My parents were big on splitting everything, even when it came to us kids. Eleanor was in charge of Seraphina, Richard took care of Marcus. I was stuck in the middle, and anything I needed meant another awkward negotiation to split the bill. The result? They both ignored me. That hungriest year, I practically begged them for five bucks to buy a savory flatbread, and they just took turns guilt-tripping me. Eleanor played dumb. “Five bucks? That doesn’t split evenly, honey. Go ask your Dad.” Richard, annoyed by the noise, sent me a SnapChat link. “You want money? Fine. But from today, you’re joining the ‘Filial Contribution Settlement System,’ just like your brother and sister.” “We’ve raised you for seventeen years and three months. Even our own flesh and blood needs to settle accounts!” I wolfed down the flatbread, nodding furiously. But when the day of reckoning actually came, my whole family knelt before me, crying and begging for mercy. …….. My stomach growled, a hollow ache. As I reached the front door, the sound of laughter spilled out from inside. I pushed the door open, and the laughter instantly died. All eyes swiveled to me. Seraphina was holding a bracelet up to the light, exclaiming, “Oh my God, this is an antique diamond, fit for royalty. With this, I’ll definitely snag Liam Sterling at the gala!” Marcus held a card, grinning. “Thanks, Dad. I’ll study really hard.” Eleanor, propped up against her giant teddy bear, blinked a few times before clearing her throat awkwardly. “Aria? What are you doing back?” I didn’t answer, my eyes fixed on the steaming meat buns on the table. Seraphina, thinking I was eyeing her bracelet, quickly hid it behind her back and dragged Marcus away. The moment they left, my parents’ faces instantly turned cold. Richard frowned. “Didn’t you have evening classes? How are you back so early?” My heart sank. I glanced at my watch – it was already nine-thirty. Early? As far back as I could remember, my parents had treated parenting like a business expense, strictly splitting everything down the middle. Eleanor was responsible for Seraphina, Richard for Marcus. Money flowed like a river for them, but for me, it was a dried-up well. Seraphina and Marcus went to elite private schools from a young age, with the best clothes and allowances. I, however, was stuck in the run-down public school in the worst district, often going hungry. Finally, my Grandpa Arthur couldn’t stand it anymore. Just before my senior year, he forced Dad to transfer me to my siblings’ elite private school. Seraphina and Marcus were terrible students. One had to repeat a year, the other two. So, when I transferred, we all ended up in the same senior year. But while their monthly allowance alone was a fortune, I didn’t even have money for food. From then on, hunger became a part of me. I stared at the buns, swallowing hard for a long moment. “I can stay out late, Mom and Dad. But can you please give me five bucks a day so I can at least buy a savory flatbread from the school gate at night?” The words were barely out when Eleanor’s eyes darted away. “But your Dad and I always split everything, and five dollars doesn’t divide evenly! Go ask your Dad.” Richard’s face grew darker. He shot me a disgusted look. “Come to my study.” Inside the study, Dad got straight to the point. “You want money? Fine. But from today, you’re joining the ‘Filial Contribution Settlement System,’ just like your brother and sister. Are you sure you want this?” A glint of cunning flashed in his eyes, his expression hinting at a shrewd calculation. My heart ached, but my stomach was rumbling. I could only agree for now. I opened my phone and found it was a digital system launched by the Family Court, designed to ensure children fulfill their financial obligations to their parents, a “gratitude” system, they called it. I was carefully reading the terms when Dad impatiently snatched my phone, bypassed the fine print with suspicious speed, and quickly signed the online Filial Contribution Agreement with me, as if afraid I’d back out. Once he confirmed I was bound to the system, Richard’s expression visibly relaxed. He immediately transferred five dollars to me, then practically shoved me out. Soon, I heard the sound of a cabinet being opened and hushed, intermittent talking from inside the study. I didn’t need to guess. Dad was definitely on a FaceTime call with his relatives, bragging about Marcus and Seraphina’s ‘achievements’ while dramatically listing all the ‘expenses’ I’d incurred. Though I was bound by this system, I wasn’t overly worried. After all, from birth until now, the money they’d spent on me could be counted on one hand. My baby formula was always on the verge of expiring, my clothes were Seraphina’s threadbare hand-me-downs, and my school bag was Marcus’s discarded junk. And now, even if I didn’t have much cash, at least all my classmates were trust-fund babies. I was the poorest one in this elite private school. But being poor had its advantages. They were too lazy to do homework, so I’d do it for them. Ten dollars a pop, and I could make a decent amount. No sooner said than done. After class, I finally mustered the courage, eyeing the group of spoiled rich kids who never studied, and slowly spoke. “Does… does anyone need help with their homework? It’s… it’s only ten dollars a piece.” The rich kids, who were busy showing off their latest