The Story Behind the Room without Air Conditioning

"Zoe Floyd, you're such a good girl! Just tell me. Which of these two rooms do you like?"

The person who asked me the question was my mother, Carrie Floyd. It happened when our family moved to a new house.

In my prior life, I followed her suggestion and chose the smallest room without air conditioning. But even so, she didn't feel sorry for me. Instead, she just bullied me even more unscrupulously.

I, who had the chance to live my life over again, just smiled and pointed to the bestdecorated and largest children's room, saying, "Mom, I like that one."

Hearing my words, my mother looked embarrassed. Looking around at her colleagues and relatives sitting in the living room, she whispered, "Zoe, believe me! The room is so big that you'll be scared. How about choosing the small one?"

She wanted not only my brother to live in a better room but others to praise her as a fair mother. I knew that it was just a form of moral abduction.

I deliberately raised my voice and asked, "Mom, but I like a big room, and here is an air conditioning."

She gave me a really weird expression and stared at me when her colleagues and relatives didn't notice us.

I took two steps back, pretending to be scared. "Mom, do you prefer my younger brother, Beth Floyd? So, you want him to live in the big room, right?"

Hearing what I said, Dolcie, one of her colleagues, burst into laughter. "Carrie, what's going on? You have a son and a daughter, what a blessing! You keep telling us that you like girls, but I don't think that's the case now."

When my mother gave birth to my brother, she told everyone that it was because I needed a friend to play with. But in fact, she wanted a boy, particularly when she only had a girl. Besides, she was unwilling to admit that she favored boys over girls, and she used to pretend that she liked girls in public.

I was brainwashed by her for a long time, so I often pretended to be spoilt by her.

At first, I just gave some toys and delicious snacks to my younger brother.

Later, when we moved to a new house, she generously let me, the eldest daughter, choose the room first to show her fairness. In fact, she had already told me the day before that I could not choose the big house.

"You're young, so you have to live in a small room. Besides, aren't you afraid of living in a big room? What if there are ghosts?"

In my prior life, I was so scared that I agreed immediately, but later on, she was reluctant to install an air conditioner for me. As a result, I would sweat profusely when summer came. I even lose about 10 pounds in the summer.

After finally being admitted to university, I thought I could get rid of her, but she forced me to choose a public school near my home in the name of love.

In fact, it was just because the school could offer me a full scholarship. As for the money she had, it all was spent on my brother. To get an academic degree for my brother, she even sent him to a private college at a high price.

Later, everything gradually got out of control. To get 200 thousand dollars, she forced me to marry a 40yearold widower. At that moment, I could only jump off the building to end my life.

Back to reality, my mother restrained herself and questioned me again, "Are you sure you want to stay in this big room?"

I nodded without hesitation. It was better to drive others crazy than to waste my own energy.

"Hey, Carrie, be generous! Let your child live in whichever house she likes. Your son is younger than her. You can't only care about your son and ignore your daughter."

Based on my understanding of my mother, I knew that she would definitely feel embarrassed.

Fearing that others would find that she valued boys more, she finally nodded with gritted teeth.

"I'm just asking her a few questions," my mother tried to explain.

I naturally moved into the bigger room, and my brother had to live in the smaller one. He kicked me unwillingly, but I dodged quickly. So, he kicked the leg of the table, holding his foot and crying in pain.

It soon alarmed the adults in the living room, and my mother rushed over and hugged my brother in her arms.

She started accusing me directly, "What's wrong with you? Have I spoiled you too much? How could you hurt your brother?"

As an evil person, she was very good at playing this trick.

As a group of adults looked at me questioningly, I pinched my thigh hard and cried louder than my brother.

"It's all my fault. Mom always told me that if Beth wanted to hit me, I should just stand still. If I had known, I would not have moved. Under such circumstances, my brother would not have kicked the table leg."

After I finished speaking, the adults looked at each other, and my mother became even more embarrassed.

I couldn't explain it clearly, but I still tried hard to do it.

"Zoe, you... What are you talking about? I've loved you since you were a child. Also, I always reminded your brother of taking care of you."

She added, "Your brother is still a child. He definitely didn't mean it."

