Ever since I was little, I was an obedient and well-behaved girl. At thirteen, when my mother decided she didn't want to raise me anymore and coldly told me to get out, I obediently packed my two bags of clothes and left. Right after kicking me out, she told my aunt, "She's just a burden. How am I supposed to remarry if I have to drag her along?" My aunt tried to persuade her, "She's your own flesh and blood, no matter what. If you raise her now, she'll take care of you when you're old." My mom couldn't have cared less. "Chloe has always been obedient. She listens to whatever I say. Even if I don't raise her now, when I'm old, all I have to do is call her, and she'll come running back to serve me hand and foot." I carried my two bags of clothes to my dad's house. My dad didn't want to raise me either; he didn't even want to let me in the door. He told me, "Chloe, it's not that Dad doesn't want to raise you, but I'm getting married soon. Your stepmother said we're going to have our own baby, and I really can't afford to raise you." Finally, he added, "This isn't my fault. You're my daughter. Whether I raise you or not, when I'm old, you still have to take care of me. It's the law of nature." My parents always thought I was obedient, sensible, and completely incapable of rebelling. But they didn't know me at all. I was never a good girl; I was a rebel who was just very good at pretending! 1 My parents got divorced because I was a girl. My deeply patriarchal grandmother went crazy and forcefully threw my custody to my mother. Saying things like "a little girl should be with her mother." My mom had no choice but to reluctantly take me in and bring me back to my grandmother's (her mother's) house. The following year was bitterly miserable. I had to get up early every day to cook for the whole family, and when I got home from school at night, I had to do all the laundry. If I didn't finish the laundry, I wasn't allowed to sleep. My mom didn't care how hard I worked. She nagged in my ear every day: "Your grandparents are animals, and you don't even have my last name. Why should I raise you! I'm keeping you by my side now, so you should be eternally grateful to me. If I tell you to die, you have to die!" Every time I listened to her vent her anger with these roars, I would meekly nod: "Mom, I will be eternally grateful to you. If you tell me to die today, I'll hang myself tomorrow. I will absolutely not be a burden to you." Seeing how submissive I was, she would always nod in satisfaction, a look of triumph in her eyes. I could endure anything. When my grandmother called me a useless wretch who only knew how to eat, I just kept my head down and stayed silent. My grandfather only liked my aunt's son. No matter how much my cousin hit me, my grandfather would only praise him: "Good hit! My grandson is so strong. When he grows up, he'll definitely be a general. Not like your sister, she's a purebred loser." And I never argued back. Whether I was beaten or scolded, I never fought back. Not because I was stupid, but because I knew deeply that rebellion was useless and would only bring more torment. I thought if I swallowed my anger like this, my mom would definitely raise me until I was an adult before kicking me out. Facts proved I was wrong. My mom fell in love. Her new boyfriend clearly told her that he would absolutely not raise a piece of baggage like me. Once they got married, they were going to have their own biological child. Faced with a choice between love and me, my mom didn't hesitate for a second and immediately chose to abandon me. She pointed at my nose and told me to get out: "Do you know how hard it was for me to raise you for thirteen years? Do you know how much I sacrificed for you? Now your mother is finally heading towards a happy harbor, don't even think about delaying me." Her words sounded ridiculous to me. It was as if I was the one who forced her to sleep with my dad and get pregnant. "Can't I stay at Grandma's house?" I asked her. My mom rolled her eyes at me: "If you don't eat or wear clothes, I'll let you stay at Grandma's house!" How could a person not eat or wear clothes? I understood what my mom meant; she just didn't want to raise me anymore. I always knew in my heart that she would abandon me sooner or later, I just didn't expect it to happen so fast. "Pack your things now and leave this place! I don't care where you go, just never come back." Her voice was laced with a warning as she said this. Just like before, I didn't argue, I didn't cry or make a fuss, I didn't even ask another question. I just obediently nodded, turned around, and walked into that tiny, broken, dirty side room piled with junk that belonged solely to me. I simply packed my luggage, which consisted entirely of old clothes. I found two plastic garbage bags, stuffed all the clothes inside, and carrying the two heavy bags, I slowly walked out of the room, inching my way out the front door step by step. As soon as I crossed the threshold, my mom couldn't wait to slam the door shut with a loud "BANG." I tightly gripped the plastic bags, not going downstairs immediately. 