Just because I took a bite of chocolate, Mom rushed in and pointed at me, shouting:

“You lazy, greedy worthless brat! You’ll never amount to anything in your life!”

She snatched the chocolate from my hand, threw it to the ground, and crushed it under her foot.

Then, holding a piece of cake, she coaxed my little brother Jacob, who had refused to eat dinner:

“Boys need to eat good food if they want to grow tall!”

I froze in place, watching Jacob eat with cream smeared all over his face.

At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind.

If there’s no fairness, then maybe no one deserves to live.

—

When I put the chocolate into my mouth, Mom saw me.

Her anger flared up, and she charged in from the kitchen, slapping me across the face.

The half piece of chocolate I had just bitten flew out along with blood.

“You little brat! Why are you so greedy?”

“Have you never eaten anything good before? Even the chocolate meant for your brother, you had to steal!”

I was stunned by the blow, my face burning in pain.

“Mom… I was just hungry…”

Before I could finish, another slap landed.

The corner of my mouth split, blood soaking into my collar.

“Bullshit! Didn’t you eat breakfast just yesterday morning?”

“At your age, you dare talk back and lie to me?”

She grabbed my hair and dragged me to the fridge.

Jerking the door open, she pointed at a bowl of rotting, foul-smelling stew inside and said:

“If you’re really hungry, why didn’t you just heat up the zucchini and eggplant stew I worked so hard to make yesterday?”

“You’re nothing but lazy and greedy!”

She shoved me to the ground, my head hitting so hard that it bled.

Jacob ran to the doorway with his cake, watching like it was a show.

“Mom, she didn’t even cry. That means she hasn’t admitted her mistake yet!”

He shouted with his mouth full of cream.

Mom turned her head, just in time to see me struggling to get up.

Immediately believing Jacob, she yanked my ear and scolded:

“You still dare act defiant?”

“Am I wrong about you?”

The pain in my ear nearly tore it off, and I begged weakly:

“Mom, I didn’t—”

She sneered at me, her voice even harsher:

“Emily, if this were some new snack you’d never seen before and you were curious, I could understand that.”

“But it’s just chocolate!”

“You were too lazy to open the fridge, too greedy to share, so you stole it all for yourself!”

“What other explanation could there be?”

She shouted while I was in too much pain to speak.

Not that speaking would have helped.

She had never believed me.

In her eyes, there was only Jacob.

Seeing my silence, she seemed slightly satisfied.

“You’ve committed such a serious mistake today. You’ll be punished.”

“Go hand over all your pocket money.”

“Otherwise, when your dad comes home, he’ll beat you within an inch of your life!”

The pocket money she meant was what I had secretly saved to one day escape this house.

Of course, I could never give it all away.

I had hidden it in several different places long ago.

Hesitating, I finally pulled out ten dollars from under my pillow and handed it over.

She snatched it without a glance and shoved it into her pocket.

“Just this? You think I’m a fool?”

“Don’t forget, you earned quite a bit helping out at your Aunt Lisa’s place over the summer!”

Jacob piped up eagerly:

“Mom! She must still be hiding more! Yesterday I saw her digging around under the bed!”

Mom stormed into my room in a rage, turning it completely upside down.

Sure enough, she found two twenty-dollar bills under the bed.

She slammed me against the stove, letting the hot metal burn half my face.

“So young and already lying!”

Blood poured down my face, but I didn’t dare make a sound.

Jacob gloated nearby, shouting:

“Mom! She looks so ugly like that!”

Mom’s fury ignited further. She dragged me into the living room.

“Now you’re not just greedy and lazy—you’ve learned to lie too!”

“What’s next? Selling yourself on the streets?”

“I’ve never seen anyone so shameless! Tell me! How much more do you have? Hand it all over!”

“If I find you hiding even one more dollar, I’ll break your legs!”

I clenched my teeth and whispered:

“There’s no more.”

“No more?”

She sneered, grabbed a broom, and struck me across the head and shoulders.

“You dare lie to me?”

Jacob, still eating cake, shouted with glee:

“Mom, hit her hands! That’s what they do on TV—she’ll confess then!”

My hands were beaten bloody. I lay on the floor, hardly daring to breathe.

Just then, the door opened.

Dad staggered in, reeking of alcohol.

Since I was in his way, he glared with disgust and kicked me aside.

“What now? Crying all day again? You’re nothing but a jinx!”