I kept crying, and the woman called Dolcie who had been talking to me just now patted me on the back.

"Honey, don't cry. Your mother definitely doesn't mean that," she said so with a teasing smile.

I remembered that Dolcie and my mother had always been sworn enemies. They always competed with each other.

Especially, Dolcie's first child was a boy, but my mother gave birth to a daughter. Besides, she missed the opportunity to be promoted, while Dolcie got promoted.

Over the years, my mother and Dolcie had been competing with each other. But unluckily, she didn't have a boy all the time.

After my mother was finally delivered of a boy, she glowed with pride. Hence, she often showed off in front of Dolcie.

"Yes, yes, that's what I mean. Everyone always loves their own child, right?"

Unexpectedly, Dolcie then continued to say, "However, the girl is only 4 years old. How can she lie?"

"Dolcie, what you said is wrong."

My mother had a stern face, but she forced a smile while turning to look at me.

"Zoe, you know how I treat you."

Thinking of the piano that I had given up halfway in my prior life, I smirked and complained.

"But you didn't let me continue taking piano classes. You didn't buy me a piano."

She was so mean to me that I couldn't get a piano. It seemed like she would buy a cheap electronic organ for me. With that in mind, I decided to make her spend a lot of money.

I was just a kid anyway, so it wouldn't arouse suspicion.

"I just want the one I saw last time at the mall."

As Dolcie still stood there and saw the scene, my mother gritted her teeth and said, "Okay. I'll buy you whatever you want."

"Mom, you're so good to me."

Dolcie also echoed, "Carrie, you really love your child."

Under the urging of Dolcie, my mother had no choice but to pay for my interest classes and buy me a piano.

The painful expression on her face while paying the bill made me laugh.

Meanwhile, I had to pay the price for this. She ignored me at home and deliberately didn't give me food. So, I often felt dizzy and was weakened by hunger.

"Zoe, you're a naughty girl, so you'll be punished."

She wore a cruel smile, and I just gritted my teeth without saying a word.

My brother was even more shameless at this time. He showed off the snacks in his hand and made faces at me.

"I won't give you any."

As for my dad, he was indifferent about us, just concentrating on his work.

As a cold fish, he didn't care about other family members, as if he had no blood relationship with us. His indifference was also the push for my mother to become more cruel. My final outcome was closely related to him.

Feeling a deep hatred, I swore to get back at them.

I don’t know if it was to humiliate me, but after the meal, my mother threw the leftovers on the table to me with disgust.

"Now, eat it."

I turned my head away, remained silent, and protested it. It annoyed her even more, and she raised her hand and slapped me.

My face ached, and my head tilted to one side. My body even swayed and fell to the ground.

Tasting blood made me frown uncomfortably.

My mother then laughed and warned, "I always have a way to make you obedient."

Even if I was obedient, she would bully me at will. That was why she married me off in exchange for money.

"I don't accept it."

I straightened my back, stood up with difficulty, and glared at her.

It really annoyed her. She believed that I would be obedient after being beaten, but unexpectedly, I had such a strong spirit of resistance.

"You brat, how dare you?"

"Kill me if you can!" I provoked.

My brother encouraged my mother. "Mom, hit her quickly. She deserves a good beating."

When he spoke, his expression was exactly like my mother's. Realizing that they looked alike, I was so furious that I reached out and pushed him to the ground.

"I've been displeased with you for a long time."

He was younger than me, so he had no ability to fight back when I hit him. Furthermore, I was stronger than him. After I pushed him down, he was stunned and then cried loudly.

Seeing that I hit him, her darling, my mother couldn't stand it anymore. She slapped me in the face immediately. I felt dizzy, and my vision blurred.

"You are a child abuser."

"You're my child. Of course, I can beat you! If you have the guts, just sue me!"

She added, "Let me tell you. Since I give birth to you, I can beat you however I want. Nobody can stop me."

Later, she patted her butt and went into the kitchen to wash the dishes. Meanwhile, my brother took the opportunity to pat me on the head several times.

I struggled to get up from the ground and looked at myself in the mirror in the living room. I found that my face was swollen and there was blood at the corners of my mouth. Obviously, I had been bullied.

