I ranked last in the school and could only be admitted to a community college.

But I won the first prize in the National Math Competition and the prize money was 8 million.

But my mom stole my bank card and gave it to her mistress.

My dad had terminal uremia and needed a new kidney, but my mom signed an agreement with someone else to sell my kidney at a high price when I was preparing for the transplant.

The operation succeeded. She took the money from selling my kidney and ran away with her mistress, taking away all of my dad's assets. I died in the operating room without anyone caring.

When I opened my eyes again, I went back to the day when the competition results were announced.

1

"Are the competition results announced today? How's it going, Lucy?"

Dad's concerned voice gradually pulled me back from the memories of my previous life.

Looking at my name written as the first place in the competition results on my phone, I realized that I was reborn.

Mom glared at Dad with a face full of disgust as she poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Lucy Collins inherited your intelligence. She's so stupid. What's the point of participating in a competition that needed 20 dollars to register? When did your daughter become so intelligent?"

"With this money, I'd rather treat Yara to delicious meals!"

Mom's sharp and sarcastic voice pierced my numb heart.

Ever since I could remember, Mum had never been kind to me.

She only liked Yara Lopez, the daughter of Mr. Lopez next door.

Every time she got angry at me, Dad would quietly pull me aside and encourage me in a low voice, saying that I could also be as outstanding as Yara.

When I was a child, I had bad grades at school. Combined with Mom's unfounded criticism, I fell into a serious sense of inferiority.

Every time Dad tried to persuade Mom, he would be scolded together.

Mom said that I didn't do well in school because I inherited Dad's IQ and wasn't a good student at all, unlike Yara.

She had good grades and was well-behaved.

So every time Dad got paid, the first thing Mom thought of was to buy something for Mr. Lopez and Yara.

She often said that Yara lost her mother when she was young and she felt sorry for Yara. She should take care of her more.

But in her eyes, Yara's lack of a mother seemed to be my fault.

All the blame should be borne by me and my dad.

Listening to the resentment in my mom's tone towards me as before, I quickly switched off the interface of the result on my phone.

I turned my head and said, "Mom is right. My grades are not even average."

As soon as I finished, Mom snorted, "Brian Collins, I knew it. Your daughter is just as useless as you. She only knows how to spend money!"

Dad, as before, couldn't raise his head in front of her, feeling inferior.

But this time I retorted, "If I remember correctly, all the expenses at home are covered by my dad! What's wrong with my dad paying for me to participate in the competition? As you said, it's just the money for two meals for Yara. Why are you making such a big deal about it?"

If it weren't for my dad's encouragement, I wouldn't have discovered my interest in mathematics, let alone had the courage to participate in this competition.

It was the first time I had argued with my mom and she instantly widened her eyes.

"You piece of shit! How dare you challenge me now? Bitch! Doesn't all his money have to be given to me? He's just using my money to register you for the competition!"

"With the money, it would be better to enroll Yara in two tutorial classes. With her intelligence, she can easily get a few more points on the SAT. It's a waste to spend it on you!"

Once upon a time, I couldn't figure out why she treated me like this when I was clearly her real daughter.

But after experiencing the death in the hospital, I was now extremely clear-headed.

My mom didn't love me at all, and she didn't love my dad either.

She could have indifferently watched my kidney being ripped out and watched my dad moaning in pain in the ICU.

She could have gone behind my back to sell my kidney at a high price and take out my kidney. She could have let me die alone on a cold operating table when I had no use for her.

My broken heart sank again and again.

When Dad heard my rebuttal, a flash of relief flashed in his eyes, but he quickly lowered his head again.

He had been oppressed by Mom for so many years, so long that it had become a habit to not be able to raise his head.

Mom brought out the food.

But with three people in the house, there were only two plates of very little food.

Seeing the lunchbox in my mom's hand, I understood.

Mom didn't stay at the dining table for a second. She changed her shoes and prepared to go out.

Dad looked panicky when Mom took out a few test papers from his bag.

Mom sneered, "What a waste!"

When she finished speaking and turned to leave, I stopped her.

"Mom, I saw you frying a steak earlier. Where's the steak?"

"What's in your hand? Dad, are those the test papers I asked you to buy for me?"

It was the first time I exposed my mom directly for food, and a flash of embarrassment flew across her face.

But when she heard me asking about the test papers, her face darkened.

"What are you talking about? Can you understand them? You're at the bottom of the school. What are you pretending in front of me? I'm your mom and I know you well!"

"It's a waste to buy you papers! Your dad is stupid and insists on wasting money on you! It's better to burn it to the ancestors and let them bless him to get rich!"

Listening to her disdainful and disgusted voice, I couldn't help but speak out angrily, "Has my dad spent less money on family over the years? His income can rank in the top 20% among his peers. Don't you know why you can have a good life without working?"

Mom's gaze swept over with resentment as if she wanted to tear me apart on the spot.

But the meal in her hand waited for no one.

She hurriedly said, "You bitch. I will teach you a lesson when I come back!"

Then she turned around and left.

I looked up and saw the sadness and guilt in my father's eyes, which made my heart feel sour and bitter.