2 My grandmother's family lived in a dilapidated apartment complex built in the 1990s. The doors were flimsy and covered in flyers. If someone inside spoke a bit loudly, people outside could hear them clearly. Standing at the door, I heard my aunt trying to persuade my mom: "Sis, no matter what, she's your own flesh and blood. Kicking her out this early, how is she supposed to survive?" "I don't care how she survives." My mom couldn't care less. "As long as she doesn't spend my money, she can survive however she wants." My aunt's voice rose a little: "Don't be stupid. Raise her until she's eighteen and then kick her out. When you're old, she'll be able to take care of you." I clearly heard my mom let out a sneer, her tone full of disdain: "You don't understand. Chloe doesn't have that kind of vindictive personality. Even if I kick her out now, when I'm old and call for her, she'll still come and serve me hand and foot." My aunt sounded a bit surprised: "Really?" "Of course it's true. Anyway, I'm getting married soon." My mom said, "My husband said he'll take care of me, and the child we have together. He doesn't want a burden like Chloe. If you try to stop me again, you go raise her." Hearing that, my aunt immediately fell silent. Carrying my two bags of clothes, I quietly went downstairs. Alone, braving the wind, I walked two and a half miles to my dad's house. My dad lived in an urban village, squeezed into a tiny courtyard house with my grandparents. I knocked hard on the courtyard gate for a long time before I heard my dad cursing as he slowly walked out of the house and opened the gate. But as soon as he opened it and saw clearly that it was me standing outside, holding two bulging plastic bags, the expression on his face instantly collapsed, as if he had just seen a debt collector. "Why are you here?" He blocked the doorway, refusing to let me in, not even willing to let me take a peek into the courtyard. I hadn't seen my dad since my parents divorced. Seeing him again today, I realized he was even fatter than before. Standing outside the gate, I briefly explained my situation and begged him to raise me for a few years so I could continue my studies. Hearing this, my dad's face instantly turned black: "Don't come here and ruin my life! Your dad is getting married soon, the date is set. If I take you in, let alone get married, your grandparents will beat me to death." As soon as he finished speaking, my grandmother's voice suddenly exploded from the courtyard. Just like in my memory, she opened her mouth to curse, and whenever she cursed, she would scream at the top of her lungs. "Jinx! You're a jinx just like your mother! Seeing my son doing well, you ran over to mess things up for him! Give up on that idea! As long as I'm alive, I will absolutely not let you in this house!" My grandfather chimed in with a few words: "Although her last name is Vance, at the end of the day, we never did a paternity test. Who knows, she might be a bastard." Baskets and baskets of ugly words were thrown out. I stood outside the gate, listening expressionlessly. No sadness, no anger, no argument. Only the force gripping the plastic bags tightened a bit. My dad said earnestly: "Chloe, why don't you go to an orphanage? Anyway, it's impossible for me to raise you." Orphanages absolutely don't accept children with both parents still living. If I could get into an orphanage, I wouldn't be here wasting my breath with him. After confirming that he couldn't possibly raise me, I took a step back, ready to leave. Just as I turned around, he suddenly spoke again: "No matter what, we are biological father and daughter. The civil code clearly states that when you grow up, you must pay me alimony!" I sneered internally. He refuses to pay a single cent of child support, but he's already scheming for alimony. After dropping that line, my dad closed the gate. I was once again left alone in the world outside. I looked down at the two bags of old clothes, sighed silently, and said flatly: "I have to survive." 