However, I was pleased because I kept evidence.

As nobody paid attention to me, I slipped out of the house and ran to the police station near to our community.

I shouted, "Sir, please save me. I'm being abused."

I was not even as tall as the counter, so the policeman laughed before he saw me.

"How old are you? Do you know what that means?"

Yet, the man was startled by my swollen face as he bent down.

The police took me to the Child Protective Service soon. They all looked solemn while seeing my swollen face.

A woman gently touched my face and asked, "Okay, sweetie. Can you tell me who hit you in the face?"

"It's Mommy."

The woman sighed and took me to the hospital to check my injuries.

Later, she and others took me home with the certificate issued by the hospital.

I witnessed that Carrie, my mother, who had originally looked indifferent while seeing me, suddenly put on a gentle smile after noticing others. However, due to the medical examination report, she was still taken away by the police.

Although I was injured, I didn't suffer a serious injury, so there was no way to file a case. Carrie was released after being detained for three days. Fortunately, people from the Child Protective Service warned her.

I thought that something interesting would happen, for I had asked someone to call Dolcie over early on.

As soon as the door was opened, I saw Dolcie standing next to my mother.

Carrie's expression immediately changed, and she held me in her arms lovingly while seeing the staff accompanying me.

"Thank you. I don't know how she got lost. It should be an accident. Thank you very much. I will definitely take good care of her in the future and not let her run around."

Dolcie came over quickly and pretended to care. "Carrie, what happened? Why is Zoe's face swollen?"

"You know. She is a naughty girl. It's normal for her to fall, and it just happens."

The staff member frowned, not expecting her to lie on the spot.

"Mrs. Floyd, your child has already told us that you beat her."

My mother looked unhappy, while Dolcie next to her tried to hold back a smile.

She said sarcastically, "Carrie, you always say how much you like your daughter, but I didn't expect you to beat her. Most importantly, you never abuse your son, right? You don't favor boys over girls, do you?"

"What do you mean? Are you trying to frame me? I always treat both of them equally. It's just because Zoe likes to run around."

Carrie lied without hesitation, and the staff's face immediately darkened.

"Mrs. Floyd, according to Child Protection Law, if you continue to abuse your daughter like this, we will prosecute you. Once the lawsuit is established, you'll be sentenced to several years in jail."

When it came to the law, my mother immediately became timid and explained obsequiously.

"I didn't mean it. She is my child. How could I bear to hurt her? I really didn't mean it."

Fearing that the staff of the Child Protective Service would be softhearted, I moved closer to them. The next moment, I pointed at my face and cried out in pain.

"Miss, my face still hurts."

The staff member became serious again, and then she warned my mother.

"We will make further followup visits. Once the little girl is beaten again, we will definitely sue you or deprive you of custody."

"That's right! She is your child, and you have to treat her well."

Long after, my mother finally sent them away. She then dragged me in with a stern face.

"How dare you! You even called the police. Do you think they can keep watching me all the time? Believe it or not, I will beat you up."

Just as I thought, my mother threatened me after they left. So, I opened the door and screamed.

"Help me! My mom is going to hit me again."

The Child Protective Service staff members returned by the same route suddenly. It shocked my mother.

The staff then contacted the people from the community. After that, the news that my mother abused me had been reported for a week.

Besides, the neighbors were asked to supervise my mother.

My mother, who was such a proud person, was completely humiliated. For a long time, whenever we appeared together, people who knew her would stare at her. Also, I could even hear them whispering to one another.

"That's her! Although she is an intellectual with a good job, she favors boys over girls and even beats the girl at home."

"Really? What a pity! Why does the girl have such a mother?"

My goal was achieved, and my mother was humiliated as I expected.

She hated me even more, and I also hated her very much. I decided to move to the second step to seek revenge.

With the Child Protective Service staff watching over her, my mother didn't dare hit me. Instead, she scolded me every day.

Every time this happened, I would deliberately run to my father's study room. It was because he wouldn't allow anyone to enter his study room and make loud noises.

Upon seeing me hiding behind my dad, my mother would shut her mouth immediately.

