My Rich Parents Faked Bankruptcy

My once-wealthy parents, after their public fall from grace, feared facing their enraged creditors.

So, overnight, they shipped me off to a remote African village, a place so obscure it wasn't even on the map.

Later, a rare malaria outbreak hit the village, causing widespread death and devastation.

Terrified, I called my parents, begging them to bring me home, but only received a cold reply:

"You're not the pampered princess you once were. What, can't you manage on your own?"

"We spent so much money sending you away precisely because we didn't want you harassed by those creditors. Why can't you understand our good intentions?"

"Anyway, we don't have money for your plane ticket now. You're on your own!"

Clinging to a final shred of hope, I called my fianc.

What I got was a torrent of accusations from him:

"Skylar, why are you still so delicate? Do you even know what Tiffany is going through here?"

"You're living it up overseas, while Tiffany can't even leave the house because of those debt collectors."

"If you call me again, I'm canceling our engagement immediately!"

He blocked my number, completely severing my hope of returning home.

From that day on, I endured the torment of illness, fighting tooth and nail for a scrap of food, often ending up bruised and bloody.

Just as I was despairing enough to contemplate suicide, the international rescue team finally arrived.

They brought me clean water and food, and gave me antibiotics and vaccines.

Finally back home, I saw my fianc and my adoptive sister flaunting their lavish wedding on Ins.

That's when I found out the "bankruptcy" was a sham.

My parents just wanted to get rid of me, to clear the way for my fianc and my adoptive sister to be together.

After leaving the wedding venue, I went straight to the hospital.

Malaria is somewhat contagious, and even though the virus was completely cleared, I still needed to check into the hospital daily for a while, reporting my physical condition.

Dr. Liam Smith, my attending physician who returned with me, saw my constant silence and thought I was homesick.

He comforted me, saying I could go home after my blood was drawn.

But he couldn't have known that from today, I no longer had a home.

As I stepped out of the blood draw room, my phone started ringing furiously.

It was my dad, whom I hadn't heard from in ages.

The moment I answered, his furious roar filled my ears:

"Skylar, what exactly did you mean by that comment under the video? Were you doing it on purpose?!"

"Do you know that because of your comment, Tiffany has been crying her eyes out? She's your sister, why are you so intent on seeing her unhappy?"

I looked at my emaciated reflection in the mirror, then recalled the dazzling Tiffany at the wedding, and let out a bitter laugh:

"What's wrong with the comment? Didn't I already wish them well? What? Do you want me to send them a lavish wedding gift too?"

"Dad, just tell me the truth. Is Tiffany your biological daughter, and I'm the one you adopted, right?"

He seemed surprised by my words, and the breathing on the other end of the line hitched.

Immediately after, the phone was snatched away, and my mom's voice came through:

"Skylar, you're misunderstanding your sister. That wedding was just to make her happy, they didn't even get a marriage license, so it doesn't count."

"After all, your sister stayed behind to help you hold off the creditors, that's why she couldn't come with you. You should be thanking her!"

At this very moment, my biological parents were still lying to themselves.

Thinking of the truth I'd witnessed at the hotel entrance just moments ago, my heart felt like it was being squeezed, making it hard to breathe.

After a long while, I spoke with self-mockery:

"Thank her for stealing my family's affection and my love?"

Hearing my sarcasm, my dad's angry growl erupted again:

"You ungrateful wretch! Everything your mother and I do is for your own good, and you dare speak to us like that?!"

"I'm telling you, if you don't apologize to Tiffany, you can stay in Africa forever and never come back! I'll pretend I never had a daughter like you!"

With that, the phone was slammed down.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

Before, I always thought my parents didn't know my true plight in Africa, which was why they were so cold and heartless.

But when I got off the plane today, I learned that news of the malaria epidemic in Africa had long reached home.

Even a five-year-old knows how terrifying malaria is.

They simply didn't care if I lived or died.

As long as their favorite daughter was safe and sound, that was enough for them.

Ever since Tiffany came into their lives, my dad's company crisis not only resolved smoothly but also thrived.

From then on, my dad became convinced she was the Stone family's lucky charm, and his affection for her far surpassed what he showed me, his biological daughter.

Anything Tiffany set her sights on, I had to give up unconditionally.

When we were little, it was rooms, dolls, and princess dresses. When we grew up, it became my fianc.

They were willing to trick me with an absurd lie about bankruptcy and send me far away, all to prevent me from ruining Tiffany's romance.

Africa's environment was harsh, with scarce food and drinking water.

