No matter how much I begged, it was useless. Even though I was always at the top of my class, my parents acted like they didn't notice at all.

Soon, they found me a job as a cleaner and forced me to work to support the family.

"Make sure to send me your salary as soon as you get paid! Carl, Tony, and Sandy all need money. We're all counting on you."

Every word out of Miranda's mouth was for her other children, but she never thought about me.

The cleaning job had me up early and working late into the night. I was often so exhausted, I couldn't even stand up straight. Luckily, the place I worked at was a school, so I would frequently listen to lessons from outside the classroom.

My boss noticed how hardworking and eager I was to learn, so he gave me an easier office job. He even tutored me and helped me apply to a technical school so I could get an education and learn some skills.

I sent half my salary home, keeping only some for myself in preparation for school.

Once, I was a day late sending the money because I had a cold. My parents showed up and started yelling and beating me. In the chaos, my offer letter and the tuition I had worked so hard to save up fell out of my books.

When Miranda saw them, she picked the letter up and tore it into pieces. "You still want to go to school? Secretly saving money so you can study?! Stop dreaming!"

Arnold kicked me hard. "Ungrateful brat! How dare you hide money from us!"

I crashed into the wall and coughed up blood, but they acted like they didn't see me injured at all and just kept beating me. I begged them to spare me, to give me one more chance.

"I'm sorry! I'll never do it again, but I really want to go to school. Mom, Dad, I'm begging you. I promise I'll work myself to the bone for you."

But they didn't listen. Arnold's frenzied slaps just kept landing on my face. "Look at your useless self! What's the point of studying? We'll never agree to it!"

I tried to pick up the torn offer letter, but Miranda got there first and threw it straight into a burning fire stove.

I could only watch as the letter turned to ashes. At that moment, I felt my whole world fall apart. They searched my room, took all my money, and even took everything valuable with them.

Before leaving, Miranda ordered me with a brutal expression, "Sandy needs money for her school dorm! Get a second job after work. From now on, if you don't send at least six hundred a month to us, you'll regret it."

I broke down crying as I watched them leave.

I had nothing left.

While my parents thought only of Sandy's needs, they never once considered how I was supposed to survive without a cent.

Ha!

Whatever warmth I had for my family was completely extinguished that day.

My monthly pay was just over two hundred. To meet Miranda's demand of six hundred a month, I started working odd jobs after my shifts every day. I did everything from construction work to food delivery. No matter how dirty or exhausting the job was, I would do it as long as I could make money.

Once, I passed out from exhaustion while delivering food. The manager found me, told me to go home and rest, and not to push myself so hard.

I couldn't afford to lose the job, so I begged. "Please don't fire me! I promise I'll work hard. Just give me another chance."

He sighed and helped me up, but I was so weak I could barely stand. Feeling helpless, the manager pressed a few ten-dollar bills into my hand and told me to get better before coming back to work.

I was so grateful, I thanked him repeatedly, clutching the money in my hand. That day was my birthday, and I wanted to eat some meat for once.

Unexpectedly, I ran into my parents and Sandy at the restaurant.

Arnold saw me and slapped me hard across the face.

"You've been hiding money again, you ungrateful brat!" Arnold shouted at me furiously.

Miranda came right at me in a rage, hitting me too. "You've got money to eat meat, but you won't share it with us? When did you become so selfish?!"

I tried to dodge, clutching the beef tightly to my chest.

They were both dressed cleanly and neatly. Sandy wore a red dress and carried a designer bag, looking every bit like a pampered princess. Meanwhile, my hair was split and tangled, my clothes full of patches, my shoes scavenged from trash bins with holes in my shoes, and my whole body filthy like a beggar.

Sobbing, I shoved the meat into my mouth as fast as I could.

It was so delicious.

I'd never eaten anything so tasty in my life.

The moment the beef went into my mouth, all my pain seemed to disappear.

Seeing me eating the beef made my parents even angrier. Arnold pried my hands away and smashed the bowl of beef onto my head. "All you know is eat, eat, and eat like a pig! Here! Have your fill!"

Chunks of beef stuck to my hair and face.

I watched as Sandy wrinkled her nose and backed away in disgust, laughing at me. "So dirty…"

Everyone else just saw it as a family matter. No one stepped in to help. Before they left, my parents made sure to take the last few ten-dollar bills I had left.

"If you make any money, you give it to us. Got it?" Miranda yanked my ear, warning me fiercely.

I nodded obediently.

Watching them walk away harmoniously, my eyes went dull.

So, they were a family—and I was nothing but unwanted trash!

I stumbled out of the restaurant and into a pouring rain, the rainwater washing over my battered body. I finally collapsed on the roadside, rescued by a kind stranger.

The scene from my memory shifted.

I was holding my mobile phone, listening in.

When Carl told me Miranda was sick, I sent him everything I had. I even borrowed three months' salary in advance to send over. To pay it all back, I worked around the clock, so I couldn't go home to visit Miranda.

I never knew exactly how much her treatment had cost. Whatever it was, I gave what I could. I had already done my best. I only found out Miranda was paralyzed later, after I returned home. By then, all I felt was helplessness.

When the memory ended, the screen froze on the image of my tenacious but small, fragile figure, still hard at work. That sight alone was beginning to tip the scales in everyone's hearts.

The staff tried searching for any memory of me tricking my parents into selling the house for money, or spending it on a lavish lifestyle, but found nothing. There was no evidence of me living a high life on my own.

The judge and the jurors fell silent.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

After several long minutes, someone finally burst out indignantly.

"Outrageous! Are they really her parents?"

"They're the ones who should be found guilty!"

"Is Lauren really their biological daughter? Why do they treat her like an enemy?"

My parents hung their heads, unable to meet the jurors' eyes. Andy fumbled with his phone, as if trying to make calls to contact someone, but looked completely lost when they couldn't get through. Sandy pulled her hat lower, as if afraid of being recognized.

"Jurors, you may now deliver your verdict on this charge. Guilty or not guilty?"