All Chapters of Dear Cousin, Take My Parents: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

Mom was alarmed by Izzy's outburst, but her heart ached as well. She pulled Izzy into a hug and said, "It's my fault, Izzy. I didn't consider your feelings. Don't worry. We'll get your name changed tomorrow!"Dad chimed in, "You'll always come first to me, Izzy!"Mom's eyes flashed with disdain as she glanced at the bathroom door. Gritting her teeth, she declared, "I never expected a girl your age to be this cruel, Melanie. Izzy has had such a hard time fitting into our family, and yet you say such harsh things to her! How did I end up with a child like you?"Dad also snorted before raising his voice to say, "Since she likes taking baths so much, let her stay in there for as long as she wants. Come, Izzy. We'll take you out for some fried chicken."Mom and Dad instinctively looked at the bathroom, as if waiting for a response. Normally, whenever they talked about having fried chicken, I would eagerly plead for them to take me with them.But now, I couldn't eat anymore.Izzy tearf

It felt like a million needles were stabbing me in the heart. Bloody tears streamed down my face.Mom rubbed her forehead and glanced at the closed bathroom door. "Mellie, when will you ever be as sensible as Izzy?"Dad was extremely displeased as well. "It's all your fault for spoiling her rotten, Louise. Instead of learning how to behave herself, a little girl like her spends all her time trying to compete with Izzy for attention."He shouted at the bathroom, "I'm giving you one last chance, Melanie. Come out now, and we'll change your name back. If you don't come out, then you'll be Melanie Kramer for the rest of your life!"At that moment, a loud clang rang out in the bathroom. The showerhead had fallen. But to Mom and Dad, it was me deliberately defying them.Dad slammed his hand on the table and pointed at the bathroom, ranting to Mom, "Look at her! She stayed inside the bathroom all day long just to hog the bathtub, and now she's throwing a tantrum just because of a few wor

Izzy froze the moment she realized how stiff and cold my hand was. That sensation couldn't be faked. She let out a piercing scream, her eyes widening. Her own body went rigid.Dad shoved her aside. "Can you stop making things worse!"Izzy hit the floor with a thud, but she didn't cry or kick up a fuss the way she usually did. She simply sat there, looking completely dazed. "No… This can't be… I just wanted to teach her a lesson…"Only then did Mom and Dad turn their heads toward her. "What did you just say?"Realizing she'd let it slip, Izzy pressed her lips tightly and refused to answer.However, Mom and Dad seemed to have found something to latch onto. They gripped her shoulders, shaking her relentlessly."Answer me! Didn't you say the water would remain warm for 24 hours? Why is it so freezing? Why…"Eventually, the police officers rushed into the apartment and finally separated Izzy from Mom and Dad. By then, her shoulders were red from how tightly they'd gripped her.One

Mom and Dad only managed to achieve the success they had now because Aunt Gina had loaned them 100 thousand dollars back then.Before Aunt Gina passed away, she had only one dying wish, which was for Mom and Dad to adopt Izzy and take good care of her.I didn't know whether it was because of the money or because it was Aunt Gina's dying wish, but either way, Mom and Dad treated Izzy extremely well after that—even better than they treated me.Izzy's crying grew louder."You're so mean, Aunt Louise! I knew you never considered me a part of your family! You all preferred Melanie…"Mom's eyes drilled into Izzy. "Yes. I preferred my own daughter. You were never truly a part of this family to me. Happy now?"Dad slammed his hand on the table. "That's enough, Louise! I know you're upset, but how can you say that to a 12-year-old child?"Captain Lloyd took a deep breath and pushed the autopsy report forward. "Perhaps… you should take a look at this."Mom's hands trembled as she gently