My mother always wanted a son，She finally became pregnantand began taking various sex changing drugs

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]My mother always wanted a son.

[00:00:02]She finally became pregnant and began taking various sex-changing drugs and herbs of dubious origin, firmly believing that these drugs could turn the fetus into a boy.

[00:00:14]In my past life, I begged her to stop.

[00:00:17]I showed her science books, pleaded with her to be healthy.

[00:00:22]She listened, stopped the crazy remedies, and gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

[00:00:27]My family blamed me.

[00:00:30]They claimed my interference turned the brother into a sister.

[00:00:33]They said I was responsible for her.

[00:00:36]I loved my little sister and took care of her tirelessly, but she grew up hating me, blaming me for her gender because the guy she liked was gay.

[00:00:45]In a fit of rage, she hacked me to death with a kitchen knife.

[00:00:49]When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the moment my mother announced her pregnancy.

[00:00:55]This time, I'll give them exactly what they want.

[00:00:58]Penny, I'm pregnant.

[00:01:00]Do you want a little brother or a little sister?

[00:01:03]When I heard my mom say those words, I realized I had been reborn.

[00:01:09]I flashed a huge smile. Of course, I want a brother.

[00:01:12]Otherwise, who will carry on the family name?

[00:01:15]Mom, Dad, and Grandma treat you so well.

[00:01:18]You can't let the family line end with you.

[00:01:21]My dad and grandma immediately shot me approving looks.

[00:01:24]My mom's smile froze for a second before she forced it back.

[00:01:28]Penny, how can you say that?

[00:01:31]A sister would be just as sweet and well-behaved as you, huh? In my last life, when I honestly said I wanted a sister, she went crying to Dad and Grandma, claiming I cursed her to have a girl because I was afraid a brother would steal my inheritance.

[00:01:47]Dad beat me black and blue for that.

[00:01:49]What's good about a girl?

[00:01:52]If you don't give me a brother, who's going to have my back when I make money?

[00:01:57]Am I supposed to give it to outsiders?

[00:02:00]I said with righteous conviction.

[00:02:02]Grandma beamed, grabbing my hand.

[00:02:05]Our Penny has grown up. She finally understands.

[00:02:08]I hugged Grandma affectionately.

[00:02:11]Grandma, it's all thanks to my little brother.

[00:02:14]Just the thought of him makes me sensible.

[00:02:16]He's going to be the pillar of this family.

[00:02:19]In the past, whenever Dad and Grandma bullied Mom, she would just cry. I'd rush to defend her.

[00:02:26]Only for her to turn around, play peacemaker, and join them in scolding me for being disrespectful.

[00:02:33]I took countless beatings for her.

[00:02:35]Never again. Mom's face turned pale, and she looked like she might faint.

[00:02:39]Soon enough, Grandma found some gender-swapping pills for Mom.

[00:02:43]Even though it's probably a boy, we can't leave it to chance.

[00:02:48]I spent a fortune on these pills.

[00:02:50]The seller guaranteed it will be a boy if you finish the course.

[00:02:54]Grandma handed the bottle to Mom.

[00:02:56]Mom looked at me. I focused on mopping the floor, pretending not to see a thing.

[00:03:01]She had no choice but to take them.

[00:03:04]Grandma, I heard pregnancy makes you forgetful.

[00:03:08]Maybe you should keep the pills and give them to Mom every day.

[00:03:11]This is about my little brother.

[00:03:14]We can't risk any mistakes.

[00:03:16]I suggested you love taking them.

[00:03:19]Eat up. Grandma nodded vigorously.

[00:03:20]Right, right.

[00:03:22]Penny is so smart. All that schooling wasn't for nothing.

[00:03:25]I gave Grandma a sweet smile.

[00:03:28]That night, while Dad was working the night shift, Mom pulled me into the master bedroom.

[00:03:34]Penny, I don't want to take those pills.

[00:03:37]Look at these news articles.

[00:03:39]They say those pills are dangerous.

[00:03:42]She whimpered, showing me her phone.

[00:03:44]So, she knew she knew they were scams.

[00:03:47]Yet, in my past life, she told my sister that if I hadn't stopped her, my sister would have been a boy.

[00:03:54]I treated her as my closest ally.

[00:03:56]A fellow victim of this family.

[00:03:59]I fought her battles and she sacrificed me without hesitation.

[00:04:03]Good.

[00:04:04]Very good.

[00:04:06]I smiled slightly and raised my voice, Mom.

[00:04:09]How can you believe the media?

