Chapter 1The Family Tool

Five years after my biological mother finally brought me home, a text message suddenly popped up on my phone.

Now that you have the family you’ve longed for, are you very happy?

The sender was me, five years ago.

Back then, I was still lying in a narrow bed at the orphanage, completely consumed by the sudden, overwhelming joy of finally having a family. I remember holding the little welcome gift my mother had given me, carefully typing out my hopes for the future, word by word.

But right now, my mother was busy punishing my younger sister for her dropping grades.

In front of my sobbing sister, she slapped my face until my skin turned a bruised purple and my eardrum ruptured. Then, she forced me to the floor, grinding the heel of her boot over my fingers, crushing them against the cold hardwood.

She stared down at my sister, her voice cutting through the room like ice: "I can’t bring myself to hurt you, Hailey, so I am using her as your example. If you don’t study hard, this is the pathetic, trampled life you will live. Anyone will be able to step on you."

Terrified by the violence, Hailey wept hysterically, begging and swearing that she would never neglect her studies again.

Only then did our mother finally lift her foot off my bleeding hand.

I swallowed the copper tang of blood in my mouth, using my broken, trembling fingers to slowly type a reply.

Don't go home with her. Not all reunions are born out of love.

…

The blood was pooling in the back of my throat. Unable to hold it back any longer, I let out a harsh, ragged cough, splattering red across the polished floor.

Hailey shrieked, clutching our mother's sleeve in desperation. "Mom, please! I’ll study, I swear I’ll study! Stop hurting Alicia! She... she’s coughing up blood!"

Margaret’s expression remained terrifyingly gentle as she pulled Hailey’s hands away. In one swift, brutal motion, she grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my swollen, distorted face up so Hailey was forced to look directly into my eyes.

"If you feel sorry for her, then you had better remember this pain," Margaret whispered, her voice smooth and venomous. "The next time you fail an exam, the punishment your sister receives won't be as simple as a few slaps."

Hailey nodded frantically, her eyes darting away from me in sheer guilt.

Seeing that her message had been properly beaten into her younger daughter, Margaret’s face softened into a satisfied smile.

I kept my head bowed, fighting back the choking bitterness in my chest, and pressed send on the message I had just written.

Five years ago, Margaret had walked into the orphanage, weeping as she wrapped her arms around me. She told me she had spent years searching for me, that she wanted to bring me home and make up for every single day we had lost.

But by then, Hailey had already been spoiled into a rebellious, untouchable terror. She skipped classes, talked back, and caused chaos wherever she went. No one could control her.

Until the day Hailey was caught shoplifting at a local grocery store and refused to apologize.

Faced with her daughter’s stubborn defiance, Margaret had forced me to wear a cardboard sign that read "THIEF" around my neck, making me kneel outside the store entrance to apologize in Hailey’s place.

It was only when Hailey saw me humiliated in public that she panicked, crying as she finally begged the store owner for forgiveness.

Having tasted the success of this twisted method, Margaret began to use me as a tool to train my sister.

Whenever Hailey talked back or lied, Margaret would pierce my lip with a sewing needle. Whenever Hailey got into fights at school, Margaret would tie my hands to the school gates, making me stand there in the freezing rain to humiliate her into obeying.

Slowly, Hailey became the perfect, obedient daughter. And slowly, my body became a canvas of scars.

Gently wiping the tears from Hailey’s cheeks, Margaret cooed, "There, there, don't cry anymore. Were you scared, my darling? Mom booked a table at your favorite restaurant. Let’s go have a wonderful dinner, alright?"

Hailey nodded tearfully, then looked back at me, her voice trembling. "Can we bring Alicia with us?"

Margaret’s face instantly hardened. She cast a cold, repulsed glance in my direction. "Alicia still has to pay for your mistakes. She will remain on her knees until tomorrow morning. From now on, whenever you do your homework, she will kneel beside your desk. She will only be allowed to stand when your grades improve."

Hailey’s head drooped, her shoulders shaking with silent guilt.

I bit my lip, my nails digging into my palms until the skin broke, but I couldn't feel the physical pain anymore. My heart was already numb.

"Go on, change your clothes," Margaret urged, her voice light again. "If we’re late, we’ll lose our reservation."

Hailey turned back, giving me one last look filled with sorrow and helplessness, before she walked out.

As they opened the front door, they ran into our next-door neighbor.

The neighbor smiled warmly at Hailey before turning to Margaret. "Oh, Margaret, you really know how to raise a child. Hailey used to be so wild, but look at her now, she's so polite and disciplined."

She leaned in closer, dropping her voice to a low whisper. "Is that your older girl inside? She’s incredibly tough. I could hear the blows from my living room, but she didn't make a single sound."

Margaret didn't show a hint of shame. Instead, her chin rose with pride. "Hailey is still young and reckless. Someone has to show her the real cost of making mistakes."

With a light laugh, the heavy front door slammed shut.

Kneeling on the freezing floor, I felt as though an invisible hand was squeezing the remaining life out of my chest.

Just then, my phone vibrated. A new message flashed on the screen.

Why are you lying about Mom?

You have no idea how much she wanted me back. She already had a daughter, but she told me I was the one she missed the most.

I stared at the glowing screen, my mind spinning.

I was actually speaking to my past self across time. It felt like holding the key to my own destiny. My hands shook as I frantically typed a response.

I am you, five years in the future.

Please, listen to me. Do not go home with her.

You are not her daughter. You are just a whip she uses to keep your sister in line.