The year I turned eight, my mom broke my arm, and my father rushed me to the hospital. Desperate, I reached for help, dialing the phone number Mom had drilled into my memory, the one she’d ordered me to keep etched in my heart. Less than half an hour later, a convoy of over a dozen sleek black SUVs descended upon us, lining up in an intimidating procession. The man leading them brutally beat my father, crippling him, then forced him to reveal Mom’s whereabouts. They rescued Mom from a hidden cellar in a remote, secluded cabin. Mom gazed at my father’s broken form, her face utterly devoid of sympathy, before she threw herself into the man’s arms. Everyone was about to leave. I stumbled forward, my small legs barely carrying me. “Mommy, a hug…” Mom whirled around, her hand flashing out, delivering a stinging slap across my face. “Don’t call me Mommy! You make me sick just looking at you. Get out of my sight, and don’t ever, *ever* come back!” My cheek burned, a searing pain, but the ache in my chest was worse. Hadn’t Mom promised she’d love me if I just did what she said?
The fiery sting on my face lingered as I stood rooted to the spot, clutching my cheek. Mom had explicitly told me that if I just remembered that number and did everything she asked, she would love me dearly. But now, the look in her eyes was colder than any of my father’s violent outbursts, chilling me to the bone. The man in charge merely cast a fleeting, cold glance my way. Then he reached out, drawing Mom closer by her shoulder. “Easy now, darling. Don’t stress yourself. Let’s go.” Mom leaned into his embrace, her shoulders still trembling slightly. Just then, the door of a stretched luxury sedan parked nearby swung open, and a little boy in a crisp white suit hopped out. His hair was perfectly combed, and he ran straight to Mom. “Mommy, are you okay? Daddy and I came to get you! Did anyone hurt you?” Mom looked down at the boy, her eyes instantly welling up. She knelt down, pulled him into a tight embrace, her voice thick with emotion. “Mommy’s fine, my precious. It’s all thanks to you and Daddy for rescuing me.” Her hand gently stroked the boy’s back, a tender gesture, as if cradling the most priceless treasure. That was a tenderness I had never, not even once, received. I stood watching, a sharp, twisting ache seizing my heart, mingled with an indescribable envy. My body seemed to move on its own accord. I awkwardly shuffled a few steps closer, wanting to be nearer to Mom. But before I could reach her, the little boy suddenly looked up. He shoved me back forcefully. “Get away from my mom!” “Don’t you dare touch her with your filthy hands! Go away!” I already had injuries, and the push sent me sprawling onto the ground. Mom stood up as well, her gaze now filled with even more intense revulsion. She instinctively pulled the little boy behind her and spoke to the man. “Please, take my darling to the car and sanitize him. She’s just… unclean.” The man nodded. They turned to walk towards the luxury car. Panic surged through me. I forgot the pain, forgot the fear, and ran after them, yelling. “Mommy! Mommy, don’t leave!” My voice was raw with tears, but Mom didn’t even turn her head. The man seemed annoyed by my cries. He paused, giving a subtle nod to two burly men in dark suits nearby. Soon, a large cargo van pulled up. The back doors swung open, revealing a pitch-black interior reeking of damp earth and something acrid. Inside, a metal cage held a massive Doberman, its name Brutus. The moment it saw me, it snarled, baring its razor-sharp teeth, and let out a ferocious, guttural bark. Fear froze me to the spot. I even forgot how to cry. The little boy’s face was flushed with triumphant glee. “Mommy, look! I specially asked Daddy to bring Brutus! He’s here to protect you!” “If this little monster dared to bully you just now, Brutus would’ve definitely taken a bite out of her!” Julian Thorne, the man, said nothing. He just gestured for his men to open the cage door, then reached out and grabbed my arm. His grip was merciless, sending a fresh wave of agony through my already wounded flesh. I struggled, trying to pull away, but his hold was unbreakable. “No! Let go! Mommy, help me!” I screamed, but he acted as if he hadn’t heard, forcefully shoving me into the metal cage. I fell onto the cold, hard floor of the cage, the pain bringing fresh tears to my eyes. The little boy leaned over the edge of the van, tilting his head as he curiously asked the man. “Daddy, is this little monster coming home with us too?” The man didn’t answer. He simply motioned for the men to put Brutus back into the cargo area. The van doors slammed shut, plunging me into absolute darkness. The foul stench grew even stronger. Brutus seemed displeased that I was occupying his space, circling the cage and barking at me incessantly. If not for the metal bars, I was certain he would have torn me to shreds. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I curled into a ball, my knees pressed against my chest, and muffled my sobs.
