Seven Years a Shadow: The Stand-In's Escape novel Chapter 20

Dad looked at me with disgust, his tone cold and void of warmth.

He said, "Don't try to be sarcastic with me. You can't even see how much you're worth, always trying to fight for fairness. Well, I don't mind tearing our relationship apart."

"I never wanted to have you, but I still got someone to raise you. You had enough to eat and wear. You should be grateful. You never should've come here to cause trouble."

With firm resolve, he turned his face away.

"I've always listened to your mother, putting up with you. But today, you're the one being unreasonable. Don't blame me for not recognizing you as my daughter from now on."

Finally, he gave the order to expel me.

The restaurant fell silent once again.

They wordlessly made a path for me to leave, everyone silently watching.

Waiting for me, this filthy thing, to hurry up and leave with their charity.

In that moment, everything became clear.

No matter how humble I was, I would never be part of this family.

And frankly, I didn't want to be.

So, as I raised my eyes again, I put away all the hesitation I once had.

I weighed the red envelope in my hand, slowly standing up.

In my high heels, I was now the same height as Dad.

I was no longer the little girl who once eagerly awaited his visits every month.

I met his gaze and asked quietly,

"Since you keep saying you never wanted me, then why did you have me?"

"...Was it because you couldn't control yourself, or am I someone else's child?"

Dad's pupils dilated, shock freezing him for a moment.

His lips trembled as he raised his hand, ready to slap me.

I swiftly sidestepped, causing him to stumble.

I then pointed my chin toward Mom.

"And you."

"Stop pretending to cry endlessly. Why didn't you stick to your principles when you didn't want me? Was I conceived by force? At 140 pounds, couldn't you resist?"

Mom finally stopped sobbing.

Her usual look of guilt toward me was gone.

She trembled with rage and pointed at me.

"...You wretched thing, how could we be so different?"

Yuna, seeing her beloved mother insulted, cried out in anger, rushing into her mother's arms.

Henry seemed about to hit me, lunging toward me to grab my wrist.

Their boyfriends joined in the scuffle.

"Yes! Whoever asks for help first is a piece of trash, and may they be struck down by lightning!"

"Now get out! You want to kill my mother?"

I smiled with satisfaction, pulling the test results from my pocket and throwing them onto the red envelope.

"Well said, Yuna East. Remember your words today."

"I won't take this money. Keep it. You might need it!"

Leaving the East family should have made me happy.

The tangled mess of the afternoon had been resolved. I could finally be at ease, no longer having to sacrifice my child to donate bone marrow.

I no longer needed to maintain the family ties I'd worked so hard to build.

But as I smiled, tears streamed down my face.

I sat at the empty bus stop. Everyone had their own buses to take home, but I couldn't find my way back.

Suddenly, I received messages from the family chat group, which had over sixty people.

I opened it, and it was a post from Dad.

[Unfilial daughter South insults her parents, behaves disgracefully, and has severed ties with the East family. From now on, if South uses our family name to borrow money or seek donations, it has nothing to do with us. Please be advised!]

After reading the message, my blood seemed to freeze.

I couldn't even imagine what it would be like if I were the one sick.