The 300th IOU

From the age of 10 to 18, my parents made me write a total of 299 IOUs. Every penny I asked them for had to come with an IOU, with the promise to repay it once I turned 18. Then, when I got into a car accident and needed money for surgery, I found my account still short by three thousand dollars. With no other options, I had to beg my parents for help. But they only sneered, “Veronica, you’re 18 now. We have no obligation to give you money anymore. If you need it, write another IOU.” With tears in my eyes, I wrote the 300th IOU. After the surgery, while scrolling through my phone, I saw my foster sister Angelica Miller’s latest post. In the photos, she was celebrating her 18th birthday on a luxurious cruise abroad, surrounded by people treating her like a princess. Her birthday gifts from my parents were a big apartment in the Center of Huliton and a brand-new Maserati. Even my childhood sweetheart was looking at her with eyes full of adoration. She wrote: [Thank you to the people I love most for giving me the best of everything.] I lowered my gaze to the crumpled IOU in my hands and suddenly laughed. Once I repaid my debt, I wouldn’t need a family like this anymore. ***** When I was discharged from the hospital and returned home, the house was empty. Even the cleaning staff had been given time off and left. The grand villa was dark and silent, so quiet that I could hear my own footsteps echoing through the halls. I had expected this. Yet, I couldn’t stop the wave of sadness and bitterness that washed over me. It wasn’t the first time they had completely forgotten about me. Taking a deep breath, I slowly made my way upstairs. My legs were still weak from the recovery, so I had to hold onto the railing to steady myself as I climbed up to my room. It was the smallest, darkest storage room in this lavish villa. I barely owned anything—only a bed, a rickety wooden desk, and nothing else. I pulled open the desk drawer. It was packed full, stuffed with the IOUs I had written over the years. One by one, I counted them. With the one in my hand, the total was exactly 300. The amounts ranged from tens to hundreds of dollars, covering my school fees and basic living expenses. Added up, the total was less than 50 thousand dollars. I let out a bitter laugh. Fifty thousand dollars! That wasn’t even worth as much as one of Angelica’s cheaper pieces of jewelry. No wonder my parents always scolded me for being petty and told me that Angelica was the real eldest daughter of the Miller family. I really was unworthy in comparison. Carefully, I stacked the IOUs together and tucked them into my pocket. Just as I was about to head downstairs, I heard voices from outside. “Dad, I want to eat the roasted fish that Veronica makes. Can you ask her to cook it for me?” “Veronica isn’t as obedient as you. She’s been getting rebellious lately. She didn’t even bother attending your coming-of-age ceremony. God knows where she ran off to. When she gets back, I’ll make sure she cooks it for you.” I let out a cold laugh. How ironic it was! I had told them I was in a car accident, yet my own parents didn’t believe me. Instead, they assumed I had skipped Angelica’s party just to fool around outside. They probably never even remembered that my birthday was the same day as Angelica’s. I should have my coming-of-age ceremony too. The moment I stepped onto the staircase, the cheerful family atmosphere downstairs instantly froze. I was an unwelcome intruder, an outsider in my own home. My parents’ faces darkened. Gone was the warmth and affection they always had for Angelica. “Why don’t you turn on the lights since you’re home? What on earth are you thinking?” My mother scolded impatiently. My father, on the other hand, simply ordered me around as if I were a servant. “Didn’t you hear your sister say she wants to eat roasted fish? What are you standing there for? Go make it for her.”

