Three years ago, my husband, Julian Rodriguez, allegedly died in a car crash to save me. My own mother, Betty, immediately sued me on behalf of his family. Wishing for death, I didn’t even hire a lawyer. I signed the plea deal and walked straight into prison. For three long years, I tried to end my life more times than I could count in that cold cell. But today, the day of my release, I stood on the street and saw a giant billboard broadcasting Julian’s "wedding of the century" to my younger sister, Hailey. My life was completely ruined, and as I would soon find out, my daughter had been diagnosed with an incurable illness. I rushed to the wedding venue, only to be dragged out like a crazy person. My mother, Betty, hurried out behind me, glaring at me. She warned me not to ruin Hailey’s big day. "To be honest with you, Sophia, Julian didn't die." "We faked the car crash. Hailey was already pregnant with his baby back then." "We had no choice. We couldn't let Hailey be labeled a homewrecker and have people gossip about her." "Now that you’re out, just forget the past and move on." "Move on?" I stared at Betty. I couldn't reconcile this cold woman with the mother who had held me three years ago, sobbing and claiming she wished she could go to prison in my place. "My life is ruined. Everything I had is gone. And you’re telling me to just forget it?" I pulled up my sleeves, revealing the countless ugly scars on my wrists from my suicide attempts in prison. I wanted to scream, to ask them why they did this to me. But Betty just slapped me across the face. "Have you not thrown enough tantrums? Did three years in prison not beat that stubbornness out of you?" "Why can't you just let Hailey have this?" "You’re already miserable. Do you have to ruin Hailey's happiness too?"
I had nothing to say to Betty. My chest throbbed with a suffocating, piercing pain. I wiped my tears and struggled to get past her. The wedding was magnificent—far grander than the one Julian had given me. The guests were dressed in glamorous gowns and tuxedos. Hailey’s wedding dress shimmered brilliantly under the spotlight. Standing right beside them was a little boy, about three years old. Guided by the officiant, he was carrying the wedding rings. "And now, would the groom and bride please exchange rings, the symbol of their eternal love." Thunderous applause erupted in the hall. "Stop!" I screamed. The entire room went dead silent. All eyes turned to me. Before I could take another step, security guards rushed in and dragged me away. Betty smiled warmly, turning to the crowd. "I am so sorry, everyone. This is just a homeless woman from the street." "The security team made a mistake and let her slip in. I'll have her removed immediately." Disgusted whispers broke out. "Ugh, a homeless person? No wonder it smells so bad in here." "Today is Julian and Hailey’s wedding of the century. Some people really have no shame, trying to crash an event like this." "Exactly. I bet she just wanted free food." With sneers and mocking glares raining down on me, I was carried out. Julian’s eyes brushed over me for a fraction of a second before he looked away, completely indifferent. Inside, they slid the rings of eternal love onto each other's fingers. Outside, I was thrown onto the cold, hard pavement. My mother's emerald-green heels appeared in my field of vision. She frowned deeply. "Sophia, how many times do I have to tell you? Today is Hailey’s wedding. Did you really have to come here to ruin it?" "What about you guys? You lied to me for three years! You let me rot in prison for a lie! Doesn't your conscience hurt?!" I screamed, my voice raw. Betty’s frown tightened. "We had no choice, Sophia. Why can't you understand that?" "Go home right now. If you don't, you will never see Lily again." Lily... Lily was the baby girl I gave birth to three years ago, right before I went to prison. My parents had promised they would take good care of her. "Where is Lily? What did you do to her?" At my question, a flicker of guilt crossed my mother's face. She looked away, refusing to answer. Panic seized my chest. I didn't care about anything else anymore. I scrambled up and ran toward our family home. The passcode to the front door hadn't changed. I pushed it open. A maid was cleaning the living room. When she saw me, she gasped in horror. "Miss Sophia? How... why are you here? Weren't you..." "Where is Lily?!" I rushed forward and grabbed her shoulders. Terrified, the maid stammered, but her eyes kept darting toward the basement door. I sprinted down and kicked the door open. In the darkest corner of the damp basement, a tiny figure was curled into a ball. Hearing the door slam, her little body shook violently. "Don't hit me! I'll be good, Aunt Hailey! Please don't hit me!" "Lily, it’s me... it's Mommy." Tears flooded my eyes. I rushed over and pulled her into my arms. She was so thin, her bones sticking out painfully. I wasn't here for three years. How on earth did they treat my baby girl?! "M-Mommy?" The little girl peeked out from under her arms, her eyes wide and timid. Once she realized it was really me, she threw herself into my chest, sobbing. "Mommy, you're back! I have a mommy now!"
