I hadn’t eaten in three days, and my stomach growled in hunger.

Desperate, I followed the scent of food wafting from the window sill and saw the owner of the house next door eating, setting up a table.

My room was on the second floor, with about a foot of space between the fence of the house across from mine. For food, I had no choice but to take the risk.

Weakly, I grasped the railing and climbed out.

From below, I heard frantic shouting, voices filled with concern.

“Hey, which young lady is losing her mind?”

“Go back, miss!”

This was a suburban villa area. While it wasn’t the best location, it wasn’t bad either. Most people living here had some money.

My father chose this place because my mother worked in a government position and needed to keep a low profile.

But my father wanted both money and power, so he used my mother to do a lot of favors for him.

He had only been a lucky college dropout who had come from a rural background, but with some smarts, he made a fortune. His business grew bigger than he ever expected, and he chose this place to avoid interruptions from the poor relatives back home.

Panicked people rushed upstairs to call the police, but by then, I had already climbed over the opposite stairs and landed right in front of them.

I touched my growling stomach, my eyes reddened, and said, “Uncle, Aunt, I haven’t eaten in three days. I’m starving.”

Anyone who lived in this villa area knew what to say and what not to say, but they couldn’t stop themselves from treating me as a post-meal joke.

After they ate and drank their fill, my father tied me up and gave me a beating.

This time, he went all out.

I spat out a mouthful of blood and laughed bitterly. “I told you, how can you kill me with such a small stick? You should switch to a bigger one and just knock me out in one hit!”

My father stared at me in disbelief. Then, as if my words had challenged his authority, he crazily grabbed the stick and aimed it at my head.

“Go ahead! If I die, everyone will know you killed your daughter!” The pain in my body was sharp, but I still smiled with a twisted grin. “Kill me, and you’ll make the news tomorrow! Watch as Mr. Vance is exposed for beating his daughter to death. Is he insane or just a violent freak?”

As a businessman, my father was sharp enough to catch my intent. Otherwise, in this day and age, he wouldn’t have built such a large business empire.

He was still furious, but he didn’t strike again. Instead, he pressed the stick against my head. “Tell me, what do you want from me?”

I looked up at the rope tying me and replied, “First, untie me. Then apologize.”

My father glared down at me, his fists clenched. “Do you think I won’t send you to a mental institution? With your behavior, I’ll tell everyone you’re mentally unstable, and they’ll believe me!”

I sneered, then sighed. “After everything that’s happened today, do you really think anyone would believe your lies? Even if I’m crazy, you’re just as crazy. Once that gets out, who’s going to want to do business with you? Mr. Vance, think for a second!”

My father stared at me with intense fury before grabbing my neck. “You could also be my adopted daughter, couldn’t you?”

I laughed maniacally. “Oh, the people in this villa area will just think my mom put a green hat on you. But Mr. Vance, how impressive. When Nina wanted a son, you wanted to adopt someone else’s daughter!”

I knew the high-society rumors were endless. It was just a matter of finding an excuse to shut their mouths. Even if it were true that I was adopted, who would believe it?

My father froze, his expression suddenly blank. Then, as if crushed by my words, he stood silently, looking like he had been punched in the gut.

“Mr. Vance, how about we have a talk? I have conditions that are easy to meet, and you’ll find that you’ll fulfill mine as well.”

A month before the high school entrance exam, I successfully struck a deal with my father, and I became the troublemaker they feared.

Nina would sometimes deliberately trip me up, and my mother would slap my sister, hold her down, and then, with feigned sincerity, say to me, "Sorry, Lucia, Nina didn’t mean to bully you."

There was no real affection, just hollow apologies. But for me, that was enough.

Before the exam, Nina Vance cornered me in the bathroom, her gaze dripping with sarcasm. "You’re so pathetic. Your parents don’t love you at all. Everything you have will become mine."

I didn’t want to engage with her. I just wanted to get out of the bathroom immediately.

Honestly, if she had something to say, why say it in this stinky bathroom?

But she pushed her luck. "Lucia Vance, you’re the outsider! After your college entrance exam, get out. Your parents will never love you. Don’t even think about replacing me."

I grabbed the broom from the bathroom and swung it at her, not with much force, but the broom was stinky.

"Nina!" I shouted hoarsely. "Nina, how can you be so diligent about helping your classmates with their duties?"

"Nina, have you been possessed by something? You never even step into the kitchen at home!" I glared at her and pushed her toward the sink. "Nina, I heard washing your face can fix everything. You can’t be in trouble!"

Nina screamed and cried, protecting her head. "I’m sorry! I was wrong!"

When the exam results came out, I was ranked fifth in the city. My father suggested holding a thank-you party for the teachers. I immediately cursed him out.

"Hold a party?!" I scoffed. "I’ve been here only a month. Who are we thanking? You? Do you even deserve it?"

In my previous life, I did well in exams too. I had a thank-you party where, under the guise of gratitude, my father paraded me like a product, inviting his business partners to show off how clever and well-behaved his daughter was.

He even made me drink with his partners, introducing me to various greasy men.

At not even fifteen, I spent three days recovering after that thank-you party.

This time? He could forget using me to network. I wasn’t playing that game anymore!

My father twitched his lips. "Fine, we won’t do it. Just talk to me properly!"

I was too tired to argue. I called the maid and had her take all my study materials to the Recycling Station to be recycled for money.

When my parents saw this, they suddenly smiled and walked over. "Sweetheart, these are nice things. You should keep them as mementos. Why throw them away?"

"Throw away?" I rolled my eyes. "I’m taking them to recycle for cash!"

Oh, the Recycling Station donates what they collect to children in remote areas.

"Sell what?" My dad pulled out a card and handed it to me. "I’ll buy this. It’s just right for my friend’s kid."

For the sake of the money, I didn’t argue and handed him one of my notebooks. "This one’s enough. Take it."

The notebook was in perfect condition, with neat and organized handwriting.

My mom no longer looked at me with resentment, but with a hint of joy. "Thank you, sweetheart."

I have to admit, under the condition that there’s something in it for them, my cheap parents could be quite likable.

School started, and my dad practically wanted to announce to the world that I was in the city’s top five. He got up early to send me to the best high school, eager to show off to the other parents that his daughter was in the city’s top five.