Chapter 3The Family Tool

I raised the phone camera, capturing a photo of my bruised, unrecognizable face.

But my thumb hovered over the send button, paralyzed.

My mind kept betraying me, drifting back to the early days. I remembered the warm bowls of soup she used to cook for me, the comfort of her embrace when I was sick, and the soft smile on her face when she told me I was her good girl.

Those memories were fading, but I clung to them like a lifeline.

I looked at the calendar on the wall. There was only one month left before Hailey’s college entrance exams.

Maybe once she passed her exams, this nightmare would end. Maybe Margaret would go back to loving me the way she used to.

With a heavy heart, I deleted the photo.

Suddenly, my phone rang. Margaret’s voice on the line was devoid of any warmth. "Alicia, get to Hailey's school right now."

Terrified that something had happened to my sister, I ran out of the apartment as fast as my legs could carry me.

When I reached the principal's office, I found Margaret sitting with a dark, furious expression, while Hailey stood in the corner, her eyes red from crying.

My chest tightened, and I instinctively took a step back, trying to slip away.

"Alicia, get in here," Margaret's cold voice cut through the air.

The homeroom teacher, Mrs. Gable, looked shocked when she saw my swollen face, but she quickly masked her concern and turned back to Hailey. "There is only a month left before the final exams. This is the most critical period of her high school career, and yet, Hailey was caught in a romantic relationship on school grounds."

"If this ruins her chances at college, the consequences will be devastating."

"We weren't dating!" Hailey cried out, her voice cracking. "I just didn't understand some of the study questions, so I asked him for help!"

Mrs. Gable sighed, pulling up a photo on her phone and showing it to Margaret. "She is still lying. Look at how close they are. Their faces are practically touching. This is clearly a physical relationship, and she is using studying as an excuse."

Due to the angle of the photo, the two teenagers did indeed look as if they were kissing.

"No, that's not true!" Hailey sobbed, shaking her head wildly. "I swear we weren't..."

"Silence!" Margaret roared, her voice cutting Hailey off. "Is this the real reason your grades have been slipping?"

Without warning, Margaret lunged forward, grabbed me by the hair, and began dragging me toward the door.

Mrs. Gable jumped up in alarm. "Mrs. Chen, what are you doing? Please, let's discuss this calmly!"

Margaret kept her grip on my hair, her voice tight with controlled fury. "Don't interfere, Mrs. Gable. The only way to make Hailey understand her mistake is to make an example out of her sister."

Mrs. Gable looked at my bruised face, opened her mouth to speak, but ultimately remained silent.

Hailey ran after us, sobbing as she clawed at Margaret’s hands. "Mom, please! I wasn't dating him! Just leave Alicia alone!"

Ignoring her cries, Margaret dragged me all the way to the school gates, where students were walking by. In the middle of the crowded pavement, she began tearing at my clothes.

I clung to her legs, begging for mercy, while Hailey fell to her knees, weeping hysterically. But Margaret remained entirely unmoved.

I curled my body into a tight ball, trying desperately to cover myself, as waves of pure humiliation and despair washed over me.

Pointing her finger at me, Margaret glared at Hailey, who was shaking on the ground. "Do you see this? This is what happens when you don't value your own dignity!"

"If you keep seeing that boy, this is exactly how cheap and ruined you will end up!"

Hailey slowly pushed herself up from the ground, her face streaked with tears. The pressure she had carried for years finally snapped.

"I hate you!" she screamed, her voice echoing across the courtyard.

"Why do you always use Alicia’s body to punish me? I told you, we weren't dating! Why do you have to ruin her to prove your point?"

"This family is a living nightmare!"

Without looking back, she bolted out of the school gates and ran down the street.

Margaret stood frozen, staring at the empty space where her daughter had just been. "Why... why didn't she listen this time?" she muttered to herself.

"It must be because the punishment wasn't severe enough."

She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Find me one of the vagrants from the streets near the old district."