The Unpromising Adopted Daughter

3

I spoke up loudly, "If I had bought or stolen a child, this would definitely be my punishment. You can call the police to arrest me because that's a crime. Kidnapping and child trafficking are heinous offenses. But that's not what happened here. I kindly rescued a baby who was nearly drowned in a chamber pot, adopted her for 18 years, and raised her to become a prestigious university student against all odds. I didn't even give birth to her. None of you have the right to criticize me, not even Lindsay, who I raised as my own."

Once my statement went public, it quickly went viral online:

[She was almost drowned in a chamber pot? Does she think she's in a movie?]

[That's just how some people are - they won't cry until they see the coffin. I support the Hale family suing her]

[How can she make up for 18 years of lacking family affection? She must be sentenced]

Lindsay and her brother took advantage of this wave of attention to start a live stream. As soon as they went online, they attracted hundreds of thousands to millions of viewers. The two cashed in on this popularity to make a lot of money, crying on the live stream.

[I won't sue them. They did raise me, after all]

Then the siblings talked about their first experience working in the fields during the live stream. Lindsay mentioned the 50-cent ice cream, thinking she would be praised. Little did she know, the viewers weren't buying it.

[How much? Did I hear that right?]

[Unbelievable, a 50-cent ice cream moved you that much?]

[Wait, look at the shoes Lindsay's wearing. I remember those cost over $300 and are a limited edition. I begged my mom for ages, but she refused]

[So the carefree little princess was moved by a 50-cent ice cream? Then I can easily get a date with my crush by buying her a $3 iced drink this afternoon]

Seeing the live stream veer off her intended theme of family love's greatness, Lindsay hurriedly added:

[Although my parents are hardworking farmers, they really do care about me. They work in the fields while leaving me waiting for them. It's a pity they suffer so much discrimination from my adoptive family despite their hard labor]

Someone else chimed in, [Yes, farm work is no joke. As a kid, I dreaded rice planting season the most each summer vacation. My back and waist would be killing me. The worst was the leeches that would latch onto my legs and suck my blood. Just thinking about it breaks my heart]

[Yeah, it's really tough for us farmers]

Others argued, [But who isn't exhausted? I was on my feet for eight hours in the office today, and now my calves are shaking]

[You're not the only one. I nearly passed out at the factory the other day. It was sweltering with no AC on the assembly line. So many people crammed together - the mix of machine oil stench and body odor made me dizzy]

The viewers' thoughts were more divergent than Lindsay expected, and no one cared about her attempts to portray me as discriminating against the poor while favoring the rich. Besides, what did her parents' family have to do with me? Was there anything for me to look down on?

Seeing the live stream wasn't going as planned, Lindsay started discrediting me and Liam:

[Although my parents have no money or status, they respect and love me wholeheartedly. I wanted to apply for the Archaeology Department, and my adoptive family strongly opposed it, but my biological parents supported me fully. They said they were willing to support all my dreams. I think if I had grown up with them as a child, I definitely wouldn't have been so timid and cowardly from a young age]

Viewers commented: [If you were raised by your biological parents, you probably wouldn't have gotten into such a prestigious university.]

[Upstairs 1]

[1]

[1]

[I have to say it - the two older Hale sisters dropped out of school at 15 to work, and the younger brother is still living at home at 18. You can tell this family doesn't prioritize education]

[What respect? When this girl graduates, she'll understand her adoptive family had good intentions]

[Although I hate and condemn child buying and kidnapping, let's be honest - if she hadn't been raised by her adoptive family, this girl likely wouldn't have gotten into such a prestigious university]

Seeing the public opinion and comments spiral out of control, Lindsay hurriedly ended the stream.

Liam puffed through several cigarettes in the study and said to me seriously, [Let's legally cut ties with her, okay? Didn't she say we're the adoptive family? Then we'll return her to her biological family and be done with her]

I nodded, thinking getting rid of this nuisance wouldn't be so easy.

4

Just as I expected, the next day Lindsay released a video about how I had strictly disciplined her since childhood, allowing no personal freedom.

