth, the teacher at the front of the class suddenly shouted, "Lily Miller, how dare you brazenly eat in class!"

"Come with me to the office right now! The rest of you, self-study!"

"And the one who gave her the pastry, you come too!"

That life-saving pastry still didn't make it to my mouth.

In the teacher's office, I nearly collapsed. Chloe had to steady me.

I was frail as a dried blade of grass, but the teacher seemed not to notice, scolding us relentlessly.

"I can't deal with you two anymore. It's time to call your parents!"

With that, the teacher immediately pulled out her phone to dial.

I quickly stepped forward to stop her. "Ms. Davies, I know I was wrong, please don't call my dad!"

"I haven't eaten properly for days. Chloe just gave it to me because she saw I was so hungry."

"It has nothing to do with her!"

Ms. Davies swatted my hand away, and I lost my footing, sprawling onto the floor.

"Still trying to argue? Your parents really need to straighten you out!"

Soon after, Dad rushed in, covered in dirt from the construction site.

Chloe's mom came with him.

The moment Chloe saw her mom, she burst into tears, looking utterly wronged.

Chloe's mom first smiled and apologized to the teacher, then gently comforted Chloe.

But my dad? Not only did he not ask for any explanation, he joined the teacher in scolding me even more harshly.

"I work my fingers to the bone at the construction site, and all you do is cause trouble!"

"When I was a kid, I survived on one bowl of porridge a day, so why can't you?"

"Stop pretending! Get up and apologize to the teacher!"

But I didn't even have the strength to push myself up, and the figures before me began to blur.

"I... I just wanted a pastry..."

I just wanted a pastry to fill my stomach, why couldn't I have it?

It was just one pastry, what harm could it do if I ate it?

Why were these people hounding me so relentlessly? I just wanted a pastry, I just wanted to live.

Chloe's mom saw my distress and, finally unable to bear it, helped me to a chair.

She put the pastry back in my hand.

But Dad scolded Chloe's mom. "Why are you, a stranger, interfering with her? She's just spoiled and needs to be punished severely!"

"Eat a pastry? What pastry?!"

Dad stepped forward, swatted the pastry away with a slap, and grabbed my collar, pulling me in front of the teacher.

"Apologize to the teacher, now!"

I finally couldn't bear it any longer, and tears welled up again.

But this time, I didn't even have the strength to cry.

The moment before I collapsed, I heard a gentle voice. "Lily, Mom's here to take you home!"