[00:04:11]They write nonsense all the time.

[00:04:13]I walked out of the room shouting, "Grandma, come quick.

[00:04:18]Mom doesn't want to take the pills."

[00:04:21]Mom couldn't stop me in time.

[00:04:23]Grandma rushed in hearing my shout.

[00:04:26]I shoved the phone in Grandma's face.

[00:04:28]Grandma, look.

[00:04:30]Mom is reading this garbage because she doesn't want to take the pills.

[00:04:34]She doesn't want a son.

[00:04:36]Grandma was illiterate.

[00:04:38]But she squinted at the phone.

[00:04:40]Anyway, Mom know.

[00:04:43]It was Penny who told me this.

[00:04:45]She's always scheming. How would I know about this stuff?

[00:04:48]Mom immediately tried to throw me under the bus.

[00:04:52]I widened my eyes innocently and pulled out my old Nokia phone.

[00:04:55]Playing the recording I had just made.

[00:04:58]The recording stopped right before her accusation.

[00:05:01]Mom was speechless for the sake of the grandson in her belly.

[00:05:05]Grandma didn't scold Mom too much.

[00:05:07]Just gave her a death glare.

[00:05:10]She pulled me out of the room.

[00:05:12]Penny, don't hold it against your mother.

[00:05:15]Grandma advised she wasn't siding with Mom.

[00:05:18]She was siding with the grandson.

[00:05:20]I smiled obediently, Grandma.

[00:05:23]How could I blame Mom?

[00:05:25]I'm just worried.

[00:05:27]Worried about what?

[00:05:29]I'm worried little brother will think Mom doesn't welcome him.

[00:05:32]What if he decides not to come?

[00:05:35]I said with a concerned face.

[00:05:37]Grandma's eyes darted around nervously.

[00:05:40]I stopped there. I knew she got the message.

[00:05:43]I didn't want to be involved anymore.

[00:05:45]I was a senior in high school.

[00:05:48]Studying was my priority in my last life.

[00:05:51]I split my focus taking care of mom and only got into a decent state college.

[00:05:56]With this second chance, I deserved a better life.

[00:06:00]Grandma, I'm graduating soon.

[00:06:02]Once I'm done, I'll get a job and won't need my room anymore.

[00:06:06]Why don't I move into the dorms now?

[00:06:09]That way you can turn my room into the nursery for little brother.

[00:06:12]I told grandma my boss taught me well.

[00:06:15]In my past life, always paint a pretty picture.

[00:06:18]Grandma beamed praising my thoughtfulness.

[00:06:21]I don't know what she told dad, but he agreed the day I left for the dorms.

[00:06:27]I saw grandma carrying a jar of special herbal wine.

[00:06:30]Like it was treasure mom.

[00:06:32]Enjoy your days ahead. I started living at school throwing myself into my studies.

[00:06:38]Although dad and grandma agreed to let me stay at school, they gave me a pitiful allowance.

[00:06:44]It was barely enough for three meals a day.

[00:06:47]Since I didn't want to go home on weekends, I skipped breakfast to save money eating only twice a day.

[00:06:55]My deskmate Sarah noticed I hadn't eaten breakfast for a week.

[00:06:58]One morning, she handed me two meat buns. Here.

[00:07:02]You can't study on an empty stomach.

[00:07:04]Don't worry about it. My family owns a bakery.

[00:07:07]Feeding you is nothing. I laughed and cried at the same time clasping my hands together.

[00:07:13]Thank you, benefactor.

[00:07:16]I will repay this kindness one day.

[00:07:18]Shut up.

[00:07:20]She pushed me playfully.

[00:07:22]In my past life, we were best friends, too.

[00:07:25]After I was murdered, she couldn't reach me and called the police immediately.

[00:07:31]Because my sister was a minor and my parents wrote a letter of forgiveness, she only got 3 years in juvie.

[00:07:39]Classmates noticed my situation and often gave me food.

[00:07:42]An apple here, a bag of chips there.

[00:07:45]But Sarah's two meat buns every morning were constant.

[00:07:49]Time flew by and the semester ended.

[00:07:52]I jumped from the 50th rank to the top 10 in the final exams.

[00:07:55]Teachers and classmates were happy for me.

[00:07:58]After finals, winter break arrived and I had to go home.

[00:08:02]The moment I opened the door, my jaw dropped. The house was a mess.

[00:08:07]The smell was indescribable.

[00:08:09]A mix of rot and something sour.

