My mother approached me too. I thought she might offer some comfort, but instead she snapped impatiently, “Lori, ever since you came back, this house hasn't known peace. What exactly are you trying to stir up?”

“I've already said it—I want my own separate household registration book.”

My father slammed his cup down on the table. "Lori, there's a limit to everything. Stop interrupting your eldest sister's meal! Can't you just let your younger sister have her way? Go back to your room!"

Everything revolved both around the eldest sister and the younger sister. The cold, damp rain of my childhood had soaked through to my twenty-fourth year.

Finally, I roared like a madwoman, “Why does she get to be called Alexia? Why does she get to be called Alyssa? Why am I the only one called Lori? Why do I have to be called Lori? Why didn't you take me when I said I wanted to change my name?”

My mother even laughed when she heard this, as if she found it utterly amusing.

The shame of my name has haunted me from childhood to my twenty-fourth year and I still could not reconcile with it.

Lori—what a ridiculous, arbitrary name.

The warmth I once felt for my family had long vanished from my eyes. “Why, when both my eldest sister and I were scalded by steam, did only she receive professional treatment in the hospital while I suffered at home?!”

My mother stopped laughing.

“Dad, do you even know what I majored in for my undergraduate degree? Or what I studied in graduate school?”

When it came time to fill out college applications, my father—the most educated person in the family—paid someone to secure a good vocational school spot for my older sister. When it was my turn, he dismissed it, saying, “It doesn't matter where you go.”

My outburst provoked the patriarchal authority in the house. My father stepped forward and slapped me across the face.

“Who gave you the right to exist? I can do whatever I want! Think you're better than me now?”

Alexia clutched me tightly. “Dad, she's just upset. She's twenty-four—why hit her?”

My father snarled with disgust, “Get out if you want! Raising you all these years, paying for your education—and this is the thanks I got?! Want your own household registration? Want to fend for yourself? Go ahead!”

He grabbed my arm, trying to drag me out the door. I wrenched my hand free. “No need for your help. I can walk myself.”

As I shut the door, I could still hear my father cursing me from inside.

I swore I’d never cry over this pathetic family bond again.

This place had never felt like home to me—it's a prison.

My only relief is that during my summer part-time job, I didn't foolishly hand over every penny to my mother to save for me.

Those savings gave me the courage to leave home for good.

The very next morning at the hotel, my mother called, “Your father's calmed down now. You know his temper. Come home tonight and apologize. You silly child—who would ever despise their own name?”

She was still laughing.

She didn't know that hearing her laughter felt like being moved back to my most emotionally vulnerable years, when people mocked me for the name Lori.

Alexia took the call. “Lori, don't hold a grudge against Mom and Dad. They're getting old. You know Dad has asthma and Mom's had back problems these past few years. You're their flesh and blood—who else would they love? Family grudges don't last overnight.”

“Alexia, there's no such thing as ‘flesh and blood’ or not. They treat you like their own daughter.” I hung up.

To me, Alexia was the person who made me feel utterly unnecessary in this world.

Back when my dad would get drunk at family gatherings during the New Year, he’d often say, “Alexia and Alyssa are good kids. My family’s future depends on these two making something of themselves.”

Back then, little me didn't understand what it meant. Only when older kids at relatives' houses didn't want to play with me would they say viciously, “Lori, your parents don't even want you!”

Later, to get my parents' attention, I acted out wildly. They wondered how a child could be so calculating.

They all said parents favor kids with good grades, so I studied hard.

But not in my family. When Alexia scored 60, she’d be comforted and even get a brand-new pencil case. But when I scored 99, all they’d say was, “What are you showing off about? It’s just 99. Not even 100. What’s there to be proud of? Kids who do well in elementary school never do well when they grow up.”

When relatives praised me, they’d always try to undermine me.

So it was just that they didn’t love me.

But family bonds are so hard to fathom. I clung to them with a sickening persistence, even staying within the province for college.

I kept hoping they’d see how much I cared for them.

After all, I was their biological daughter.

But now it’s all just a mess.

I'm planning to go home again. Even though our last conversation fell apart, I'm determined to get my household registration separated.

Alexia opened the door and eyed me up and down.

“I thought you'd never come back from out there?”

My father knew I was back and looked at me with utter disdain.

He was waiting for me to bow my head and submit—after all, that's how I always acted when I had no power before.

“Getting my household registration separated won't trouble you or waste your precious time. All I need now is your ID card and household register. I'll return them afterward.”

Hearing this, my mother grew agitated, tapping my forehead with her finger. “Are you brain-dead? How can you be so stubborn day in and day out? We've given you an easy way out—what more do you want? Do you expect us to beg you on our knees?”

“Lori, what's your problem?”

I turned to Alexia. “Alexia, can you stop pretending? Shouldn't you be the happiest person here that I'm leaving?”

Mentioning Alexia was like cutting into a suicidal person's main artery—the whole family erupted.

“What nonsense are you spouting!? How dare you slander your elder sister now!”

Alexia's face darkened as Alyssa also stepped forward.

“Lori! Are you out of your mind? Who do you think you are to talk about your elder sister? Get out! You wanted to leave, didn't you? Get out now!”

I kicked Alyssa's designer shoes flying. “Alyssa, every piece of clothing on your body, every shoe on your feet, every phone in your hand—didn't I buy all of them with my summer job money? You're the last one with any right to speak up!”

