The criminal tortured me to death while my father, a leading detective, and my mother, the chief forensic pathologist, were with my sister Lydia at her competition. A criminal that my dad had once apprehended sought revenge by cutting out my tongue and using my phone to call him. My dad said just one thing before hanging up: “Whatever happens, Lydia’s competition is the priority today!” The criminal laughed bitterly, “Seems like I kidnapped the wrong person. I thought they’d care more about their own flesh and blood!” At the crime scene, my parents were horrified by the gruesome condition of the body, angrily condemning the killer’s brutality. Yet, they didn’t realize that the person who died such a tragic death was their own daughter. …… My body was discovered in an abandoned building. Construction workers, unable to stop vomiting, called the police. My parents rushed from Nora’s celebration to the crime scene. The forensic specialist frowned, signaling them to put on masks. Dad, a top detective, and Mom, the best forensic pathologist in the city, had seen many crime scenes, but even they were shaken when they saw the body. In the sweltering summer heat, the body had swelled like a giant. The face was smashed beyond recognition, making identification impossible. Covered in bruises, the head was barely attached to the neck. The severely decomposed body emitted a nauseating stench. Mom closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and put on gloves to begin the preliminary examination. Her eyes showed a pity that I had never received from her in life. I watched uneasily as she removed the blood-stained ring from my hand. I had made identical rings for my family, but because it didn’t fit Nora, my parents had scolded me. “All you do is cause trouble, deliberately picking on your sister!” “Lydia, even though you are our biological daughter, Nora has been with us for eighteen years. She will always be more important than you!” Even though their angry words still echoed in my ears, I believed my parents still loved me. Surely, they would recognize the gift I gave them! But Mom just unemotionally signaled her assistant to put the ring into an evidence bag. I shouldn’t have expected anything. In my parents’ hearts, I never existed, even though I am their biological daughter. My brother said our parents adopted Nora because they couldn’t find me after I was taken. They still loved me the most. But when I returned home, there was no place for me anymore. I felt like an intruder. After examining the crime scene, Dad sighed and asked Mom, “What’s the situation with this body?” Mom took off her gloves, rubbing her furrowed brow, “The deceased is estimated to be around 20 years old. Preliminary cause of death is a throat cut, after prolonged torture.” “The method is extremely cruel, and the social impact is severe. We need to solve the case quickly before public opinion escalates.” My dad lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag as if he was troubled. Even in death, I seemed to be causing more trouble for my parents. The forensic specialist reminded, “The killer hasn’t been caught. Remind your family to be careful. You have two girls at home; don’t let them go out at night.” Mom said impatiently, “Nora is always obedient, but I can’t control Lydia.” The forensic specialist, an old classmate of my parents, naturally knew our family’s situation. Dad was rubbing his right shoulder. The forensic specialist noticed and asked, “Old Lin, is your shoulder acting up again?” Dad waved it off, “It’s nothing, just using the patch Lydia bought…” Saying this, he froze. The so-called disobedient daughter cared deeply for their health. The forensic specialist patted Dad on the back, “Be kinder to Lydia. After all, she’s your biological daughter.” Dad shook his head, “The other day, Nora’s tennis match was coming up, and she kept asking Lydia to watch. But she didn’t even answer her phone. Nora was so disappointed she only got third place.” “Lydia hasn’t been home for days. Who knows if she’s dead somewhere? It’s not the same raising someone else’s child.” Listening to my parents’ accusations, I felt like I was plunged into an icy cave. Mom and Dad, it’s not that I don’t want to come home. I just can’t anymore. The ungrateful child you speak of died the day you accompanied Nora to her tennis match. My body is right in front of you.
