Chapter 1The Reality of Being Forgotten

My parents' divorce split us apart. My sister went with Mom, and I was left with Dad.

After the divorce, Dad's temper grew worse. He spent his days drinking or beating me, ignoring everything else at home.

With no money for food or necessities, I had to work under the table at the local market after school just to keep us afloat.

One day, after Dad knocked me out and stole my hard-earned cash again, strange text floated across my vision like a livestream chat.

[The little sister is still in the dark. She doesn't know her parents never divorced.]

[This is all just a reality show. They want to see the difference between raising a child in poverty versus wealth.]

[The little sister is so pitiful, starving and cold, while the big sister lives in a mansion eating like a queen.]

Following the chat's instructions, I found where my sister lived. I saw her in an expensive princess dress, walking out of a villa arm-in-arm with our parents.

They got into a Rolls-Royce and drove away.

Clutching my aching, empty stomach, bitterness flooded my heart.

So, they never divorced. So, I was the only one suffering.

And the reason they chose me for the "poverty experiment"? Because I was the obedient one.

* * *

I stood there, frozen, staring in disbelief.

If I had doubted the floating text before, seeing my well-dressed parents and sister together shattered any skepticism.

They were still together. We weren't broke. I was just the only one left in the dark.

Was I abandoned because I was the good kid?

I clutched my chest, the pain making it hard to breathe.

The chat scrolling past my eyes told me this was all a game.

Rich people behind screens loved watching this kind of "reality TV," tipping thousands of dollars a day.

So, my parents did this for money?

Standing under the bright sun, I felt cold to my bones.

My phone buzzed.

A text from my sister, Chloe.

"Sis, heard you're working odd jobs to survive? Poor thing."

"But you've always been the sensible one. You'll work hard, right?"

Her tone dripped with schadenfreude.

Chloe had always been the sweet talker, knowing exactly how to make our parents smile.

I was the quiet one, always in the background.

In middle school, I ranked first in my grade while Chloe was at the bottom. Instead of praising me, my parents scolded me for showing off in front of her.

That was when I knew they favored her.

"What are you doing?! Look at the time!"

A familiar shout snapped me back to reality.

I realized I had walked to my workplace without thinking.

It was my daily part-time job.

After the "divorce," Dad became an alcoholic. He was either drunk, asleep, or hitting me.

He never gave me a dime. Sometimes, he even stole my wages for booze.

Because I was under eighteen, most places wouldn't hire me. I could only work illegal shifts at the market.

"I'm sorry..."

I apologized numbly, took the greasy apron, and started working.

It wasn't until midnight that I clutched my day's pay and carefully navigated the dark alley back home.

I turned on the light. The dim bulb illuminated our dilapidated, damp apartment.

Peeling paint, cracked windows, faded furniture.

Dad, usually drunk at home, was gone. I guessed he was with Mom and Chloe.

They were a happy family. I lived in a slum.

After eating a cup of instant noodles, I lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

I knew there were cameras hidden in the corners, broadcasting my every move to screens elsewhere for entertainment.

Unable to sleep, I took out my phone and scrolled aimlessly.

The floating text suddenly displayed a website link.

[This is their livestream site. Poor Little Sis doesn't know anything, working so hard.]

I held my breath and carefully typed the URL into my old phone.

It was a hidden site with many live channels.

In the most popular room, I saw myself. And my parents. And Chloe.

They were in a high-end restaurant, feasting on lobster and abalone. I smelled the lingering scent of instant noodles in my room and swallowed hard.

At this moment, I felt like the ugly duckling, peeking at the swans' happiness from the shadows.