6
I left home with nowhere to turn.
With no options left, I ended up sleeping under a bridge.
I used the last of my allowance to buy a knife for protection against the other vagrants there.
Fortunately, nothing happened.
Before he died, my dad had left me a little money. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to scrape by if I was careful.
Still, I couldn’t just live off that forever. What would I do when it ran out?
Every day after school, I hit up restaurants looking for a job, but no one would hire me because of my age.
I was desperate. One day, I treated myself to a burger in the cafeteria, eating it
tearfully.
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1/4
3:59
After I finished, I was about to ask the school office to drop out, when someone blocked my way.
It was the school underachiever, smiling as
he looked me over.
“Hey, Lexi, how about tutoring me? Don’t worry, it’s not for free. I can give you 800 a month.”
Desperate for any lifeline, I agreed instantly.
After school, I’d stay back to go over
lessons with him.
Over time, feelings started to develop between us, though neither of us said anything.
After one session, he shyly handed me a dress and lipstick as birthday gifts.
He invited me out to celebrate, and I accepted.
I wore the dress and lipstick he gave me, and we linked arms. It was payday for him.
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2/4
“Johnny, you got your allowance today, right? How about five hundred?”
“You already spent quite a bit on these gifts. I’ll cut the tutoring fee this month!”
Unbeknownst to us, my stepsister was watching us from a distance, jealousy written all over her face, clutching a love letter filled with hearts.
When the memory ended, the chat went silent for a moment.
Several jurors looked skeptically at the plaintiffs‘ table.
My stepdad and mom were pale, my stepsister quietly sobbing.
But no one felt sorry for them, and soon the comments section was buzzing again.
[Damn, outright villainous! Even for family, to say such things! He got what he deserved!]
&
[Right? And her mom, only offering fifty dollars to her own daughter to fend for
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3/4
herself? Not everyone deserves to be a parent!]
[And that sister, always adding fuel to the fire, then spreading rumors out of jealousy -just vile!]
I stood there, expression neutral. These events were just the tip of the iceberg of my tragic life. I had long lost any hope in my family.
Some in the comments remained cautious.
[Hold on, there might be a twist coming.]
[Yeah, seen it before–big turnaround, and the accuser ends up ruined!]
The screen flickered, and the next charge against me rolled out.
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