After my eight-year-old twin sister was kidnapped, my dad became the person who wished for my death more than anyone else in the world.

He would always say, "Zachary is an ungrateful brat! A good-for-nothing!"

So, when the news of my disappearance reached the school, my dad leads everyone in cheers. He even spreads word of my misdeeds everywhere.

"Zachary stole a poor student's tuition fees and even made a false police report accusing the teacher of hitting him!"

"That's right! He even helped traffickers kidnap children—his own sister was almost sold by him! I hope he dies soon!"

Five years later, my memories are extracted and projected onto a large display screen.

And yet my dad, who hates me to the core and wishes for my death, falls to his knees and begs for my forgiveness the moment he learns of my death.

"Hasn't Zachary Chapman been missing for years now? Could this be some prank he's pulling?"

"After all his wrongdoings, I bet he wouldn't dare show up! My dad says people like him are criminals and should be arrested by the police!"

Upon hearing my classmates' voices, I slowly opened my eyes.

Teachers and students were crowded around the school's large display screen, chattering and discussing among themselves.

Curious, I moved closer to look, but was startled by the sight of my own face on the screen.

"Zachary?"

When I heard the familiar voice, I turned to look. It was Dad!

I excitedly ran toward my dad, Lewis Chapman.

Dad was holding hands with Phoebe Chapman, my younger sister, as he entered the school. He looked somewhat angry.

Having not seen Dad for so long, I felt slightly resentful when I saw him again. But why wasn't Dad happy when he saw me on the big screen?

Phoebe reached out and tugged at Dad's sleeve. "Dad, it's all my fault. If only I hadn't made my brother angry that day… Then he wouldn't have gone missing, and you and Mom wouldn't have gotten divorced because of him."

I stared intently at Dad, whose brows were tightly furrowed. "Listen here! That good-for-nothing is not your brother! I don't have a son like him!"

Dad's yells scared Phoebe into tears. Distraught, he hugged her and gently comforted her, saying, "Fifi, I'm not angry with you. It's all because of Zachary! He never treated you like a real sister. He's the one who should apologize for doing such inhumane things!"

When I heard Dad scolding me, I immediately started crying.

Mom told me that once people became stars in the sky, they wouldn't feel pain anymore. But why did my heart still hurt so much?

I drifted toward Dad and Phoebe, unable to resist defending myself in a soft voice. "No, Dad. I didn't do those things…"

I called out for Dad over and over again, hoping he would hug me too. But Dad's doting gaze passed right through me and landed on Phoebe.

I paced around anxiously. My nose stung, and I pouted, feeling the urge to cry again.

The school principal hurried over to Dad's side.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Chapman! The school's display screen has been hacked. Our technical staff said it might be someone using the latest technology.

"They've extracted… memories from your son's brain. We can't restore it for a while."

I saw Dad's expression shift through different emotions, but he finally said with a frown, "Then why are you still standing here? Go and find out who did it!"

My classmates pointed at my photo on the screen, discussing in low voices.

"Zachary and Phoebe are clearly twins. Phoebe's grades are good, while Zachary defies the teachers every day!"

"Exactly! He clearly stole the class fund yet dared to call the police. He almost got Ms. Lily fired!"

"Zachary even deliberately abandoned Phoebe, resulting in her getting kidnapped by traffickers! She was almost sold to a family in the countryside!"

"My dad said Zachary even helped the traffickers kidnap children! He's utterly wicked!"

I shook my head, choking up. When did my classmates, who usually got along so well with me, all start to hate me so much?

Upon hearing those words, a murderous look flashed through Dad's eyes.

"If I had known that Zachary would turn out like this, I would have strangled him at birth!"

I felt like crying again.

Once, Dad clearly said I was the best gift heaven had given him. How could he say such things about me?

Suddenly, I felt an intense pain course through my entire body. It felt as though I was just like that car toy Phoebe had crushed.

Even breathing became difficult, and I felt like I was dying. I kept softly calling for Dad, hoping he would hold me like he used to.

I didn't know how long passed before I finally had the strength to get up from the ground.

Just then, the school's display screen lit up. When Dad looked at it, he couldn't help but get teary-eyed.

