When I was a child, I used to imagine myself as Cinderella. I would wear a blue dress and a tiara on every birthday.

A young girl in a lovely blue dress ran around playfully, laughing, while her brother pretended to be a knight with a wooden sword. Hand in hand, they hurried back home where their parents were waiting for them on the porch.

Cinderella lives happily ever after, right? A dream so distant that it became foreign.

In the middle of the night, Kaelynnee woke up, recalling a fond memory from her childhood. As she stepped out of her room, she overheard her mother tearfully leaving numerous voicemails for her father.

If my life was a Cinderella story, I bet you my life that mom would be the evil stepmother.

" You bastard! Why won't you answer my fucking phone calls? I bet you living a lavish life without us."She cursed at the phone, and then vomited before losing consciousness.

What a life

Kaelynnee has taken on the responsibility of caring for her mother by assisting her into bed, ensuring she is comfortable, and then cleaning the house. She dedicates hours to scrubbing vomit from the carpet, leaving her with little time to rest before heading to work the following day. This has now become her daily routine.

It had been months since she last had a day off. Working tirelessly at the gas station to help keep up with the bills, she would hand her mother the check each time. Finally, she could afford to take a few extra days off and relax. As she opened the fridge, she only found week-old rice, so she heated it up and savored every bite.

It's better than nothing!

She heard her mother's footsteps descending the stairs. "Have you finished all your assignments this week? If I'm going to be in debt, I should at least see some results," her mother grumbled as she took another drag from her cigarette, clad in a tight, inexpensive dress that accentuated her curves.

I did not tell her that I had dropped out of college, I knew that it would disappoint her.

She tapped the ashes into the bowl in front of her daughter, which still had rice in it.

" Yes, I do not want to disappoint you mother." She obediently responded, then let out a silent sigh and discarded the bowl of rice after her mother had emptied ashes into it.

"Know your place," her mother said, pouring liquor into a red plastic cup and adding something to it. The daughter's resemblance to her youthful, carefree self before marriage was a painful reminder for her. "You are the cause of our financial struggles, your father's absence, and Hideaki's critical condition on his deathbed." She became repulsive around her daughter." I can't stand the sight of you!"

"I'm sorry, mom. Please forgive me."

A hand came across her face.

Kaelynnee gently touched her cheek, feeling a red bruise. She then lowered her head, with her bangs partially shading her eyes.'It doesn't hurt at all' She convinced herself as tears began to stream down her cheek.

" I have to go." After receiving a phone call, her mother hurriedly left the house without her daughter's knowledge, taking two large suitcases with her.

I must be positive! I need to think time heals all wounds and things will get better! No- I have to believe it."

It is easy to persuade the mind, but inside, her heart was quietly weeping. She then shifted her gaze towards the photo: a joyful family of four standing together.

" What about the future? What does it mean for us?"

The dreams and goals appear far off. Her aspirations in life no longer held significance. Her mind serves as the canvas where she can unleash her imagination freely, perhaps never transcending beyond that realm.

" The debt is too great and my family needs me! I will do everything in my power to make everyone happy. Whatever dreams I had, that's all in the past and I ended that chapter today. I decided to spend my life taking care of my family."

There was a notification from her internet friend.

I must've forgotten to sign out

Just as she was ready to log off the app, he swooped in with a hilarious meme that had her bursting into giggles, sweeping her worries away, at least for a little while. She debated sharing her woes with him but decided against it, not wanting to rain on his meme-parade.

She gazed at the shattered frame containing a photo of her and her brother, captured in a playful moment before his accident. 

I wish you were here and not in that stupid hospital

Beside the frame, there was a prize her brother had won for her at the amusement park – a small, furry creature with long hair, a short fluffy tail, and bloodstains.

"Kaelynnee, if you squeeze it tightly enough, it will speak," she recalled his words from their final conversation before switching off the light.

I don't want to hear it

She wishes she could revisit a time when her life was nearly perfect. As she closed her eyes, feeling anxious of what tomorrow may bring.

She closed her eyes, feeling anxious about what tomorrow may bring.

In a place within S City.

A good-looking man left the meeting and headed into the office. He reviewed the documents and checked his phone, hoping for a response from his online friend regarding the funny meme he had sent.

Did I text her too late? She is probably asleep.

Pictures of his pregnant fiancée involved in an affair with another man were presented. The assistant informed him, "Young master, Amelia is three months pregnant with your child." He furrowed his brow in disbelief while swiftly flipping through each scandalous photo.

"You have deceived me, Amelia! I believed we shared love. Do all those years hold no value to you? Was I merely a plaything that you grew weary of?"