Although my father noticed me, he didn't take me seriously. He just stared at the computer. But in fact, he was not looking at documents but chatting.

He was seemingly working in the study every day; in fact, he was always chatting with his mistress.

In my prior life, I found out about my father's extramarital affair just before I died. At that moment, he divorced my mother and took half of our belongings. That was why my mother took advantage of me to make money.

Back to reality, I tried to lean towards the computer screen. To my surprise, I saw Dolcie's name on the screen.

It seemed like they were flirting with each other. There was their chat history, including the news they planned to go to the hotel.

My dad's mistress turned out to be Dolcie. I had known for a long time that she and my mom didn't get along, but I didn't expect that it would happen.

I took several photos through with the children's camera in my hand.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm playing."

My father was so nervous that he slapped me on the head and kicked me out.

Certainly, he couldn't imagine that a 4yearold girl like me would take photos to gather evidence about their affair.

I didn't leave but sneaked back and squatted under the table, just in time to catch their chatting records.

Until now, I realized the reason why the door of the study was usually kept tightly closed. It turned out that my dad wanted to keep it a secret.

My mother used to ignore me, so I took my camera and ran to the printing shop without anyone noticing. Later, I printed out everything and brought it home.

At this time, my brother was watching TV intently. He saw me and made a face at me. I showed no mercy and punched him in the head, trying to kill him while he was young.

In my prior life, he bullied me a lot with his strong strength.

After I punched him, he burst into tears. It surely attracted my mother.

As for me, I ran out in advance and hid on the balcony, waiting to see my mother's expression as she saw the chat history.

The happy marriage that she was proud of was false.

To my surprise, she was not as tough as I thought.

However, I didn't care about it, for there would be a lot of drama to come.

In the end, my mother simply swallowed her pride without showing any sign of it.

On the day when our whole family went to my grandfather’s 60th birthday party, my mother actually bought me a new piece of clothing.

"Don't mention that I treated you unfairly again. Your new clothes are a famous brand."

If I didn't know that my brother always wore this brand since he was a child, I might be really grateful to her.

I was impatient and rolled my eyes. Both of us had been tired of each other for a long time.

My grandfather and my mother both hankered after vainglory. This time, he booked several halls in the hotel, and the banquet was extremely grand. By the time we arrived, the place was almost packed.

My mother carried my brother and managed to sit, but my father, a selfish man, only cared about himself and kept moving forward with his head down. I, little and young, was almost trampled.

After finally sitting down, I didn’t even have time to catch my breath, for I had to sneak backstage and upload the video I had specially made.

On such occasions, my mother wouldn't forget Dolcie. It was no exaggeration that she couldn't show off without Dolcie.

As my mother and Dolcie met each other, they hugged each other, as if they were best friends. "It's been a long time since we last met. Dolcie, what skincare products have you used recently? How come you look younger than me?"

"Nothing special! It's just because my child is obedient and sensible. You're different from me. I guess you should be more hardworking than me. After all, you have two children."

My mother faked a smile. "It's impossible. I'm so happy to have a son and a daughter."

I feel ashamed for her when she said that.

The two exchanged some pleasantries and finally sat down. I looked at them carefully and found that my dad and Dolcie had a lot of eye contact, while my mom was socializing others, just like a fool.

My dad was dissatisfied and spoke out, "It's time to eat, and stop wandering around."

My mother treated her words as sweet talk. "Darling, you care about me too much. We are in the same hall, and are you afraid that I'll get lost?"

Dolcie gave her a meaningful look. My mother wanted to say something more, but my dad stopped her with a frown.

He grabbed my mother's arm and let her sit down.

"The children are watching."

My dad almost pinched my mom's arm so hard that it turned blue, but she still managed to act coquettishly.

My mother was firmly convinced that a happy and harmonious family was an important part of her life. She wanted to maintain her marriage with all her strength. So, I was looking forward to how she would react when she saw the video.

The banquet officially began. The host standing on the stage said a lot of compliments, then asked the people in the backstage to turn on the video they had produced.

The original video was a blessing from the younger generation in the family to my grandfather.

Yet, I replaced it with all kinds of intimate photos of my dad and Dolcie as well as their private chat records.