The Hale mother cried to the camera in the background, [I had just given birth when Sunny was cruelly stolen by those kidnappers. I cried that entire confinement period. If I didn't have two kids to raise, I would've died along with Sunny]

The comments poured in with sympathy for them, condemning Liam and me.

[I only realized after having a child that I'd consider dying if I couldn't see them]

[Yes, I took my kid to the park once and turned around to find them gone. I immediately broke into a cold sweat, mind going blank. I can't imagine the panic of not finding your child]

[Exactly, I was playing hide-and-seek as a kid and fell asleep in an empty water tank. The whole village came searching for me. I got quite the beating that day]

People everywhere shared fears of losing sight of their children, and the internet filled with care and condemnation.

Of course, there are always nitpickers:

[That won't stop them favoring a son over daughters]

[Don't ask. The only thing they'll say is their land must be inherited by a son]

[How dare they say that? Three daughters and one son - it's obvious to anyone they prefer sons]

Some angry netizens uncovered my identity, flooding my work with comments like:

[What kind of novel can a child trafficker write? How can she convey anything healthy when her values are so skewed? Ban her books]

[Request a ban]

[Request a ban]

[Must ban, must sentence]

Liam's company account was flooded by bad comments, and I didn't even dare to read them.

Our cell and work numbers were all leaked by netizens. Liam said painfully, [Call that kid and tell her to stop causing trouble. Enough is enough]

Seeing Liam still unwilling to blame her, I decided drastic measures were needed to make him face facts. So I called her, saying I had a birthday present ready and asked her to come get it.

Lindsay returned with a smug look, sneering, "What gift? It better be worth my trip."

I resisted the urge to throw her out. "Lindsay, please stop stirring up drama online, okay?"

She rolled her eyes. "Who said I was joking? Don't you despise my poor family and look down on us? Then let's see who makes more money live streaming."

Lindsay rolled up her sleeves, showing off a silver bracelet. "My mom bought me this silver bracelet. They say elders gift them hoping the child will be happy lifelong. It's a pity you never bought me one."

5

I thought about the designer bracelets, luxury watches, and 50-gram gold bars I gifted her yearly for birthdays, then looked at her simple silver bangle. I finally accepted some people are just unappreciative.

Liam's face reddened with rage, his neck bulging. Slamming the table, he barked, "Lindsay, as of today, your household registration transfers back to your biological parents'. We're done."

Lindsay's face fell. "Dad, you don't want me anymore? Don't love me?" She cried aggrievedly.

Liam's expression hardened. "I'm not your father. I won't pity you sitting in the sun or feed you 50-cent ice cream, much less buy you a silver bracelet. Your mother and I delayed your beautiful life all these years. I apologize. Don't come back - I'll pack your things and ship them in two days."

Liam's words gave me relief. This should've happened long ago.

Lindsay nodded, eyes red. "Okay, then give me the house and car you promised for my birthday?"

Liam and I exchanged helpless looks. Had we really raised such an ingrate all these years?

Lindsay didn't get the house and car. Oh, she should just change her name to Sunny Hale.

That night playing victim on her live stream: [They said they cut ties with me. From now on, I only have one set of parents.]

The viewers didn't coddle her. "Why does it sound like she's reluctant to leave?"

"You don't know this, do you? The taxes those two pay running a company and writing novels are enough for the Hale family's lifetime earnings. How could Sunny Hale bear leaving her adoptive family?"

"She's still a child. Why harp on money? Isn't that disgusting?"

The endless online debate completely disrupted Liam and my normal lives.

Liam called Lindsay's father to discuss letting this go and returning to normalcy.

Little did we know, the Hale father disagreed and even mocked Liam, "How the tides have turned - who would've thought the opportunity that brought me fame was given by you."

Liam was so angry he smashed his favorite cup and sat in silence.

I raised the memory card. "Remember this?"

Liam smiled bitterly. "That year on a business trip to Boli Village, you excitedly recorded real village life with your camera. Who knew shortly after filming, you happened to capture the Hale family trying to drown their baby in a chamber pot? You immediately tossed the camera aside and ran to save them. Thankfully, the camera wasn't damaged and the child was rescued."

