My mom, a wealthy philanthropist who donated millions, only allowed me to spend a single dollar on each meal.

Even the cheapest dish at school costs two bucks.

To survive, I had no choice but to eat my classmate’s leftovers every day.

When Mom found out, she didn’t show any sympathy. In fact, she came to school and, in front of all the students, slammed a plate onto my head.

“Pathetic little thing! I’m not stopping you from eating, so why are you begging?

“The school meals are expensive? Then why don’t you work hard and save up?”

Out of anger, I took Mom to court.

If I won, she would go to prison for abusing me. If I lost, I would be executed completely.

I was confident…

Who would’ve thought Mom would win?

When I heard the verdict, I almost couldn’t believe my ears.

If this still didn’t count as abuse, what did?

Feeling wronged, I immediately demanded a retrial.

The court rejected me without hesitation.

My heart went cold. Fortunately, many people online were outraged and stood on my side.

[There has to be something shady going on!]

[Don’t be fooled by Matilda’s mom’s philanthropic image. If she dares to abuse her daughter in public, what kind of good person could she be?]

[Matilda is 5’3 and weighs less than 70 pounds. She’s severely malnourished! She also has multiple injuries. Are the people in the court blind?]

…

Almost all netizens sympathized with my situation. In just over ten minutes, I was pushed to the top of trending.

Under overwhelming public pressure, the presiding judge had no choice but to agree to a retrial, broadcast live nationwide.

Before the trial began, the judge gave me a meaningful look.

“Ms. Field, the chances of overturning your case are extremely low.

“According to the rules, if you still lose in the second trial, you will be sentenced to prolonged execution. It will last forty-nine days, a slice of your flesh cut per day. You won’t be able to live, and you won’t be able to die.

“It’s best to accept the current verdict. I can help you apply for euthanasia.”

I shook my head without hesitation, refusing the judge's offer.

My mom’s abuse was a fact.

There might have been something shady in the previous trial, but this time, it would be carried out under the eyes of the entire nation.

With so many people watching, the court wouldn’t dare falsify anything.

The judge let out a helpless sigh.

Soon, the trial began.

The moment the camera turned to my mom, the livestream comments flooded the screen.

[Damn, this mom must weigh at least 200 pounds. She’s fat herself, yet she starves her daughter into a skeleton.]

[Someone like her doesn’t deserve to be a mother. Just send her straight to be cremated at a dump!]

I looked at the woman who had tormented me for eighteen years, hatred burning in my chest.

Mom wiped her tears, putting on a show.

“Matilda, I raised you with so much care. How could you fall out with me over such a small amount of money?”

Hearing this, I felt sick.

For eighteen years, she made me sleep in a damp, leaking basement. She forced me to eat rotten, moldy food, calling it ‘building character’, and said that only by raising a daughter in hardship could she have a promising future.

I was only eighteen, yet I already suffered from severe stomach problems and arthritis.

Meanwhile, the underprivileged students she sponsored all looked glamorous, with more designer bags than they could carry.

If I hadn’t been pushed to my limit, I would never have brought my own mother to court.

Under the crowd’s urging, the judge played a video.

To ensure fairness, these videos had all been secretly recorded in advance. They were absolutely real.

In the video, Mom wore heavy makeup and went to an imported supermarket, buying a large amount of Wagyu beef.

Struggling to carry the beef, she didn’t go home. Instead, she walked into an alley.

Dozens of disabled stray dogs rushed over, barking as they surrounded her.

With a doting expression, she let them eat all the beef.

The crowd gasped.

[Wow, no wonder she’s a philanthropist. That’s real kindness.]

[If she’s this generous to stray dogs, she must treat her own daughter even better. Could Matilda be lying about the abuse?]

However, what no one expected was that after returning home in a good mood, humming a tune, Mom casually threw a few coins at me.

“Here. This is your lunch money for tomorrow.

“Use it sparingly. Our family is ordinary. We can’t afford your spending!”

The comments exploded instantly.

[Feeding Wagyu to dogs while forcing her daughter to eat leftovers. Is she a sadist?]

[No need for a trial. She’s done for!]

[I feel so bad for Matilda. All these years, she’s lived worse than a dog!]

The judge slammed his gavel.

“Order!”

“The first round of the trial is over. After deliberation, the panel will uphold the original verdict!”

My head buzzed.

The internet erupted again.

[So, doing charity can erase abusing her daughter?]