The background music I had dubbed was the sound of the two of them flirting with each other.

Without exaggeration, I saw my mother's face turn pale so rapidly that it seemed like magic.

My dad was even more restless, and Dolcie ran out with her bag covering her face. I shouted suddenly, "Dolcie, do you want to be my stepmother?"

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly became tense.

My mother came to her senses. She went straight over and grabbed Dolcie's hair. Having dragged her to the ground, my mother started smashing things at her, trying to vent her anger.

"You bitch, you actually seduce my husband. I'm going to give you a lesson."

She added, "I treat you as my good friend, but you did something so disgusting."

Dolcie fought back. She turned over and sat on my mother, strangling her neck with a ferocious look.

"You have always been jealous of me. When have you ever considered me a good friend? Look at you! You're just a crazy woman, and your husband definitely looks down on you."

"Even so, it's not my turn. You bitch!"

"Who are you calling a bitch?"

Dolcie slapped my mother in the face as she spoke. I pretended to be scared, but I was cheering in my heart.

After all, my mother had slapped me many times before, and now she finally got slapped in the face.

My dad naturally needed to prevent them from fighting.

He had no choice but to step forward to separate them, but the two women were so angry that they had no intention of stopping even when they saw him. The two even scratched his face several times.

His face, body, and neck were covered with red marks immediately, so he had to cover his face and give up.

Young as my brother was, he tried to rush forward to help my mother. I couldn't let him affect the situation, so I stood up to stop him and pushed my dad in as well. Taking advantage of the chaos, I hit my mom in the face several times, stepped on my brother a few times, and even secretly pinched my dad.

My dad was also enraged, shouting, "You can fight, but don't get me involved."

Dolcie cursed, "You son of a bitch, I was beaten because of you."

"Why are you blaming me? It's because you seduce me first."

"You two bastards, I'm going to kill you."

The three people held hatred towards each other, and they all blamed each other.

I don't understand why I should be polite to a mistress, a cheating scumbag, and a mother who abused her daughter. Since none of them were good people, I could punish them.

With that in mind, I took whatever I could get in my hands and threw it at them. I hit them so hard that they felt dizzy. Yet, thinking that they were being beaten by each other, the three of them started fighting again.

I really wanted to get them behind bars, so I borrowed a nearby customer's phone and called the police. The police arrived and saw the scene.

In the end, the three of them were taken away by the police. Besides, nobody cared about me and my brother. So, we returned home without anyone noticing.

My younger brother knew how to act according to the real situation. He also knew that I was not someone he could mess with. So, after returning home, he didn't dare to utter a word.

In the end, as he was too hungry to bear it anymore, he could only cry.

"Zoe, I'm so hungry."

I deliberately waved the snacks in front of him. "I won't give you any."

He was hungry and scared. Later, he opened his mouth and started crying loudly again.

I wouldn't be controlled by him like my mother. I just plugged my ears with earplugs and took all the snacks into my room.

When the door was closed, I had peace of mind.

Yet, this bastard never made me feel at ease.

"What happened? The kid was about to jump off the building."

It turned out that it was my brother, that bastard, who pretended to jump off the building because I didn't give him anything to eat.

Of course, I wouldn't take it seriously. I even didn't care whether he was alive or not. Unlike my mother, I would never treat him as my dearest child.

I just stood in the living room with my hands on my hips, looking at him on the balcony. "We live on the second floor. You won't die even if you jump down. Maybe you'll disabled, but don't worry. Mom will take care of you in the future."

Seeing that he relented, I added, "Unluckily, Mom is still in the police station. Whether she can get out is another matter. Before that, it will still be just the two of us."

After saying that, I gave him a cruel smile, and indeed, the kid crawled back.

As soon as my brother came in, the people outside who were seeing the fun suddenly made a noise. Until now, I realized that it was my parents who came back.

I thought they would be detained for a few days, but I didn't expect them to be released now.

The most embarrassing thing was that there were policemen following behind them. Under such circumstances, my parents looked dejected, like dogs on a leash.

My mother pled, "Sir, I told you there are two children at home. They are so young and don't know how to eat or sleep. You can't detain me."

