My parents had always ignored how well I did in my studies.
Soon, my mother got me a job in a factory. “Work hard and make sure to send money home on time,” she told me. “Suzy’s tuition fees aren’t cheap.”
Every word out of her mouth was about Suzy. She ignored how I was pale from the pains of my first menstruation and the red stains on my pants.
Working in the factory was exhausting, but the library there contained damaged textbooks and old, discarded books.
I would run to the library during my breaks to read and study.
Some factory workers were somewhat educated, and seeing that I was young and eager to learn, they were happy to tutor me. Some even tried to enroll me in a nearby high school.
I sent the majority of my wages back home, squirreling away the rest, hoping to return to school one day.
However, one day, I fell sick and was late to send the money. My parents stormed into the factory, shouting and beating me.
My coworkers tried to stop them. In the chaos, my books fell to the ground, and the money I had hidden between the pages fell out.
My father kicked me in the stomach. “How dare you hide money from us? I’ll kill you!”
My mother tore the books into shreds. “You’re studying? You’re just trash, yet you’re still dreaming of school!”
I knelt on the ground, begging my mother to stop. “Please, Mom, don’t do this. These aren’t even my books. I had to borrow them…”
My father slapped me. “How dare you talk back? Your mother can do whatever she wants. You’re wasting money on nonsense instead of using it where it matters!”
They tore my books apart, threw them into water, and stomped on them.
They searched my dormitory, taking all of my money. They left nothing for me.
Before leaving, my mother snarled, “If you have so much free time, go get another job. Suzy needs money for her extracurricular classes.”
I had nothing left.