3 It wasn't my fault that the two of them abandoned me. I didn't have time to be sad, and I was too lazy to complain about anything. I just wanted to survive. I stood by the road, thought deeply for half an hour, and mapped out a path to survival for my future. Carrying the two bags of old clothes, I continued walking down the road until I reached a police station and walked straight in. The police station was very quiet, with only a few officers busy at their posts. My eyes quickly swept the room and locked onto the officer with the kindest face. Without a moment's hesitation, I walked quickly up to him and dropped to my knees with a "thud." "Officer, please, I beg you, save me! My mom and dad both don't want to raise me anymore. I'm only thirteen, no one will hire me to work. I want to survive," I said earnestly. My sudden kneeling instantly drew the attention of everyone in the police station. The kind-faced officer was startled. He quickly bent down and carefully pulled me up from the floor. His tone was sincere: "Little girl, get up, let's talk about this slowly." After I stood up, five or six officers had already gathered around, their faces showing concern. Seeing everyone gathered, I took the opportunity to explain my recent ordeal and predicament to them, word for word. After listening to my story, the concern on the officers' faces gradually turned into sympathy. At this moment, an older female officer with a gentle aura walked up to me and gently patted my shoulder. "Little girl, don't worry, don't be afraid. According to the law, your parents have an obligation to support you. If they insist on not raising you, it's the crime of abandonment, and they can be sentenced to prison." I only found out later that this female officer's last name was Miller, and the kind-faced officer's last name was Davis. Officer Davis comforted me: "I'll call your parents right now and summon them to the station. Whether they remarry or not, they can't escape their parenting responsibilities!" Just as he pulled out his phone, I spoke up and stopped him: "Sir, I didn't come here to force them to continue reluctantly raising me. Even if they take me home, I'll only suffer endless torment." Neither my mom's house nor my dad's house was my house. Forcing them to continue raising me would only result in endless humiliation and torture. Everyone present, besides me, was an adult over twenty. They naturally understood what I was saying, but they were also very helpless. As the saying goes, even an upright official finds it hard to settle family quarrels. Given my current predicament, the only solution was probably to force them to continue raising me. I hadn't shown much emotion from the very beginning, and right now I was very calm: "I came here because I want you to take up this abandonment case. I want to get a police report receipt for 'guardians failing to fulfill their support obligations'." Without any hesitation, I laid out all my plans and my ultimate goal. "After getting the police report receipt for their failure to support me, I also want to get a certificate designating me as a de facto unparented child." "Then I will go to court to sue my parents, asking the court to revoke their guardianship, and appoint the civil affairs department as my guardian. Finally, send me to an orphanage, where they will raise me until I'm eighteen." I had memorized this entire process long ago. I had only stolen money once in my life. I secretly took five dollars from my mom's pocket to go to an illegal internet cafe. I went there not to surf the web, and definitely not to play games. I just wanted to find out exactly how a child like me, with both parents living, could get into an orphanage. Officer Davis looked at me deeply: "You are a very calm and smart child." I gave a bitter smile, my gaze slowly sweeping across every police officer present, my voice carrying a hint of pleading. "I beg you to help me. I am absolutely unwilling to be raised by either of them again. If I'm taken away by my dad, I'll most likely be beaten to death by my grandmother. If I'm taken away by my mom, she'll torture me to death sooner or later." After these words were spoken, a brief silence fell over the police station, and everyone's face was solemn. A moment later, Officer Davis spoke up first: "Okay, I'll help you! I will handle all the necessary documents and the matters related to suing your parents and revoking their guardianship. I won't let you face it alone." Hearing these words, my eyes instantly welled up. I instinctively wanted to kneel down again to thank him, but Officer Miller pulled me into a tight hug. She gently patted my back, her voice gentle yet powerful: "It's okay, little girl. Everything will pass. You are only thirteen, yet so calm and brave. When you grow up, no matter what difficulties you encounter, they won't be able to knock you down." Later, I was temporarily placed in a children's rescue center. The rescue center was responsible for my food, clothing, housing, and transportation, so I didn't have to worry about going hungry or cold anymore. The next time I saw my mom and dad was at the courthouse entrance. 