Coincidentally, this policeman was the one who took me to the Child Protective Service before.

My dad also complained, "Sir, it's not against the law for me to cheat on my wife. You have no right to detain me, right?"

"Yet, fighting in public will endanger public security."

My mother was smarter than my father. She immediately brought both of us to her and pinched our arms hard. Hence, my brother and I screamed in pain.

She said, "Sir, my children are crying so hard. They can't leave me. Please be lenient, and don't detain me."

I ripped open my sleeves, revealing the obvious wounds on my body. It caught my mother off guard.

"Sir, please take my mother away. She beats me whenever she's home."

My mother was stunned and quickly explained, "Sir, I really didn't hit her. I haven't hit her since you warned me last time."

Indeed, she didn't hit me, but I could pinch myself. I did it secretly just now.

I stared at the policeman timidly, then looked at my mother fearfully, and retracted my hand in fear. It looked very natural.

The policeman became angry in an instant. "I originally wanted to give you two a chance to correct, but I didn't expect you to be so stubborn. We will ask the Child Protective Service staff to take care of them. As for you two, you will be detained for half a month."

My mother didn't even have a chance to explain. She then was handcuffed and taken away. The previous onlookers didn't walk far away either, so they all witnessed them being taken away. My mother, a person who valued her reputation, couldn't bear it.

My father was also taken away, but he was more sensible than her. He lowered his head and tried to keep a low profile.

I pushed my brother hard and whispered to him, "You don't want to stay with me forever, right? If so, hurry up and plead for Dad. Be louder!"

My brother was hesitant and unable to utter a word. I approached and instructed him in a low voice.

Fortunately, this guy got it and started shouting immediately.

"Sir, please let my father go. He was just looking for a stepmother for us."

He continued to shout, "She is familiar with my mother, so she won't hurt us. Can she cook for us? I'm almost starving at home."

As expected, the people present gave my dad disdainful looks, pointing fingers, and started scolding him.

"Indeed, we can't judge a person by his appearance. He usually looks like a good person, but I didn't expect him to do such a thing."

"How terrible it is! I feel sorry for this little girl. Her father doesn't love her and her mother doesn't care about her."

"It's obvious that his wife favors boys over girls. She finally has a son, so she naturally ignores her daughter."

The onlookers expressed my feelings. I once again put on a pitiful look and looked at the police officer.

As they were about to take me to the Child Protective Service, I knew that my goal had been achieved.

I felt pleased while thinking that the family was broken up and I would have a better place to go.

The police quickly took me to the Child Protective Service.

However, the staff did not give an accurate answer, and they were in a dilemma.

"After all, the child's parents are still alive, and it's difficult to take custody away from them."

"However, my parents don't like me at all. My mother often beats and scolds me. Now, my father has cheated on my mother. Instead of staying at home, I would rather go to a welfare house."

I admitted what I sincerely hoped.

"Don't worry, sweetie! We will help you."

Because of the fight, both my parents were sent to the police station. Besides, there would be a note about it in their files, which was an important evaluation criterion.

Logically speaking, it was difficult for such parents to raise children.

As outsiders, the staff cannot completely make decisions, but I was very happy just because they tried to help me.

During the following period of time, I lived in the Child Protective Service.

I was not sent home until my parents came out of the police station. These two people could not keep their cool at all. Upon returning home, they started fighting.

"You bastard, I want to divorce you."

"Then let's get a divorce. I haven't liked you for a long time. You crazy woman, nobody will like you after the divorce?"

"I married you when I was young. I even gave birth to two children for you. But now, you want to abandon me. No, I disagree with it! I won't divorce you."

"Mind your manners!"

The two people just argued at first. But soon, they started fighting. When the staff pulled them apart, my father's face was covered in blood, and my mother's hair was messy.

The staff looked at each other. "Your children are still here. If you still do this in front of them, it will have a bad influence on them."

They were busy fighting, so they couldn't pay attention to something else. My dad even talked back to the staff.

"This is my own child, and I can do whatever I want. You have no right to interfere."

"Sir, let me warn you. If you are unable to take good care of the child, we will sue and deprive you of your custody rights."