Mom immediately pointed at me to complain:

“She stole the chocolate you brought back for Jacob and lied about hiding money! She’s no better than a stray dog burying bones!”

“Keep this up, and she’ll turn into a greedy, wasteful thief!”

“I was teaching her a lesson, and she still acts wronged!”

She shook the money she had just seized from me.

Dad had lost badly at the casino that day, and his mood was foul.

The moment he saw money, he snatched it, shoved it into his pocket, and slapped me even harder.

“I told you this jinx is nothing but trouble! She’ll grow up rotten!”

“You should’ve drowned her at birth. But you were too softhearted and let her live, and now look!”

“I lost so badly today—it’s all because of her bad luck!”

Dizzy from the blows, I collapsed. He stepped on me as he cursed:

“Stealing money, too? We already have enough rats in this house, and now even our daughter has turned into one!”

Then he swaggered over to the spot where Mom kept her cash, grabbed the remaining loose bills, and counted them all with satisfaction.

“Now that I’ve disciplined this jinx, my luck will turn around. I’ll win tonight for sure!”

On his way out, he scooped Jacob into his arms, planting a loud kiss on him.

“My good boy! When I win, I’ll buy us a big house in downtown Chicago!”

Jacob squealed with joy, smearing cream everywhere.

Instead of scolding him, Dad cuddled him tighter.

“Eat more, son. Grow up strong and become someone important one day!”

With that, he put Jacob down and left cheerfully.

Mom didn’t find any more money, and she looked dissatisfied.

I stayed silent, curled in a corner, my head and hands still bleeding.

Two rats darted out of the kitchen trash can.

They snatched up the crushed chocolate crumbs, squeaking.

Jacob shrieked and threw himself into Mom’s arms.

“Mom! There are rats!”

Mom grabbed a slipper and hurled it at me.

“This is your fault, you worthless brat! You brought the rats in!”

Then she hugged Jacob tightly, speaking in soft, soothing tones:

“Don’t be afraid, Jacob. Smart little boys know rats only go after filthy things and low-lives. We’ll never be like her.”

I watched them cautiously.

From as early as I could remember, I had longed for affection like that.

But she had never once treated me that way.

I didn’t even know why she hated me so deeply.

“Are you deaf? Can’t you see your brother is scared?”

“Hurry up and kill those rats!”

“If you can’t get rid of them, you don’t get to eat tonight!”

But my house had always been like it was built on top of a rat’s nest—there was no way to kill them all.

Her words only meant she didn’t want me to eat.

I chased the rats with a broom, but they darted into the walls and rice jar. I couldn’t catch them.

Having not eaten since yesterday morning, I grew dizzy from hunger. I nearly fainted.

Mom only smirked coldly.

“Useless. You might as well starve.”

She always kept her word when it came to tormenting me.

So that night, I went without food.

Counting from yesterday’s breakfast, I had starved for a full day and night—my only taste of food being that half bite of chocolate.

The gnawing hunger drove me to the kitchen early the next morning.

I tried to heat up the bowl of rotten stew.

Just as I lit the stove, Mom stormed in and slapped me hard.

“So young and already greedy for comfort? You even want to eat warm food? Wasting gas!”

“You’re lazy, aren’t you? Eat it cold!”

I was crushed with humiliation, but as a child, I had no power to argue.

Yesterday she had told me to heat it up, but today she forbade it.

If I argued, she’d prick my mouth with a needle, calling me a liar.

With no choice, I curled up in the corner and forced down the icy, rotten stew until my stomach twisted in agony.

Soon I was vomiting and writhing in pain.

Mom kicked me where I lay.

“All this fuss just because you didn’t get chocolate? Pretending to be sick over leftovers—who do you think you’re fooling?”

Sweating and trembling, I begged:

“Mom, I’m not pretending. I really hurt. Please take me to the hospital. I don’t want to die…”

She looked down coldly.

“What do you think you are, some rich princess? Going to the hospital costs money!”

“When we were kids, we never went to the hospital!”

“If you’re really sick, you just tough it out. Kids who survive get stronger and won’t get sick again!”

But I couldn’t tough it out.

My hands and feet shook, my vision darkened.

Instead of helping, she ordered:

“Don’t lie there! Get up and mop the floor!”

“Move your body, get the blood flowing, and you’ll get better faster!”

She yanked my bony arm, dragging me to the bucket.

“Children need to learn hard work from a young age. Today you’ll clean the whole house as your reward!”