Chapter 3The Rebellious Canary

It wasn't my fault that the two of them abandoned me. I didn't have time to be sad, and I was too lazy to complain about anything. I just wanted to survive.

I stood by the road, thought deeply for half an hour, and mapped out a path to survival for my future.

Carrying the two bags of old clothes, I continued walking down the road until I reached a police station and walked straight in.

The police station was very quiet, with only a few officers busy at their posts.

My eyes quickly swept the room and locked onto the officer with the kindest face. Without a moment's hesitation, I walked quickly up to him and dropped to my knees with a "thud."

"Officer, please, I beg you, save me! My mom and dad both don't want to raise me anymore. I'm only thirteen, no one will hire me to work. I want to survive," I said earnestly.

My sudden kneeling instantly drew the attention of everyone in the police station.

The kind-faced officer was startled. He quickly bent down and carefully pulled me up from the floor. His tone was sincere: "Little girl, get up, let's talk about this slowly."

After I stood up, five or six officers had already gathered around, their faces showing concern.

Seeing everyone gathered, I took the opportunity to explain my recent ordeal and predicament to them, word for word.

After listening to my story, the concern on the officers' faces gradually turned into sympathy.

At this moment, an older female officer with a gentle aura walked up to me and gently patted my shoulder.

"Little girl, don't worry, don't be afraid. According to the law, your parents have an obligation to support you. If they insist on not raising you, it's the crime of abandonment, and they can be sentenced to prison."

I only found out later that this female officer's last name was Miller, and the kind-faced officer's last name was Davis.

Officer Davis comforted me: "I'll call your parents right now and summon them to the station. Whether they remarry or not, they can't escape their parenting responsibilities!"

Just as he pulled out his phone, I spoke up and stopped him: "Sir, I didn't come here to force them to continue reluctantly raising me. Even if they take me home, I'll only suffer endless torment."

Neither my mom's house nor my dad's house was my house. Forcing them to continue raising me would only result in endless humiliation and torture.

Everyone present, besides me, was an adult over twenty. They naturally understood what I was saying, but they were also very helpless.

As the saying goes, even an upright official finds it hard to settle family quarrels. Given my current predicament, the only solution was probably to force them to continue raising me.

I hadn't shown much emotion from the very beginning, and right now I was very calm: "I came here because I want you to take up this abandonment case. I want to get a police report receipt for 'guardians failing to fulfill their support obligations'."

Without any hesitation, I laid out all my plans and my ultimate goal.

"After getting the police report receipt for their failure to support me, I also want to get a certificate designating me as a de facto unparented child."

"Then I will go to court to sue my parents, asking the court to revoke their guardianship, and appoint the civil affairs department as my guardian. Finally, send me to an orphanage, where they will raise me until I'm eighteen."

I had memorized this entire process long ago.

I had only stolen money once in my life. I secretly took five dollars from my mom's pocket to go to an illegal internet cafe. I went there not to surf the web, and definitely not to play games.

I just wanted to find out exactly how a child like me, with both parents living, could get into an orphanage.

Officer Davis looked at me deeply: "You are a very calm and smart child."

I gave a bitter smile, my gaze slowly sweeping across every police officer present, my voice carrying a hint of pleading.

"I beg you to help me. I am absolutely unwilling to be raised by either of them again. If I'm taken away by my dad, I'll most likely be beaten to death by my grandmother. If I'm taken away by my mom, she'll torture me to death sooner or later."

After these words were spoken, a brief silence fell over the police station, and everyone's face was solemn.

A moment later, Officer Davis spoke up first: "Okay, I'll help you! I will handle all the necessary documents and the matters related to suing your parents and revoking their guardianship. I won't let you face it alone."

Hearing these words, my eyes instantly welled up. I instinctively wanted to kneel down again to thank him, but Officer Miller pulled me into a tight hug.

She gently patted my back, her voice gentle yet powerful: "It's okay, little girl. Everything will pass. You are only thirteen, yet so calm and brave. When you grow up, no matter what difficulties you encounter, they won't be able to knock you down."

Later, I was temporarily placed in a children's rescue center. The rescue center was responsible for my food, clothing, housing, and transportation, so I didn't have to worry about going hungry or cold anymore.

The next time I saw my mom and dad was at the courthouse entrance.