"It's impossible! My son is my life. If any of you take him away, I'll commit suicide in front of you."

My mother was so anxious while thinking that someone was going to take her son away.

"He is the future heir of the Floyd family. No one can take him away."

The two people who were originally planning to divorce started fighting for the custody of my brother. Neither of them could remember me.

I tugged at the staff member's clothes and pled, "Miss, can you help me find a welfare house?"

"They don't like me at all and don't want me to stay in this family. Maybe I should leave," I went on.

The staff member pulled me into his arms with red eyes. "Sweetie, don't think like that. It's not your fault. It's just because they didn't take on their responsibilities."

No one noticed me, so the staff had to take me away again.

I was obviously abandoned again, but I was so happy.

I know that I would have a bright future, and they would get their comeuppance.

My mother was very resentful, not only because my father cheated on her, but because the person he hooked up with was Dolcie.

Targeting Dolcie for many years, my mother didn't expect that her husband would have an affair with her. My mother couldn't stand it, so she still made a fuss after returning home. My dad didn't have a good temper, so the two started a new round of fighting. They even ended up threatening each other with knives.

The next time I heard news about them, both of them were in the hospital.

My mother was so angry that she held the knife to chop my father. But because of the difference in physical strength, my father chopped her back with a few knives. It made her seethe with anger.

In a rage, she turned on the gas and wanted to die together with my father.

Luckily, the neighbors found it in time. My mom was stopped by them, but there was an open fire at that time. My parents jumped from the second floor to escape. The two were alive but showed signs of gas poisoning. In the end, they were sent to the hospital.

However, nobody realized that I placed the knives in the most conspicuous place at home and sealed the doors and windows.

On the way to the hospital, I timidly spoke to the staff, "Miss, I think my mother is mentally ill."

"Zoe, what do you mean?"

"Generally speaking, mothers always love their children very much, but my mother doesn't love me at all. Is it because she is mentally ill?"

The staff member then understood. She was stunned and quickly communicated with the man next to her.

"If the guardian has mental problems, then the child custody can naturally be transferred."

She paused for a while and added, "Also, I suspect she might be mentally ill. She turned on the gas to die with her husband. Does it prove she wants to commit suicide?"

As they were ready to help me submit the documents to the welfare house, I finally smiled.

When my neighbor called and briefly mentioned my parents' condition, I was disappointed that they only had minor injuries. But after meeting them, I found that they were much more serious than I imagined.

My mother's face was severely burned, and her body was covered with burns of varying degrees. As for my father, his arm was half burnt, and the skin on other parts of his body was gone.

Especially, if there was no skin to transplant, they would live with this scar for the rest of their lives.

Besides, the two jumped off the building to survive, so they had fractures of varying degrees.

Both of them were now lying on the bed, unable to move.

They looked weak while seeing me, but when my brother came, they were very excited.

The staff of the Child Protective Service quickly walked out and left my brother and me behind.

My mother couldn't speak clearly, but she still reminded me, "You... You must... take good care of... your brother."

"Zoe, Beth... Beth is... is the future heir... of the Floyd family. I'm... almost... dying now. You have to... take good care of him," my dad tried to persuade me.

I rolled my eyes at them and questioned coldly, "How shameless you are! He is your son, not mine. Why should I care about him?"

The couple was very angry. They didn't expect that I would utter such words. They pointed their fingers at me angrily.

"Do you want to say I'm your daughter? Yet, you never treated me as your own daughter. You always beat, scold, and ignore me at will. Everything now is retribution."

Feeling that it wasn’t enough, I leaned closer to them and whispered in their ears, "It was me who made that video. Do you like this surprise?"

Their faces changed drastically, and they wanted to jump up and slap me, but they couldn't move at all.

Instead, I slapped them with my hands. "How does it feel to be burned? How does it feel to jump off a building? You only jumped from the second floor, but I jumped from the eighteenth floor."

In my prior life, it was my mother who knocked me out and sent me to the hotel, which was 18 stories high. At that moment, I gritted my teeth and jumped down.

Now it was just a titfortat, but I still thought it wasn't enough.

They didn't understand what I meant, so they just stared at me in anger.