4 As soon as they saw me, their faces were filled with hostility. They rushed up cursing and pointing at my nose, launching into a barrage of insults. Especially my mom, she looked like she wanted to stab me right then and there. The fact that I was suing them made her feel incredibly humiliated. In her logic, she could abandon me and torture me as she pleased, but I absolutely could not blow this matter up, and certainly couldn't let outsiders know about her heartlessness. "Chloe Vance! You ungrateful wretch! I didn't know you were this capable, daring to sue your own parents!" My mom glared at me with wide eyes, angrily rebuking: "If this were ancient times, an unfilial daughter like you would definitely be dragged to a pond and drowned alive!" My dad started threatening me as soon as he opened his mouth: "Don't think that suing me will get you any benefits! You know my temper. If you push me over the edge, I'll do anything! Beating you to death would be getting off easy. If I really go all out, I'll sell you abroad and make you wish you were dead!" Faced with their endless stream of insults and vicious threats, I remained calm throughout, not offering a single word of rebuttal. It wasn't until they cursed themselves dry and couldn't think of any new words that I slowly opened my mouth to explain: "Did you guys not understand? I'm suing you to revoke your guardianship, not to force you to keep spending money to raise me." When I said this, the hostility on their faces instantly froze, and a clear look of confusion flashed in their eyes. Obviously, they didn't know what "revoking guardianship" meant at all, and thought I ran to the court to sue them to force them to pay up and continue raising this burden of a child. I tilted my head up slightly, looking at them calmly, and explained word by word. "Haven't you two always wanted to get rid of me completely? As long as you cooperate with me and insist in court that neither of you is willing to raise me, the court will agree to revoke your guardianship." "When that time comes, I'll be sent to an orphanage. I'll live in the orphanage from then on, and I will never bother you again, nor will I spend a single cent of your money." Hearing this, the expressions on their faces finally began to soften. My dad spat impatiently: "You brat, why didn't you say so earlier! Made me worry for nothing, thinking I'd have to keep paying child support and delay my remarriage!" The corner of my mouth hooked up slightly, revealing a perfectly obedient, shallow smile. My tone was soft, yet every word poked right at their desires: "Aren't you two still counting on me to take care of you and bury you when you grow old? If the orphanage doesn't take me in, and you're not willing to spend money to raise me, I won't even live to grow up. When that time comes, who will provide for you?" As soon as my words fell, they shared a very knowing look. From the depths of their eyes, I could clearly see a gleam of secret joy. I knew too well what they were rejoicing about: they wouldn't have to spend a dime raising me, and later, when I grew up, I would still obediently provide for them. In their eyes, this was simply a highly profitable deal. Why wouldn't they do it? "Fine! Got it!" My mom still didn't give me a good look, her brows tightly knitted: "But you have to swear that when I'm old, you must provide for me well!" I agreed without hesitation, my tone sincere and obedient: "Do I even need to swear? Mom, don't you know me? When you're old, as long as you call me, I will definitely run to your side immediately, serve you meals and dress you, and I will absolutely not let you suffer a bit." Seeing this, my dad quickly stepped forward, afraid of being left out: "And me! Chloe, you can't forget your dad. When I'm old, you have to serve me the same way!" "I won't forget either of you," I said clearly, though my eyes remained completely flat. With my guarantee, and fully understanding that going to court this time would only benefit them without any drawbacks, they finally agreed to cooperate with me. My dad and mom certainly didn't "disappoint" me. When it came to things that benefited them, they didn't need any urging from me; they would try their absolute best on their own. In court, no matter what the judge asked, my dad steadfastly refused to take me, even saying he'd rather go to jail than raise me. My mom did the same. Ultimately, the court ruled according to the law, revoking the guardianship of both my parents, and authorizing the civil affairs department to exercise guardianship on their behalf. I also successfully secured my eligibility to enter the orphanage, finally and completely breaking free from them. 5 From the moment I stepped through the gates of the orphanage, my dad and mom completely disappeared from my world, without a word of goodbye, nor a hint of reluctance. I wasn't sad at all; instead, my heart achieved an unprecedented sense of peace. Growing up in an orphanage meant, at the very least, I could live safely and normally, without being simultaneously