Lahat ng Kabanata ng The 300th IOU: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 9

Pan-fried trout, huh?That dish was like a nightmare for me.I remembered that it was my mom’s 40th birthday.I had secretly learned how to cook that dish because I wanted to make it for her.I was only twelve at the time.While making it, I almost cut my hand and got burned by the hot oil.But after all that effort, when I served the dish, Rachel said she liked it. So, my mom did not even taste it and gave the whole plate to Rachel instead.I could not forget Rachel’s smug look.She finished everything before me, but she accidentally got a fishbone stuck in her throat.My parents panicked and rushed her to the hospital.She clung to my mom and said weakly, “Mom, don’t blame Clara. I was greedy and ate too much.”Because of that one sentence, my furious mom slapped me.She called me vicious and accused me of trying to hurt Rachel on purpose.Ever since then, whenever Rachel wanted pan-fried trout, my parents made sure someone watched over me and forced me to carefully remo

I took on as many part-time jobs as I could.One night, my childhood friend, Owen Lynch, saw me working as a waitress at a nightclub.I had no choice. I needed money. My days were already packed with jobs, and this was one of the few that paid well and offered weekly wages.Some customers tried to take advantage, but I kept my boundaries, and no one dared to force me to do anything.I counted how much more I needed to earn after a week of work.But to Owen, my job meant I had no self-respect.He was out drinking with his friends and spotted me right away.At that moment, I was carrying a tray of drinks when he suddenly grabbed my wrist. The expensive drinks slipped from my hands and shattered on the floor.“Clara, you ran away from home just to throw a tantrum. Rachel has been worried sick!“I can’t believe you’d stoop this low and work in a place like this!“Do you even care about her?”I ignored his angry questions and simply stared at the broken glass on the floor.What

Rachel must have felt threatened by how close Owen and I were, so she immediately sweet-talked him into getting engaged to her.My parents were thrilled.They had watched Owen grow up and knew him well. The two families were a good match, and their beloved daughter would not be treated badly if she married him.The two families quickly set up an engagement party.It was set in the most luxurious hotel in Alveria, and they spared no expense. They created a dreamy, fairy-tale setting, with even the tiniest decorations made of imported crystal, just because Rachel liked it.When the fancy gold invitation arrived at my hospital room, I got a text from Rachel.[Clara, the people you love don’t love you anymore. How sad.]Of course, she only had the guts to send something like that from a random number.I did not bother replying. I was not even planning to go to the engagement party.But then I saw online that influencers would be live-streaming the whole event. I changed my mind.

I coldly avoided her touch. “Have you finished going through them? The money is all here. “From now on, I have nothing to do with you.” My parents panicked. “No, Clara! You’re our daughter!” But as soon as they said it, even they looked ashamed. Yes, I was their real daughter. But over the past eight years, they had spent less on me than a single diamond on Rachel’s dress. “Clara, we were wrong. Let us make it up to you. “When’s your birthday? We’ll throw you a huge coming-of-age ceremony that is even better than Rachel’s!” They were so desperate that they did not even think before speaking. Rachel’s face went pale. But that time, no one rushed to comfort her. Even Owen, who always took her side, muttered, “Clara’s birthday… is the same as Rachel’s.” He was right. My birthday had already passed. They had forgotten. They looked at the last IOU. It was on my birthday. My parents looked defeated. They could not bring themselves to imagine how hopeless I m