My stepmother is a notorious "black widow." Rumor has it she cursed her two ex-husbands to death—and then my dad. The moment my dad died, she didn't hesitate; she had him cremated immediately. When my dad's mistress showed up with her son to demand a share of the inheritance, they were completely dumbfounded. My stepmother was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, beaming from ear to ear, counting stacks of cash. "I'm rich! I couldn't spend all this money in a lifetime." I hid behind the dining table, too terrified to make a sound. My relatives came running, wanting to adopt me. While I was hesitating... A string of floating text suddenly appeared before my eyes. [Is the plot starting already? The female lead is going to be taken in by her relatives and tortured! I can't wait!] [These relatives have black hearts. Once they get her inheritance, they're going to sell her to some remote mountain village.] [So what? The male lead will make up for all her childhood suffering with his love later! A pure white flower growing in adversity, meeting her savior when she grows up... OTP!] Me: ??? What kind of tragic female lead gets a story like that? Is it too late to cling to my stepmother for dear life? 1 Not too long ago, my dad married a new wife. I hid in the shadows, watching this newly minted stepmother. She was stunning—bright, charming, and delicate. I finally understood why my dad married her. Even knowing the rumors that she cursed her two previous husbands to death, he still went ahead with it. Just for that face, he probably thought it was worth it. These men all thought they were the victors, the ones who finally tamed the beauty. Unfortunately, they all ended up dead. My dad, in fact, died a mere two months after the wedding. Some suspected my stepmother was behind it, but no one could find a shred of evidence. They could only attribute it to the supernatural. They said my stepmother was too toxic, born under a cursed star—anyone who touched her died. The very day my dad died, several women showed up at our door with their kids, demanding their share of the inheritance. My stepmother, having clearly won the championship of domestic warfare against these types, unleashed her full firepower. "Uncle Wang, throw these filthy things out!" Cutting off someone's money is like killing their parents; how could these women just let it go? My stepmother looked delicate, but her words were razor-sharp. She brought out my dad's urn. "Oh, look, he's already burned to ash! Guess we can't do a paternity test now. But hey, you can always go down there and look for him yourselves!" The women burst into tears. "Are you even human? Liangping's body wasn't even cold before you had him cremated!" My stepmother smiled sweetly. "I touched him. He was cold. Ice cold." That smile sent shivers down my spine. I silently scooted a little further away. Eventually, the crying and screaming women and children were dragged out by the bodyguards. My stepmother lounged comfortably on the sofa, in a fantastic mood, pouring herself a glass of red wine. "I'm rich! I couldn't spend all this money in a lifetime." "Shame about the extra baggage, though." I watched her, smiling one second and frowning the next, completely too scared to make a peep. She seemed to think I was a burden. Was I going to be homeless? Thank goodness I had my uncle, who had doted on me since my mom passed away. He had said just yesterday that he was going to take me away. A short while later, my uncle and aunt arrived. My aunt had cried the whole way there; her eyes were red. "Yinyin, why did your parents have to leave so early?" "Poor Yinyin, a little girl with no parents... what is she going to do now?" My uncle patted my head, looking heartbroken. "Poor child. You'll come live with your uncle and aunt from now on." They looked at me with such genuine affection. I snuck a peek at my stepmother. She didn't look like she wanted to keep me around. Everyone said she was evil, but I hadn't felt it. To her, I was just a stranger, exactly like I was to my dad. The scales in my heart were slowly tipping toward my uncle. Just as I was about to speak... A string of floating text suddenly materialized in the air before me. [Is the plot starting already? The female lead is going to be taken in by her relatives and tortured! I can't wait!] [These relatives have black hearts. Once they get her inheritance, they're going to sell her to some remote mountain village.] [So what? The male lead will make up for all her childhood suffering with his love later! A pure white flower growing in adversity, meeting her savior when she grows up... OTP!] [This evil stepmother doesn't look like a saint either. She probably can't wait to throw the female lead as far away as possible.] 