My Birthday, My Downfall novel Chapter 8

At first, Lily kept making excuses, saying she just wanted to leave quietly to avoid putting Mom, Dad, and Jake in a difficult position.

Until the police presented all the evidence against her.

The bank withdrawal records from a year ago, and the hundred thousand dollars that appeared in each arrested suspect's account.

Plus the videos the suspects had recorded on their phones over the past year.

When these videos were projected onto the screen, Mom, Dad, and Jake completely lost it.

In the footage, I was tied under a table while a dozen men took turns abusing me.

I cried and begged for mercy, only to be whipped.

If I tried to escape, they would taser me until I collapsed, convulsing on the ground, even wetting myself.

As the video timeline progressed, I changed from initially being defiant and resistant to...

Becoming an obedient dog, crawling at their feet, barking "woof woof," licking their shoes.

Just a single cough from them would terrify me into begging for mercy, mechanically and numbly tearing off my own clothes.

After being abused, I would curl up in a corner watching them drink and eat meat.

If they were in a good mood, they might throw me a bone with some meat on it.

If I wasn't obedient, I could only eat scraps from the slop bucket.

They even gave me a nickname, "little dog."

"Little dog, want to eat a big chicken leg?"

With lewd laughter, I knelt on the ground and fearfully shook my head.

In the unbearable footage, I gagged painfully, but having had nothing to eat, could only bring up acid.

Finally, one day I got hold of a drunk man's phone and tearfully called Jake for help.

But I was only met with his mockery and Mom and Dad's anger.

Jake hung up the phone while I was in despair.

Then, the awakened man grabbed my hair and beat me mercilessly.

Mom covered her mouth and collapsed crying into Dad's arms. Jake painfully clutched his head.

"Release my sister!"

Jake tried to approach, but the lead suspect held a knife to my throat.

"Everyone back off! Get us a private jet and fifty million in cash. Otherwise, I'll kill her right now!"

That day, they saw I was willing to risk death by jumping into the river, and knew if I died, none of them would escape.

They had no choice but to jump in and save me, even planning to use me to extort money before leaving.

By now, all my wounds had begun to fester, and I was running a fever.

In my confused state, I saw Mom crying so hard she could barely breathe, kneeling and begging the suspects to let me go.

Dad frantically made phone calls, arranging for money and a private jet.

Jake repeatedly bowed to the police, begging them not to make any sudden moves and to let these suspects go.

"Emma, don't be afraid! Mom and Dad won't let anything happen to you!"

"Little sister, I was wrong! Lily has been arrested, and we've cut all ties with her. From now on, you're the only daughter of our Stone family. Hang in there!"