บททั้งหมดของ Fake Poverty, Real Mansions: My Parents Lied: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 8

I swallowed hard and handed over the poverty certificate once again. "Ma'am, this has the village committee's official seal on it. Are you sure there hasn't been some mistake?"The staff member sized me up and responded flatly, "Do you honestly think the system could be wrong? Don't think you can come here, play the victim, and pull the wool over our eyes just because your parents live in the countryside and registered you under a separate household!" The moment her words fell, the gazes from the surrounding crowd pierced into me like needles, accompanied by whispers and murmurs. "This young lady looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Who would've thought she'd have the nerve to do something so shameless? Stop holding up the line for everyone else and move aside!"My face flushed a deep crimson, and even the tips of my ears were burning. The staff member at the counter was already calling for the next person, not bothering to spare me another glance. My heart sank. Ultim

As soon as her words fell, Mr. Brown kicked the back of my knee. "Mrs. Emerson gave you an order! Don't just stand there gaping. Do as you're told and eat it!"Looking into Mom's venomous gaze, I slowly dropped to my knees and reached for a smashed piece of the cake before stuffing it into my mouth. This was the very first time in 18 years that I had ever tasted a cake bought by my parents. I just never imagined it would be on an occasion like this. The frosting coated my mouth. It was so sweet, yet it tasted bitter… so bitter that my tears rolled down to the floor, one by one. My wretched state didn't earn even a shred of pity. Instead, it made everyone burst into laughter. The very people who spent 18 years teaching me to carry myself with dignity had just turned around and crushed it with their own hands. Just then, Dad's voice loomed over me. "Wow, you actually did it. Have you no shame? I can't even imagine what kind of people gave birth to a daughter like you."His voice

Mom stared at the phone screen, her eyes widening until her eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets.The information on the birth certificate was clear on camera. Father: "Niall Emerson."Mother: "Danielle Sinclair."Child: "Nicolette Emerson."Her fingers began to tremble, and her phone wobbled a couple of times in her palm, nearly slipping out of her grasp. Noticing that she looked off, Dad hurried over. "What's wrong, Danielle? You look like you've seen a ghost."Then, he lowered his head to look at the screen, and his entire body stiffened as well. He sucked in a sharp breath, as if something had closed around his throat. The very next second, the two of them looked at me in unison, at the daughter they had stripped bare and humiliated right in the middle of the street. Mom's lips trembled violently, her voice sounding as if it were squeezed out from the depths of her throat. "Nicky… is that really you?"Dad took a step forward as well. The expression on his face

"I don't want to!" In the blink of an eye, Nolan picked up the plate in front of him and threw it at me. The vegetable soup splattered all over me, dripping down my clothes. The sight infuriated Dad on the spot. He slammed his fist on the table and sprang to his feet. "Nolan, what do you think you're doing? How can you be so rude to our guest? Now, apologize to your cousin and tell her you didn't mean to do that!"Before Nolan could do a thing, I had already backed away from the dining table. My face was stoic as I said, "It's fine. He's just throwing a tantrum. I'll just go to the bathroom and clean myself up."This place, devoid of any sense of belonging, was never my home. It was exactly as my parents had said—I was only a guest.…In the blink of an eye, the first day of college arrived. Dad drove me to the campus in high spirits. Mom sat in the passenger seat, turning back to look at me from time to time, her eyes filled with pure joy. The registration area was packed with