2 I didn't understand all the words. What's a "male lead"? What's a "pure white flower"? Seeing that I hadn't moved, my uncle and aunt's tone turned impatient. "Yinyin? Your aunt is talking to you!" Were the "relatives" mentioned in the floating text my uncle and aunt? Would they really sell me? I started to hesitate, unable to make up my mind. My uncle made the decision for me. "Alright, you take Yinyin. I'll go talk to Chloe about this." Ignoring my resistance, my aunt grabbed my arm and forcefully dragged me toward the door. I burst into helpless tears. My stepmother stood up, looking annoyed. "What, trying to kidnap a child in my own house?" Like grasping at a life preserver, I wrenched my hand free from my aunt's grasp and ran toward my stepmother. Before I could even touch her sleeve, she dodged me with a look of disgust. Twisting my fingers together, I finally called out that word: "Mom... I don't want to go with them." It was the first time I had ever called her Mom. A look of surprise flashed across my stepmother's face. She was speechless for a moment. "You..." My uncle grabbed my arm again, talking over me to my stepmother. "The kid is just throwing a tantrum. She'll be fine once we get her home." He turned and glared at me fiercely. "Both your parents are dead! I'm your closest relative. If you don't come with me, who else are you going to go with?" "Stop annoying your mother and come with us right now." In that moment, I started to believe the strange floating words. Maybe they really were going to take me away and sell me. I looked up at my stepmother with pleading eyes. She was my last hope. My stepmother ignored the man's words. She looked down at me from her imposing height. "Have you thought this through? If you stay, you're my daughter from now on." "And you'll be responsible for taking care of me when I'm old." I hesitated, then nodded. My stepmother shot a cold glare at my uncle. "Did you see that? She doesn't want to go with you." My uncle let out a dry laugh. "You're still young. You can have your own children later." "This kid is skinny, scrawny, and not very bright. Keeping her around will only cause you grief." My stepmother scoffed. "Don't think I don't know what you're scheming. I am her legal guardian now. Without my permission, no one is taking her anywhere." Seeing her firm stance and the bodyguards standing at the door, my uncle didn't dare force the issue. He probed tentatively, "Um, didn't her father leave a sizable inheritance? We could help her manage it, so she doesn't waste it." My stepmother nodded with exaggerated enthusiasm. "Oh, yes. Lots and lots of money." Seeing their eyes light up with greed, she added, "But it's none of your business." That really ticked them off. Just as my uncle was about to lunge forward... The bodyguards sprang into action, lifting the two of them up and tossing them out. The floating text reappeared: [Wait, why is the plot changing? Is the evil stepmother actually going to raise the female lead?] [Ahhh! What about my male lead?! The female lead was supposed to be sold to the mountains by her aunt and meet the kidnapped male lead!] [Maybe the stepmother is going to sell her instead! Don't panic guys, let's wait and see.] 3 After my uncle and aunt made that scene, even though I was young, I realized they weren't good people. If I couldn't trust them, who could I trust? My stepmother? Would she really sell me, like the floating text said? After my uncle left, I tried to make myself as small and invisible as possible around the house, hoping she wouldn't notice me. I was terrified that one day she'd remember me, decide I ate too much, and sell me off to the mountains. But she seemed very busy and I barely saw her for days. I breathed a sigh of relief. One day, while I was sneaking around the kitchen looking for food, her voice suddenly rang out. "What are you looking for? Have you eaten?" I clutched the hem of my shirt and whispered timidly, "I ate, Aunt Chloe." "You little brat. When you need something, it's 'Mom,' but when you don't, it's 'Aunt Chloe,' huh?" She scoffed, sounding displeased. "I was busy the last few days. How have you been eating?" How had I been eating? The same as usual, of course. Whatever the maids left over was my food. I told her the truth. She opened the fridge, looked at the leftover chicken bones inside, and frowned. "So, this is what you usually eat?" I nodded. What else was there to eat? I was just the lucky one out of all my dad's illegitimate children to actually be brought home. And only because my mother got sick and died, leaving me with no one to care for me. After my dad brought me home, he completely ignored me and rarely came back. I was utterly forgotten in a corner. The maids were shrewd. Seeing how my dad treated me, they started giving me the cold shoulder too. If I was lucky, I'd get leftovers. More