[00:08:12]Jars of murky liquid with questionable animal parts lined the kitchen counter.

[00:08:18]The olfactory assault almost made me vomit.

[00:08:21]Annie, you're back.

[00:08:23]Grandma returned from grocery shopping beaming.

[00:08:26]She shoved her bags into my hands.

[00:08:29]I saw a plastic bottle filled with bright red liquid.

[00:08:32]It looked like blood. What is this?

[00:08:34]I asked, "Dear?"

[00:08:36]Blood.

[00:08:37]Grandma snatched it back as if afraid.

[00:08:40]I drink it. It's good stuff.

[00:08:42]The recipe says drinking buck's blood guarantees a son.

[00:08:46]It's for your mom. Don't even think about it.

[00:08:49]My mouth twitched in this life.

[00:08:51]Without my interference and with my encouragement, Grandma had gone completely off the rails.

[00:08:57]Penny mom walked out.

[00:08:59]She should be about 6 months along.

[00:09:02]But she had ballooned a double chin.

[00:09:04]A terrifyingly huge belly.

[00:09:07]Her hair was thinning. Her eyebrows had fallen out.

[00:09:10]Yet she had a dark shadow of a mustache and visible pores.

[00:09:13]She used to be so vain about her beauty.

[00:09:16]She was beautiful. Now she had nothing to do with the word.

[00:09:20]She looked at me teary-eyed.

[00:09:22]Penny, you didn't come home for so long.

[00:09:25]Is it because you're unhappy about having a brother?

[00:09:28]Come back.

[00:09:30]Even with a brother, you're still our daughter.

[00:09:33]He won't take your place, crazy woman.

[00:09:36]I rolled my eyes judging by her appearance.

[00:09:39]Grandma had been feeding her a lot of good stuff.

[00:09:42]She wanted me back just to use me as an excuse to stop eating them.

[00:09:46]It's not like she called the shots in this house anyway.

[00:09:49]Ignoring her, I pulled Grandma aside.

[00:09:52]I mysteriously pulled out a talisman I had drawn based on a Baidu search, Grandma.

[00:09:58]My classmate's mom had a son last year.

[00:10:01]He said she wore this talisman every day.

[00:10:04]I begged him for ages before he gave it to me.

[00:10:07]Grandma's beady eyes lit up.

[00:10:09]She snatched the talisman.

[00:10:11]You're a smart girl.

[00:10:13]I stayed home for one night and witnessed mom's diet.

[00:10:17]Greasy meat followed by fetal preservation pills washed down with deer blood.

[00:10:22]Then two bowls of that special wine.

[00:10:25]Watching mom's face turn ash gray after drinking it.

[00:10:28]I was impressed the brother in her belly was still kicking.

[00:10:32]After all that talk about vitality.

[00:10:35]Mom kept shooting me pleading glances while drinking the blood.

[00:10:38]I ignored them all.

[00:10:40]The winter break dragged on like a slow, suffocating fever. The air inside our small apartment was thick with the greasy, metallic stench of boiled deer blood and the bitter, chemical tang of the fetal preservation pills. Every morning, the kitchen counters were lined with fresh jars of murky liquids containing things I didn't care to identify.

[00:10:55]Penny, come help your mother to the sofa, Grandma barked from the kitchen, her voice sharp as she chopped some unknown root on the cutting board.

[00:11:02]Coming, Grandma.

[00:11:04]I called out, my voice dripping with sweet, syrupy obedience.

[00:11:08]I walked into the master bedroom. Mom was sitting on the edge of the bed gasping for air. Her body had swollen to a grotesque proportion. The skin on her face was taut and shiny, stretched over a double chin that now spilled over her collarbone. The most horrifying part, however, was the thick, dark peach fuzz covering her jawline and upper lip, a literal mustache courtesy of the unregulated, heavy androgens packed into those black market gender swapping pills.

[00:11:29]When she saw me, her bloodshot eyes filled with a mixture of and desperate pleading. She reached out a fleshy, trembling hand. Penny, please tell your grandma I can't drink that wine anymore.

[00:11:37]My stomach, it feels like it's on fire.

[00:11:39]Please, Penny. You're smart. You're a student. They'll listen to you.

[00:11:43]In my past life, this was the exact moment I would have thrown myself between her and my grandmother. I would have screamed, cried, and hidden the bottles, taking the brunt of my father's heavy leather belt just to keep her safe. And in return, she had handed me to the wolves.