I nodded. "We've discussed taking a low-key approach with them many times, but they're unwilling. They still want to bleed us dry. They're profiting, but have no right to disrupt our lives."

That night, I censored the video and uploaded it online, causing a huge uproar.

"What the hell, what the hell, what the hell."

"What era is this? How can people disregard rules so much?"

"You still have the nerve to cry and search for your daughter online? You must be here to leech off her getting into college."

"That girl seems crooked from the start, otherwise how could she be so confused about right and wrong?"

6

"At the little black room, at Sunny Hale, sir, this woman is no good, she's trying to cheat people and gain popularity, sir, please ban Sunny Hale's account."

"At, at, at, come and see, someone's going to get killed."

My video became the top trending search that night. Onlookers watched this powerful reversal and attacked Sunny Hale's account.

Eventually, Sunny Hale's live stream account was banned. She had to return all gifted earnings from streaming. She was also blacklisted, clearly prohibited from spreading rumors and misleading people on the platform.

That night, Sunny Hale came to our house. When she tried using her usual fingerprint entry, she couldn't open the door.

She knocked, and Liam told her through the door not to come back.

She cried and shouted, "We're family, why are you really angry with me? I was just joking, Mom and Dad. You're just temporarily mad, right? You'll forgive me after calming down, right?"

Liam ignored her, sold the house we were living in, blocked her number, and we moved out.

7

We don't have to push our child to study or prepare surprises and gifts anymore. Our lives became much easier and freer.

Inspired, I wrote an article blasting the ungrateful adopted daughter. It made the internet's front page list. Daily, I tortured her in the story in various ways and made good money.

When free, Liam and I traveled around, fulfilling our youthful ambitions. Who knew we'd become jaded parents of ingrates so young? Daily raising a child, reading countless parenting books saying children need a complete childhood. We set ourselves aside, putting the child first in everything. After elementary school started, Liam and I learned more than her, supervising, checking, coaxing, persuading daily. She finally got into college, only to end up like this.

Looking back, it was all just a dream.

The next I heard from Sunny Hale was through my sister. Sunny messaged her asking for money. Soft-hearted, my sister asked what was wrong. Sunny complained bitterly, and I realized she'd had a hard two years.

After we cut ties, her parents thought they could profit online, but because of my video, they not only got called into the police station but also had to vomit out their earnings.

The Hales then realized they couldn't miss exploiting our family, so they told Sunny to come to us again, thinking we'd easily forgive the child we raised. But they didn't expect our resolve.

Unable to contact us with Sunny still needing college tuition, her parents' true colors showed.

They coaxed Sunny into selling her iPhone and MacBook at a discount. After tuition, they only gave her $200 for living expenses. The rest went to her brother Jordan's cigarettes, drinking and fancy meals.

Sunny spent $20 on a used burner phone. With her unpopular, difficult major, she had little time for a part-time job.

When she couldn't afford food, she hooked up with an older man off-campus. He gave her $300 monthly, and she transferred $220 to Jordan.

My sister couldn't help asking why she sent it to her brother. Sunny said, "After all, blood is thicker than water. I can't bear to see him suffer."

Hahahaha, hearing my sister share this, I laughed so hard tears came out. "Blood is thicker than water", what an irony.

8

What we held as our treasure was just part of the Hale family's support for their son.

If Sunny Hale achieves nothing and still needs family subsidy, her parents will ensure they run as far away as possible.

This time she contacted my sister to borrow money because Jordan was having an affair and got the married woman pregnant. The woman’s husband demanded $30,000 in compensation, saying if Jordan didn't pay, he'd harm him badly. The carefree fear no consequences, he said.

How could the perpetually poor Hale couple come up with that much? So the eldest and second sister who married out took $10,000 each, leaving Sunny Hale to find the remaining $10,000.

What could the poor student Sunny do? She called me but I blocked her. Couldn't reach Liam either. She went to our previous home, but another family lived there, saying we'd moved long ago.