often than not, I'd go hungry for the entire day. After a long silence, my stepmother muttered a curse word I didn't understand, then summoned all the staff in the villa. She announced in front of everyone: "What is their status, and what is your status?" "As my daughter, you eat leftovers? If word got out, I'd be a laughingstock." "Elena, look at these maids. Point out whoever bullied you." 4 The next day, all the maids I pointed out were gone, replaced by a fresh batch of young college students working part-time. My stepmother said college students were cheaper, competitive, and worked harder. And the government encouraged hiring them. I didn't really understand. Until I saw the floors being mopped three times a day and the dining table covered in a rotating array of gourmet meals. Then I started to get the picture. I sat carefully at the dining table, smelling the aroma of fresh food, not daring to pick up my chopsticks. My stepmother, resting her head on one hand, pushed the food toward me. "Finish all of this. You're not allowed to leave until you do." I gulped. Was this real life? I put on a performance of inhaling the food like a vacuum cleaner, which made her frown deeply. "You have to eat like this from now on. Otherwise, people will think I'm a wicked stepmother starving you." I nodded enthusiastically while chewing. After I was full and satisfied, the floating text appeared again. [What is the evil stepmother doing? Fattening up the daughter to sell her for a better price?] [This plot twist is brilliant! Letting the female lead experience warmth before brutally abandoning her—the emotional damage will be even greater!] [Look at this little dumpling of a female lead, she's so obedient! No wonder so many men fall for her when she grows up.] My stepmother leaned back, stretching lazily. "Stop sleeping in that doghouse. It doesn't even look fit for human habitation." "I had a room cleared out for you upstairs. You're moving up to my floor." The way she paused between sentences nearly gave me a heart attack. Her last sentence sent my heart straight into my throat. I couldn't help but think of the floating text that had just flashed by. Was it true? Was she really going to fatten me up just to sell me? ... I spent the entire summer break walking on eggshells. Finally, the first day of school arrived. Thanks to my stepmother's constant feeding, my health had improved drastically, and my cheeks had even developed a bit of baby fat. My stepmother loved it. She couldn't keep her hands off my face, pinching my cheeks every day. I didn't dare get angry, nor did I dare complain. When I got to school, everyone noticed the massive change in me. The skinny, scrawny girl had transformed into a pale, clean, squishy dumpling. I was even wearing a brand-new dress. I sat down at my desk, and the girl behind me, Jessica, kicked the back of my foot hard. "Elena, where's my stuff?" I knew she was asking for her summer homework. I kept my head down, not daring to speak. My summer homework had been torn to shreds by one of the maids who used to bully me, along with Jessica's copy. Seeing that I didn't have it, Jessica started kicking my calves frantically. "Just wait until after school!" Ultimately, because I couldn't hand in my homework, the teacher singled me out and made me stand in the back of the classroom as punishment. Because Jessica's family had money and power, the teacher turned a blind eye to her behavior, pretending not to notice. After school, to avoid her, I specifically took the side exit. But I was still caught. Jessica and her gang surrounded me, dragging and pulling me toward the restrooms. This restroom was secluded, and rarely did anyone go there. Even if someone saw, no one would dare speak up. Jessica kicked me in the chest and shoved my head into the sink. "You motherless freak! How dare you not do what I tell you to do?" "You must have a death wish!" With that, the group took turns punching and kicking me until I was too weak to fight back. They were smart; they only aimed for places covered by my clothes. That way, no one would notice anything wrong with me. I lay weakly on the ground, trembling from the pain. "I'll let you off this time. If this happens again, I'll have someone kill you!" ... [The evil supporting female character is this ruthless even as a kid? I love the 'mean girl' persona!] [The plot was getting way too derailed before, but it's finally getting back on track.] [The female lead doesn't even fight back when she's beaten! She knows no one will come to save her. She's so pitiful!] Things like this happened every week. Any resistance from me only resulted in worse retaliation. A flicker of confusion crossed my face. It seemed like no one was really going to come and save me.
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