At the case discussion, after hearing Mom’s autopsy report, the officers present had solemn expressions. Because of my horrific death, facial recognition was impossible. The abandoned building where my body was dumped wasn’t the first crime scene, making it much harder to solve. Dad instructed his officers to search for suspicious individuals near the location where my body was found. “Please have the forensic team examine the body again to see if there’s anything new. Send the extracted DNA to the lab as soon as possible,” Dad told Mom before rushing off with his team. My parents seemed to care more for the corpse than for me. Mom once caressed Nora’s hair, saying forensic work gives a voice to the dead, a noble profession. I remember Nora nodding in agreement, only to wipe her hair in disgust when Mom turned away. That time, I slapped Nora, but Dad punished me by shaving my head. Now, Mom gently touched my hair, whispering, “To die so tragically, the family must be heartbroken.” I smirked bitterly. My family would probably be happy about my death. Maybe only my brother would be a little sad. Mom’s gloved hand ran across my back. There were large burn scars from when I was kidnapped. When I was brought home, Mom was both surprised and displeased, “What happened to your back? It’s disgusting. Don’t scare Nora.” Could Mom have recognized me through these scars? I bit my lip nervously, sweating at the temple. But the next second, Mom casually said, “These aren’t from this time.” The assistant suddenly exclaimed, “Sister Zhang, there’s a piece of paper in the victim’s stomach!” Mom’s eyes widened, sighing softly, “It’s been corroded by stomach acid. Let’s see if the forensic department can analyze it later.” Her phone suddenly rang—it was Nora’s favorite song. Mom took off her gloves, hurrying to the hallway, speaking in the gentlest voice, “Sweetheart, what’s up? Mommy’s working.” “Tomorrow? Really?” Mom paused, then promised, “Dad and I will definitely be there to cheer you on. Your brother is away on a business trip and can’t make it.” Nora’s playful voice echoed in my ears, “Love you, Mom! I still hope Lydia can come watch my match. With her encouragement, I’ll definitely win.” “Even if she doesn’t want to come, it’s understandable. After all, I’ve been hogging your and Dad’s love for so many years.” Though she and I never got along, Nora loved to put on a show of sisterly affection in front of our parents. Based on past experience, Mom was probably about to scold me again. Sure enough, Mom’s voice rose, “You’re Dad’s and my darling. Lydia is nothing! Stealing from the family and bullying you behind our backs, she’s not fit to be my daughter.” “Don’t worry, even if she breaks her leg, I’ll make sure she wheels herself to watch your match!” Nora laughed sweetly, “Dad called me today, reminding me to be safe. Mom, if you have time, remind Lydia too.” “Take care of yourself. As long as Lydia doesn’t die in front of me, who cares where she goes to mess around?” Mom always spoke with disdain when mentioning me. Maybe it’s because the daughter they found had been raised poorly, not meeting their standards. After they found me, they never even bothered to change my last name. To them, their only daughter was Nora. While they worried about Nora’s safety, no one remembered I was their biological daughter. If they knew the reason for my death, I wonder how they would react. After all, my death was orchestrated by Nora, and it involved them too.
Gently telling Nora to rest early, Mom received a call from my brother. “Nolan, when will you finish your business trip? Your sister is waiting for you to watch her match!” Mom asked before my brother could speak. The day I was brought back home, my parents were comforting a crying Nora, but only my brother took my hand, telling me not to be afraid. The only warmth I felt at home came from him. My brother was taken aback on the other end of the line, “Is it Lydia’s math competition? Isn’t that next month…” Mom, annoyed, interrupted, “Lydia, Lydia! Nora is the sister you’ve spent years with! I’ve told you countless times, Lydia was raised poorly outside. She’s not fit to be part of our family.” My brother sighed, seemingly unable to understand Mom’s hostility towards me, “Mom, you shouldn’t always believe everything Nora says. Lydia is kind and hardworking. If you paid more attention to her, you would see that.” “I just tried calling Lydia. She didn’t answer, and she hasn’t replied to my messages from days ago. Isn’t she home?” Mom scoffed, coldly saying, “Her legs are her own. Do you expect me to tie her down? I suspect she’s out messing around again. Tomorrow is Nora’s tennis match. If you can’t make it, fine.” Pausing, she added harshly, “Tell Lydia if she doesn’t come to watch Nora’s tennis match tomorrow, she shouldn’t bother coming back. It’s better without her in the house anyway!” Ignoring my brother’s attempts to defend me, she hung up the phone coldly. Dad returned with his team, seeing Mom’s displeased expression, and asked, “Is the body giving you a hard time?” Mom shook her head, complaining, “It’s Lydia again, probably calling Nolan to complain. Now her brother is playing this disappearance game with her.” I paused for a moment, and My mom sharply remarked, “Tell Lydia to stop playing dead or vanishing. If she doesn’t attend Nora’s tennis match tomorrow, she should never come back. Frankly, it’s better without her at home!” Ignoring My brother’s attempts to defend me on the other end of the call, she hung up the phone coldly. Dad returned with his team and noticed My mom’s displeasure. Curious, he asked, “Is the case giving you trouble?” Mom shook her head, complaining, “It’s Lydia again. She’s probably complaining to Nolan, and now Her brother is playing disappearing games with her.” Dad sighed deeply, frustrated. “They know we’re busy with work, yet they pull these unnecessary stunts. So immature! I’ll call