Dad staggered to his feet, pointing a trembling finger at me.
“Court? Miranda, how bold you’ve become! We raised you for twelve years, pulled you from the mud, and this is how you repay us? You ungrateful wretch!“%
Mom collapsed against the railing, sobbing dramatically.
“Neighbors, look! To bring her home, I gave up my director’s post at a public company-seven thousand dollars gone each month! Her father knelt at the police station for three days to get her registered, his knees rubbed raw! And what did we gain? A thankless creature who steals food, fights her sister for clothes, and now pushes her own twin down the stairs! Heaven, what sin have we committed to raise such a child?”
Her wailing pierced the hallway like knives. The neighbors who had peeked out now wore pitying looks. A woman in a blue blouse hurried forward to comfort her.
“Mr. Locke, don’t exhaust yourself. She’s still young–she just needs to be taught.”
The officer’s gaze landed on me, stern.
“Family dispute or not, intentional injury is still intentional injury. Once her condition is assessed, you’ll be responsible for compensation.”
“In cases like this, we usually advise families to settle matters privately. If reconciliation is possible, then reconciliation is best. Dragging it out only brings shame to everyone,” the officer said.
“I didn’t push her! I screamed, clenching my bleeding fist.
“She fell on her own!”
“You dare argue?”
My father lunged at me, only to be restrained by the police. His fury only grew.
“The entire building saw what happened! Do you think we’re inventing this? If we hadn’t insisted on finding you, you’d have rotted in the countryside by now!”
His words pierced me like ice. The neighbors began whispering:
“So she’s their real daughter? Why did they say she was adopted?”
“She looks quiet, but to hurt her own sister like that… no wonder they keep her hidden.”
“I remember when Mr. Locke stopped working for months to search for his child. What a pity, after all that, she turned out like this…”
A neighbor woman sighed, then turned to me.
“Child, how much grudge can you hold against your parents? Look at their hair, all white from worrying about you. Admit your mistake, get along with your sister, and this will all pass. Parents won’t stay angry forever.“”
“You’re still young. You don’t understand how hard it is to raise children. Take my advice–if you keep fighting them, you’ll end up alone and regret it.”
My parents exchanged a glance, satisfaction flickering in their eyes.
I laughed bitterly, blood bubbling at my lips.
“Auntie, have you ever seen parents who feed on their own daughter’s blood?”
“It was me who was kidnapped for eight years. Me who was beaten half to death in the countryside. Me who worked like a slave after coming back“!!
“I never asked them to love me. I never asked for compensation. But couldn’t they at least treat me like family?”
I pointed to the album on the cabinet.
“You said they searched for me for two months? This picture–look, Disneyland. This one–the Eiffel Tower. Shall I count how many countries they traveled with Verena during those eight years?”
“if I recall, the city had a missing–child fund, donations from kind strangers. That’s what they used for those trips!“”
The neighbors‘ eyes shifted toward the album. My parents‘ faces turned gray.
“The day I came back, covered in blood and rags, they locked me in the storage room for three days because I embarrassed
them.”
My voice shook like a candle in the wind.
“I thought if I worked hard, earned money, maybe I’d earn some love. But when Verena broke my grandmother’s diamond bracelet, they forced me to kneel and take the blamel
“In the countryside, my foster parents beat me, but I never cried. I knew they didn’t love me–they weren’t my blood. I could
VICE PM
“In the countryside, my foster parents beat me, but I never cried. I knew they didn’t love me–they weren’t my blood. I could
accept that.”
Tears mixed with blood slid into my mouth, salty and bitter.
“But these are my real parents. I believed blood was thicker than water. I kept waiting for them to look at me just once.“% The aunt opened her mouth, but only sighed and stepped back. The murmurs around us shifted, suspicion settling on my parents. “We’re human too!” my mother suddenly wailed, slapping her thigh.
“Who can treat children equally? Verena grew up with us. Of course we love her more!“”
“Do you think we weren’t heartbroken when you went missing? If not for Verena, we would have died of grief already!”
