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!”

“You should be grateful for a lifetime that I’m teaching you these good habits! Everything I do is for your own good.”

She sank back into her self-righteous role of the perfect, caring mother.

I was in such pain that I could barely breathe, my arms and legs weak.

Finally, by accident, I knocked over the bucket of water.

It splashed across the floor.

Just then, Jacob ran in, shouting as he came:

“Mom! I want to see the puppy mop the floor!”

He ran too fast and didn’t see the puddle. His foot slipped and he fell flat on the ground, bursting into loud wails.

Mom immediately kicked me hard into the wall.

“You worthless brat! Can’t even mop the floor properly! Were you trying to kill your brother?”

I didn’t even have the strength to cry.

I lay weak on the ground, groaning:

“It wasn’t me…”

Jacob only cried harder.

“It was her! It was her! I saw her do it on purpose!”

Mom’s fury exploded. She snatched up the dripping mop and slammed it against me.

Soaked and heavy, it hit with crushing force, each blow making me wish for death as the only release.

“Lying again! You’re lying again! So young, and already rotten!”

“Are you jealous that your brother is better at everything, so you want to hurt him?”

“How can a child’s mind be this vicious?”

Terrified, I didn’t dare cry. I crawled forward, biting my lip, wiping up the water little by little.

But she had no intention of letting me go.

She cursed while striking harder and harder, until I was barely conscious, gasping for air.

“You jinx, you’re a born bad seed! Nothing will ever fix you!”

In her rage, she lifted the bucket and dumped all the filthy water over me.

My body gave out—cold and burning all at once.

I collapsed, eyelids so heavy I thought I would die right there.

Just then, I heard a voice outside shout:

“Stop!”

When I woke again, Aunt Lisa was sitting by my side.

She was the only person in this world who ever cared for me.

Her eyes were red from crying as she whispered:

“Emily, you’ve suffered so much. There isn’t a single spot on your body without bruises.”

“I begged your mom to let you live with me, but your parents refused…”

“They said if you left, no one would be here to look after Jacob.”

Before she could finish, Dad stormed in.

He grabbed Aunt Lisa’s arm and flung her to the ground.

“This is our family business! Who are you to meddle?”

“You think having some money makes you special?”

“Unless you hand over your whole fortune, you’ll never take my daughter. I’d rather beat her to death first!”

He yanked me out of bed like a rag doll.

“Lazy trash! Still lying here? Get up and make dinner for Jacob!”

“Good for nothing! All you ever do is steal your brother’s chocolate!”

“Jinx! Worthless brat! Ever since you were born, my luck at the casino has never once been good!”

As he cursed, he dragged me toward the kitchen.

Then he turned and shoved Aunt Lisa out the door with a brutal blow.

“Bring me half a billion dollars, or don’t even dream of taking this little brat away!”