But even more terrifying was the omnipresent virus.

It wasn't until I contracted malaria and had several near-death experiences that I truly understood what fear was.

Recalling the moments when I desperately fought for survival, only to be repeatedly rejected by my closest relatives, a surge of intense rage filled my heart.

Even if it killed me, I would never apologize to Tiffany!

Because one of my blood indicators was high, I needed to be temporarily isolated and couldn't leave the hospital.

To put my mind at ease, Dr. Liam Smith offered to go home in my stead and reassure my parents.

I wanted to tell him not to bother, that no one cared if I lived or died.

But meeting his earnest gaze, I couldn't bring myself to refuse.

After all, if it weren't for Dr. Smith, I probably would have died in a foreign land.

Sighing lightly, I sent him the address.

Because the call remained connected, I could clearly hear my parents' voices.

Upon hearing Dr. Smith's purpose, my dad's furious voice immediately flared:

"What new stunt is Skylar pulling now?! She went to Africa and still can't behave? No wonder even her own fianc doesn't like her!"

"And she got malaria? Wouldn't it be better if you just said she died?"

"I don't care how much money Skylar spent to hire you for this performance, please tell that ungrateful child that if she insists on not apologizing to Tiffany, she can forget about ever leaving Africa!"

Listening to my dad's angry roar, my heart ached, yet I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

He probably forgot how long it had been since he last gave me any allowance.

Hire an actor?

If I truly had that kind of spare cash, I wouldn't have had to fight someone over half a dry pancake, ending up with a clump of my hair pulled out.

Dr. Smith was completely unprepared for such a response.

He stood stunned for a long moment before speaking again:

"I... I truly am a doctor from the Central Hospital, and a member of the medical team that aided Africa this time. Your daughter..."

"That's enough! Haven't you performed enough?"

"Forget about malaria, even if she truly died out there, her mother and I wouldn't shed a single tear for her!"

With that, without waiting for Dr. Smith to respond, the door was slammed shut.

Dr. Smith instinctively covered the phone's microphone.

He then belatedly remembered his still-connected phone and quickly hung up.

But everything that needed to be heard, and everything that shouldn't have, I had heard crystal clear.

Although I had told myself a thousand times to completely give up on this couple,

at that moment, my eyes still burned with tears, and my hand beneath the covers gripped the bedsheet tightly.

The parental love that was so easily accessible to others was an untouchable luxury for me.

Perhaps, I should have given up on this false family affection long ago.

[Skylar, are you okay?]

Even though it was just a text message, I could feel Dr. Smith's concern and worry.

See? A stranger I'd known for less than a month could care for me so much, yet my parents, whom I'd spent over twenty years with, treated me like dirt.

Skylar, how ridiculous you are!

My trembling hand typed out a line:

[I'm fine. I already knew this would be the outcome, I'm used to it]

There were three other people isolated with me.

Each of them had family concern and companionship, while I was all alone.

I often saw pity and sympathy in their eyes.

But compared to that sympathy, what chilled me more was the balance in my bank account.

My illness wasn't difficult to treat, but it required an expensive imported medication.

And the price of this imported medication was something I couldn't afford.

Because Tiffany once claimed, "Skylar might go astray if she has too much money," my dad only gave me about $70 a month for living expenses. Tiffany, meanwhile, received a staggering 0-04,000 a month.

So, while Tiffany was on a wild shopping spree, I could barely make ends meet by working part-time handing out flyers.

Fresh out of college, I hadn't even had a chance to submit my resume before my parents tricked me into going to Africa.

Now, my bank account balance was only three digits.

How could that amount possibly buy imported medicine?

Dr. Smith noticed my predicament and proactively covered all my medical expenses.

After being discharged, I still chose to go home.

Because I really didn't want to trouble Dr. Smith anymore; I already owed him too much.

Upon arriving home, I was greeted not by my parents' warm concern, but by my dad's teacup.

Since it happened so suddenly, I couldn't dodge in time, and the scalding tea splashed onto my exposed arm, instantly turning my skin bright red.

But my dad wasn't satisfied; he pointed at my nose and yelled:

"Who allowed you to come back to the country without permission? And who bought your plane ticket?"

"Was it that actor you hired earlier? He even lied to me that you had malaria, but you look perfectly fine!"

"You're full of lies, Skylar. How could I have given birth to such a morally corrupt daughter!"

"If only Tiffany were my biological daughter, how wonderful that would be!"