"Who told you to open this door? Today is Mr. Rodriguez and Miss Miller’s wedding!" "What if Lily runs out and ruins Miss Hailey's mood?!" Before I could even hold my daughter tighter, a sharp, angry voice echoed from the stairs. "Mrs. Brown, I didn't open it. It was..." "Then who did?!" Lily instinctively shrank back into my arms, trembling. I held her close and walked out of the basement, coming face-to-face with the nanny. She gasped, stepping back. "Sophia? What are you doing here?" "Julian and I aren't divorced yet. By law, you should still call me Mrs. Rodriguez." "And who gave you permission to lock my daughter in a dark basement?!" The nanny stammered, "It... it wasn't me! It was Miss Hailey's orders!" I looked down at Lily. Her skeletal little hand was gripping my shirt tightly. She was wearing filthy, ragged clothes that looked like they hadn't been washed in weeks. "I'm taking Lily to get a bath. Where is her room?" I carried Lily and tried to walk upstairs. But the nanny blocked my way. "Mrs. Rodriguez, there is no room for Lily here." "No room for Lily?" "Yes. Miss Hailey said Lily is disobedient, so she has to live in the basement." "What?!" I couldn't believe my ears. Lily had been living in that dark, cold basement for years. Looking at her tiny, frail body, I gently pulled up her shirt. My heart shattered. Her skin was covered in bruises, old scars, and fresh welts. "Does it hurt, sweetie?" The moment my fingers lightly touched her skin, Lily winced and tears rolled down her cheeks. My own tears fell freely. Before I could say anything, the front door opened. Julian and Hailey were back. Seeing me, they both froze. "Sophia? You're out of prison?" Hailey put on a fake, sweet smile and tried to step forward. I pushed her away and stared straight at Julian. "Didn't you die in that car crash?" "Why are you standing here, perfectly fine? Don't you owe me an explanation?" "Julian." I tried to keep my voice steady, but I couldn't stop shaking. At the sight of Hailey, Lily hid behind my back, trembling in terror. "Sophia, let me explain. I had no choice back then..." "No choice?" I looked at the little boy standing next to him, and then at Hailey. What a beautiful excuse. My three years in prison, and my daughter's three years of torture, just so their little family of three could live happily ever after. "Ew, you smell like trash! Get out of my house!" "You're not allowed here! And take this little beggar girl with you!" Suddenly, Hailey's son, Henry, rushed forward and shoved me hard. Caught off guard, I fell to the floor. "Mommy!" Lily cried, trying to help me up. "Henry, stop that!" Hailey scolded the boy half-heartedly, but she didn't actually do anything to stop him. The boy whined, "These two beggars are making our floor dirty! Kick them out, Mommy!" He threw himself onto the floor, throwing a tantrum. Julian looked at me with an uncomfortable expression. "Sophia, why don't you take Lily and leave for now? I'll explain everything to you later." "Daddy..." Lily timidly reached out her tiny hand, trying to grab the edge of his pants. The next second, Henry rushed over and shoved her away. "Go away, you little beggar! Don't touch my daddy!" Lily fell backward, her head striking the sharp corner of the cabinet. Blood instantly began to pour from her forehead. "It hurts... Daddy, my head hurts..." Lily cried, reaching out to Julian again, but he coldly stepped back, letting her hand fall. "Mrs. Brown, kick them out." Six years of marriage, and my daughter and I meant absolutely nothing to him. How pathetic. "This way, please," Mrs. Brown said, rolling her eyes. I picked up Lily and walked out of the house, step by step. Behind me, their disgusted voices followed. "What a parasite. She smells so bad." "Exactly. She spent three years in prison. Did she really think Mr. Rodriguez would still want her?"
I took Lily straight to the hospital to get her head bandaged. As we were about to leave, the doctor stopped me. He said Lily looked extremely pale and weak, and recommended a full check-up. Biting my lip, I spent almost all the money I had left on the tests. The results came back quickly. "It's leukemia." "What?" The burger I had just bought for Lily slipped from my hand and hit the floor. I couldn't believe it. The doctor told me to stay strong. With aggressive treatment, she might have six months to a year. My tears flowed uncontrollably. "Mommy, what's wrong?" Looking into Lily's innocent eyes, I couldn't bring myself to tell her the truth. Her tiny face was completely pale. Because of the constant abuse, her body was covered in layers of scars. Every time I looked at her, my heart broke. "Don't cry, Mommy. I don't hurt." Lily held my hand, trying to comfort me. "Okay, Mommy won't cry." I took a deep breath, stuffing a piece of food into my mouth to choke back my sobs. Leaving the hospital, I took Lily back to Julian's house. "Sophia, I can explain what happened back then." "Hailey was pregnant with my child, and I had no other choice, so..." "Julian, Lily has leukemia." I threw the diagnosis sheet onto the table. He frowned immediately. "Sophia, I know I wronged you in the past." "But you don't have to make up a terminal illness just to get back at me." "I'm not..." "Hailey takes her and Henry for a check-up every three months. How could she suddenly be sick?" Every three months? I let out a bitter laugh. I pulled Lily forward. "Look at her! She's skin and bones! Do you honestly think this is what a healthy child looks like?" "I don't care about the past anymore. I need money to treat Lily. You..." Before I could finish, his face darkened. "So all of this—using our daughter's health as an excuse—was just to beg for money?" "Sophia, we haven't seen each other in three years. How did you become so shameless?" Anger