Chapter 6
The police patiently reasoned with my parents, repeatedly stressing that no matter what had happened, they shouldn’t scold their child–especially now that I was already an adult.
In a daze, I looked up and met the officer’s steady, concerned gaze. His voice was gentle, and reassuring. “Don’t be afraid. We’ll make sure your rights are protected.”
Then he asked, “Was there anything unusual on your phone?”
My father’s social media account–filled with videos of my everyday life. Clips of me doing chores, eating, even limping around on my injured leg. All posted without my knowledge.
And there was even over a million followers.
My father stepped forward, raising an eyebrow in provocation.
“Is it illegal to film my own son’s life? What, I’m not allowed to share my family’s joy online anymore?”
The officer paused, clearly caught off guard. He offered a few final warnings about hitting children and respecting basic rights.
As the crowd dispersed, my mother suddenly slapped me across the face.
Then
my father grabbed me by the collar and slammed my head viciously into the wall.
Rosie stood off to the side, her eyes were full of loathing. She glared at me like I was her worst enemy, someone she couldn’t wait to see disappear.
My mother shrieked hysterically, her voice was sharp enough to pierce flesh.
“You worthless bastard! You do nothing but cause trouble! Why don’t you just die already?!”
Before I could react, her sharp fingernails jabbed directly into the wound on my head. Blood immediately trickled down my cheek, warm and wet.
My father didn’t waste a single word–he grabbed a wooden stick from the roadside and smashed it down on my back with full force.
The impact knocked me to my knees. Pain shot through me, and I tasted blood in my mouth. The sting on my tongue was bitter, metallic, and familiar.
All the pain, humiliation, and sorrow that I’d bottled up for so long boiled over. I raised my head and yelled, “Go ahead–beat me to death. But without me, what will you use for your precious videos?”
Rosie leaned against the wall, a smirk curling on her lips. Her eyes were cold and full of disdain.
“Don’t worry about that. We’ve got plenty of ways to keep the content going.”
As I stood there, numb and bracing myself for more blows, a small electric scooter buzzed past on the street.
Desperate, I broke free, sprinted forward, and jumped onto the backseat.
“Please! Take me away from here!” I cried out.
Chapter 5
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The rider didn’t ask questions. They twisted the throttle, and we shot forward, leaving my family’s curses fading in the distance.
The wind stung my wounds like a thousand needles. I curled myself on the scooter, shivering despite the heat. But for the first time in days, I felt a sliver of relief.
I finally escaped.
However, I had no money, and nowhere to go. As night fell, I found a park bench and curled up on it, hoping to make it through till morning.
But peace was short–lived.
Just as I started to drift off, shadows loomed over me. My parents and sister found me again. Like ghosts clinging to my soul, they grabbed me without a word and began dragging me off.
I struggled in vain, until a voice sounded.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Let go of him! You’re not allowed to hurt anyone!”
A woman’s voice rang out, loud and commanding.
I turned my head and saw her–a livestreamer with a camera set up, phone in hand, marching quickly toward us. Her camera was aimed squarely at my parents.
Caught under the public eye, they froze. Their hands fell away from me as the crowd around us began to stir.
The woman knelt beside me and helped me up, concern etched across her face.
“Are you okay? You’re covered in injuries. Do you want me to take you to a hospital?” She gently brushed the dirt from my arm.
“Don’t worry. If they try to hurt you again, everyone watching will make sure justice is served.”
Then she looked at me more closely, her eyes narrowing in recognition.
“Wait a second… you look familiar…”
The crowd behind her began to murmur and buzz with outrage.
“This is sick! How could any parent do this to their child?”
“The boy’s clearly injured, and they’re still beating him? What kind of monsters are they?”
“Don’t want the kid? Then don’t have him! Why give birth just to torture him?”
As the public’s fury grew louder, my mother did something strange–she calmly stepped forward, angling herself so that the camera caught her face more clearly.
Everyone around us looked confused by her boldness.
The livestreamer’s patience finally snapped.
“You’re abusing your own son. And you’re proud of that?”
My mother turned to her and smiled sweetly. “Thank you… for all the views.”
The streamer’s face flushed red with rage.
Chapter 6
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“You’re absolutely vile! You’re beyond disgusting!”
Just then, my father stepped forward and handed the streamer his phone.
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She glanced at the screen, then looked back at me. Her eyes suddenly lit with recognition. “It’s you!” she gasped.
He leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Instantly, her angry expression softened, and a calculating smile spread across her face, and when she turned to me again, her gaze was full of something far more chilling than sympathy.
A deep, gut–wrenching chill settled over me.
Then, facing the growing crowd and her thousands of online viewers, the streamer turned and began to speak.
