All Chapters of Family Fraud: The Big Lie: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

My hands trembled as I gripped my phone. I couldn't believe what I was seeing on the screen. This was a livestreaming platform for pranks, with a majority of viewers coming from wealthy families or elite backgrounds.My parents told me they got divorced, left me to my own devices, but raised my younger twin brother, Archer Sullivan, rich. It turned out everything was just a game, a six-year-long livestreamed spectacle, made purely for the entertainment of others.I always thought Dad took Archer to another city, but in reality, they were with Mom the whole time.I was sitting outside a snack shop in the blazing sun, but a chill ran through my whole body. Soon, I received two more text messages from Archer."You're the one Mom and Dad chose not to love, Adam.""Honestly, I feel bad watching you live such a terrible life from my big, luxurious villa."I could barely move my hands or make up my mind on how to reply."Adam, clean those two tables now!" my boss ordered.This was my

Chapter 2

It was my birthday. After school and my part-time shift, I came home at about 10:00 pm. I carried a plastic bag into the rental, and inside was an old-fashioned cake that I bought for about a dollar.I reached out to turn on the light, but nothing happened. The room stayed pitch-dark. Although the bulb had burned out again, the moonlight filtering in was bright enough. It was fine.Sitting by the window and greedily borrowing the moonlight, I set the old-fashioned cake on the table. There were no candles, so I pretended to stick one into the cake and light it.I closed my eyes, made a wish, and blew gently. My wish was simple—I hoped my exams would go well.The moment I opened my eyes, I heard someone pounding on the door. "Open up! Time to pay up, or I'll kick down your door!"Although this wasn't the first time this had happened, I still jumped in fright. The people outside were here to collect Mom's gambling debts. She had lost a lot of money.I hid inside while biting my lip,

Chapter 3

Make up for it, they said. How were they supposed to make up for six years of lies and pain?The next day at school, my homeroom teacher summoned me. "Adam, there's a guaranteed spot for studying abroad in the math program. Tuition and fees are fully covered. Would you like to take up this opportunity?"She added, "I understand your family situation isn't easy, which is why I think you should seize this chance. It might just change your future."The requirements were strict. To qualify, the student would need to win a major math competition at least three times and have at least a "B" in a foreign language. I was the only student in the grade who met both criteria.Without hesitation, I nodded. "Of course, Ms. Clark. 100%."I guess this was exactly what my parents wanted to see—the poor kid, raised tough, working harder to become more accomplished.Ms. Clark patted my shoulder. "Good. In that case, you won't even need to take the June exams. Take this time to rest. Then, you can

Chapter 4

"I'm telling you, there's no way Mom and Dad will bring you home. The livestream won't stop either! You deserve to stay in that rotten, dark rental apartment and waste your life away so everyone can laugh and make fun of you!"Archer clutched my hair while kicking me. My face twisted in extreme agony, and I couldn't help but find him scary. In just six years, the boy who used to be gentle and kind had turned into a monster.As if still unsatisfied, he made a gesture and signaled the students behind him to step forward and start bashing me. At one point, they even ripped off my clothes.Archer pulled out his phone and began filming me. "After all the kicking and punching, you barely made a sound. I guess we weren't doing it hard enough. Don't blame me. I just don't want to fall behind Mom and Dad in how they treated you."He instructed his friends, "Kick him harder and strip him naked!" Archer laughed maniacally. I whimpered, forcing myself not to cry. The more I cried, the more e

Chapter 5

Mom even fired back on the livestream. "That bracelet was meant for me, her daughter, anyway. Why should he wear it? I'm only doing it to train Adam, to build his resilience under pressure."I watched her on the livestream, belittling me and twisting her lies into some self-righteous excuse. I felt my heart shatter.Since I realized that every word and move I made in the apartment was being broadcast, I started staying away from home. I went to school during the day and clocked in for my part-time job after class.I would rather sit under the dim streetlights outside the building and read than return to that apartment full of surveillance cameras. I pulled out my phone and tuned into the livestream.The streamer had posted a notice. "On the exam day, we'll livestream bringing our poor Adam back to the villa. Everyone, get ready to flood the screen with gifts!"Many left their comments."I can't wait to see Adam's face when he realizes his family is actually rich.""He has to be

