Evening.

I sat at the table, looking at a pot of stewed fish, feeling uneasy.

I am allergic to seafood.

I never eat fish.

Dad picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and put it in my bowl, "Fish is nutritious, you should eat more fish in the future."

I looked at my dad in shock, "I'm allergic to fish."

"You don't have an allergy when you drink milk, it's just being picky! Spoiled by your grandparents! If I starve you for three days, will you eat it then?"

Mom added fuel to the fire.

"Just keep eating, you'll get used to it, this is a luxury disease of yours."

They happily enjoyed their meal, making smacking sounds with their mouths.

I tried to take a bite, the fishy taste spreading in my mouth, along with a bitter taste.

I know my body, allergies make me itch all over, with red rashes breaking out on my skin.

I reluctantly took a bite.

My parents mocked me on the side:

"If you don't eat, you'll go hungry, it's a spoiled habit."

"Old people raising kids is just no good, picky eating."

"When we were kids, eating fish meant you were wealthy. Allergic to fish? Never heard of it!"

"Spoiled kids bring trouble."

I stopped defending myself.

My right cheek was still sore from being slapped in the afternoon.

I finished a bowl of rice in silence and went back to my room.

"Give me your phone!"

My mom yelled, making me jump in fright.

Dad walked straight into my room and rummaged through my things to find my phone.

"Dad! How can you search through my things? This is my privacy!"

I rushed into the room, full of disbelief.

Dad glared at me, "What privacy do you have to talk about with your parents? I am your parent, you must listen to me."

He found my phone in the drawer.

"Dad! I need my phone to contact classmates, order takeout, and shop online."

My dad walked out with my phone.

"You need to focus on your studies."

I was in a panic.

Being cut off from my phone was like cutting off all my connections to the outside world.

For young people, this was unimaginable torture.

"Dad! Without my phone, I feel insecure."

I blocked my dad's way.

Dad angrily pushed me aside, "You've messed up! Raised you for nothing! If I say no, then it's no!"

I started crying.

"Dad, I will study hard, can you give me my phone back?"

My mom gave a direct order, "Wait until you rank first in the whole grade, with grades reaching the cutoff for a top university, then we can talk."

Top university?

My grades were just enough to pass the entrance exam for a regular university, ranking around two hundredth in the grade.

To get to first place?

I wasn't not trying.

I really couldn't solve the last few physics and chemistry problems.

I choked up, "Can I reach the top one hundred by the end of the school year? Rising one hundred places in ranking is already my limit."

My mom angrily stared at me, "Look at you, so pathetic! When I was in school, I got full marks in every subject."

I was defiant, "Then why didn't you get into a top university? You and dad only have a diploma, how can you ask your daughter to get into a top university?"

Slap--

This time, it was my dad who hit me.

As the slap landed, my ears rang.

The scolding from my parents echoed in my ears, mixed with disdain and contempt:

"Talking nonsense? We provide you with food and drink so that you can have a future, to repay your parents' upbringing!"

"Your poor grades embarrass us! As students, why are other kids so outstanding?"

A deep sense of helplessness came over me.

Resistance would be futile.

Feeling dejected, I returned to my room, closed the door, and missed my grandparents deeply.

I silently wiped away tears.

Considering that I had to go to school tomorrow, I climbed into bed, turned off the light, and tried to sleep.

Not knowing how long I had slept, I had a series of nightmares.

Half awake, I heard footsteps in the living room.

The neighbor's words echoed in my mind--

"Who would go swimming in the middle of the night like a normal person?!"

I suddenly woke up.

Could it be that my parents really went out in the middle of the night?

I cautiously put on my slippers, too scared to turn on the light, and opened the door a crack.

I peeked out quietly.

Outside the door.

A pair of blood-red pupils stared back at me.

"Ah!"

I screamed in horror.

I quickly shut the door, shaking with fear.

What was that just now?!

No whites in the eyes, just two blood-red eyeballs rolling in the dark eye sockets.

I was wide awake.

Were they really my parents?