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..."

I couldn't hear the words that followed, but I could guess what my mother wanted to say.

The neighbor said that a long time ago, my mother loved Mr. Lopez.

But my grandparents disagreed and they forced my mother to marry my father.

I didn't expect that after so many years, they would meet again.

I looked at the photos from childhood to adulthood in the bedroom for a long time.

In every photo, there was only my father's approving and loving gaze.

It was like my mom had disappeared from my childhood.

Even the only photo of Mom and Dad together only showed Mom's side face.

My tears fell on the plastic cover of the photo album, and my heart was filled with bitterness.

My father was once again driven out of the house by my mother.

When I heard his humble plea in the corridor, my revengeful gaze became even more determined.

But at this moment, my phone rang.

It was a message from my dad.

He always played the role of a peacemaker.

[Lucy, I know you're a good kid. How about letting Mr. Lopez go for this physical examination? My company organizes physical examinations regularly, and I am in good health!]

Dad's message made me want to cry.

His company indeed organized physical examinations, but he was too busy working and never had time to go.

He not only worked to support me and my mom, but my mom secretly gave his salary to the Lopez family.

Dad knew all of this, but for the sake of the family, he chose to endure it alone.

In the morning when the sun was just coming up, I secretly opened the door to let Dad come in.

To force my mom to reveal her true colors, I contacted the tutorial agency the next day and was ready to pay.

When my mom heard me making a phone call, she actually smashed the kitchen knife in her hand heavily.

If I hadn't been paying attention to her movements all the time, I was afraid I would have died here before I could donate a kidney to my dad.

I clenched my hand tightly, and she changed to another kitchen knife and walked out angrily, saying, "I warn you not to have any illusions! Give me the 20 thousand dollars for your registration and the 20 thousand dollars you spent on your dad! I have a use for it!"

Dad witnessed all this and was scared out of his wits.

"Polly, what are you doing?!"

Dad quickly got up from the sofa and rushed to me, asking my mom angrily after making sure I was okay.

I think it was the first time my dad had ever got angry at home, and my mum's face instantly went dark.

"Half of the money my daughter earns belongs to me. Don't I have the right to use it?"

I glared at her, "You have half of the profits, provided that you put in half of the effort. Didn't you always have high hopes for Yara? Didn't she give you money?"

My mother stared at me, wishing she could rush over and tear me apart, but she let my father speak for her.

But this time, even my father remained silent and chose to stand by my side.

She said angrily, "Fine, fine, fine! I am the outsider in this family. I'll just leave!"

She left swiftly, without taking anything with her.

But I knew she wouldn't give up this money.

After my father stood firm for a moment, he instantly became dejected and his tone was filled with regret.

He tried to call Mom several times to apologize, but I stopped him.

I knew very well that she didn't walk away at all. She lived in Mr. Lopez's house next door.

This time she used the name of her fight with my dad to work as a nanny next door.

Dad was in a daze for several days, but there was no news of Mom.

When I was in school, I saw Yara become more and more complacent. I heard from classmates that her family had already reserved a 20-thousand-dollar worth of tutorial class with a famous teacher, and she had to pay tomorrow.

When the time was right, I told Dad about Mom's whereabouts.

Dad rushed home immediately after work that afternoon, but he didn't expect to encounter a scene that made him collapse in the hallway!