Chapter 5: Coercion
It was my foster parents crying into the camera:
“Coco, why don’t you come home? We’ve raised you all these years, and you just left without a word!”
“You’re an ingrate! Back then, we always gave you the best things in the house. Who would’ve thought that as soon as we had difficulties, you’d just disappear!”
“We hope the internet users can help us find this ungrateful child!”
“Anyone who sees her, tell her to come home. Tell her we’re not angry anymore, we just want her to come home and live well.”
My foster parents didn’t have much education; they did hard labor to earn a living.
Because of their work, they looked older than their actual age, appearing like they were in their sixties, though they were only in their forties.
Crying for the camera, the way they acted was pitiful.
As a result, netizens began to criticize me and even started to dox me.
It seemed like Xena’s real parents were in the most urgent situation. They wanted to quickly bring me back to donate a kidney to her, even going so far as to track me down online.
I didn’t want to explain. I just wanted to leave, but unexpectedly, a young girl caught up with me just as I was about
to enter the restroom.
She grabbed my arm and shouted, “You need to go home! Stop running away!”
More and more people gathered around, pointing fingers. It didn’t take long before I was recognized.
They all began to accuse me of being unfilial, and the noise from the crowd filled my ears.
My emotions completely unraveled. I pushed the girl away. “Why should I go back?”
‘Where is there a place for me there?” I pulled off my coat, lifting my shirt to reveal the dense scars covering my
back and abdomen.
The Smith scars crisscrossed, some even raised and inflamed.
The crowd gasped. The grotesque wounds were enough to show that I had not lived a good life these years, especially with my foster parents treating me so poorly,
I rolled up my sleeves to reveal more of the same brutal scars, including ones on my ankles and calves.
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Chapter 5: Coercion
“See this? See why I don’t want to go back! If I go back, I’ll be lucky to stay alive!”
“I’ve slept by the chicken coop since I was little, just because they said they were afraid someone would steal the chickens. I ate scraps–only rotten food was given to me!”
“I’ve never had a full meal! Do you know how I got the name ‘Coco‘?”
“It’s because the neighbor’s dog was named ‘Coco!“”
Tears blurred my vision as I recalled these years of hardship. I had to fight harder than anyone else just to survive.
Why do I have to sacrifice? Is my life and health worth so little?
Why should I give up everything for Xena? My wealth, my happy family, and my health?
No!
I’ve survived until now, and now I will live for myself!
With the pitying gazes of the crowd on me, I straightened my clothes.
The train had already left, and I had missed my departure.
I pushed my way through the crowd, planning to buy a new ticket, but my foster parents found me at the train station through online information.
And my biological parents had also arrived.
My mother, with tears in her eyes, looked at me with a heart full of pain. “I didn’t know you’ve suffered so much!”
‘Child, come home with me. I will treat you well!”
[ sarcastically curled my lips. “This is the second time you’ve said that!”
‘Your promise back then wasn’t kept! How can I trust you? You don’t love me, you only love Xena!”
My foster mother lunged at me, tearing at me with anger. “You little bitch! Why don’t you come back with me?”
She pulled at me with force, but I tried to break free. I wanted to run but was stopped by them.
Desperate, I looked at my mom, trying to awaken her conscience. “Is this how you’re going to treat me too? What you’re doing is illegal confinement!”
‘You leave, and you’ll never come back! I can’t let you go!”
My mother stared at me with tears all over her face.
I was forcibly taken back to the Hall, and my mom looked at the scars on my arm with a pained expression. “Does it
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Chapter 5: Coercion
still hurt?”
“It has nothing to do with you.”
Mom’s face twisted in hurt.
“We can take her to the hospital now. Xena still needs a good kidney!” my foster mother added, smiling from the
side.
Mom and Dad’s faces instantly darkened.
“This matter is none of your business,” Dad spoke coldly.
Mom ordered the aunt to ask my foster mother to leave. “Please take them out!”
But my foster mother refused. She pointed at me and said, “There’s no need to let this girl ruin our relationship. When do you want to transplant a kidney for Xena?”
“We can do it, but not with our daughter’s kidney,” Dad said in a low voice. I looked at him in surprise.
I didn’t understand what kind of show they were putting on. Were they trying to deceive me into willingly donating my kidney?
At that moment, Xena called my foster mother. “Mom, did you catch Coco?”
“I need to get the kidney transplant done quickly! I have to get back to Paris for school!”
My foster mother looked smugly at my mom, arrogantly saying, “This is what Xena said–we need the kidney
transplant quickly!”
“We can’t let this little girl delay Xena’s education!”
Mom’s face twisted in anger. “This is a matter for our family! You can leave now!”
“At first, we thought you treated Coco well, thinking that you’d been through hardships together, but you’ve treated her like this. You should have treated my daughter with care. I didn’t mind her clothes or food!”
‘But you’ve abused her! We no longer need to have anything to do with you!”
‘We’ll handle Xena’s situation. From now on, she has nothing to do with you.”
Before my foster parents could respond, they were kicked out of the Hall mansion.
Once I was untied, I watched them warily.
Mom looked anguished, her voice cracking as she spoke. “I know I was wrong! I know I was wrong, my child!”
I looked at her, confused and unsure.
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Chapter 5: Coercion
Xena came back from the hospital.
As soon as she entered the door, she ran to my mom, hugging her tightly. My mom’s expression stiffened for a moment, but quickly returned to her usual gentle demeanor.
“Why are you back?”
“I heard that sister didn’t want to donate the kidney and accused you and Dad of not treating her well.”
“Mom, I promise you, my parents treated her very well. Coco is just ungrateful. She wanted to run off with some man instead of going to school, and that’s why she was beaten!”
“But don’t worry, Mom and Dad have already found her a good family. Sister can’t be so greedy!”
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