"Hold on. If you die, what will happen to your precious son?"

"What... What do you want to do?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. I just want to piss you off to death."

Originally, I planned to cut off ties with them. As long as they lost custody of mine, they couldn't control me anymore. But now, I changed my mind. Seeing their current situation, I wasn't sure how long they could live. Such being the case, I could inherit property after they passed away.

So, I deliberately declined the invitation from the Child Protective Service staff. I insisted on staying in the hospital and taking care of my parents.

During this time, if my parents asked for water, I wouldn't give them any. But if they asked for food, I would just feed them a few spoonfuls.

With their faces becoming increasingly gloomy, I felt as happy as I could be.

On the contrary, they hated me more.

The day after the incident, my parents both had high fevers.

Their face reddened, and it looked like they were in a deep coma.

After the doctor examined them, he shook his head at me and my brother.

"Are there any other family?"

My father's parents died early. As for my mother's father, he was so angry after the incident at his last birthday party that he completely cut off all contact with my mother.

My grandfather didn't plan to visit my parents until the people in the hospital called him.

As soon as he arrived, the doctor told the truth, and I hid at the door and eavesdropped.

"Their injury is too serious, and now they have a high fever. If their fever couldn't be gone tonight, it will be difficult for them to survive."

The doctor added, "Even if they survive, they still need skin transplants, which are not only expensive but also very painful."

Grandpa sighed and slammed his cane on the floor.

"Are you suggesting I give them up? If they are gone, what will happen to their child?"

The doctor patted my grandfather's shoulder helplessly to comfort him. "Sir, please make a decision as soon as possible. Tell me quickly whether to continue treatment or give up treatment."

I stuck my head out deliberately and rubbed my eyes hard, making them red and looking like I had been crying.

"Grandpa! Mom and Dad look very painful. Will it stop hurting if they die?"

"Zoe, you are too young to understand."

A faint sneer crossed my face. Of course, I understood.

"Mom loves beauty so much. If her face can't be healed, she will definitely be very sad. Also, Dad's arm is broken. Will he continue working in the future?"

I played dumb and asked the most practical problem. Later, my grandfather silently went to see a doctor and chose to give up.

He had to witness that his daughter died before him at his age, so he was naturally extremely sad. He didn't even dare to look at her and went straight home.

The next moment, I ran to my parents and snorted.

"Are you happy now? This is how it feels to be abandoned by your family."

That was how she gave up on me.

My mother rolled her eyes in anger and fainted.

My dad was quite shameless and even tried to beg for mercy, "Zoe, please ask a doctor to save me. I never hit you, it was your mom who hit you."

"Yet, you chose to be a bystander and didn't stop it. Being indifferent is also a mistake."

I ignored his pleas and walked out.

It was extremely painful for them. Burns not only defaced them but also tormented them psychologically.

Although my grandfather knew there was no hope of saving them, he still wanted to have a try. He only gave up the surgery but not the treatment.

So, my parents relied on intravenous drips to live every day. Besides, they felt extremely painful and unable to sleep all day long.

At first, they begged me to perform surgery on them to save them, but later on, they gave up on themselves.

"Zoe, you... you go tell the doctor that I don't want to live anymore. Don't continue the infusion."

His voice was so low that I could pretend not to hear it. I just continued playing with my phone with my head down.

After all, he was like this when my mother beat me before and I asked for help.

As for my mother, she was sent to the emergency room because she fainted.

Sadly, she could not be saved and was pronounced dead on the spot.

I turned my gaze to my father who was still alive.

He tried to take off the oxygen mask himself, and I didn't stop him. I watched him die with his eyes wide open.

Both my parents died, and my brother and I were sent to my grandfather's house. He couldn't even take care of himself, not to mention the two children.

In the end, the staff of the Child Protective Service sent us to a welfare home.

In an adult's mental state, I was doing well here. Only my younger brother, who had been spoilt for too long, couldn't get used to the living conditions. So, he was often bullied.

He even tried to ask me to help him.

It was kind enough for me not to bully him.

In the welfare home, I had a very happy and fulfilling life.

I felt as though I was on the threshold of a new life.