My Parents Neglected Me Until I Died Novel by yueji

More and more eyes turned toward us, and only then did Victoria speak.

“Sis, why don’t we go upstairs to talk, okay?”

“No.”

My gaze remained fixed on Mom. “Whatever you want to say, say it here.”

I pointed to the security cameras and demanded, “The cameras caught everything. Why don’t we check them and see who’s really been bothering who?”

“Go ahead, let everyone see just how low you’ve sunk!”

Watching Mom eagerly agreeing with me, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

How much does she really hate me?

John quickly stepped in, trying to change the subject. “Hey, Vicky, Uncle, Aunt-what are you all doing here?”

Vicky…

I let out a quiet, self-deprecating laugh, feeling a sudden wave of nausea.

Victoria reached out to grab me, but I stepped away from her.

With a lurch of her outstretched hand, she withdrew it in embarrassment and aggravation:

“Sis didn’t want to come home for her birthday,. so I brought Mom and Dad to invite her personally.”

“You really don’t know how to appreciate kindness.”

Mom sneered, but Dad tugged her back a little.

“Why are you pulling me? I said we shouldn’t celebrate a birthday for this ungrateful bad girl.”

Mom yanked her hand free, eyeing me with disdain from head to toe.

“What kind of birthday does an adopted daughter deserve? She doesn’t even know when she was born.”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

I clenched my fists, choking up as I asked Victoria, “It’s your birthday. What does it have to do with me?”

Victoria hurriedly pulled a box from her bag and held it out to me.

“Look, I got you a gift.”

The box looked all too familiar. I glanced up at John.

He avoided my gaze.

It was the bracelet John had taken back from me, saying he’d return it one day.

I pushed the box back toward her.

“Everyone here knows who this birthday is really for.”

Victoria’s confusion at that moment was perfectly timed.

She looked helplessly between Mom and Dad, then looked at John in pity.

She didn’t need to say a word. Just one look, one expression, and someone would come to her defense.

Dad, with his hands behind his back, gave me a disapproving look. “There’s only a few days between your birthdays. What’s the harm in celebrating together? Stop being so dramatic.”

“Just like your mom said, you didn’t have a birthday in the first place.”

“I-” Before I could finish, John wrapped his arm around Victoria and led her to stand beside my parents.

“Today is Vicky’s birthday. Let’s not waste time with irrelevant people.”

Mom and Dad nodded in agreement, and the four of them started to leave.

I watched their retreating figures, my head spinning as I collapsed to the ground, feeling the judgmental stares of the passersby.

They were all condemning me, talking about how disgraceful my behavior was, while pitying, Victoria.

The voices grew louder, a chaotic buzz filling my mind, throwing my thoughts into disarray.

Tears poured down my face as I sat on the ground, uncontrollably sobbing.

Only after the crowd had had their fill of insults did I slowly struggle to my feet.

Leaning against the railing, I slid back down to sit on the ground.

Things weren’t like that before.