The cargo van swayed gently with the truck’s movement. I huddled in the corner of the cage, hugging my knees. The wound on my arm throbbed relentlessly, and my stomach growled a hollow protest. My tears had long since dried, leaving my eyes gritty and aching. After what felt like an eternity, the truck suddenly stopped. The truck driver, a flicker of pity in his eyes, held out a sandwich and a bottle of water. He seemed hesitant. “Kid, you must be starving, right? Here, take this…” Before he could finish, a chilling voice cut in from outside. “Who told you to interfere?” I squinted towards the light. Julian Thorne stood by the van, his face utterly devoid of emotion, his eyes like chips of ice. He snatched the sandwich and water from the driver’s hand. Without a glance at me, he tossed them directly to Brutus. I watched Brutus wolf down the food, the hunger in my own stomach clawing at me even harder. I licked my cracked lips. There was a water bowl for Brutus inside the cage, but the stench was sickening, threatening to make me gag. Yet, I forced myself to drink, choking it down, ignoring the awful taste. At least it offered a moment’s relief from the thirst. Julian’s gaze swept over me, raw disgust etched on his features. He said nothing more, simply tilting his head towards the driver, who quickly closed the van doors. The cargo area plunged back into darkness. After what seemed like another endless journey, the truck finally stopped. When the doors opened, I saw an enormous house, grander than any castle I’d ever seen in movies. Fountains sparkled, manicured gardens stretched out, and liveried staff stood in perfectly aligned rows by the entrance. Julian and Mom walked ahead, Mom cradling the little boy in her arms. I later learned his name was Lucas Thorne. Lucas beamed, his face alight with joy. Mom occasionally bent down to whisper to him, her expression soft and tender. I was yanked from the metal cage, my arm throbbing painfully from the grip. Julian didn’t even look at me. He simply addressed a staff member. “Take her away. Find somewhere to confine her. I don’t want her making an unsightly mess of the place.” I had no room. My assigned space was a damp, perpetually dim corner in the basement. Every morning before dawn, I had to rise and work – scrubbing floors, doing laundry, tidying the garden. If I missed a single spot, the staff would scold me, and sometimes Mom would even see. But she never helped. She would either walk away as if I were invisible, or she’d scowl and snap at me to vanish, as if my mere presence polluted her sight. Whatever toy Lucas wanted, Julian would immediately have someone buy it. Once, I walked past the living room and saw Mom sitting on the sofa, Lucas nestled in her arms, while Julian sat beside them, reading a story from a book. That was a happiness I could never even dream of in this lifetime, a happiness I would never possess. Back in the remote area where we used to live, storybooks were a luxury no one had. But a neighbor, Mrs. Peterson, used to tell her daughter bedtime stories every night. I always wished Mom would tell me a story, just once. My body began to move forward again, seemingly against my will. I wanted to get a little closer, to hear Mom’s voice just a little longer. Mom seemed to sense something. She suddenly looked up. The moment her gaze fell on me, her smiling face instantly changed, as if she’d just seen something utterly repulsive. All the tenderness was replaced by fierce revulsion. “How dare you come here? Who let you in?!” Her reaction startled me, and I froze, my fingers nervously twisting the hem of my worn shirt. Mom rushed over, reaching out and shoving me. I slammed against the wall, biting back a cry of pain. Lucas ran over too, kicking my shin hard. Tears instantly welled up. “Stay away from my mom!” Lucas yelled, kicking me several more times. Mom just stood there watching, making no move to stop him. Instead, she frowned and said. “Lucas, don’t touch her. You might get dirty. Mommy will take you to wash your hands later.” I crouched on the ground, clutching my throbbing shin, tears dripping onto the floor.