To me, roasted fish was nothing short of a nightmare. I remembered it was my mother’s fortieth birthday. I had secretly learned how to make this dish, hoping to cook it for her. That year, I was 12. In the process of making roasted fish, I nearly cut my hand and got burned by the splattering hot oil. But when I finally brought the dish to the table, Angelica simply mentioned that she liked it. Mother did not even take a single bite. Instead, she placed the entire plate in front of Angelica. I could never forget the smug expression on Angelica’s face as she looked at me. She ate every last bite of that fish right in front of me, only to accidentally get a bone stuck in her throat. My parents panicked and rushed her to the hospital. She clung delicately to my mother and murmured, “Mommy, don’t blame Nica. I was just too greedy.” Because of those words, my furious mother slapped me hard across the face. She called me malicious, accusing me of intentionally trying to hurt Angelica. From that day on, whenever Angelica asked for roasted fish, my parents would make sure someone supervised me, forcing me to pick out every single tiny fishbone. It was a tedious and exhausting task. For years, just to earn a single word of praise from my parents, I had done it over a hundred times. But now, I felt it was all worthless. “You should ask the maid to do it. I don’t want to.” After saying that, I turned to leave. Angelica suddenly grabbed my arm, her voice pitiful and soft. “Nica, are you still mad at me? I’m sorry, Nica. I really didn’t mean to tell Mom and Dad about you wasting money.” My parents had already been displeased with my attitude, and when they heard Angelica’s words, their anger exploded. My father raised his hand and slapped me so hard that I fell to the ground. He shouted, “How dare you hold a grudge against Angelica! Do you even realize that if you hadn’t squandered her living expenses back then, she wouldn’t have suffered so much that her stomach is weak now?” My mother’s gaze was filled with disappointment. But since I was still her biological daughter, she stepped forward and tried to help me up. “Veronica, Angelica has already covered for you more times than you know. This time, you lied about getting into a car accident just to get money. She helped you hide it from us. We made you write IOUs for your own good. You need to stop being so reckless with money.” I covered my burning cheek, but the pain on my face was nothing compared to the ache in my heart. I shoved my mother’s hand away and spoke each word clearly, “I didn’t lie. I really had a car accident.” My mother’s brows furrowed as she looked at me as if I were beyond saving. “Veronica, you’re still pretending? Dr. Davis at the private hospital already told your father and me that there’s no record of you being treated there.” Angelica took the opportunity to fan the flames. “Nica, even if you really needed money, you shouldn’t have lied to Mom and Dad. I still have some pocket money. You can have it. After all, we’re sisters.” My mother sighed at Angelica’s generosity and affectionately patted her head, “Dear, if only Veronica were half as sensible as you, we wouldn’t have to worry so much. But don’t let someone like her take advantage of your kindness. She needs to suffer a little to learn.” I let out a cold laugh. Standing in the middle of the living room and watching the sweet mother and daughter, I laughed until my body shook. “Veronica, what’s wrong with you?” My parents were startled by my laughter. They instinctively stepped in front of Angelica, shielding her as if afraid I might do something. I stopped laughing and looked coldly at my so-called biological parents. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my surgery report and tossed it onto the floor. “I never had the money to go to a private hospital. Isn’t it obvious why you couldn’t find any records?” My parents stiffened. They picked up the report and glanced at it, their expressions shifting. “Veronica, your leg…” For the first time, my mother took a step forward, her eyes seeming to show a trace of concern. But before she could say more, Angelica interrupted her, “Nica, you really were in a car accident? Are you okay? It’s all my fault. If it weren’t for my coming-of-age party, Mom and Dad would have been with you. It must have hurt a lot, didn’t it?” She spoke as if she cared about me, but at the same time, her nails dug viciously into my arm. I knew exactly what she was trying to do, and I was done playing the fool in this ridiculous performance. With a slight flick of my wrist, Angelica lost her balance and fell lightly to the ground. The brief flicker of guilt my parents had just felt for me disappeared in an instant. “Veronica! Why are you taking your anger out on your sister? “It was just a car accident! You’re perfectly fine now, aren’t you? “Apologize to Angelica!”

I could not be bothered to deal with them anymore and turned to leave. Enraged, my father picked up a vase from the side and smashed it at my feet. He said, “Ungrateful brat! Are you trying to run away from home? Fine! You have written enough IOUs over the years. Pay them back by next week, or I will have the legal department send you to jail to teach you a lesson!” The shattered pieces of the vase cut into my calf, and blood streamed down, but I barely felt it. Hearing my father’s words, I was not surprised at all. I turned back and looked at them. They thought I was afraid and that I would give in. But as I gazed at their arrogant expressions, I felt nothing inside. I turned my head away, and before closing the door behind me, I left them with just one word. “Alright.” If that was what they wanted, then I would pay them back. Once I had returned the money, I would have nothing more to do with this wretched family. As I stepped out of the villa, I could still hear my father’s furious roar from behind me. I pretended to be deaf and ignored him. Limping out of the residential area, I realized just how vast the world was. It was so vast that after leaving home, I had no idea where to go. Looking up at the flickering stars in the sky, I felt just as lonely as they were. I crouched down, hugging myself tightly, trying to warm my frozen body. Actually, my parents