Chapter 1 Good-for-Nothing Parents

My whole body was shivering in pain, while blood trickled down the corners of my lips. Yet, my parents were still busy arguing. Neither of them even considered taking care of me. Still, I craned my neck up to my mother as best as I could as I lay on the ground.

My plea came out broken as I breathed weakly, "It hurts, Mom… Can you take me to the hospital?"

My mother, Selina Riverson, frowned in disgust and kicked me away. "Get away from me, you filthy beast! You want to go to the hospital for such a minor injury? Do you think you're some pampered princess just like the women your father slept with?"

My father, Chris Wood, became livid. He stomped over to Selina, but he didn't hesitate to ground my fingers with his shoes, ignoring my sharp gasps of pain. "You're a wench, Selina Riverson! Any random woman out on the street is nicer than you! You're just a jealous harpy!

"And because you're born evil, she could lie as easily as she breathes!"

Selina sneered. She was mocking Chris, but she looked at me like I was a bug underneath her shoes. "Just because she's a liar doesn't mean it's my fault. Look at her, scrawny and hideous. That's all you!"

Chris exploded.

So, he yanked my hair and pulled my head up by my scalp. "Me? Look closer! She looks just like you! You're her mother!"

Selina shivered in rage and slammed Chris with her purse. "Shut up! I'm not her mother! She has nothing to do with me! She's a Wood. That means your family should take care of her! She can die for all I care!"

She was about to leave, but Chris grabbed her wrist. "Hold it! Why should I clean up your mess when you don't want to? You gave birth to her!"

They were throwing me into each other's court again and again. The light in my eyes slowly dimmed. I held the pain and slowly got up from the ground before simpering, "See, I'm a good girl. I don't need to go to the hospital. Can you not abandon me?"

Chris noticed the plea in my eyes. Perhaps there was some part of him that cared for me as his eyes flickered with sympathy.

Alas, it didn't last for very long as he patted my head.

"Alina's sick, Tina. She's in the hospital, and I need to take care of her. Go home. I'll see you when I have time."

Selina smiled sardonically and exposed his lie right then and there.