Trial of a Parasite

When I woke up, I was sitting in a packed conference room.The people around me looked like they had just woken up too. The hall buzzed with noise.“Where is this?”“How did I end up here? Who are you people?”“Welcome, everyone, to the Trial of a Parasite.”A solemn voice rang out from the stage in front.Trial of a Parasite?I frowned, recalling the new law that had been passed just last month.Starting this year, exploiting others for personal gain would be criminalized under the charge of parasitism.Anyone accused of being a parasite would be forcibly brought here, to stand trial.If found guilty, the accused would be forced to repay everything they took—many times over—until there was nothing left of them but death.The man beside me suddenly perked up, his shiny bald head leaning closer.“So that means we’re the lucky audience picked for this case?”“I don’t have time to sit around as an audience member.”I rolled my eyes impatiently.“My mom’s pension comes in today. I need to

Megan had a congenital heart condition and couldn’t handle strenuous activity. During group play, she could only sit off to the side.My nephew seized the chance and quietly circled behind her.He twisted open the bottle and dumped the urine over her head.“Look! She’s the real toilet!”Clapping his hands, he shouted excitedly to the other children.Startled, Megan clutched her chest, her face turning purple as she collapsed to the floor.The teacher rushed to the office to get her medication.However, my nephew only smiled more smugly.When I handed the medicine to the teacher, he overheard that it could save Megan’s life.He remembered how his mother always said that girl was a burden who would take half of what should be his.If she were gone, wouldn’t that solve everything?He carved the candy into pieces that matched the pills in both size and shape.Then, while the teacher was busy receiving parents that morning, he slipped into the office and swapped the medication in the bottle

The audience, still unsatisfied, grew restless.“What? So, there’s more than one case today?”“And the same person is the defendant in both?”The bald man beside me let out a chuckle, clearly enjoying the spectacle. He turned to me with a grin.“She thought she was the one calling the shots, and didn’t realize someone else was pulling the strings. She looked all pleased with herself, thinking she could walk away with all the money and never saw her own husband setting her up.”Adrian frowned, a trace of reluctance in his expression.“Nina, don’t blame me for being ruthless. We were married. I never wanted it to come to this. But you’ve been far too greedy.“Be honest with yourself—how much have I given you over the years? For this family, how many nights have I spent out entertaining clients?“And you? You want a divorce over a slice of cake?”Adrian stepped beneath the memory extraction device, and his memories appeared on the screen.It was late at night. Adrian was drunk as he stag

By the time the video reached this point, those who had defended Adrian earlier fell silent.Only Adrian, now reduced to his parasite form, remained defiant, wriggling his way out from beneath the crumpled tissue.“I was just playing along; it was part of the job!“And who knows what you’ve been doing out there with those bosses? You think you’re so innocent?“Let’s be honest, you’re the one with double standards. You expect me to slave away while you sit back. You’re the real parasite here!”The bald man beside me, apparently having forgotten the shock from the seat earlier, perked up again and chimed in.“Yeah, let me say something fair. You think those kinds of ‘work dinners’ are easy? You’ve got to make sure the girls keep the boss happy, smile through it all, keep the drinks flowing. By the end of it, it’s more exhausting than overtime!”A mocking smile tugged at my lips as I glanced sideways at him.“Oh? So, him grabbing and groping women is suffering, but me running myself ragge

More than twenty years of being overlooked had left me starved for love. Even though I knew right from wrong, I still couldn’t help trying to please my parents and my husband, hoping to get from them the sense of security I had missed in childhood.But no matter how sincerely I treated them, they never gave me that same sincerity in return.And that wasn’t because I had done something wrong; it was because they weren’t worth it.It was time for me to make a firmer choice.The doors to the operating room opened, and the doctor stepped out with a reassuring smile.“Don’t worry, your daughter made it.”Fortunately, it wasn’t too late.When my mother called again, asking me to support my brother’s family, I cut her off without hesitation.“Mom, if you want to help him, use your own money. You’re not a child; I’m not managing your finances anymore. “If you want to spend it all on livestream virtual gifts, go ahead. If you want to give it all to my brother, that’s your choice. But when you