"What is this?"

In the scene, Dad received a phone call and hurriedly left for the office. However, he forgot that a pot of soup was still boiling on the kitchen stove.

When Phoebe heard the rumbling sound from the pot, she curiously reached out toward the pressure cooker.

I quickly rushed over.

The pressure cooker let out a loud bang, and I instinctively shielded Phoebe with my body. She was unharmed, but my entire back was scalded, my skin torn and flesh wounded.

"Zack! You're bleeding so much!" Phoebe cried out while hiding in my embrace.

While comforting Phoebe, I called Dad and asked him to come home.

Just before passing out, I said to my sobbing father, "Dad, you told me to protect Phoebe, and I did…"

The display screen froze at this moment.

I saw a tear spill from the corner of Dad's eye. Then, as if he were recalling that scene, his body trembled uncontrollably.

The people watching also had red-rimmed eyes.

A woman kindly spoke up for me. "Zachary risked his life to protect Phoebe, so how could he possibly have abandoned her and let traffickers take her? Could there be some misunderstanding? No matter how you look at it, Zachary seems like a good kid!"

Upon hearing those words, I suddenly felt resentful. I had always been a good child who listened to my father. Why didn't he like me anymore?

Phoebe also nodded. She looked up at Dad and said, "Yes! Dad! I believe everything Zack did was for my own good. He wouldn't harm me!"

After hearing Phoebe's words, Dad's expression darkened again.

"Back then, Fifi was tortured by the traffickers until there wasn't a single patch of unbruised skin on her body! What misunderstanding could there possibly be?"

After saying this, he turned to question the secretary beside him. "Have you found Zachary? Did he collude with the traffickers and put on an act in front of us on purpose?

"Have the traffickers called? Do they want money? Tell them that even if they kill Zachary, I won't give them a single cent!"

The secretary wiped the sweat from his forehead and said nothing.

I stood in front of Dad, shaking my head desperately. "No, Dad, I didn't collude with those people… Like Grandma and Grandpa, I've become a star in the sky."

But Dad couldn't hear me.

I watched as my tears turned into wisps of white smoke. I reached out to grab them, but I couldn't catch them no matter how hard I tried—just like how I couldn't reach out to Dad.

At that moment, the display screen started playing another clip.

In the scene, Phoebe was covered in dirt, with a lot of blood on her arms. She sat on the ground, wailing loudly, "Zack, it was obviously you who stole the class fund! Why are you pinning it on me? And you even cut me!"

I angrily pulled her by the arm toward the office. "Phoebe! Come with me to explain everything to Ms. Lily clearly!"

During the struggle, Phoebe fell to the ground. Her knee started bleeding, and she cried even louder.

"You're obviously the one who stole the class fund! You're only pinning it on me because you're afraid Dad will hit you!"

Furious, I couldn't help but slap Phoebe.

When they saw me lay a hand on her, everyone pointed at the screen and berated me.

"Ms. Lily already said that Zachary was the one who stole the class fund! How could he make Phoebe take the blame for him?"

"A child like Zachary is born inherently bad!"

I looked at them helplessly, wanting to explain, but I could only keep crying.

Dad also scolded me angrily, "This ungrateful brat! Did I ever treat him poorly? How could he do such a thing?"

Phoebe buried her face in Dad's arms, crying and saying, "Dad, I really didn't steal the class fund!"

Dad patted Phoebe's back to comfort her. His voice was ice-cold as he said, "I told you long ago that Zack is nothing but trouble! He stole, refused to accept punishment, and even talked back to the teacher at the police station! I really should have let Ms. Lily properly teach him a lesson for me!"

In everyone's eyes, I was already a bad kid.

As though my body sensed something, the spot where Ms. Lily had hit my head began to ache.

I held my head as tears streamed down my cheeks uncontrollably. "Dad, let me explain. It wasn't like that…"

Sobbing, I tried to grab Dad's hand, but no matter how many times I reached for him, my body just repeatedly passed through his.

As I tried over and over, it felt like fireworks were exploding in my head. In that moment, it felt as if something was being pulled out of my body.

Immediately after, the scene on the screen changed again.

