My Birthday, My Downfall novel Chapter 1

At my birthday banquet, my sister, the bogus heiress, suddenly slashed her face with a knife.

And then she collapsed to her knees before me.

'Sister, look! I'm ugly now. Please don't make me sleep with those men anymore...'

'I won't dare compete with you for parents and brother's love again! I'm leaving as your wanted!'

Upon hearing this, my parents exploded with rage and sent me to a detention facility overnight.

There, I was clubbed, electrocuted, and savagely tortured by dozens of guards taking turns.

Until a year later, my family finally remembered me.

Yet, my eyes were filled with nothing but sheer terror. I knelt before them and crawled on the ground like a dog.

"Please, Master, have mercy!"

"Punish me gently... I'll do anything!"

---

My legs shook as I walked out of the rehabilitation center. My brother Jake leaned against his black car, studying me with calculating eyes.

By now, they had cleaned me up and changed me back into the dress I'd worn when I arrived.

No trace remained of the year's worth of abuse I'd suffered.

When they learned my family would collect me, they force-fed me weight-gaining supplements and hired special effects makeup artists to conceal every scar on my body.

When Jake noticed I still wouldn't call him "brother" and maintained my cold, distant demeanor, he frowned and grabbed my arm roughly.

"What's this about? Knew I was coming to get you, so you deliberately took your time making me wait two hours?"

"Emma Stone, still so arrogant? Haven't had enough time in rehab yet?"

Seeing his angry face and hearing the threat in his words, my pupils contracted sharply. I instinctively pulled my arm away, my face turning pale.

With a thud, I fell to my knees at Jake's feet.

*Thump. Thump. Thump.*

I began desperately banging my head against the ground, trembling as I begged.

"I'm sorry, master. I have angered the master..."

"Master's shoes are dirty again. I will clean them right away..."

I crawled to his shoes, mechanically extending my tongue to lick them.

Jake yanked his foot away, stepping back with disgust in his eyes.

"Emma Stone, what the hell is wrong with you?"

His gaze was like that of a cold, venomous snake, making me shake with fear.

I remembered the dark experiences of being locked in the rehabilitation center.

Usually, this kind of reaction meant they were about to punish me for being a "disobedient" dog.

I reflexively started to lift my dress.

But now, I just stared blankly, then started frantically slapping myself on both sides of my face.

As I slapped myself, I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood, and didn't dare make a sound.

When I was first locked in the rehab facility, I fought back against those who tried to abuse me. As a result, they tasered me to the ground and beat me with clubs and whips for three days and nights straight.

When hungry, I got only rotten food.

Once, I got lucky when a ‘instructor’ who came to abuse me was drunk. I managed to get his phone.

I called Jake from memory, crying and apologizing, begging him to bring me home.

He just snorted coldly. "Emma Stone, we agreed on a year. It's only been a few days. Compared to what Lily suffered, this punishment is already lenient."

"Stay there and get that princess attitude of yours fixed."

From the other end of the line came Lily's fragile crying.

"It’s me stole her love first, so she has every right to punish me..."

"Please forgive her, okay? My face is ruined now, and I'm no longer worthy of being the Stone family's princess. Just let me leave, boo-hoo..."

I tried to say something more but was interrupted by my parents' angry shouts.

"Jake Stone! Can't you see Lily is upset? Hang up! Don't take Emma's calls again!"

"We agreed on a year, and that's that. She can come back when she learns her lesson!"

The call ended with my desperate wails.