[00:11:55]I smiled, my eyes crinkling with mock warmth as I gently stepped out of her reach, picking up a pillow instead. Mom, how can you say that?

[00:12:02]Grandma spent her life savings on that secret formula. If you stop drinking it now, what if my little brother's gender shifts back?

[00:12:09]You know how much dad wants a son. If you give birth to another girl, dad will never look at you again.

[00:12:14]Mom gasped, her face turning a sickly shade of gray. But it's killing me.

[00:12:19]It's just a little hardship for the sake of the family line, I whispered, leaning in so only she could hear. Think of the reward, Mom. A son, the pillar of the house.

[00:12:26]Before she could reply, I turned around and called out loudly, "Grandma, Mom is feeling a bit weak, but she said she's ready for her morning tonic.

[00:12:35]She wants to make sure little brother gets every single drop."

[00:12:39]Grandma marched into the room holding a steaming bowl of dark, oily broth that smelled like a stagnant swamp. Good.

[00:12:45]That's my good daughter-in-law. Drink up while it's hot. Don't let a single drop of the efficacy escape.

[00:12:49]Mom looked at me, her eyes filled with a profound, terrifying realization. I was no longer her shield. I was the one handing over the weapons with trembling hands under grandma's watchful, predatory glare. She lifted the bowl and gulped it down, tears streaming down her bloated, hairy cheeks.

[00:13:04]I stood in the corner, quietly observing the human body as a delicate chemical balance. Flooding a pregnant woman with black market steroids and heavy metals wouldn't change the chromosomes of a fetus already formed months ago. It would, however, do something else entirely. I couldn't wait to see the harvest of the seeds they were sowing.

[00:13:18]The moment winter break ended, I packed my single backpack and left for the school dorms. I didn't look back once.

[00:13:22]My father didn't even bother to look up from his phone when when goodbye. His mind was entirely consumed by the financial calculations of raising his future king. Grandma handed me a meager 50 yuan bills, her face tight.

[00:13:33]"Don't come back on weekends anymore," she said bluntly. "Your room is being remodeled into the nursery. The crib arrived yesterday, made of solid oak. We don't have space or food to waste on someone who's going to marry out of the family anyway."

[00:13:43]"I understand, Grandma," I said, bowing slightly to hide the triumphant grin spreading across my face. "I'll stay at school and study hard. I won't disturb little brother's rest."

[00:13:52]Back at school, the environment was a stark contrast to the living hell of my home. The air smelled of chalk dust, old paper, and the crisp, clean winter wind.

[00:13:59]I had exactly one goal, the National College Entrance Examination, Gaokao. In my past life, my mind had been fractured by domestic violence, sleepless nights taking care of a crying mother, and the constant guilt pinned on me. I had barely scraped into a third-tier local college.

[00:14:13]Not this time.

[00:14:14]Every morning at 5:00 a.m., before the dormitory lights even turned on, I was sitting under the hallway lamp with my vocabulary books. My fingers were calloused from writing, my eyes perpetually bloodshot, but my mind had never been sharper.

[00:14:26]"Penny, you're going to turn into a ghost if you keep this up," Sarah said one morning, dropping two steaming, plump pork buns onto my desk. The smell of fresh dough and savory meat made my stomach roll fiercely.

[00:14:35]I grabbed one and took a massive bite, the hot juices filling my mouth. "If I turn into a ghost, I'll be a ghost with a high score, Sarah."

[00:14:43]Sarah laughed, sitting down next to me.

[00:14:45]"Seriously, though, I called you over the break and you sounded like you were living in a horror movie. Is everything okay at home?"

[00:14:51]"Better than ever," I said, my voice cold and even. "They're busy preparing for the future and I'm busy cutting the anchor."

[00:14:57]Sarah didn't quite understand, but she patted my shoulder supportively throughout the semester. She became my lifeline when my father forgot to send my monthly allowance. Sarah accidentally bought too much food at the cafeteria and forced me to share. When the stress threatened to crush me, she would drag me to the school track to run laps until our lungs burned. I held her kindness deep in my heart. In my past life, she was the only one who fought for justice after my throat was slashed.

[00:15:18]In this life, I would ensure she was rewarded tenfold.

[00:15:21]As the mock exams rolled in, my name began to climb the school's ranking board.

[00:15:26]From the top 50 to the top 20 to the top five.

[00:15:30]My homeroom teacher, Mr. Zhang, called me into his office one afternoon, his face beaming with pride. Penny, your progress is unprecedented. If you maintain this form during the actual Gaokao, you're not just looking at a good university, you have a shot at the top institutions in the country.