In the days that followed, I was treated like discarded trash, left in the darkest corner. The staff, seeing Julian’s and Mom’s attitude towards me, became even more cruel. They ordered me around at will, constantly yelling and hitting me. Lucas found new entertainment. “Little monster, come here! From today on, you’re my pony!” I didn’t dare to move. He came forward, grabbed a handful of my hair, and dragged me into the garden, forcing my head down. “On all fours! Hurry!” I gritted my teeth and crawled on the ground. The coarse gravel bit into my knees, a searing pain. Lucas climbed onto my back, clutching my hair and yelling, “Giddy up!” I could only endure the pain and crawl forward. If I slowed down even a little, the small riding crop in his hand would lash fiercely across my back. Sometimes, when he wasn’t satisfied, he would make the staff bring Brutus over. “Brutus, chase her! Make her run faster!” Brutus’s barks echoed behind me, and my heart hammered against my ribs, threatening to burst. I crawled with all my might, my knees scraped raw and bleeding, but I dared not slow down. What pained me most was Mom. She sat under a sun umbrella in the garden, sipping her afternoon tea, her eyes fixed on me as Lucas rode me around. A faint, chilling smile even played on her lips. “Lucas, be careful not to fall.” Her gaze never once lingered on me, not even when the riding crop tore the fabric on my back. In her eyes, I seemed to be nothing more than a beast of burden, a toy to be ridden and abused. Here, I went hungry every single day. Lucas didn’t like carrots. Every meal, he would dump the carrots from his plate into the flower beds. So, when no one was around, I would sneak into the flower beds and pick up the dirt-covered carrots. The gritty, earthy taste coated my tongue, but at least it filled my stomach a little. Today, I was so incredibly hungry that I chewed a couple of bites before realizing something was wrong. It wasn’t a carrot. “What are you doing?!” Mom rushed over, her eyes falling on the trampled flowers in the flower bed. “My flowers! How dare you eat my flowers?!” Lucas heard her voice and ran over. When he saw the carrots on the ground and the ruined flowers, his eyes flickered with panic. He was afraid Mom would discover he had been picky and wasteful, throwing his food here. “Mommy, she tried to steal my carrots and deliberately ruined your flowers!” Mom’s already furious emotions escalated, spiraling into a furious rage. She lunged forward, grabbing my arm and shaking me violently. “You ungrateful wretch! It’s a miracle I haven’t let you starve to death, and now you dare to steal Lucas’s food and destroy my flowers! I shouldn’t have let you live!” “Enough, darling. Don’t get yourself worked up.” Julian Thorne had appeared nearby at some point. He walked over, put an arm around Mom’s shoulder, and gently patted her back to calm her. His eyes, however, fixed on me with a fierce glare. Once Mom’s emotions had somewhat settled, he slowly walked to me, knelt down, and his fingers clamped around my jaw, forcing my head up to look at him. “I’m warning you, don’t ever make her angry again, and don’t ever bother Lucas. In this house, not even a single flower is yours to touch.” “Dare to transgress again, and I’ll show you something far worse than being chased by Brutus.” I looked into the cold malice in his eyes. Terror seized me, my body trembling uncontrollably. Tears streamed down my cheeks, but I was too terrified to even whimper. The pain in my jaw intensified until he finally released me. I collapsed onto the ground, weak and limp, watching as Mom was led away by Julian. Lucas even turned back and stuck his tongue out at me. Mom knew perfectly well that Lucas was much stronger than me, and I was always the one being bullied. Yet, she would rather believe Lucas’s lies than spare me even a glance.
