Chapter 1
On Christmas Day, my parents said they were going out to work a side job, leaving me home alone once again
Thinking about how they’ve done this for twenty years straight, I couldn’t stand another lonely Christmas by myself. So I stuck nut to find them
What I never expected was seeing my supposedly “working for extra money parents stepping our of a luxury car, laughing and hugging a boy about my age as they walked into an upscale restaurant.[]
“Mom, Dad, is it okay to just leave Olivia alone at home?” the boy asked
My mom shrugged it off: “Don’t worry, she’s used to it by now.“[]
My dad nodded carelessly, “She can’t compare to you anyway. You’re the one we truly cherish?” ||
I turned and walked away. Turns out they’d been pretending to be poor all along, and I was the outsider in my own family.
Well I didn’t need them anymore either]
Back home, I threw out all the food I’d prepared for my parents earlier []
In the past, I couldn’t have brought myself to waste anything.
For as long as I can remember, I thought we were struggling financially. My clothes, my food–everything came from my parents‘ supposed sacrifices. I rarely got anything new.
Every few months. Mum would bring home a bag of clothes, telling me, “These are from my coworker’s daughter. They’ve been washed thoroughly, so we don’t need to buy new ones.“]
I never lovew where she really got those secondhand clothes. Throughout my childhood, I barely wore anything new, always dragging around in i–fitting clothes while classmates called me “the little beggar.”
I pushed myself to excel in school, dreaming that someday I could earn enough to buy my own clothes and take financial pressure off my parents.]
Little did I know they had no pressure at all
I did some digging. That lurry car belonged to the wealthy Thompson family in town. The Thompson heir had been photographed driving that exact car with a celebrity girlfriend.
I’d seen that gossip plece. The rich kid’s face was unmistakably the same boy from tonight. Apparently, I was actually from a wealthy fandy!
I laughed bitterly, wiped my nose, and started searching my parents‘ room.
Either they were careless or overconfident to keep documents at home]
When I found contracts worth millions with my dad’s signature–and a diamond–encrusted pen tucked between the pages–my last hopes died.]
Tcarefully put everything back, returned to my room, and pulled the covers over my head.]
I just wanted to wake up and
was all a nightmare
Early the next morning, my parents were already busy in the kitchen ||
Looking at the breakfast on the table, it suddenly hit me–velin rats gourmet seafood porridge for breakfast?]]
The taste was identical to what my professor had treated us to at that expensive restaurant last semester
One glance at the trash by the door condived my suspicions.
Mom, Dad, did we suddenly get rich? I asked, sitting at the table.
My mom looked shocked. “Emma, what are you talking about?||
Then how can we afford such expensive seafood porridge?]
I pointed at the packaging in the trash, and my mom’s expression shifted instantly
Dad laughed nervously. “Oh, that was just a gift from my boss last night. I saved it to bring home for us.”
“On our salaries, hoy could we afford seafood porridge?“||
Sure, I thought, nodding while taking a spoonful. Seafood porridge: eighty dollars a serving. That dinner last night probably cost thousands!]
If they were gemainely poor, this porridge would have tasted amazing
Now it felt like chewing on cardboard |
I stood up after past two bites
I’m fall
Emma, you’ve barely eaten anything. Are you feeling okay?” Mom asked with seemingly genuine concern
I shook my head and forced a smile. “Im fine. Aren’t we having lunch at Grandpa’s today? I just don’t want to eat too much now.
Mem relaxed at that. Dad looked guilty and was about to say something when has phone rang.
I caught a glimpse of the screen: “Precious Son Jason.“||
Jason Thompson was his precious son. So what was ?
Dad hurried to the balcony to take the call, Mom following. I could barely make out something about “behaving” and “making sure Emma doesn’t find
My heart turned to ice. They’d known all along, conspiring to keep me in the dark
I started wondering if my entire life was like The Truman Show.
Yet they seemed so real