[00:15:43]Imperial University is within your reach.

[00:15:46]Thank you, Mr. Zhang. I won't let you down, I said, clutching my fists tightly.

[00:15:51]Imperial University was in the capital, thousands of miles away from my hometown. It was the perfect distance, a distance across which my toxic family could never reach me.

[00:15:59]Late May arrived, and the atmosphere in the high school was thick with tension as the Gaokao loomed just weeks away. It was during a late-night self-study session that the school payphone rang, and the dorm proctor called my name.

[00:16:08]Penny, long-distance call from your father.

[00:16:12]He sounds angry.

[00:16:14]I walked down the dark stairs, my expression blank. I picked up the receiver. Before I could even say hello, my father's roaring voice exploded through the earpiece.

[00:16:22]Where the hell are your mother's medical books?

[00:16:25]Where are those science books you used to read to her? He screamed, his voice cracked with panic and rage.

[00:16:30]I calmly held the phone a few inches away from my ear. Dad, what's wrong?

[00:16:35]I threw those books away months ago. You said they were garbage written by Western media to prevent us from having a boy, remember?

[00:16:42]Shut up.

[00:16:43]Your mother is bleeding.

[00:16:45]She's been vomiting black fluid for two days, and her skin is yellow as a lemon.

[00:16:50]The doctors at the local clinic say her liver is failing, and they want us to transfer her to the city hospital.

[00:16:56]It costs thousands of yuan just to register.

[00:16:59]He gasped for air, the sound of Grandma's frantic weeping audible in the background. Come home right now.

[00:17:04]You need to take care of her so your grandmother can rest.

[00:17:08]Dad, I can't, I said, my voice dropping into a tone of pure, unadulterated innocence. The Gaokao is in 10 days. The school has locked down the campus. No one is allowed to leave. If I miss this exam, all the money you spent on my high school tuition will be wasted.

[00:17:20]Who gives a damn about your exam?

[00:17:23]A girl going to college is a waste of money anyway.

[00:17:26]Your brother is in danger.

[00:17:28]If something happens to him because your mother's body is weak, I'll kill you.

[00:17:33]But dad, think about it, I replied, my voice smooth and calculating. If I take the exam and get into a top university, our family's reputation will skyrocket.

[00:17:40]Everyone will say that my little brother brought good luck to the family even before he was born. If I drop out now, the neighbors will say that the new baby sister's future. You know how superstitious grandma is.

[00:17:49]On the other end of the line, the roaring stopped. I could hear him muffledly repeating my words to grandma after a tense silence. Grandma took the phone.

[00:17:56]Penny, she wheezed, her voice shaking.

[00:17:59]Is it true?

[00:18:00]Will it bring good luck to your brother?

[00:18:02]Absolutely, grandma, I lied smoothly.

[00:18:05]The baby is the pillar of my success is just a reflection of his auspicious energy. You must take good care of mom.

[00:18:09]Don't let her slacking ruin my brother's health. Make sure she takes the tonics.

[00:18:13]Right, right.

[00:18:15]She's just lazy.

[00:18:16]She keeps saying her stomach hurts because she wants to avoid giving birth to my grandson.

[00:18:21]Grandma's voice hardened into a vicious sneer. Don't worry about us. Penny, you take that exam. We'll manage here.

[00:18:27]Thank you, grandma, for my little brother, I said and hung up the phone.

[00:18:31]As I walked back to my dormitory under the moonlight, I felt a chilling sense of liberation. In my past life, my mother had used my empathy as a currency to buy her own comfort, always pushing me into the fire to save herself. Now, without my interference, her husband and mother-in-law were driving her straight into the abyss she had built with her own compliance.

[00:18:48]The three days of the gaokao passed like a blur of ink and adrenaline. When the final bell rang, signifying the end of the examinations, the entire school erupted into cheers. Students threw papers out of windows, crying and hugging each other.

[00:18:59]Sarah grabbed my hands, spinning me around. We did it.

[00:19:02]It's over.

[00:19:04]Penny, let's go get hot pot to celebrate.

[00:19:07]You go ahead, Sarah, I said, gently untangling my hands. I have a family matter to attend to. I need to go see the birth of the Crown Prince.

[00:19:14]When I arrived at the city hospital, the atmosphere in the maternity ward was suffocating. I didn't even have to look for the room number. I could hear my father's furious shouting from down the hallway.