That last sentence made me sharply lift my head and stare intently at my dad:

"Dad, aren't you the one full of lies? You used bankruptcy as an excuse to send me to Africa, leaving me to fend for myself."

"If I could, I'd rather not be your biological daughter"

Before I could finish, a clear slap mark appeared on my left cheek.

My dad's eyes were bloodshot, looking at me as if I were his enemy:

"You wretch, you have no gratitude at all! Get out, just get out!"

If it weren't for needing to gather money to pay back Dr. Smith, I wouldn't have wanted to step foot in this house.

Just as the atmosphere grew tense, Tiffany hypocritically walked up to me, took my hand, and said:

"Skylar, Dad lying about bankruptcy and sending you to Africa was also for your own good. He just wanted to train you to be a capable successor."

Her tone was sincere, but her fingernails dug deeply into my palm.

Without thinking, I immediately shook her hand off.

I hadn't used much force, but Tiffany stumbled backward and fell.

She sat on the floor, eyes wide, her face full of hurt:

"Skylar, you misunderstood me! I really didn't mean to steal Brandon from you."

"Even though you've always looked down on me and thought I wasn't worthy of being your sister, in my heart, you'll always be my big sister."

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face like broken pearls.

My dad slapped me twice more.

The sharp sound of the slaps echoed in the empty living room.

I distinctly saw Tiffany's triumphant smirk hidden beneath her tear-filled eyes.

"You wretch! If I had known you were so malicious, I should have strangled you the moment you were born!"

The farce ended with my dad giving Tiffany an unlimited black card as compensation.

I didn't care; I just wanted to go back to my room as quickly as possible to see if I had any jewelry or valuables left to sell.

But opening the door, the sight before me made my breathing stop.

In my own bedroom, my personal belongings were piled in a corner like trash, and my favorite white dress had several distinct footprints on it.

And on my bed, a litter of stray cats lounged, cat hair flying everywhere, coating every corner of the room.

The largest stray cat saw me and immediately arched its back defensively.

It seemed as if it would attack me if I took another step inside.

The memory of being attacked by stray cats as a child resurfaced in my mind, and my whole body involuntarily trembled.

"Skylar, I'm so sorry, you came back so suddenly, I didn't even have time to clean your room."

"My black cat is pregnant, so I had to bring her home. Your room is big and airy, perfect for cats. Dad said you wouldn't be back anytime soon, so I didn't tell you about it."

"Skylar, you're not going to be petty about this, are you?"

Tiffany's voice held a challenging tone, and the malice in her eyes was unconcealed.

Seeing my pale face, she walked closer, in excellent spirits, and whispered to me:

"Skylar, I heard you're terrified of cats. Do you like this gift I gave you?"

"If I were you, I'd just stay in Africa and not come back. Anyway, no one in this family loves you!"

"I advise you to leave willingly, or don't blame me for doing it myself!"

When we were little, Tiffany secretly put several stray cats in my room to attack me while I slept.

Now, she was using the same trick to try and drive me away.

At this moment, I could no longer suppress the rage in my heart and grabbed her by the neck.

Tiffany froze for a second, then immediately screamed:

"Dad, Mom, come save me! Skylar suddenly went crazy, she's trying to kill me!"

"I'm sorry, I was wrong, I won't dare do it again, Skylar, please let me go!"

"Skylar, I really didn't know you were afraid of cats, I won't ever just use your room again!"

Even with my hands around her neck, Tiffany didn't forget to act.

Just as I was about to slap her again, my hair was violently yanked.

The sudden sharp pain made me instantly release Tiffany.

My dad violently threw me to the ground.

"You little wretch! You've been home for less than half an hour and you've already thrown the house into chaos."

"Get out! From now on, I'll pretend I don't have a daughter like you."

My mom, even, rushed over and shielded Tiffany with her own body.

"Skylar! How did you become like this?! What did your sister ever do wrong that you have to bully her again and again?"

"I gave her permission to use your room to keep cats. If you're angry, take it out on me!"

My biological parents fiercely protected their adopted daughter, yet looked at me, their own flesh and blood, with hatred.

At that moment, the light in my eyes completely died.

I had truly become an orphan.

My hair was disheveled, and both sides of my face bore clear slap marks, but I didn't hesitate, trembling as I leaned against the wall to stand up.

Now, I just wanted to leave this place forever and never come back.

I said nothing, slowly making my way down the stairs, leaning on the railing.

"Wait!"

My mom's voice, filled with a hint of concern, spoke up:

"Skylar, why are you so thin? And why do you have so many needle marks on your arm?"