Chapter 2

After returning to my room, I did some homework. Fiona pushed the door open and came in. Alone with her, I instinctively felt fear and shrank back. "What do you want?" Fiona smiled and slapped me, then nodded in satisfaction. "Hmm, now it matches the slap your mom gave you." "Adeline, you're getting bold, complaining about me to your mom right in front of me. Do you think she'll care about you?" She took a lighter from her pocket, gripping my arm, dragging out her words slowly. "She'd be happier if you suffered." "Ah!" The flame from the lighter burned into the inside of my arm, leaving scars of varying sizes. Fiona moved the lighter with interest, as if she were leisurely eating barbecue. "Don't move. Otherwise, you'll suffer more, and your mom won't be happy if she finds out." I screamed, crying with tears streaming down my face: "Mom, mom, save me..." I heard mom's footsteps coming upstairs. I saw her standing outside the door. I met her eyes and begged her. "Mom, save me." She looked away, passed my room, and went back to her own room. I heard the door open and close, smelling the scent of burning flesh. I could only kneel on the ground, begging Fiona to let me go. She kicked me, "Still dare to complain? You're living in my house. Why can't you learn to bow your head?" I shook my head desperately, "I won't complain anymore. I won't." She seemed bored, clicking her tongue, "But if you don't complain, what excuse do I have to bully you?" "Why don't you keep complaining? It doesn't matter if you do. Oh, right, you even had the nerve to ask your mom for help. Can't you understand human language?" Fiona took out a sharp art knife from her pocket, eager to try it out. My face went pale, and I asked her to wait, then took off my uniform. "I have to wear it tomorrow." She giggled, "Adeline, you're really something." As she spoke, her hands didn't stop, the knife cutting from my shoulder blade down to my waist. I once looked in the mirror and saw my back covered with thin, long red lines. I gritted my teeth to bear the pain. When Fiona was done playing, I was drenched in cold sweat, lying on the floor, breathing heavily. Fiona left the room. I found the medical kit, skillfully applied medicine to myself, then climbed into bed. I felt cold, then hot, tightly wrapping myself in the blanket. Half-asleep, I heard mom's voice. It was from before she and dad divorced when we were a complete family. Her voice was gentle. "Adeline, Adeline, you're mommy's treasure. Mommy loves you so much..."