[00:19:23]I pushed the door open. The room smelled of bleach, sweat, and iron. Mom was lying on the bed looking like a corpse that had been left in a river for a week. Her skin was a terrifying jaundice shade of deep yellow-orange. Her breathing was shallow, assisted by an oxygen mask. Her hair was completely gone, leaving a patchy, scarred scalp contrasted horribly by the thick, dark facial hair on her chin.

[00:19:41]Grandma was sitting on a plastic stool, clutching a swaddled bundle. Her face pale and frozen. My father was pacing the room, slamming his fist against the wall.

[00:19:49]A monster.

[00:19:51]"It's a monster." My father screamed, pointing a trembling finger at the bundle in Grandma's arms. "We spent tens of thousands of yuan.

[00:19:57]We bought the best pills.

[00:19:59]Why is it like this?"

[00:20:02]I walked forward, my expression filled with deep, fabricated concern. "Dad, Grandma, what happened?

[00:20:07]Did little brother arrive?"

[00:20:09]Seeing me, Grandma suddenly looked up.

[00:20:12]Her eyes wild like a rabbit animal. She unwrapped the blanket and thrust the infant toward me. "Look.

[00:20:16]Look what your mother gave birth to.

[00:20:19]Is this a boy or a girl?

[00:20:21]What is this?"

[00:20:23]I looked down at the child. Because of the massive, prolonged toxicity of the illicit hormones and heavy metals my mother had ingested, the infant was severely deformed. It had a cleft palate, malformed limbs, and its genitalia were completely ambiguous, a horrific, tragic manifestation of severe congenital adrenal hyperplasia and severe physical defects caused by chemical poisoning. The child was weak.

[00:20:41]Its cry sounded like the faint mewling of a dying kitten.

[00:20:44]"The doctor said The doctor said it's genetically female, but mutated because of drug poisoning."

[00:20:50]My father grabbed his own hair, screaming in agony. "They said it needs multiple surgeries just to survive.

[00:20:55]Hundreds of thousands of yuan.

[00:20:58]And it's not even a boy.

[00:21:00]It's a broken girl."

[00:21:02]Mom pulled off her oxygen mask with a weak, trembling hand, her voice cracking as she wept. "It wasn't me. it was the pills' mother. You gave me those pills, Penny."

[00:21:10]"Penny told me to keep taking them.

[00:21:12]She said the media was lying."

[00:21:15]With a sudden burst of frantic energy, Mom pointed her yellow, bloated finger at me, "It's her.

[00:21:20]She planned this.

[00:21:22]She knew those pills were poison.

[00:21:24]She wanted to destroy my son."

[00:21:27]My father and grandmother slowly turned their heads toward me, their eyes burning with a sudden, desperate need for a scapegoat. In my past life, this was the moment they beat me until my ribs cracked.

[00:21:36]But this time, I was prepared.

[00:21:39]I let out a loud, heartbroken sob, tears instantly streaming down my face. I stumbled backward, pulling my phone from my pocket, "Mom, how can you frame me like this?

[00:21:49]After everything I did for this family?"

[00:21:51]"What are you talking about?" my father growled, stepping toward me.

[00:21:55]"Dad, look at this."

[00:21:58]I opened my phone and played a voice recording from months ago, the night I had moved out to the dorms.

[00:22:03]My recorded voice, "Grandma, I'm moving to the school dorms so you can use my room for the nursery. I want little brother to have the best environment.

[00:22:09]Please make sure Mom takes her vitamins.

[00:22:11]I'm so worried she'll be lazy and skip them."

[00:22:14]Grandma's recorded voice, "Yes, yes, Penny is so thoughtful.

[00:22:18]Your mother is just a lazy cow. She keeps complaining about her stomach because she doesn't want to carry the family line. I'll make sure she drinks every drop."

[00:22:25]I switched to another recording, the phone call from a week ago.

[00:22:29]My recorded voice, "Dad, if Mom is sick, please take her to the hospital immediately. Don't worry about my exam.

[00:22:35]My brother's health is the most important thing."

[00:22:38]My father's recorded voice, "Who gives a damn about her?

[00:22:42]She's just trying to get out of giving birth.

[00:22:44]We're not wasting money on a hospital until the baby is out."

[00:22:48]The audio filled the sterile hospital room, loud and unyielding. The faces of my father and grandmother turned from rage to absolute, paralyzing horror.

[00:22:56]I was at school for 6 months.

[00:22:58]I screamed, my voice echoing down the corridor, attracting the attention of passing nurses and doctors. I saved my lunch money to buy a luck talisman for my brother.