A scary man grabbed Phoebe by the back of her collar and lifted her into the air.

"Zack! Save me! I'm scared!" she cried out to me with a terrified expression.

Everyone watching held their breaths.

"The trafficker is so vicious! How could he target a kid?"

Everyone waited to see my reaction.

I stood to the side with my head wrapped in thick bandages. I had an indifferent expression as I declared, "Phoebe, I won't save you!"

Even when faced with Phoebe's increasingly desperate cries, I remained unmoved.

"Phoebe, it's all because of you! That's why Dad hates me! I wish you'd been taken by the traffickers! I never want to see you again!"

Phoebe's small body trembled with fear as she pleaded softly, "Zack, you promised Dad you'd protect me! Zack!"

Phoebe called my name over and over again, but I didn't soften.

I fell to my knees before the trafficker, pleading earnestly, "Sir, please take both me and Phoebe away! My dad is mean to me. I don't want to go back. Can I come with you? I'll be obedient!"

The crowd erupted in an uproar instantly, cursing me out.

"Mr. Chapman has always been nothing but good to both children. How could he break Mr. Chapman's heart like this?"

"Zachary is just a kid, yet he actually handed Phoebe over to traffickers! If he were my son, I would've definitely beat him to death!"

I cautiously looked at Dad, whose eyes were filled with disgust and hatred for me. Tears instantly welled up in my eyes, and my heart ached badly.

Still, that blasted display screen kept playing.

Phoebe was huddled in the corner of the basement, constantly calling out for Dad. Her voice was hoarse from crying.

The trafficker, annoyed by the noise Phoebe was making, pointed at me and said impatiently, "You, get over there and make your sister shut up!"

Phoebe kicked at me to keep me away, glaring at me with hatred in her eyes. "Get away from me! I'll tell Dad! He will—"

Before Phoebe could finish, I pushed her hard. "Shut up! Dad won't come to save you!"

Everyone in front of the screen covered their mouths in shock.

I instinctively looked at Dad. His eyes were red-rimmed, and I knew he was heartbroken for Phoebe.

"Zachary! You brat!" he snarled.

Every word from Dad seemed to be uttered out through gritted teeth. I had never seen him so angry before.

I was so scared that I fell to the ground, and just as I was about to say something, a loud bang rang out from the screen.

Phoebe's head hit the wall behind her hard. Soon, she lay motionless on the ground, with a lot of blood flowing from her head.

Seeing Phoebe unconscious, the trafficker kicked me hard in the back in anger.

"You worthless brat, I already found a buyer for your sister! If you kill her, can you afford to compensate me for it?" he snapped.

My body hit the ground hard. My head felt swollen, as if it were on fire. Tears streamed down my cheeks because of the pain.

A loud smack sounded. The trafficker hit my arm heavily with a stick, leaving bloody marks one after another.

I cried at the top of my lungs, my sobs echoing throughout the basement.

The adults couldn't bear to look, but then, a man spoke up. "Serves him right! It'd be best if that brat Zachary died!"

A brat? Dad just said that about me too. Wasn't that an insult? Was I really that bad?

The screen continued playing the footage.

The trafficker dragged my body covered in wounds and threw me out.

"Go! Lure another child over! If you come back without anyone, I'll beat you to death!"

I stood trembling by the roadside, looking helpless.

"Zachary was beaten so badly by the traffickers. He'll definitely abandon Phoebe and run away now!"

"I'm not so sure about that. Zachary was born to do evil things. Just you wait and see!"

As the audience debated what I would do, on the screen, I just stood there blankly. When it got dark, the trafficker coldly dragged me back into the van, where I was beaten again.

The trafficker threw the stick down and said to me, "I've found a buyer for your sister, and I've already received the deposit. Tomorrow night, keep an eye on her, and don't let her run away! Otherwise, the consequences will be much worse than a beating!"

Phoebe kneeled before me, begging, "Zack, please let me go. I won't argue with you anymore!"

I kept my head down and stayed silent as I tied Phoebe's limbs with rope.

My actions sparked anger in the viewers, who shouted angrily, "That despicable Zachary! He deserves to die! I wish he'd died at the hands of the trafficker long ago!"