For as long as I could remember, a family scorecard hung by our front door like a corporate dashboard.

At the end of the semester, my older sister Ava ranked first in her class, and Dad stuck a bright gold star beside her name.

I had studied until my eyes burned, but my score still came in exactly three points lower than hers.

Dad shook his head in disappointment and drew a huge red mark beside my name.

"Mia, do you know how much money you cost this family this month?"

He tapped at his calculator and said in a cold, businesslike tone, "Tutoring, supplements, private coaching. Five thousand dollars altogether. Terrible return on investment."

"Starting next month, your allowance is in the negative by two thousand. You can work it off by taking over every chore in this house."

Ava's eyes curved into a smile.

"Mia, according to the performance rules, starting today you have to handle my laundry for a whole year."

I clenched my fists, but all I could do was nod.

That night, I hid in the bathroom and searched how to raise grades fast. A strange forum link flashed onto my screen.

"Do you want to make a trade?"

"Give up what is yours. Receive what you desire."

"Tap to begin."

I stared at the forum until my fingertips went cold.

"Give up what is mine. Receive what I desire?"

But what did I even have?

All I had were grades that never rose high enough.

All I had was a debt I could never pay off.

All I had were chores that never ended.

All I had was my name sitting under that cold red mark on the scorecard by the door.

Maybe none of that was worth anything. Maybe none of it could buy what I wanted.

After hesitating for a long time, I was about to close the page when I heard my parents talking outside.

"What happened to Mia this time? Why did she mess up again? Is the pressure getting to her?" Mom's voice carried its usual exhaustion as she sighed. "Her total score was three full points lower than Ava's. Her ranking dropped, too."

"At this rate, even Westbridge Academy will be out of reach."

Dad let out a low, dismissive laugh.

Then I heard the calculator reset with a hard click.

My entire body flinched on instinct.

I knew that sound too well. Dad pressed that button every time he calculated the cost of raising me. The sound had carved fear into my bones.

Sure enough, his voice turned sharp with disgust.

"Do the math. Tutoring, private coaching, those so-called brain supplements. Which one of them doesn't cost money?"

"We've thrown almost five thousand dollars at her. For what? The sound of money going down a drain?"

"I just told her. The return on investment is frighteningly low. She's a bad investment. The fundamentals are terrible. Keep pouring money in, and it still comes back as a loss."

He had said things like that countless times.

Still, my heart clenched so hard that the bar of soap slipped from my hand and splashed into the basin.

"Then should we stop her supplements next month?" Mom asked, lowering her voice.

I could still hear every word.

"Ava's grades improved after taking them, so they work for her. Mia takes them and nothing happens. We might as well stop wasting money."

Dad agreed without a second of hesitation.

"Stop them.

"Cancel the tutoring and coaching, too. It's all a waste anyway. Our resources are limited. Ava is the one with potential. She's the one who can make this family proud.

"As for Mia... she can at least be useful around the house. A live-in housekeeper isn't bad."

My heart dropped.

Were my parents giving up on me?

Footsteps suddenly came toward the bathroom.

I fumbled to stuff my phone into the pocket of my pajamas, then plunged my hands back into the freezing water and scrubbed Ava's laundry as hard as I could.

To save money, my parents never let me use hot water for laundry.

My hands were covered in chilblains. The cracked skin burned whenever I touched anything.

My parents pretended not to see it.

But when Ava got a tiny hangnail, they rushed her to urgent care like the world was ending.

There were two symbolic knocks on the bathroom door.

Then Mom raised her voice.

"Mia, hurry up. Stop dragging your feet. After you finish, mop the living room.

"Your sister has an early honors class tomorrow. Don't make noise and disturb her."

"Okay..."

Only after hearing my answer did Mom leave, satisfied.

I leaned against the cold tile wall and slowly slid down until I was sitting on the floor.

The words they had used buzzed inside my skull.

Bad investment.

Waste.

Maid.

Was that really all I was?

With shaking hands, I took out my phone and opened the forum again.

My finger hovered over the screen, unable to press down.

The bathroom door suddenly cracked open.

Ava poked her head in with a tight frown.

"Mia, why is it taking you so long to wash one pair of underwear?"

"That silk pair is expensive. Don't ruin it by scrubbing too hard."

I hurriedly turned off my phone screen and lowered my head.

"Okay."

Only then did Ava slam the door and shuffle away in her slippers.

The living room outside was bright and warm. Laughter drifted through the apartment again and again.

Mom, Dad, and Ava were squeezed together on the couch watching a variety show.

On the coffee table sat the apple slices I had just peeled for them.

Holding the basin, I quietly walked around them.

After hanging up the laundry, I still had to mop the floor.

I wrung out the mop with all my strength. The cracked chilblains on my hands stung so badly that my vision blurred.

Only when no more water dripped out did I drag the heavy mop into the living room.

I had barely swiped twice when Dad frowned at me.

"Mia, did you even wring that out?"

"There are water marks everywhere. What if your sister slips?"

Mom glanced over and said coldly, "Exactly. You're always so careless."

I lowered my head and carried the mop back to the laundry area.

I soaked it again, then wrung it out with every bit of strength I had left.

Ava looked up, annoyed.

"Keep it down, okay?

"How am I supposed to watch TV with all that noise?"

I froze where I stood and even softened my breathing.

When I finally finished, I returned to my little room.

Everywhere else in the apartment had heated floors except my room.

Every winter, it felt like an icebox.