[00:23:07]I stayed away so he could have a room.

[00:23:09]And now, because you stayed at home and fed Mom random poisons from the black market, you want to blame me?

[00:23:15]The school principal, my teachers, and all my classmates can prove I haven't stepped foot in this house since January.

[00:23:21]A crowd of nurses and a doctor pushed their way into the room. Hearing the commotion, the doctor looked at the chart and then glared at my father. We already told you, the infant's condition is a direct result of chemical injection during the second and third trimesters.

[00:23:32]The mother's liver is failing because of heavy metal poisoning from fake traditional medicines. If you people don't stop abusing your family and accept reality, we will call the police for domestic endangerment.

[00:23:42]My father collapsed into a chair, completely broken. Grandma held the deformed baby, staring into space like a hollow shell. They had spent every penny they had, committed atrocities against their own flesh and blood, all for a prince that turned out to be a tragic, dying consequence of their own ignorance.

[00:23:56]I wiped my tears away, my face instantly returning to a calm, icy composure. I looked at my mother, who was staring at me with horror, realizing that her last attempt to sacrifice me had failed entirely.

[00:24:06]"Good luck with the medical bills, Dad."

[00:24:08]I whispered softly, so only the three of them could hear. After all, family is the most important thing, right?

[00:24:14]Two weeks later, the Gaokao results were officially released.

[00:24:18]I didn't check them at home. I checked them at a public internet cafe with Sarah. When the webpage loaded, Sarah let out a scream so loud that the owner of the cafe ran over.

[00:24:26]"Penny, top scorer.

[00:24:29]You're the top scorer in the entire city.

[00:24:31]712 points."

[00:24:34]My hands shook slightly as I looked at the screen. Imperial University, Department of Finance, full scholarship.

[00:24:39]I had done it. I had completely rewritten my destiny.

[00:24:42]The school held a massive celebration for me. The local education bureau awarded me a 50,000 yuan cash prize, and corporate sponsors added another 100,000 yuan for a girl from an ordinary background. This was a life-changing fortune. I immediately went to the local bank, opened a private account under my own name, and locked the funds away where my family could never touch them.

[00:24:59]The day before my train to the capital, I returned to the apartment one last time to collect my legal identification documents.

[00:25:06]The house was entirely unrecognizable.

[00:25:07]The oak crib had been smashed into pieces, likely sold for scrap or broken in a fit of rage. The air was thick with the smell of cheap cigarettes and unwashed laundry.

[00:25:15]My father was sitting on the floor, surrounded by empty beer bottles. He looked 20 years older, his hair graying and unkempt. The hospital bills for Mom's liver treatment and the baby's life support had completely drained his bank account. He had been forced to mortgage the apartment, and debt collectors were already calling.

[00:25:29]Grandma was in the corner, rocking the deformed baby, murmuring gibberish to herself. She had gone completely senile from the shock and grief, convinced that the baby was still a healthy prince who would grow up to buy her a mansion.

[00:25:39]When my father saw me, his eyes lit up with a sudden, desperate grief. He scrambled to his feet, lunging toward me, "Penny."

[00:25:45]"Penny, my good daughter.

[00:25:47]I saw the news.

[00:25:49]You got a 150,000 yuan prize from the city.

[00:25:53]Give it to me.

[00:25:55]We need to pay the hospital, otherwise they're going to turn off your sister's incubator.

[00:25:59]Your mother needs more medicine."

[00:26:02]I stepped back, dodging his greasy grasp. I pulled a document out of my bag and slammed it onto the table.

[00:26:07]It was a legally certified declaration of financial independence and a severance of family relations, prepared by a legal aid lawyer I had hired with my prize money. Along with it were copies of the voice recordings, a detailed log of the domestic violence I had suffered in my teenage years, and testimonies from my school teachers.

[00:26:22]"If you ever come to my university, call my phone, or come within a 100 m of me," I said, my voice dead and cold as ice.

[00:26:28]"These recordings go straight to the police and the local court. You will be sued for child abuse, illegal acquisition of restricted pharmaceuticals, and domestic endangerment. You'll go to prison, Dad, and without your income, Grandma and Mom will starve on the streets."

[00:26:40]My father froze, his face turning from greed to an ugly, impotent fury. "You ungrateful [ __ ] We raised you.

[00:26:48]We gave you food.

[00:26:49]You're abandoning your own parents for money?"

[00:26:52]"You didn't raise me." I replied calmly.

