Chapter 1
My father, Declan Hamilton, turned fifty this Christmas. He has two daughters-my older sister Ariana Hamilton and me, Ashley Hamilton.
He dotes on Ariana endlessly but treats me like a stray dog, subjecting me to constant abuse.
I always thought he despised me because I was his illegitimate daughter, until a paternity test proved I was indeed his biological child.
He forced drugs down my throat, making me foam at the mouth like a rabid animal, my limbs convulsing in agony.
I cried out to my mother, Monica Hamilton, for help.
Heartbroken, she demanded to know why Declan was treating me this way.
But he simply pulled out Ariana’s test results. After one glance, Monica kicked me in the stomach so hard I couldn’t stop vomiting.
My aunt Emma Lawson felt sorry for me and wanted to take me away. But Declan showed her that same report.
After reading it, her face went pale, and she jumped off a building that very day.
Declan’s boss, Vincent Murray, accidentally witnessed everything and secretly slipped me some money, telling me to
run.
Just three more days, and I’ll escape this hell!
But I’ve always been curious-what exactly was written on Ariana’s test results?
“You bitch, let’s see if you ever dare do this again!” Declan roared as I cowered at his feet, trembling all over.
He slashed my face with scissors just because I’d secretly used Ariana’s makeup.
Blood blurred my vision as my heart pounded violently.
I wanted to tell him I was his daughter, not some toy he could trample on at will. I begged him to stop hitting me.
But when I looked up at him, there wasn’t a trace of mercy in his eyes-only deep disgust.
Why? Wasn’t I his daughter?
Ever since Declan brought Ariana back from Emma’s house where she’d been raised, he became a completely different
person.
Every day he prepared lavish meals for Ariana while I crouched
in the corner, eating their leftovers.
They threw Ariana a birthday party at a five-star hotel while I hid in the basement, gnawing on dry spaghetti and watching her laugh happily through the crack under the door.
She had her own private dressing room filled with designer cosmetics Declan bought her. Meanwhile, I was beaten until my bones broke just for secretly using Monica’s old lipstick.
That day I was beaten so badly my limbs were twisted, and I could only crawl on the ground, my eyes filled with resentment.
Could there be something wrong with my identity?
I thought I wasn’t Declan’s biological daughter. So Ariana secretly took me to get a paternity test.
The results confirmed I was indeed Declan and Monica’s biological daughter. Then why did he despise me so much?
Just as I was about to check Ariana’s test results, Declan appeared.
Seeing his cold stare, I instinctively tried to flee but was kicked to the ground.
“Bitch, trying to run?” He clutched the test report in one hand while whipping me with a belt in the other.
clapped and laughed beside him.
Once I was completely unable to resist, he pried open my mouth and forced down some burning liquid.
I foamed at the mouth like a dog, my limbs convulsing as my abdomen felt like it was on fire.
When Monica came home and saw me writhing in agony on the floor, she immediately confronted Declan. “Ashley is your daughter! How can you treat her like this?”
Declan sneered and handed Ariana’s test results to her, then leaned down to whisper something.
Monica’s face went white.
She stopped questioning him and instead lifted her high heel, stomping on my abdomen over and over.
I convulsed in pain, clutching my bleeding stomach with both hands.
As Monica stomped on me, she cursed, “Little bitch! I can see you don’t want to stay in this house anymore. Once I crush your belly, let’s see if you still dare think such thoughts!”
From then on, every day became a nightmare of Declan and Monica’s joint abuse.
Each time I’d kneel on the ground covered in bruises, wiping away blood while enviously watching them cuddle with Ariana as they watched movies.
I was their daughter-so why did they treat me this way after Ariana came back?
During those years of beatings from Declan and Monica, I once sought help from community workers.
Initially, they sympathized with me and even visited our home, trying to correct Declan and Monica’s behavior.
The workers said, “What kind of parents are you? The child hasn’t done anything wrong and you’re still beating her.”
Declan and Monica remained silent, simply showing them Ariana’s test results.
After reading it, the workers’ expressions changed completely, and they immediately turned on me with harsh words. “She deserves to be beaten to death-she’s nothing but a slut!”
And so I endured abuse until high school graduation, my entire body covered in scars.
Every cry for help fell on deaf ears.
Trembling, I asked Declan, “I’m about to start college. Can you
please tell me what I did wrong?”
He looked at me with a cold smile, not a trace of warmth in his eyes. “Your very existence is a mistake!”
With that, he slapped me hard and grabbed my hair for another vicious beating.
Fortunately, Emma, who hadn’t shown up in ages, arrived just in time, and I barely escaped with my life.
She held my bloodied body in her arms and angrily scolded Declan, “I’ll pay for Ashley’s tuition. You’re never to touch her again!”
Warmth flooded my heart, but seeing Declan’s next move, my entire body froze.
He was about to pull out Ariana’s test results again.
