I endured my dad’s punches and kicks as my mind drifted to my previous life. It had been the same back then.
When Estel poisoned me, I had begged our parents to take me to the hospital. However, they locked me up instead. They watched coldly as I slowly lost my life.
I could never understand why, even though I was their daughter too, they always favored Estel. We were twins, yet Estel got new clothes and attended good schools, while I wore hand-me-downs and worked tirelessly for her.
The pain in my body grew sharper, and I cried out in agony. I was mentally counting down the minutes. A few moments later, a neighbor knocked on the door and asked what was going on.
My dad paused and responded casually, “It’s nothing. My older daughter fell down.”
After shutting the door, he kicked me again. “Do you understand your mistake now?”
In the past, I never admitted fault no matter how badly I was beaten. This time, I acted like a frightened rabbit and quickly apologized. “I was wrong, Dad. I shouldn’t have said that about Essie.”
Even then, my dad wasn’t satisfied. “Are you still planning to call the police?”
“No, I won’t. I promise I won’t.”
After I repeatedly apologized, my dad’s anger finally subsided. I then turned to Estel and my mom and pleaded for their forgiveness.
My mom’s expression remained cold. “Enough. Go make dinner. We’re starving.”
I then obediently tied on an apron and went to the kitchen. Just then, Estel’s phone chimed, and she let out an excited scream after reading the message.
“She’s dead! Nina’s dead! I need to go to the hospital and comfort Julian!”
She immediately rushed to her room. She changed her clothes, applied her makeup, and slipped into a pair of high heels. Our parents were worried about her going out so late, so they grabbed the car keys to drive her.
Once they had all left, I packed my things and prepared to leave this house for good. I ran into the neighbor outside, who frowned when he saw my bruised face.
“Your parents beat you again?” he asked. Then, he noticed the suitcase in my hand and clicked his tongue.
“Good. Get out of here. If you stay any longer, something worse will happen.”
I thanked him, hoisted my suitcase, and hailed a cab.
