The moment they returned, I threw a fit—and got slapped twice by my dad.
Alexia's tuition was eight thousand dollars, mine was four thousand, yet my parents made me take out a student loan. Worse, they had someone else act as guarantor.
I didn't understand it back then. It wasn't until college that I realized: I had to repay this money after graduation.
It wasn't that Alexia stole my parents—it was that I'd never been loved.
Alexia burst into tears. “Actually, I'm the one who should leave. I found my birth parents but still refuse to leave Dad and Mom. I'm just clinging on here. Lori, please stop arguing. I'll go back and tell my dad I'm leaving. I'll go home. Don't hurt Dad and Mom's hearts.”
Alexia really was clinging to our home, refusing to leave. When her birth parents found her, she cried and cried, saying she couldn't bear to part. My mother wept as if the sky had fallen, as if Alexia herself had died.
Truthfully, it was because she knew her birth parents had no real fortune back in the countryside.
“Lori! Are you trying to drive Alexia away?!”
I said nothing, merely scrutinizing this liar—she was the one reluctant to leave.
Seeing my silence, Alexia pulled out her phone, ready to call her birth parents.
“Mom and Dad, thank you for taking care of me. Without you, I never could have received such a good education or met such a wonderful sister. Thank you for letting me see things I’d never have seen in my birth family.”
Alexia's tears blurred the phone screen. My mother lunged forward, grabbing me by the arm. Her eyes blazed with fury. “Lori, you're the most useless person in this house! Apologize to your sister!”
“Why should I apologize?”
Without hesitation, my mother snatched the clothesline rod nearby and tossed it to my father.
When I was a child and cried uncontrollably, they would beat me with that very rod.
I was clever enough to hide the clothesline rod, but the missing rod would always be found by the well-behaved Alexia, who would casually hand it to my parents.
Several of our clotheslines were broken over the years.
I warned them sternly, “I'm twenty-four now. You can hit me, or break the clothesline like you did when I was a kid. But mark my words—after you hit me, I'm calling the police!”
This enraged my father. “A father beating his child is natural! Even the most impartial judge can't resolve family matters! I'd be justified in beating you to death!”
The clothesline rod struck me without holding back.
Let it be. Let this beating sever the last thread of our blood ties.
“You ungrateful brat—what's wrong with us beating you?”
My mother showed no intention of stopping him, thinking my father deserved it.
The clothesline rod snapped, just like when I was a child.
Wasn't Alexia supposed to be such a good big sister? Why did she just cry and scream from the sidelines instead of pulling me away?
I picked up my phone, leaned against the wall to stand and tossed the broken rod aside.
“Die out there and don't come back!”
My first move was to go to the community hospital for a checkup.
When the doctor saw my bruises, he asked, “Your husband did this!? Do you want us to call the police?”
I just nodded.
Our whole family was summoned to the police station. While during this time, I even contacted my friend who’s a lawyer, Sharon.
Looking at everyone, my father roared, “Lori, you planned this all along, didn’t you?”
The police took separate statements from us before bringing us together.
Sharon stated, “I am Ms. Lori's legal representative. Here is her medical report. Based on the injury assessment and the surveillance footage Ms. Lori provided me, you have committed criminal offenses.”
“Lori! Have you gone dumb?!” My father slammed his fist on the table.
“Mr. Gregory, I am Ms. Lori's legal representative. She has granted me full authority. If you have any concerns, please address them directly to me.”
“Get lost! Who asked you to speak?! You’re just an outsider, how dare you interrupt my conversation with my daughter?!”
The officer interjected, “Can we resolve this peacefully? If not, the police will intervene!”
Sharon spoke calmly and deliberately, “Mr. Gregory, if I'm not mistaken, you likely want Ms. Alyssa to pursue graduate studies and secure a government position locally. Are you unaware of the political review process? Even if Ms. Alyssa meets the academic requirements, she won't pass that screening. And Ms. Alexia—you arranged an office job for her in the community. That position will also be affected.”
“You good-for-nothing brat! You really spout off about everything!” My father grabbed something nearby, ready to hurl it at me, but the officer stopped him.
“One warning!”
My mother immediately pulled my father back, whispering, “Forget about this rebellious daughter. Think about our Alexia and Alyssa. Don't act impulsively!”
Sharon continued, “Besides, you run a pharmacy. If this scandal spreads, it could severely damage your business.”
Hearing this, my parents must have hated me to the core.
“Lori! What do you want? To drive our entire family to ruin?!”
"No, Mr. Gregory, you're overreacting. My client's request is simple: she wants to transfer her household registration to establish an independent life. "