designer bags and watches, stopped their antics and stared at me in shock. A moment later, shouts erupted. “Ten dollars? Who do you think you’re insulting? Ten thousand! You do mine first!” “A hundred thousand! Dollars!” I nervously swallowed. Just as I was about to hesitate and refuse, Seraphina’s rival, a girl draped in Chanel, slammed a wad of dollar bills onto my desk. “I’m going all in! Let’s see who dares to challenge me for the top spot today!” I looked at her with immense gratitude, because I knew that from this day forward, I would finally no longer have to starve. In the quiet campus, under the corridor’s night lights, I wolfed down a savory flatbread with double egg and sausage, all while concentrating on homework. Both my stomach and my mind were incredibly satisfied. That day, during math class, my phone buzzed. The first bill had arrived. **[Aria: Due payment $50,000]** **[Seraphina, Marcus: No payment required]** I gasped in surprise, earning a frown from Ms. Albright. “Aria, what are you yelling about?” I frantically shook my head, quickly saying, “Nothing!” Suppressing my anger, I screenshotted the bill and blasted it into the family SnapChat group, tagging Mom and Dad. “I only asked for five bucks for a flatbread. How did it become fifty thousand?” After a moment of silence, the group exploded. **Richard:** That’s just how the system works. All the money your Mom and I spend now, you have to help split. It’s your filial contribution. **Eleanor:** I bought your sister a new bag, and your Dad bought your brother some sneakers. Those things cost money. **Seraphina:** Just pay up already, or the system will mark your record. **Marcus:** Yeah, don’t drag us down. Seeing them gang up on me like that, my chest felt like it would explode. As I was trying to figure out how to deal with this system, my phone chimed again. It was a notification from the hidden camera I’d secretly installed in the living room. I tapped it open and instantly froze, my head spinning. At this time, only Mom was home. I watched as Mom’s giant teddy bear suddenly stood up. It hugged Mom, spinning her around, then dancing with her. Mom looked utterly delighted. Deep in their play, the teddy bear abruptly stopped, then ripped right down the middle! A man emerged from inside, a smirk on his face as his hands moved over Mom’s body, lower, and lower… I couldn’t bear to watch the rest of the footage. That teddy bear was part of Mom’s dowry. Since I was little, it had been her most prized possession, untouchable by anyone. But then, Marcus and Seraphina’s bloodline… My heart thumped. The thought sent a jolt of fear through me. If it were true, then according to the system’s “Illegitimate Child Compensation Clause,” not only would they face penalties from the system, but my parents would also have to pay me a huge sum for secretly raising illegitimate children. From the looks of it, Dad probably had no idea. At that thought, my heart pounded with excitement. The show was about to begin. In the study, Richard saw my payment record and slapped me across the face. “So, you lied to me! You couldn’t even afford a five-dollar flatbread, but you suddenly have fifty thousand dollars? How?” My cheek stung, burning. I turned my head away, not looking at him, my voice eerily calm, flat as a placid lake. “It’s money I earned myself.” Richard scoffed, like I’d just told the funniest joke he’d ever heard. “You eat my food, live under my roof, I even pay for your school fees. Where would you get money?” He paused, his eyes narrowing with a vile insinuation. “Did you… sell yourself?” “Whatever. I can’t be bothered with you. Just make sure you pay on time.” I stared at him in disbelief. As a father, how much hatred must he hold for his own daughter to utter such words? But Dad, if you hate me so much, why did you even have me? As I left the study, I quietly clenched my fist. While he wasn’t looking, I’d managed to snag a few strands of his hair. My suspicions coiled and grew like ivy, compelling me to send the samples for a paternity test. The day the results came back, I stared at the report for a full thirty minutes. Marcus shared blood with Richard, but not Eleanor. Seraphina was blood-related to Eleanor, but had no connection to Richard. And after all this time, it turned out I was the real Sterling heir. For a moment, I didn’t know whether to be happy or sad about the result. All the favoritism and coldness I’d experienced growing up suddenly made sense. Mom and Dad’s marriage had always been a facade; Richard never let Eleanor into his study, and Eleanor wouldn’t let Richard touch her teddy bear… Wait, Dad’s study? A thought suddenly flashed through my mind. But before I could dwell on it, my phone chimed again with a system notification. **[Aria: Due payment $200,000]** **[Seraphina, Marcus: No payment required]** Almost simultaneously, the family SnapChat group stirred. Seraphina posted a photo of a crocodile-skin Hermes bag, captioned: “Thanks for the love, Mom!” Eleanor immediately tagged me, her message blunt. **Eleanor:** Aria, pay up. I stared at the screen, a cold smirk touching my lips. Without a word, I screenshotted it as evidence, then slammed the $200,000 payment bill into the group. The group instantly fell silent. In the days that followed, my parents’ spending became even more frantic.
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