Soon, Lucas’s birthday arrived. I was ordered to wear a ridiculous bear mascot costume and stand in a corner, playing a cheerful character for the guests’ amusement. I couldn’t endure it any longer. I secretly took off the costume head to catch my breath. But the moment my face was revealed, I met Lucas’s eyes. He was walking by with a small slice of cake. Seeing me, he immediately shrieked. “Daddy! Mommy! The little monster is trying to steal my birthday cake!” Mom rushed through the crowd, grabbed my arm, and dragged me to the center of the banquet hall. Hundreds of eyes bore into me, filled with open disdain, morbid curiosity, and thinly veiled glee. “My allowing you to live here is a monumental act of charity! And now you dare to steal at Lucas’s birthday party?!” Mom’s voice trembled with rage. She raised her hand, ready to strike me. “I didn’t…” I weakly protested, my head spinning, barely able to stand. “Still talking back?!” Julian walked over. He gazed down at me with an air of cold, calculated superiority. Instead of hitting me, he reached out and took a slice of birthday cake from a passing waiter’s tray. It was the cake I’d only dared to look at from afar, not even allowing myself to fully inhale its sweet scent. Then, his hand slammed down, grinding the slice of cake into my face with deliberate, brutal cruelty. A ripple of low chuckles spread through the guests. Some even pulled out their phones to take pictures. Lucas clapped his hands, cheering. “Daddy’s so cool! That’s how you punish her!” “Get out! Get out of here right now! Don’t you dare contaminate everyone’s sight any longer!” Mom pointed to the door, her voice shrill. I dared not stay, afraid they would hit me again. I scrambled away, half-crawling, half-stumbling towards the grand staircase. But Lucas wasn’t satisfied. He chased after me, kicking my back and legs as he ran. “Little monster, don’t run! You still haven’t apologized to me!” I was only focused on running forward and didn’t notice the steps beneath my feet. He kicked my knee, and my body swerved. I plummeted down the stairs, Lucas losing his balance and falling after me. My vision went black. Before I lost consciousness, I heard Mom’s gut-wrenching shriek. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. Then, I completely lost awareness. When I next opened my eyes, I was lying in a hospital bed, my entire body aching. Mom sat by the bed, clutching Lucas’s hand, her eyes red and swollen from crying. The doctor stood nearby, his face grave. “Mr. Thorne, Mrs. Thorne, young Master Thorne’s condition isn’t good. He needs an emergency blood transfusion, but his blood type is incredibly rare, and our hospital’s blood bank doesn’t have a match. Neither of your blood types match either…” Julian stood nearby, his face terrifyingly grim. A nurse approached my bed, carrying my medical chart, and spoke softly to the doctor. “Doctor, when we drew blood from this little girl earlier, we found her blood type is the same as Young Master Thorne’s.” Julian spun around, his gaze snapping to me, as if he couldn’t believe it. He strode quickly to my bedside, staring at my face, then at the chart in the nurse’s hand. His voice trembled slightly. “What did you say? Her blood type is the same as Lucas’s?” The nurse nodded. Julian immediately turned to the doctor. “Quick! Have the doctors run more detailed tests! Confirm if it’s a perfect match!” The doctors immediately got busy. Julian stood rooted to the spot, muttering to himself. “Impossible… Lucas’s blood type is so rare, even mine doesn’t match. How could hers…?” Then, he followed the doctor to the lab. Only Mom and I were left in the room. Mom didn’t even glance at me, merely holding Lucas’s hand tightly. About half an hour later, Julian walked back in, looking utterly shell-shocked, his steps unsteady. Mom saw him and immediately stood up, asking anxiously. “Well? Is it not a match? I knew this monster would be useless! If anything happens to Lucas, I swear I won’t let her off the hook!” Julian suddenly cut her off, his voice hoarse. “Stop, Eleanor.” He looked at Mom, then at me, pausing for a few seconds before speaking with great difficulty. “She’s not a monster… She’s our biological daughter.”
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