Alyssa’s rage turned to laughter. “Hahaha, I see it now. You're starting to settle scores with us, aren't you?”

Alexia looked on the verge of tears. “Tell me, Lori. All this time, did you really think I was just a burden in this family? That I stole Mom and Dad away from you!?”

Alexia wasn't as bright as me. I started first grade at six, while she was still in first grade at eight.

We took the college entrance exam the same year. She didn't get into university and went to a vocational college instead, while I got into the best university, University of McKinson.

My parents lied, saying Alyssa had health issues and they needed to take her to a big city for treatment, claiming Alexia was old enough to help look after her.

In reality, they took them to the seaside for Alexia's graduation trip.

One thing I still remembered clearly was when Alexia posted a story in her social media account visible only to me—a collage of nine photos—with the caption: “Thank you, Mom and Dad, for taking me on this graduation trip.”

The moment they returned, I threw a fit—and got slapped twice by my dad.

Alexia's tuition was eight thousand dollars, mine was four thousand, yet my parents made me take out a student loan. Worse, they had someone else act as guarantor.

I didn't understand it back then. It wasn't until college that I realized: I had to repay this money after graduation.

It wasn't that Alexia stole my parents—it was that I'd never been loved.

Alexia burst into tears. “Actually, I'm the one who should leave. I found my birth parents but still refuse to leave Dad and Mom. I'm just clinging on here. Lori, please stop arguing. I'll go back and tell my dad I'm leaving. I'll go home. Don't hurt Dad and Mom's hearts.”

Alexia really was clinging to our home, refusing to leave. When her birth parents found her, she cried and cried, saying she couldn't bear to part. My mother wept as if the sky had fallen, as if Alexia herself had died.

Truthfully, it was because she knew her birth parents had no real fortune back in the countryside.

“Lori! Are you trying to drive Alexia away?!”

I said nothing, merely scrutinizing this liar—she was the one reluctant to leave.

Seeing my silence, Alexia pulled out her phone, ready to call her birth parents.

“Mom and Dad, thank you for taking care of me. Without you, I never could have received such a good education or met such a wonderful sister. Thank you for letting me see things I’d never have seen in my birth family.”

Alexia's tears blurred the phone screen. My mother lunged forward, grabbing me by the arm. Her eyes blazed with fury. “Lori, you're the most useless person in this house! Apologize to your sister!”

“Why should I apologize?”

Without hesitation, my mother snatched the clothesline rod nearby and tossed it to my father.

When I was a child and cried uncontrollably, they would beat me with that very rod.

I was clever enough to hide the clothesline rod, but the missing rod would always be found by the well-behaved Alexia, who would casually hand it to my parents.

Several of our clotheslines were broken over the years.

I warned them sternly, “I'm twenty-four now. You can hit me, or break the clothesline like you did when I was a kid. But mark my words—after you hit me, I'm calling the police!”

This enraged my father. “A father beating his child is natural! Even the most impartial judge can't resolve family matters! I'd be justified in beating you to death!”

The clothesline rod struck me without holding back.

Let it be. Let this beating sever the last thread of our blood ties.

“You ungrateful brat—what's wrong with us beating you?”

My mother showed no intention of stopping him, thinking my father deserved it.

The clothesline rod snapped, just like when I was a child.

Wasn't Alexia supposed to be such a good big sister? Why did she just cry and scream from the sidelines instead of pulling me away?

I picked up my phone, leaned against the wall to stand and tossed the broken rod aside.

“Die out there and don't come back!”

My first move was to go to the community hospital for a checkup.

When the doctor saw my bruises, he asked, “Your husband did this!? Do you want us to call the police?”

I just nodded.

Our whole family was summoned to the police station. While during this time, I even contacted my friend who’s a lawyer, Sharon.

Looking at everyone, my father roared, “Lori, you planned this all along, didn’t you?”

The police took separate statements from us before bringing us together.

Sharon stated, “I am Ms. Lori's legal representative. Here is her medical report. Based on the injury assessment and the surveillance footage Ms. Lori provided me, you have committed criminal offenses.”

“Lori! Have you gone dumb?!” My father slammed his fist on the table.

“Mr. Gregory, I am Ms. Lori's legal representative. She has granted me full authority. If you have any concerns, please address them directly to me.”

“Get lost! Who asked you to speak?! You’re just an outsider, how dare you interrupt my conversation with my daughter?!”

The officer interjected, “Can we resolve this peacefully? If not, the police will intervene!”

Sharon spoke calmly and deliberately, “Mr. Gregory, if I'm not mistaken, you likely want Ms. Alyssa to pursue graduate studies and secure a government position locally. Are you unaware of the political review process? Even if Ms. Alyssa meets the academic requirements, she won't pass that screening. And Ms. Alexia—you arranged an office job for her in the community. That position will also be affected.”

“You good-for-nothing brat! You really spout off about everything!” My father grabbed something nearby, ready to hurl it at me, but the officer stopped him.

“One warning!”

My mother immediately pulled my father back, whispering, “Forget about this rebellious daughter. Think about our Alexia and Alyssa. Don't act impulsively!”

Sharon continued, “Besides, you run a pharmacy. If this scandal spreads, it could severely damage your business.”

Hearing this, my parents must have hated me to the core.

“Lori! What do you want? To drive our entire family to ruin?!”

"No, Mr. Gregory, you're overreacting. My client's request is simple: she wants to transfer her household registration to establish an independent life. "