[00:26:54]"I raised myself on the scraps you didn't want in my past life. I gave you my blood, my tears, and my life, and you used my corpse to clear your conscience in this life. I owe you absolutely nothing."

[00:27:04]I reached into my pocket, pulled out a single won youan coin, and tossed it onto the floor. It rolled and stopped right by his dirty bare feet.

[00:27:11]"That's for the 50 won grandma gave me.

[00:27:13]Consider the interest paid."

[00:27:15]I turned around, picked up my suitcase, and walked out the door. My father screamed curses behind me, throwing a beer bottle that shattered against the doorframe, but the sound didn't even make me flinch.

[00:27:24]Four years later, capital city.

[00:27:27]The glass walls of the high-rise investment firm reflected a bright and endless sky. I stood by the window, wearing a tailored charcoal suit, a cup of hot espresso in my hand. At 22, I had graduated at the top of my class from Imperial University and had already secured a position as a senior analyst at one of the country's leading financial firms.

[00:27:42]Sarah was now running her own boutique bakery chain in the capital, funded by an early angel investment I had given her as a thank you for those morning pork buns. We lived in a beautiful apartment overlooking the city lights.

[00:27:51]My life was full, clean, and entirely my own.

[00:27:55]My phone buzzed on the desk. It was an unknown number from my old hometown.

[00:27:58]Usually, I ignored them, but today, a strange intuition made me pick it up.

[00:28:02]"Hello?"

[00:28:04]"Is this is this Penny?"

[00:28:06]A weak, raspy voice came through the line. It sounded like an old woman on the verge of death, but I recognized it instantly. It was my mother.

[00:28:12]"Yes." I said, my voice smooth and professional, devoid of any emotion.

[00:28:17]"Penny, please help us." She whimpered, mom Full coughing fits interrupted her father. He lost his job 3 years ago. He spends every day drinking and gambling.

[00:28:25]He beats me. Penny, he beats me just like he used to beat me. My liver is completely ruined. I can barely walk."

[00:28:30]"Where is the child?"

[00:28:32]I asked out of pure curiosity.

[00:28:35]"She she can't speak. She's deformed.

[00:28:36]Your father hates her. Yesterday, he tried to sell her to a disabled begging ring in the next province." Mom began to sob hysterically. "Your grandmother died 2 years ago in her sleep, cursing my name until her last breath. We have no money. Penny, the debt collectors are going to take the house next week. We'll be on the streets. You're making so much money in the big city. Please, just send 10,000 yuan, just 10,000.

[00:28:55]I listened to her weeping, the sound echoing from a distance so vast it felt like it belonged to another universe.

[00:29:01]In my past life, my little sister had grown up healthy because I had protected my mother. Yet, that sister grew up to hate me, blaming me for her gender, and eventually took my life with a kitchen knife while my mother watched from the corner, hiding her own face to avoid getting involved.

[00:29:14]In this life, because I stepped back and let them have exactly what they wanted, the cycle of violence had turned inward without me as a sponge to absorb their hatred. They had devoured each other. My father abused my mother. My mother resented the child. The child grew up in an environment of pure, unadulterated venom. They were trapped in a living purgatory of their own making, a slow, agonizing death that would last for decades.

[00:29:34]"Mom," I said softly into the receiver.

[00:29:37]"Yes."

[00:29:38]"Yes, Penny."

[00:29:40]"You'll help us?"

[00:29:42]"You're my good daughter."

[00:29:43]"Do you remember what you told me the night before I left for the dorms?"

[00:29:47]I asked, a slight, elegant smile touching my lips. You told me that if you gave birth to a boy, he would be the pillar of the family, and I would just be an outsider who marries out anyway.

[00:29:56]The line went completely silent.

[00:29:59]"An outsider has no right to interfere in your family matters," I continued, my tone light, almost cheerful. "You have your daughter, and you have your husband. Lean on them, Mom, just like you always did."

[00:30:09]"Penny."

[00:30:10]"No."

[00:30:11]"Please."

[00:30:13]"You can't do this."

[00:30:15]I pressed the red button, cutting her off mid-sentence. I smoothly moved the number into my permanent block list, deleted the call history, and set the phone back onto the mahogany desk.

[00:30:23]Outside the window, a high-speed train cut through the distance, heading toward a horizon filled with brilliant, unlimited light. I took a slow sip of my coffee, feeling the warmth spread through my chest.

[00:30:33]The past was dead, buried under the weight of their own greed, and I was finally, beautifully alive.