humiliated and exploited. Days passed plainly. While in high school, I was fortunate enough to be sponsored by a kind-hearted person who not only paid all my tuition but also provided my living expenses. Later, when I got into college, she never interrupted her support. I always kept this kindness in my heart and never forgot it. After graduating from college, I worked two jobs a day, lived frugally, and after a year, finally saved up over ten thousand dollars. I transferred all this money to the kind person who sponsored me, wanting to repay her kindness over the years. But she didn't accept the payment; instead, she blocked me completely. Before blocking me, she left me with just one sentence: "If you're truly grateful to me, then live well. When you're capable in the future, go sponsor other children who are as struggling as you once were, and just pass this kindness on." It was this very sentence that gave me endless strength, making every single day of my future full of drive. My college major was radio and television directing. In my second year after graduation, relying on my own hard work, I got into a film crew. Starting from the most basic director's assistant, I took it step by step, slowly clawing my way up. Just like that, after struggling in film crews for five years, I finally got an opportunity to direct a short drama independently. Relying on my years of accumulated experience and precise control of the story's pacing, I successfully led this short drama to top the traffic charts on a major streaming app, achieving fame in one fell swoop. Since then, offers poured in. In just three years, I achieved financial freedom. Not only did I buy my own apartment in a mid-to-high-end complex downtown, but I also accumulated a considerable amount of savings. I thought life would just continue smoothly like this forever. I never expected that on the day I was about to turn thirty, I would see my mom again. That day, returning home from work, as soon as I reached the main gate of the complex, I saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure. My mom was standing at the gate of the complex. Whenever someone passed by, she would scream at the top of her lungs: "My daughter Chloe Vance lives in this complex! If you see her, tell her that her biological mother is looking for her!" It had been over ten years since we last saw each other. She had aged significantly, with strands of white hair, but her personality hadn't changed at all; she still had that unreasonable, domineering and arrogant look. I slowed my pace and slowly approached her. When she looked up, she immediately recognized me, her tone instantly becoming urgent, mixed with a somewhat rightful command: "Chloe! You're finally back! Quick! Hurry up and help me curse out these two security guards! I already told them I'm your mother, the biological mother of an owner in this complex, but they adamantly refuse to let me in. It's simply too outrageous!" The access control in our complex has always been strict. Anyone who is not a resident of the complex, without an owner personally vouching for them, the security guards will absolutely not let them pass. Those two security guards were also very responsible. No matter how my mom yelled, they didn't let her into the complex. The security guards' responsible attitude completely enraged my mom. In her eyes, being stopped outside the complex by security was an insult to her. Listening to her accusations, I just gave a soft sneer, ignoring her anger. I turned my head and waved my hand at the two security guards, signaling them to step away first. The two guards understood, nodded slightly, turned around, and went back into the security booth. Seeing that I not only didn't help her curse the security guards, but actually made them leave, and then thinking about how I had never proactively contacted or looked for her after achieving success and fame, a burst of anger instantly ignited in her. Her voice instantly rose a few octaves: "Chloe Vance! I am your mother! Do you have any conscience left? Do you know how hard I worked to raise you this big? Now that you have money and are successful, you don't recognize people anymore? Are you just going to watch your biological mother be humiliated by these two security guards at your own doorstep? Are you even human?" She was still the same as before, excelling at using morality and family ties to emotionally blackmail me, thinking I was still that cowardly, timid little girl from back then who could only obediently listen to her and let her manipulate me. Thinking that as long as she cried, made a fuss, and accused me, I would compromise and submit. I looked at her quietly, without any expression on my face, and just lightly replied to her with three words: "Who are you?"
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