Chapter 6

By the time I landed in Genevia, the last exam was almost over. I tuned into the livestream and, sure enough, my family was at the school gate, streaming themselves.Once again, it was a split-screen view, though what differed this time was the perspectives—one focused on the school gate, the other on themselves."Adam will be out as soon as he finishes! Everyone, start sending us your gifts!"They were even encouraging viewers to send more gifts, as they were celebrating the end of the exam season and the family reunion that was supposedly about to happen.However, they waited for a long time until all the students in the school left. The gate emptied, with just a few stragglers lingering. Even then, I hadn't appeared.The viewers, who had been ready for the spectacle, grew impatient. Comments started flooding in."Why isn't he coming out? Are you playing with us?""Yeah. And I've already sent so many gifts."Mom hurriedly tried to calm them down. "Don't worry, everyone. Adam'

Chapter 7

"When are you going to pay back the money? That ten million you borrowed has snowballed into 50 million with interest."Mom, Dad, and Archer froze. They were so shocked that they forgot to turn off the livestream and save themselves from further humiliation.Meanwhile, the chat was exploding. The number of viewers watching this spectacle increased exponentially.Mom looked confused. "What ten million are you talking about?"The debt collectors weren't having it. One of them pulled out the loan agreement—signed by Mom herself—and shoved it before her. "Here, in black and white. You signed it. Don't you remember?"At last, Mom finally understood the situation. It was the signature I had tricked her into giving me. She roared, "My son, Adam, was the one who borrowed it! Why are you bothering us instead of going after him?"The collectors grabbed Mom, Dad, and even Archer, blocking their escape. "I don't care who borrowed it. I only recognize the person who signed the papers."Now,

Chapter 8

Archer looked the worst of all. Ever since moving into that rundown apartment, he had been full of complaints. As he was used to a life of luxury, when he was suddenly thrown into poverty, he naturally struggled to adapt.Mom noticed the streaming earnings were disappointing and shut it down. I thought it was a shame that I could no longer watch their family of three make a fool of themselves.…I had been in Genevia for over two weeks now and was starting to settle in. I didn't know the local language yet, so I was teaching myself.I also found a job at a restaurant, which was perfect for getting familiar with the city and practicing the language. Not to mention, I could make a little money on the side.With two months until classes started, I was actually looking forward to my life abroad. I thought things would finally be peaceful. Then, one day, the three of them showed up at the restaurant where I worked.When I saw Mom, Dad, and Archer, I wasn't surprised. In fact, I had ex

Chapter 9

One thing I knew, my future wouldn't be harder than the past six years. Even though I was alone, I could look after myself.Mom and Dad grew anxious. "Adam, how can you be so heartless?"I was heartless, indeed."Don't even think about forcing me to leave," I said calmly. "I have a student visa in Genevia. What about you? How many days can you even stay here?"If I refused to go, I believed they had no choice but to leave me alone.The air went tense. Seeing that I wasn't relenting, Mom and Dad finally gave up. Before leaving, they sneered coldly. "Fine. I'll just pretend I never had a son like you."Moments ago, their eyes had been full of fake warmth. Now, there was something dark and unsettling in them.As they were about to leave, Archer suddenly stepped close and whispered viciously in my ear, "Give me ten million dollars, or I'll release that video of you. I'll let everyone see just how pathetic you really are."I chuckled. "Go ahead. Do it. I don't care. Though you shoul

Chapter 10

Was that the parental love Archer defended so fiercely from me? Honestly, it was ironic.In the end, Mom and Dad sold him to a middle-aged woman with a nasty streak. I didn't know how much they got for him, but I was sure it wasn't small change.They even livestreamed the day she came to pick Archer up. What a way to milk their son dry.Officially, it was about recognizing a wealthy lady as his godmother. In reality, they just sold him to her to play with.On the livestream, Archer looked dressed to the nines, but his eyes were sparkless and dead. Sure, he loved money, but that didn't mean he wanted to end up with a middle-aged lady.I couldn't even imagine the kind of life he would have from here on out.That woman, a chubby fifty-year-old, held Archer in her arms and laughed like she was having the time of her life. Watching it on the screen made me feel sick, contrary to how elated Mom and Dad seemed.A chill ran down my spine. People like them didn't deserve to have children

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