I would definitely protect my dad this time.

But he had been brainwashed by Mom for many years, so I needed to make him see Mom's true colors first.

The whole school didn't expect me to win this competition. I became the dark horse in everyone's eyes.

To avoid a fuss and ensure that my plan went smoothly, I only allowed the teacher to announce that I was the winner of the preliminary round and had won 80 thousand dollars as the prize.

Before I got home, I put the rest of the money, except for 80 thousand, on another bank card.

Then I pretended to be surprised and rushed to my dad.

"I won the preliminary round of the group and got a prize of 80 thousand dollars!"

As soon as I finished speaking, I gave him a look of regret.

"It's a pity that I failed in the promotion match, so I can only go so far..."

My mom's eyes flashed with greed and quickly returned to her usual indifference.

She said sarcastically, "I told you long ago that your daughter is not capable, but you didn't believe it. If you had registered Yara, maybe she could have won hundreds of thousands of dollars!"

My dad didn't seem to hear her words, just looking at me with joy.

"My daughter has really grown up, and I'm proud of you!"

His eyes were full of concern, "It's not easy to win the championship in the group stage, right? You lost weight from exhaustion... I will take you out for a big meal tonight to make up for it!"

Mom glared at me.

I pretended not to notice her and said, "I haven't lost weight. You secretly gave me midnight snacks for a few days and I gained weight. But you have lost a lot of weight. I'm going to book you in for a full body check-up in the hospital."

In fact, Dad didn't have any illness now. It was just that I wanted him to discover the lesion in advance this time and treat it earlier.

Dad's eyes instantly welled up with tears after hearing this.

I continued, "I plan to use the remaining money to enroll in a SAT tutorial class for myself. After all, I have bad grades. I will also buy a water dispenser for your office. You shouldn't drink beverages at work. It's not healthy..."

Before I could finish my sentence, my mom couldn't wait to interrupt, "I don't agree!"

"What's the point of having a medical check-up? He will find problems even if he's not sick! What's the point of buying a water dispenser? Can't others use it? We should drink the same way as others do. Why spend money on others?"

"Don't enroll in the tutorial class. It's useless for you. Enroll Yara instead. She will definitely get into a good school and she will repay you with more than 20 thousand dollars!"

I laughed at my mother's shamelessness.

"It's my own bonus. Why should I use it to enroll Yara in a tutorial class?"

"Am I crazy or are you crazy?"

I said in a cold voice, with anger in my eyes.

But my mother was blinded by money and couldn't sense my emotions at all.

When she heard my question, her face darkened and a flash of anger appeared in her eyes.

"You've gone too far! Do you deserve the 20-thousand-dollar tutorial class? Even if a professor from Stanford tutors you, it can't change the fact that you are an idiot!"

"Your father and I worked hard to raise you, but you've become rebellious before even becoming an adult. Look at yourself in the mirror! Go dream!"

She was always so superior to me and dad, as if Dad and I weren't her family, but her shame.

In the past, I put up with it all so Dad wouldn't be reprimanded by her.

But in the end, it caused my father to be diagnosed with late-stage uremia and cost him his life.

I would never give in this time!

Looking at her angry face, I spoke sternly, "You raised me? You need to understand that you raised Yara and Dad raised me! Dad has never raised his voice at home all these years just because you said Yara was poor and grew up without a mother. Every time he expresses his opinion, you say he was heartless, unsympathetic, and not a human being!"

"You brainwashed him step by step, making him now even accustomed to prioritizing everything related to the Lopez family!"

Hearing me ruthlessly stating the facts over the years, embarrassment flashed across Mom's face.

Turning her head with even more anger, she looked at Dad with a gaze that looked like it was hardened with poison.

"Your daughter has been spoiled by you like this. Why do you keep silent?"

My dad looked at me with a puzzled and bewildered expression.

He couldn't understand how his once obedient daughter suddenly became so bad-tempered.

But Dad, if I was not like this, I couldn't protect you and myself.

Mom angrily rolled up her sleeves and was about to rush towards me, but was stopped by Dad.

She pointed at me so angrily that her fingers trembled.

"Bitch, I knew you were just like your dad! Now that you're almost an adult, you don't have any sympathy at all! Mr. Lopez takes care of his daughter alone and Yara is so sensible. He's young and his waist is bent from exhaustion. Your father is as strong as a young man but you want to give him a physical examination!"

"You won't know what human nature means if I don't teach you a lesson! You've always been at the bottom of the class. How many times have I been called to school by your teachers? You've made me lose face, and now you want to spend 20 thousand dollars on tutorial class. What did you do long ago?"

As she spoke, she occasionally glanced at my dad, the implication was particularly obvious.

She pretended to be unsteady on her feet, swaying her body and constantly patting herself to calm down.

The wrinkles on my dad's face tightened together in anxiety.

He turned his head and asked me to quickly go into the room.

But my mom, as if seizing the opportunity to have the upper hand, angrily said, "You tell me. Compare yourself and Mr. Lopez, do you think you need a physical examination? You're as strong as a bull!"

"Isn't it because you have a good body that I married you? Otherwise..."