Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
Rebirth of the Shadow: Rising from the Ashes
墨書 Inktalez
I am an orphan, having grown up in a welfare home. There are quite a few children in the home; sometimes we would argue, but more often we would huddle together for warmth. We all understood that only by sticking together could we avoid being bullied by the other bad kids.
The day the Xue Family came to choose a child, the sun was shining brightly. I was squatting in a corner of the yard, feeding a stray cat.
“Shan Shan!” The director approached with a smile. “Mr. Xue and Mrs. Xue are here to see you.”
I put down the cat food, brushed off the crumbs from my hands, and followed the director to the reception room. The Xue Family were regulars, often coming to the welfare home to volunteer and bringing lots of delicious food for the children.
They had a son named Xue Ming, who was our age and studying at university in another city.
“Little one,” Aunt Xue said gently as she held my hand, “would you like to be our daughter?” Uncle Xue looked at me with eager anticipation.
I shook my head.
Aunt Xue seemed surprised. “Why don’t you want to? Is there something about us that isn’t good enough?”
Before I could respond, a boy sitting nearby spoke up. “No, she’s great.” He stood up and walked over to me, leaning slightly forward to look into my eyes. “I’m Xue Ming, and I’ll be your brother from now on.”
“Do you want to be my sister?”
Aunt Xue smiled and added, “Our Xue Ming is quite outstanding; he’s even the president of the student council at school.”
Uncle Xue encouraged me as well. “Shan Shan, don’t worry; we will treat you well.”
I pressed my lips together and firmly replied, “I don’t want to.”
Aunt Xue asked, “Can you tell me why you don’t want to?”
“I don’t want to be your son’s sister.”
Xue Ming looked a bit surprised. "Why?"
I lowered my eyelashes and replied softly, "I just don't like it, that's all."
Aunt Xue sighed gently and sat back down next to Uncle Xue.
Uncle Xue wrapped his arm around her shoulder to comfort her. "It's okay, we'll pick something we like better."
Xue Ming furrowed his brow in thought for a moment before saying, "Let's go with her."
Aunt Xue asked in confusion, "Why her?"
Xue Ming pointed at me. "She looks the most like the little girl you described."
Uncle Xue and Aunt Xue exchanged glances, then looked down at me, their expressions lighting up with joy.
"Then it's settled," they said.
But I had no desire to go with them at all.
I remembered the day I was reborn; I almost got adopted then too. In my previous life, shortly after I was adopted, the couple's own child passed away. They treated me as a substitute, projecting their longing for their lost child onto me.
Unfortunately, I wasn't their real child and couldn't reciprocate their love.
I gradually became rebellious—smoking, drinking, fighting, and causing chaos at school. When they tried to discipline me, I would deliberately cut my wrist with a knife and threaten to kill myself.
They were terrified of me and could only plead with me not to do anything foolish.
Later, during the college entrance examination, I scored zero points and laughed maniacally at their frustrated expressions.
Eventually, I was taken away by the police for robbery and assault.
When they came to the police station to see me, begging me to reform and saying they would always be my family, I spat at them and laughed, "Go die!"
They were so enraged by me that they both suffered heart attacks and were hospitalized. After their discharge, they applied to the court to terminate our adoption relationship, no longer wanting to care for this ungrateful child. By that time, I was already in a juvenile detention center. Once they abandoned me, there was no one left in this world who cared about me. Gradually, I faded out of their lives.
Comment 0 Comment Count