After finding my biological parents in the rural Appalachian Mountains, my longing for family ties made me cut off all relations with my wealthy adoptive parents.

When they kicked me out of the house, I had no money and had to ask my friend Jessica Carter to drive her sports car and take me to the mountains to meet my real parents.

All the way there, she kept trying to talk me out of it.

"You must be crazy—throwing away an inheritance worth hundreds of millions just to run off to the mountains and find your birth parents."

But I was unwavering.

"You don’t understand—money can’t buy the bond of blood."

The car stopped in front of a small brick-and-clay house, where seven people were gathered at the doorway.

It turned out I had two older sisters, two younger sisters, and a ten-year-old younger brother.

Looking at faces that resembled mine, I felt a warmth in my heart.

It made me even more certain—I hadn’t made the wrong choice.

…

Without saying another word, Jessica dropped me off, hit the gas, and sped away.

My parents and Jacob stared at the car until it disappeared before turning to face me.

Robert Parker walked over with a smile to help carry my luggage, while Margaret Parker took my hand and began to tear up.

"It’s all because of that damn human trafficker that we were torn apart."

My nose stung at her words.

She pulled me inside, and my sisters followed. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Jacob trying to open my suitcase, but Robert stopped him.

Margaret tugged me to the dinner table. I withdrew my gaze and looked at the food.

It wasn’t abundant, but it was clearly prepared with care.

"Don’t just stare—come, try some of your mother’s cooking. It may not be as good as what you ate in the city, but…"

Her voice began to choke with emotion.

I quickly put a piece of meat in my mouth and started praising the meal.

The atmosphere was warm, and I responded casually to Robert and Margaret’s questions.

But when they learned my adoptive parents were very wealthy, I saw their eyes light up.

I didn’t think much of it—because I noticed Sophie quietly eating plain white rice beside me.

The sleeve of her school uniform hung empty, and her wrist was so thin it hurt to look at.

"Sophie, you’re at the age when you need to grow. Eat more vegetables."

I placed a piece of pork belly in her bowl, but she nervously glanced at our parents.

Just as she was about to put the meat in her mouth, Margaret’s chopsticks struck her face.

"Starved-to-death ghost—never seen meat before?!"

Her sharp voice pierced the room, and I was startled by the sudden outburst.

"You hardly do any work, but you eat like a pig. The moment you see meat your eyes go green! What’s the point of me raising you? Eat it—choke on it for all I care!"

Sophie shrank into herself, not daring to make a sound.

When Margaret made to hit her again, I quickly grabbed her arm.

"Mom, it’s just a piece of meat. Why get so worked up?"

Margaret shot me a glare, though her tone softened slightly.

"You’ve lived the good life so long you don’t get it—if she eats an extra piece of meat, your brother loses one. She doesn’t know how to care for her brother, but I do!"

"Do you know what he means to us? He’s the only male heir of the Parker family—he’s the one to carry on the family name!"

Her words shocked me. I wanted to argue, but she picked up the piece of meat and put it back into my bowl.

"At least you’re sensible—eat more."

My appetite vanished. My eyes drifted to Sarah, who was eating silently with her head down.

Through her hair, I noticed a large bruise on her forehead.

"Sarah, what happened to your forehead?"

Her chopsticks froze, and she lowered her head further. Her voice was barely audible.

"N-nothing… I just bumped it."

I noticed Sarah’s hands trembling, something that made me uneasy, so I pressed on.

"Sarah, how old are you now? Where do you work?"

"She’s twenty-one," Margaret cut in before Sarah could speak. "She got married last year—to Mike Johnson from the next rural community. I found her a good match!" Her voice was raised with pride.

Then her tone darkened as she turned to Sarah.

"It’s rare for you to come home, and you show up empty-handed. And that long face—who’s it for? If you’re not going to eat, get back to your husband’s house!"

Sarah suddenly lifted her head and forced a smile that made my chest tighten.

She was only twenty-one, just three years older than me, but she looked like a woman in her forties or fifties.

When she looked up, I saw more than the bruise on her forehead—her face was covered in marks.

These weren’t from a fall. They were from being hit.

"Sarah, what happened to your face?" I couldn’t hold back the question.

She glanced at Margaret, then quickly shook her head, saying nothing, though tears slipped down her cheeks.

Margaret slammed her bowl on the table and glared at her.

"Crying again? You’ll cry away whatever blessings you have left! Sure, Mike’s temper is a little hot, but if you behaved yourself, would he lay a hand on you?"

"It’s been a year since you married and still no baby. You eat for free every day—if you were my wife, I’d hit you too!"

"If you’re not going to eat, get back and take care of your husband. Don’t sit here being an eyesore, you bring bad luck!"

"Mom, how can you talk like that?!" I cut in, horrified, and looked at Sarah with concern.

She covered her face and cried, then stood and ran outside.

I made to follow her, but Margaret yanked me back.