I curled up on the bed and lit my phone screen again.

The forum was still open.

Against a black background, one line of white text stared back at me.

[Do you want to make a trade?]

Under it was a small input box, the cursor blinking.

What did I still have that could be traded?

If any part of me could buy even a little warmth, even a little recognition, I would hand it over.

I didn't want to be useless anymore.

With trembling fingers, I slowly typed into the box.

[I want my parents to acknowledge me.]

[I want to rank first like Ava.]

The screen went dark.

Then new words appeared.

[Evaluating request...]

The line pulsed for a long time without showing a result.

My heart hung in midair with it.

[Scanning available collateral... Trade approved.]

My breathing quickened.

[You will receive: top grades and your parents' approval.]

Just seeing that sentence made my eyes burn.

I had dreamed of my parents' approval for so long.

But then another line appeared on the forum.

[Cost due: become a true academic machine. No self. No independent thought.]

[Consideration period: 48 hours.]

[During the trial, your senses will shut down in stages.]

[You may cancel the trade at any time during the 48-hour window.]

[Accept trial run?]

[Yes/No]

I thought about it for a moment.

Then I still tapped Yes.

The forum disappeared.

The countdown had officially begun.

It was late at night. Cold air slipped through the gaps around the old window.

Strangely, the sharp ache from the cold began to fade from my body.

At first, I did not think much of it. I assumed I had gone numb.

But the next morning, while I was making breakfast for the family, hot oil from a fried egg splattered onto my hand.

I hissed and pulled back.

The burning pain I expected never came.

There was only a dull sensation, as if the pain belonged to someone else.

I stared blankly at my reddening finger.

So it had already started.

Panic rose in my chest.

The forum said I would become an academic machine.

When that happened, would I still be me?

Would I still recognize Mom, Dad, and Ava?

So I secretly took the allowance Grandpa had given me and slipped into a gift shop on the way home.

I wanted to buy gifts for my family.

When I became a machine with no feelings, at least those gifts could stay with them in my place.

Maybe then they would not be too sad.

I went into the shop and chose a set of family ceramic mugs.

Just then, someone lightly tapped my shoulder.

"Mia Lawson?"

My desk mate, Ethan Carter, stood there in a black hoodie. He scratched his hair awkwardly.

"It really is you. I saw you from outside and stared for ages because I wasn't sure.

"Is your birthday coming up? Do you like..."

Before Ethan could finish, a cold voice cut him off.

"So this is why you didn't come home. Hiding here to flirt."

I turned around.

Ava was standing at the shop entrance, holding Dad's arm.

Dad stared at Ethan's hoodie, his face darkening.

I knew he had already decided Ethan was some kind of delinquent just because he was not in uniform. My heart tightened.

"Dad, I'm not dating anyone..."

I tried to hide the gift bag, but Ava snatched it from my hand.

"Wow. Buying presents for your little boyfriend?"

She opened the careful wrapping and sneered at the mugs.

"Using our parents' money to buy gifts for a boy?

"Why don't you put this much effort into studying?"

The ceramic mugs swayed in her hand.

I reached out to grab them back, but she suddenly let go.

"No!"

The mugs crashed to the floor and shattered.

"Disgraceful little thing. We're going home."

Dad grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the door.

"Are you that desperate? Can't live without a man? What are you standing there for? Move!"

"Sir, we just ran into each other by chance," Ethan tried to explain.

Dad glared at him so viciously that Ethan stopped.

As soon as Dad dragged me home, Ava began adding fuel to the fire in front of Mom.

Mom became furious, exactly as expected. Her face twisted with disappointment.

"Mia, how did you turn out like this? You're already copying those kids and dating?"

"Mom, I..."

Dad waved a hand and rubbed his brow as if exhausted.

"Take her into the bathroom and check whether she's still a virgin.

"If she isn't, we'll press charges against that boy."

I froze in disbelief.

Humiliation flooded me so violently that I could barely breathe.

I protested with everything I had.

"No! I'm not going in there. I didn't do anything!"

"You're accusing me of something I didn't do! I won't!"

The protest came out raw and broken.

Ava and Mom could not drag me in by themselves.

So Dad slapped me hard across the face, grabbed my hair, and dragged me into the bathroom.

"Now you know how to be scared? Where was that fear earlier?"

"Hanging around with shady people every day, embarrassing the whole family. Do you have any self-respect at all?"

The bathroom door slammed shut.

My clothes were stripped off almost immediately.

My mother's and Ava's hands moved over me, forcing my legs apart.

As if I were merchandise they were checking for damage.

Humiliation almost drowned me. Tears swam in my eyes.

I do not know how long it took before they finally left, tossing my clothes onto my naked body.

Numbly, I put them back on.

My fingers missed the buttons again and again.

At that moment, the phone lying beside me lit up by itself.

The black forum had opened automatically.

[Trial elapsed: 24 hours.]

[Current sensory shutdown: 37%.]

[Warning: continuing will convert you into a high-efficiency academic machine.]

[Do you wish to cancel the trade?]

[Yes/No]

My finger trembled above the screen.

Terminate it?

No.

I could not terminate it.

I wanted my parents to see me. I wanted dignity. I wanted the kind of place Ava had always been given.

I was done living like something lower than a person.

Even if the price was... no longer being myself.

My finger fell.

I pressed No.

The screen flickered, and new words surfaced.

[Trade continues.]

[Final confirmation due in 24 hours.]