had not always treated me this way. They were once known as one of the most loving couples in their social circle. As their only daughter, I had once been cherished and adored. But everything changed when Angelica was brought into our home. She was the daughter of my parents’ close friends. After her parents died in a car accident, none of her relatives were willing to take her in. So my parents brought her home. At first, I was excited about my new sister. After all, being an only child could be lonely at times. And since we shared the same birthday, I thought it was fate. I gave her my favorite toys and my prettiest dresses. I never expected that the girl who sweetly called me “Nica” would one day strike like a venomous snake. Back then, we were still in elementary school. My parents were busy with their careers, so they gave me money and told me to take care of Angelica. Angelica told me she wanted to eat with her friends. I did not think much of it and gave her two-thirds of the money. But when my parents came home, she fainted from hunger. They rushed her to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with hypoglycemia and gastritis. At the same time, they found an expensive luxury handbag in my room. “We told you to take care of your sister, and this is how you do it?” “Veronica, you’re still just a child, yet you’re already buying luxury goods?” I panicked and tried to explain that I had no idea what was going on. At that time, my parents had not yet completely lost their trust in me. They held back their anger and said they would wait for Angelica to wake up and ask her. But the first thing Angelica said when she opened her eyes was, “Mr. Miller, Mrs. Miller, please don’t blame Nica. I just don’t feel like eating.” With red-rimmed eyes, she uttered those words, pinning the blame on me. My parents held her tightly, full of pity, and declared that from that day forward, she was their daughter. As for me, branded as “selfish” and “vain”, I was no longer the doted daughter in their hearts. Over the past eight years, I wrote 300 IOUs. That was all they had left for me. I took the stack of IOUs from my pocket once more and flipped through them. I was just a high school graduate. How could I possibly come up with 50 thousand dollars in a single week?   I started working like crazy, taking on multiple part-time jobs. When my childhood sweetheart, Vincent Carter, saw me one night, I was serving drinks at a nightclub. I had no choice. I needed money, and my daytime hours were already packed with other jobs. At night, this was the only job that paid decently and settled wages weekly. Occasionally, there were customers who tried to take advantage of me, but I held my ground, and no one dared to go too far. I counted on my fingers, calculating how much I would still be short after working for a full week. But in Vincent’s eyes, my job was proof that I had no self-respect. He came to drink with a few friends, and he saw me the moment he went into the bar. He rushed to grab my wrist. The expensive wine I had been carrying slipped from my hands and crashed onto the floor. He said, “Veronica, after you ran away from home, Angelica has been so worried! I can’t believe you have stooped so low to a place like this! How could you set an example for her?” I ignored his furious questions, staring blankly at the shattered mess on the floor. I thought, “What a pity. Tonight’s effort has gone to waste.” Seeing that I did not respond, Vincent grew even angrier. My manager hurried over to apologize and asked, “Mr. Carter, you know Veronica?” “I always knew she was careless and would offend someone. Veronica, apologize to Mr. Carter!” I thought, “Wow, Mr. Carter. What an imposing title.” I looked at the man in front of me, dressed sharply, standing with an air of superiority. He was nothing like the little boy who used to follow me around, begging me to play with him. But that version of Vincent, the one who had once claimed to love only me and promised to protect me forever, had long since fallen hopelessly in love with Angelica. Just like my parents had. Sometimes, I really thought Angelica was the protagonist of this world, and I was the villain doomed to fall into darkness. Everyone who once loved me would eventually love her as if it were some kind of curse. There was no escaping it. Vincent did not notice my distraction. He scanned me from head to toe, his eyes filled with disdain, as if he were looking at something filthy. He picked up the menu and ordered 10 bottles of strong liquor before looking down at me with arrogance. “Forget it. An apology from someone like you is worthless. Since you enjoy serving drinks so much, drink all 10 bottles. Not only will I let this go, but I’ll give you 100 thousand dollars. How about that?” I did not respond. Instead, I picked up a bottle from the table. I knew Vincent wanted to see me humiliate myself. He knew exactly how hard life had been for me since my parents started enforcing their rules. At my lowest point, I could only afford one meal a day. My stomach had long since deteriorated, much worse than Angelica’s had ever been. But Vincent, who had initially stood by my side, vowing to expose Angelica’s true nature and even giving me his family heirloom gem, completely changed. He said, “Suffering a little isn’t a big deal. After all, you owe Angelica. After spending time with her, I realized she’s not a bad person. Veronica, she’s your sister. There’s no need to treat her like an enemy.” After drinking two bottles, Vincent folded his arms and watched me with a smug expression, as if waiting for me to break. As I continued to drink, his face started to darken. When I drank the eighth bottle, he finally snapped. He grabbed the bottle from my hand and smashed it to pieces. I wondered, “Strange, he looks furious, but why is he angry? Wasn’t this exactly what he had wanted?” I watched his lips move, seemingly shouting, “Veronica, are you willing to risk your life for money?” A moment later, his furious expression turned into one of panic. “Veronica, what’s wrong?” I swayed unsteadily, and before I could answer, I collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness completely.

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