[Anyone who thinks this isn’t abuse should try living on a dollar per meal and see if they can still laugh!]

At that moment, Mom sighed.

“Alright, everyone, stop arguing.

“There’s a reason why I only gave Matilda such a small food allowance.

“I originally wanted to preserve her dignity, but since she refuses to come to her senses, I can only tell the truth.

“Your Honor, that video doesn’t need to remain confidential. Please play it.”

The judge nodded.

Then, the video on the big screen made everyone widen their eyes in shock.

In fact, after feeding the dogs, Mom went to the bank before going home.

First, she transferred five thousand into my bank account.

Then, she deliberately withdrew enough coins to make a dollar. After returning home, she threw them at me and said it was my food money.

This strange behavior immediately sparked a heated discussion.

I was stunned, too.

With reddened eyes, Mom began to explain slowly, “When Matilda was born, a fortune teller said her fate was bad and that she wouldn’t live past ten.

“The only way to keep her alive was to cut down her food allowance, so Hades would think she didn’t exist in this family.

“So, I only gave Matilda a dollar per meal. But I was afraid she would feel wronged, so I opened several bank accounts for her and transferred an extra five thousand every month for her to use freely.

“The one-dollar meals were for the spirits to see. The money in the bank accounts was my love for my daughter. But Matilda twisted the truth and accused me of abuse.”

Mom looked like she was about to cry, as if she had been wronged to the extreme.

I broke down and shouted, “That’s impossible! I’ve never seen any bank cards!”

Many people immediately chimed in.

[Yeah, how do you prove that money actually went to your daughter?]

[Matilda isn’t stupid. If she really had five thousand a month, how could she be so hungry that she had to eat leftovers?]

Mom gave a bitter smile and nodded toward the judge.

Soon, dense transaction records filled the big screen.

At a glance, almost all of them were from nightclubs, bars, and male escorts…

Under the consumer's name, it clearly said Matilda.

The crowd instantly exploded.

[Damn, no wonder Matilda is so skinny. But it’s not from hunger, she’s been living a dirty life!]

[This is hilarious. She spent all her money drinking and fooling around. Of course, she has nothing left to eat.]

[I knew it. A philanthropist who treats outsiders so well. How could she possibly abuse her own daughter?]

My mind went blank, but I forced myself to calm down.

“I’ve never been to any of those places. Someone must have impersonated me and made those purchases.

“These records are fabricated!”

The judge shook his head impatiently and played dozens more videos.

I froze instantly.

In the videos, “I” was either splurging on luxury bags or indulging myself with male escorts.

However, I had no memory of any of it.

The videos had to be fake!

I immediately tried to argue, but the judge seemed to know what I was about to say and cut me off coldly.

“All of these videos were recorded on-site by professionals. There is no possibility of fabrication.

“Matilda, I already warned you. You cannot overturn this case.”

Public opinion flipped in an instant.

Everyone began calling me a liar, accusing me of preying on their sympathy.

Seizing the moment, Mom added fuel to the fire. She played a video of herself working overtime until midnight just for a fifty-dollar bonus.

“My husband passed away early. To raise Matilda, my only daughter, I’ve nearly given my life.

“I work myself to the bone every month and can only earn seven thousand. Five thousand goes to my daughter, eighteen hundred goes to her insurance, and I keep only two hundred for my own living expenses…

“I don’t even have money to eat, so I eat cheap animal feed that fills me up. It’s full of hormones, which is why my weight has skyrocketed to what it is now.

“But not only is my daughter ungrateful, she keeps saying I abuse her, just to squeeze more money out of me!”

As she spoke, Mom wiped away her tears.

I was shaking with anger.

Not a single word she said was true, but she always had evidence that made everyone believe her without question.

Almost all the netizens turned to her side.

Only a few people who were still clearheaded questioned her.

[If you can’t even afford to eat, where did you get the money to buy Wagyu for stray dogs? Where did the money for charity come from? And what about the designer brands you’re wearing?]

Mom remained completely calm.

“The money I use for charity comes from my late husband’s inheritance. My daughter Matilda has had poor character since she was young. Before he died, my husband left instructions to use all our savings for charity, to atone for her sins.

“As for the designer brands I’m wearing, my husband bought them for me when he was alive. Wearing them feels like he’s still by my side…”

As soon as she said this, everyone was deeply moved.

[I actually supported Matilda. That’s a stain on my life.]

[So the mother is the good one. She can’t even afford food and still does charity… I’m crying.]

