My Birthday, My Downfall novel Chapter 3

Compared to what I'd endured at the rehabilitation center, a slap was nothing.

My self-respect and pride, even my sense of shame, had long been tortured out of existence.

Dad hadn't expected me to react this way and was stunned.

I mechanically knocked my head against the floor until Jake pulled me up.

"Enough! Emma, stop this act."

"As long as you admit your mistake, that's fine. The whole family has prepared a homecoming dinner for you. Let's eat first!"

At the dinner table, Mom looked at me with concern:

"Emma, why have you lost so much weight?"

I cowered, only daring to keep my head down as I ate from my bowl, ignoring the delicacies on the table.

It wasn't that I didn't want to eat—I didn't dare.

For the past year, I had survived almost entirely on rotten food.

Because I wouldn't comply with the "correction," I often had nothing to eat and had to scavenge from garbage bins.

Once, they threw a chicken leg under the table.

I pounced on it like a starving wolf, only to be pinned down.

My limbs were tied to the table legs, and then I suffered the most painful humiliation of my life.

After that, I understood.

Good food doesn't come free. It comes with a terrible price.

So I didn't dare anymore.

Seeing my trembling appearance, Mom sighed and put a chicken leg in my bowl.

"Good daughter, this whole table is filled with your favorite dishes. Eat up!"

At the sight of the chicken leg, my eyes widened and my whole body shuddered.

I reflexively stood up, covered my head, and crawled under the table.

"I won't eat... I won't eat. Please don't tie me up..."

Mom, Dad, and Jake were all shocked.

They crouched down to look at me, who was trembling and muttering incoherently, and were all stunned.

"Emma Stone! You're starting again?!"

"Get out of there!"

Jake was the first to react, reaching out to grab and drag me.

"Sigh, the young lady seems to have suffered extreme psychological or physical abuse, which is why she's showing these stress responses."

"Additionally, she's severely malnourished and appears to have gone without proper food for a long time. She needs a nutritionist to help her recover."

"And she should be taken to a hospital immediately to check her mental state. Her condition is already very dangerous and could lead to various aftereffects..."

Before the doctor could finish, Lily interrupted him.

"How is that possible? We arranged everything at the rehabilitation center. Emma would have been well taken care of. How could this situation happen?"

"No, miss, she is—"

The doctor tried to say something but was coldly interrupted by Jake.

"Enough! Dr. Smith, you're helping her lie too, aren't you?"

He looked at me with contempt, as if he had figured something out.

"Emma Stone, your methods are quite clever. You even know how to bribe doctors now!"

The doctor was stunned. "Young master, you misunderstand..."

"What do I misunderstand? The sedative you gave her is fake too, right? She's still fully alert! How much did she pay you to lie for her?"

Dad stared at the doctor with displeasure. "Dr. Smith, my daughter only spent a year in a professional rehabilitation center. Their schedule is healthy, and the meals are nutritionally balanced. The situation you describe couldn't possibly happen."