"Don’t chase her—women shouldn’t be spoiled."

After Sarah left, Robert and Margaret kept chatting with me cheerfully, but I’d lost all interest.

Jacob was stuffing meat into his mouth so greedily that his lips shone with grease, and the sight made me queasy.

When the meal finally ended, Rachel, Lily, Jacob, and I followed our parents outside, but Sophie stayed behind.

I saw her deftly clearing the dishes, her small frame moving with practiced motions that made my heart ache.

I stood up. "Mom, I’ll help Sophie wash the dishes."

"No need!" Margaret pulled me toward the couch.

"A girl needs to learn housework from a young age, or her husband’s family will look down on her later."

I gave an awkward smile and turned to glance at Lily and Rachel, who were sitting quietly nearby.

They had hardly spoken during the meal, and I hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to them.

Now that I was looking, my gaze locked on Rachel.

She looked exhausted—her face pale, dark circles under her eyes like someone with a chronic illness.

Sarah was twenty-one, but Rachel was my age. How could her health already be so poor?

"Rachel, are you feeling unwell? Are you working now or still in school?"

She forced a small smile, her eyes growing red as she looked at me.

"I’m not in school anymore. I work out of town. When I heard you were coming, I took time off. I’ll head back the day after tomorrow."

"I’m fine, thank you for caring."

"She’s a busy one," Margaret interrupted again, her voice full of pride but devoid of concern.

"She works at a garment factory during the day and as a server at the weekend street fair in the evenings. Our whole family relies on her."

I froze—Rachel’s health clearly couldn’t handle such a load.

"Two jobs? Rachel, you already look unwell. Why don’t you come home and rest for a while?"

"She’s just naturally frail. Don’t worry about her," Margaret replied flatly.

Margaret peeled me an orange. "Your brother’s about to start middle school. You think tuition and tutoring fees are free? Your father and I can’t dig gold out of our tiny patch of land. If Rachel doesn’t go out to earn money, the whole family will be starving."

At her words, Rachel lowered her head and twisted her fingers.

I couldn’t see her face, but I saw her dry, thin hands covered in cracks.

"But—"

"No buts."

This time it was Robert who spoke, puffing on his pipe until the corner was thick with smoke.

"You think everyone’s as lucky as you, getting adopted by rich people? Rachel’s not a kid anymore. I raised her this far—shouldn’t she make some money for her parents?"

He glanced at Rachel, his tone casual.

"If you don’t want to work, fine. I’ve found you a good match. In a small town east of here, there’s a man whose wife just died. He’s willing to pay ten thousand dollars as a dowry payment."

Rachel’s eyes widened in fear, and she shook her head violently. "Dad, I don’t want to get married. I’ll work!"

Hearing them speak and seeing her reaction sent a chill down my spine.

This was nothing like the home I’d imagined.

While I sat there stunned, Lily, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke up.

Her voice was timid, as if she had gathered all her courage.

"Dad, Mom… the day after tomorrow, I don’t want to go work with Rachel. I want to keep studying…"

"Studying?"

Margaret let out a cold laugh. "What’s the point of a girl studying so much? Just wasting the money your brother needs to get married! I’m telling you—day after tomorrow, you’re going to the factory with Rachel, no arguments."

"I won’t…"

Her voice broke into sobs. "My grades are good. My teacher says I can get into a top high school, and then maybe a good university!"

"Easy for you to say!"

Margaret shot to her feet and grabbed Lily’s face hard. "Is that why I let you study this long? So you could learn to talk back to your parents?!"

Lily cried out in pain but still refused to lower her head.

Robert picked up a wooden stick from the side and raised it toward her back.

My heart lurched. I rushed forward, pulling her into my arms.

"Dad, Mom, let’s talk about this! Lily’s doing so well in school—let her keep studying. If she graduates from college, she can get a good job and help support the family."

Robert lowered the stick, and Margaret sat back on the couch, though her expression was still dark.

"That’s all well and good, but you see our situation. How can we afford her high school tuition and boarding fees? That’s a lot of money."

At the mention of money, their expressions changed instantly, and they looked at me expectantly.

I knew this moment was coming.

Robert rubbed his hands together and sat down beside me.

"Did your parents send anything for us? Or… did you bring us a gift?"

Margaret jumped in quickly.

"Yes—look at this old house. It’s long overdue for rebuilding. And your brother will need money for college, a job, a house, a wedding… You’ll have to help us out a lot."

"Your parents are so rich—even if they just give us a tiny bit, it’d be enough for us to live on for the rest of our lives."

Even though I’d braced myself, their words still chilled me.

So all that affection and warmth earlier had come with conditions.

There was no guilt, no love—only calculation.

If I hadn’t been adopted by William and Elizabeth, I’d be living Sarah’s and Rachel’s lives right now.

I took a deep breath, my voice hardening.

"Dad, Mom… I can’t help you. I don’t have a single cent."