[Hurry up and prosecute Matilda! A liar like her doesn’t deserve to live!]

The netizens voted on the spot. Every single one supported eliminating me.

The judge declared against me again.

Soon, the tools for execution were brought before me.

Just one second before I was about to be tied up, a flash of realization struck me, and I shouted with all my strength.

“Wait! I have witnesses! They can prove that I’m the real victim!”

At the final moment, I requested to connect live with my relatives and friends.

The first person was my neighbor.

The old lady had watched me grow up. She knew me best and would definitely prove my innocence!

“Grandma, do you remember when I was so hungry as a child that I stole an egg, and my mom stripped off my clothes and threw me onto the street?”

The old lady nodded.

“That did happen.”

It felt like I had grabbed onto a lifeline.

However, before I could feel relieved for even three seconds, she poured cold water all over me.

“But that was because you were allergic to eggs when you were little.

“When your mom wouldn’t let you eat them, you stripped off your clothes and ran into the street, throwing a tantrum. You told everyone your mom abused you and even asked them to call the police.

“You were young and didn’t understand back then, but how did you become worse as you grew up? Now you’re even disregarding your bond as mother and daughter and dragging her to court?”

That’s not true!

She must have been bribed by my mom!

The livestream comments were already full of insults.

[So we thought she was a pitiful kid, but she’s rotten to the core.]

[I love seeing evil people shoot themselves in the foot. So satisfying!]

[Her mom has been traumatized by her original family all these years… finally speaking out.]

[I’m seriously afraid to have kids now. If I raise someone like Matilda, my life would be over.]

Under pressure, I desperately connected with other relatives and friends.

Still, without exception, every single one of them stood on Mom’s side.

Even my best friend of over ten years turned against me.

“Matilda, all these years, you’ve often claimed your mom abused you just to gain sympathy.

“Your mom didn’t argue with you, but I really couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Today, I’m going to tell everyone the truth!”

My best friend released several explicit photos of me.

In the photos, I was entangled with several men.

“The marks on Matilda’s body aren’t from abuse. They’re from playing twisted games for excitement!

“As for eating other people’s leftovers, that was just part of her ‘master’s’ tasks!

“In fact, Matilda’s mom knew she was fooling around every day. She was afraid Matilda would be deceived by men, so she kindly tried to stop her. Not only was Matilda ungrateful, though, but she even dragged her mom to court in anger just to get her killed and inherit her property! So she could run off with her ‘masters’!”

The entire room erupted.

[So there’s another layer to this? This is insane!]

[This isn’t a case of a mother abusing her daughter. It’s the daughter abusing the mother!]

[Hurry up and prosecute Matilda! If someone like this enters society… I don’t even dare to imagine!]

At the judge’s command, I was strapped onto the execution table.

Mom wiped her tears and came over, pretending to say goodbye.

“Matilda, it’s my fault. I couldn’t give you the life you wanted.

“If there is a next life, I hope you’ll be born with a better fate, into a richer family.

“Don’t be afraid, my daughter. Your dad is waiting for you in heaven.”

The livestream was filled with sighs.

[A mother’s love is too great. After being tormented by her daughter for eighteen years, she can still love her like this.]

[What a pity. Even the healthiest tree can produce a rotten apple.]

[Don’t be sad, Mom. I’ll be your daughter.]

But where the camera couldn’t capture, Mom gave me a meaningful smile.

I struggled desperately, trying to expose her true face. However, my mouth had already been tightly stuffed with cloth. I couldn’t say a single word.

Amid the excited shouts of the crowd, the execution began.

The blade cut into my skin without hesitation.

The pain was so intense that I nearly blacked out.

Seeing this, Mom pretended to be kind and suggested to the judge.

“Your Honor, although Matilda has made mistakes, she is still my daughter.

“I really can’t bear to watch her suffer.

“I’ve heard that if a person can’t see, the pain will lessen… Why not gouge out her eyes first?”

The netizens all praised her kindness.

Countless people voted for her on their own initiative. In an instant, she became the top candidate for “Most Inspiring Person in the World”.

Her eyes were filled with barely concealed pride. If she really won the title, she would also receive a five-million-dollar bonus. It was an unexpected gain.

Just as the blade was aimed at my eye, the doors were suddenly kicked open.

“Stop!”

A travel-worn man rushed in.

“Matilda is innocent! Her mother is the real liar! I have evidence!”

Mom turned around, and her expression changed instantly.

“You… Aren’t you supposed to be dead?”