and frustration suffocated me. I couldn't believe he actually thought of me this way. Before I could speak, Hailey chimed in. "Sophia, I know you hate me, but you shouldn't use a child's health to play mind games." "All these years, I've treated Lily like my own daughter." "I've even been nicer to her than to Henry. If you don't believe me, ask her yourself." Hailey pulled Lily over. "Lily, tell the truth. Your mommy is lying, right? Haven't I been good to you all these years?" Lily looked at me, then at Hailey's threatening eyes, and finally nodded. "Yes..." "Sophia, you're using our child to extort money. What else do you have to say?" "I..." I stared at Lily, completely shocked. Suddenly, a shrill scream echoed from the doorway. "You just got out of prison, and you're already here extorting Hailey and Julian?! I'll teach you a lesson!" Betty rushed in and slapped me hard across the face. The force of the blow knocked me to the floor. Betty grabbed my ear and dragged me toward the door. "Get back home and reflect on what you've done!" I looked back at Lily. She was shrinking behind Hailey, too terrified to speak. She didn't move an inch until I was thrown into the car. Betty pinched my ear hard. "How many times do I have to tell you? Leave Hailey and Julian alone!" "Your marriage ended the moment you went to prison three years ago! Can't you get that through your thick skull?!" I tried to tell Betty that Lily was abused and had leukemia. But Betty wouldn't listen to a single word. "Sophia, you're just jealous of Hailey." "She has always been smarter and prettier than you. She did better in school, and now she's married to Julian." "Are you trying to ruin her life on purpose?" "Let me warn you, you better behave. Don't forget, Julian still has legal custody of Lily." Tears blurred my vision. Memories of my childhood flashed before my eyes. Hailey and I were only a year apart. Ever since we were kids, Betty always told me I had to let Hailey have whatever she wanted. I didn't understand it back then. Until the first grade, when I got a perfect score on an exam, leaving Hailey far behind. Hailey cried, and Betty slapped me for the first time. She said, "Sophia, you have to let Hailey win. Let her have first place." After that, I never dared to do too well on exams. Even when a boy I liked didn't like Hailey, Hailey would go home and cry, and I would get punished. Eventually, I lost not just the right to excel, but even the right to dress up nicely. And in Betty's eyes, all of this meant I had always been inferior to Hailey.
For the next few days, Betty kept me under house arrest. Finally, she and Hailey went out shopping, giving me a chance to slip away and find Lily. When I snuck into the house, I saw my tiny daughter kneeling on the floor, scrubbing it with a rag. I rushed over and pulled her up. "What are you doing?!" "Hailey said I made the floor dirty. She said if I don't clean it, I can't leave." "Mommy, you should go." Unlike her excitement from a few days ago, Lily was cold and pushed me away. I froze, then pulled her small body into a tight hug. "Did Hailey threaten you? Don't be scared, baby. Tell Mommy, I'll protect you." Finally, Lily broke down in my arms, sobbing uncontrollably. She cried and told me that whenever Julian wasn't home, Hailey and Henry would abuse her together. Even the maids called her the daughter of a criminal bitch. She had to beg and please Hailey just to get scraps of food and be allowed to sleep in a real bed. Otherwise, Hailey would lock her in the dark basement. She was so young, yet so helpless and broken. My heart bled for her. I wanted to take Lily right then, but the maids blocked the door. Helpless, I had to leave alone first. The moment I got out, I uploaded the evidence of Julian and Hailey's child abuse to YouTube. In less than a day, the video went viral. They were dragged to the top of the trending charts. Hashtags like #Child Abuse#, #Unfit Parents#, and #Monsters# became overnight sensations. Although the posts were quickly taken down by Julian's PR team, the damage was done. Reporters swarmed them. Unable to handle the public backlash, they held a live press conference. At the press conference, tiny Lily sat in the middle, flanked by Julian and Hailey. "Please don't believe the rumors," Julian said into the microphone. "Sophia fabricated everything to steal custody of our daughter." "Lily is my own flesh and blood. I would never abuse her." Hailey wiped a fake tear. "Yes, Lily is my sister Sophia's daughter, which makes her my daughter too." "Sophia was sent to prison three years ago. As soon as she got out, she demanded money from us. When we refused, she used Lily to smear our names." Lily sat between them, silent and trembling. Instantly, the public turned on me. "And here I thought the parents were monsters. Turns out the real demon is the biological mother!" "Some people will say anything for money." "Mr. Rodriguez and Miss Miller have always had a great reputation." "But this Sophia woman was just released from prison. She clearly has issues." "What a piece of trash, exploiting her own kid!" Hailey looked at me through the cameras, throwing me a victorious smirk. She spoke into the microphone with fake pity. "Please don't blame Sophia. She went through a lot in prison, so it's natural she has some resentment. I hope everyone can show her some grace." With that, she grabbed Lily's hand to leave. I watched Lily walk away, trapped in a crowd of angry reporters, unable to reach her. Just as I was about to sink into despair, Lily suddenly snatched her hand away from Hailey and ran back toward the microphones. "My mommy didn't lie! Hailey is the liar!" she screamed, pointing at Hailey. The entire room gasped.
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