her and set things straight!” But no matter how many times he tried, the calls went unanswered. “Rebellious daughter, it’s almost better if she doesn’t come back. All she does is cause trouble!” The forensic specialist, who had been listening, sighed, “Remember when Little Lydia was abducted, and you both took a year off to find her? How did it come to this, where now that she’s back, it’s like she’s an enemy?” I couldn’t help but press my lips together, a bitterness rising within me. Because the one they found and brought back was me, an awkward, timid country girl. When I was found at fifteen, in the grand living room, my Parents were comforting a sobbing Nora patiently. I stood there awkwardly in patched-up clothes, staring down at the rubber shoes with a toe poking out. When Nora saw me, she stopped crying and asked with feigned innocence, “Who’s this little beggar?” My Parents’ faces darkened instantly, but not because of Nora. It was because I wasn’t the Daughter they had imagined. “Officer Lin, Medical Examiner Blake, I’ve checked the records. There have been no reports of missing persons in recent days,” an Officer approached with the report. “A Daughter goes missing and the family doesn’t even notice. Could it be their relationship is bad?” “Are there really Parents like that? Not caring about their kid at all!” Hearing the whispers around me, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sadness. The weight of sorrow enveloped me, making it hard to breathe. My Parents would feel for the deceased’s parents who didn’t report their child missing in time. But they never considered if I was safe during the days I was gone. Back when I was abducted, they even left work to find me. Now they suspect my disappearance is just a stunt to get their attention. Maybe from the start, when I was found, I shouldn’t have returned to the Lin household. This was Nora’s home, not mine. The years my Parents cared about me were long occupied by Nora. The affection and love that should have been mine would never tilt toward me again. My mom handed the acid-corroded paper to the forensic specialist. She rubbed her sore back, sighing as she spoke to Dad, “I hope this paper brings some results. Did you remind Little Nora to lock the doors?” Dad nodded gravely, hesitating before speaking, “Wife, what if something really happened to Lydia? She’s not answering, and Nolan hasn’t responded either. Should I have someone investigate…?” My mom interrupted, annoyed, “Enough! Don’t you know her by now? She’s hiding, waiting for us to find her! It’s not the first time she’s done this.” “She just doesn’t want to go to Nora’s game. By tomorrow, she’ll be calling us in tears to apologize.” The last time I went missing, it was during summer break when Nora locked me in the school bathroom. The school was empty during the holidays; no one could hear my cries for help. I exerted all my strength to climb out, filthy and with a twisted ankle, and walked home. What awaited me was Dad’s large palm and My mom’s scolding. “Nora said she saw you go to a motel with some thug? How did I raise such a shameless thing like you!” I couldn’t defend myself, only watch as Nora secretly smirked in triumph. My brother applied ointment for me, gently advising, “It’s not that Mom and Dad don’t love you; they just don’t know how to relate to you.” But I knew that compared to the smart and clever Nora, I, who wasn’t articulate, would never receive my Parents’ attention. The scales of affection always tip toward the one they love more. Sadly, that person isn’t me. If I were still alive, I would be the one making nourishing soups for them to take to the station when work kept them from coming home. But unfortunately, this time, I can’t appear and apologize as my Parents expect. After all, I’m just a dead person. The forensic results came out quickly; the paper was a receipt. The killer, in contempt, forced the paper into my mouth, making me swallow it: “Bought this for your Parents? They’d probably just throw it in the trash.” Dad, puzzled, asked, “Where is this place?” The forensic specialist hesitated, then said, “I checked. It’s a place that sells charms and blessing bags.” When my Parents and other Officers entered the shop, the shopkeeper jumped in surprise. She took the tattered receipt, looked at the numbers in the upper right corner, and flipped through the orders. “A young girl came to buy it some time ago, said it was for her Parents because their work is dangerous.” “But she never came to pick it up, and there was no answer when we called.” Saying this, the shopkeeper took out two red blessing bags, whispering, “The words ‘peace and joy, long life’ are on them, symbolizing safety and longevity.” Dad took the blessing bags, sighed, and asked, “Do you still have the surveillance footage from then?” The shopkeeper nodded, “The girl was very quiet, took a long time choosing the style for her Parents’ blessing bags. I remember her clearly.” But when the footage played, all the Officers present fell silent. My mom swallowed hard, staring at the screen, “Why does this girl look so much like Lydia?” The shopkeeper heard this and said, “Lydia? That’s the name on the order!” Dad’s expression wasn’t good either, trying to remain calm, “Maybe it’s just someone with the same name. Lydia must be hiding, laughing at us somewhere!” “Shopkeeper, are you in cahoots with Lydia, daring to mess with the police?” The phone suddenly rang, and My mom answered shakily, “Little Lee?” The examination department’s voice was urgent: “Sister Blake, we have the DNA test results of the deceased.” I’m sorry, but it seems there isn’t any specific Chinese text given for translation. Could you please provide the text you’d like translated? 5 My mom seemed to sense something was wrong. She clutched Dad’s arm, her nails pressing into his skin. “The deceased is your daughter, Lydia.”
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