My sister asked me what to do?

I said coldly, "Block, don't reply, ignore."

My sister's expression was intriguing, "Sister, think carefully. After all, you raised her eighteen years, can you bear to let it go?"

After those nights of betrayal and slander, my heart had long hardened to stone.

The next time I saw Sunny Hale was at my book signing event. My book about the ungrateful adopted daughter topped the hot lists. Published, copyright sold, being prepped for a movie adaptation.

She pretended to be a fan, lining up for an autograph. When she reached me, a man behind her took out a camera as she knelt, "Mom, you should've calmed down after so many years, right? Please forgive me. I was bewitched by the Hales back then."

I looked up at Sunny, only a junior this year, supposedly the most energetic campus age.

But her eyes were tired, face haggard, grievance and hurt in her gaze. As a child, that look meant Liam and I would scoop her up, coddling her tenderly. But if she thought that 21-year-old Sunny's trick would work on me, she was wrong.

I was expressionless. "I remember you said in that livestream we were just the adoptive family, not your real parents. You said we controlled and suffocated you. That I never bought you a silver bracelet, didn't really love you."

She cried helplessly at the bustling crowd, "Mom, I was just a child then. How can a mother and child really be angry?"

I stared at her, wanting to see what else she could say.

"Mom, remember? You promised a house and car when I turned 18. You can't go back on your word." Her eyes brimmed stubbornness and madness.

Someone in the crowd couldn't stand it anymore,

"She's the ungrateful adopted daughter prototype, right?"

"I think the author was too gentle. Didn't even write about her shamelessly asking for a car and house."

"Is something wrong with this woman's brain? Why doesn't her logic seem normal?"

"Is she incapable of seeing beyond the surface?"

"Security, security! Don't just watch the show, throw her out!"

Until she was thrown out, she still clung to the door, asking for the house and car.

Though the book signing farce ended, it caused an online uproar, everyone recalling what happened three or four years prior.

9

Some people said Sunny Hale had it her own way, while others applauded, but there were always some self-righteous troublemakers online: [Don't you think this adoptive mother is too cruel?]

[Yes, yes. After all, how could I bear to disown a child I raised myself? No wonder she's so accomplished. Her heart differs from ordinary people's]

Looking at those people talking big online without hesitation, I couldn't help but say, [Since you feel so bad for her, why don't you adopt her?]

The netizen's reply became an internet meme: [I'm just stating facts, how dare you plot against me?]

The entry [how dare you plot against me [inexplicably became a hot search, everyone laughing at the netizen for talking so tough. If really asked to adopt her, they'd run away faster than anyone.

As the ungrateful adopted daughter story hit the big screen, the kindness of adoption and biological birth sparked feverish discussion. Liam and I drank red wine at a Sanya hotel, watching netizens debate the topic.

Suddenly the platform pushed breaking news:

[The adopted female college student the Hale family once tried drowning in a toilet has poisoned her family's food, leaving no survivors]

Here are some insider comments:

[Lindsay suffered so much. Just in college, her mother forced her to give $10,000 to her brother. Couldn't pay it back, so her mother forced her into online loans. Later, she couldn't pay those either. Lindsay suffered a lot, controlled by loan sharks]

[When I learned she was nearly drowned, I thought her biological parents wouldn't treat her well]

[It's such a pity that after all the effort and sacrifices made by her adoptive family to raise her into a college student, her biological parents came along and undid all of that hard work]

[Rumor is she did this crazy thing because the Hales forced Sunny to marry an abusive older man addicted to domestic violence. Could be her father's age, but the Hales tricked her back for a $20,000 dowry]

[What a poor thing]

One netizen had a differing view: [In fact, she got to this point for her own reasons. She doesn't know gratitude, obsessed with so-called small favors and blood ties. It's a pity.]

Liam and I just silently closed the message window. A reporter wanted to interview us, but we refused.

We wasted half our lives on an ingrate. No longer young, we just want to enjoy our motherland's beautiful rivers and mountains while we still can walk.