Chapter 1

My parents burned my college acceptance letter the day they finalized the *Family Resource ROI Evaluation Matrix*.

It was typed up neatly on official-looking paper:

*Younger Daughter: Luna. Ivy League potential. Rating: S-Tier. Full family backing.*

*Elder Daughter: Stella. Mediocre ability. Rating: D-Tier. Provide minimum survival support; prepare for immediate repayment to the family.*

Without even asking for my input, they signed me up for a 12-hour factory shift on an electronics assembly line.

In their calculations, every extra day I spent in school was a waste of resources that rightfully belonged to Luna.

Years later, when Luna squandered their entire life savings abroad and they knelt on my welcome mat, begging me to buy them a retirement home, I threw that old rating sheet right in their faces.

On my eighteenth birthday, my parents rented out the private banquet hall of a restaurant and threw a lavish party with three tables full of relatives.

Luna wore an expensive, custom-made pink gown, basking in praises at the center of the room.

I wore an oversized, faded high school hoodie, tucked away in the back kitchen scrubbing grease off plates.

My father, Richard, tapped his wine glass with a butter knife.

"Everyone, quiet down. Today is a milestone, and I have an important announcement to make."

Assuming they were celebrating our coming of age, the relatives burst into polite applause.

My mother, Brenda, took out a printed chart and taped it right onto the prominent white wall in the center of the room.

The banner read: *The Family Resource Allocation & Child Utility Scorecard.*

It itemized every dime spent on us since childhood, pitted against our projected financial returns.

Luna’s column was filled with bold red plus signs, tallying up to nine hundred points.

My column was marked entirely in blue minuses, landing at negative one hundred.

"Stella, your final rating is a D," Richard announced, his voice booming as he pointed at the wall.

"Based on our evaluation, you have zero investment value."

"Starting today, we are cutting off all financial support for your college education."

"Tomorrow morning, you report to the assembly line at the electronics plant. You keep one hundred and fifty dollars a month for bare necessities. The rest of your paycheck gets wired directly to Luna for her living expenses."

The banquet hall fell dead silent.

Claire, my aunt, stood up, her face flushed with indignation.

"Richard, Brenda, they are both your flesh and blood! How can you be so blatantly biased?"

Brenda slapped the table and sneered.

"We call this rational parenting. Survival of the fittest."

"Stella lacks the brains. Investing in her is flushing cash down the toilet."

Luna casually sipped her fresh orange juice, not sparing me a single glance.

I walked to the kitchen doorway, holding a damp rag dripping with soapy water.

"What if I pay my own way through college?" I asked, looking Richard straight in the eye.

Richard slammed his fist onto the table, making the cutlery rattle.

"You think you’re smart now?"

"Every cent you earn belongs to this family! And it goes to your sister first!"

None of the relatives said another word.

They simply lowered their heads and poked at their food.

In that moment, I knew with absolute clarity: in this house, nobody was coming to save me.

I never went to that factory.

Instead, I secretly changed my college application and enrolled in an ordinary in-state public university.

To cover my tuition and rent, I worked three part-time jobs a day.

While busing tables at a diner, a server dropped a pan of boiling oil that splashed across my right forearm.

My skin blistered instantly, searing into a bright red, agonizing mess.

I collapsed to the kitchen floor, trembling from the shock.

Terrified of liability, the manager immediately dialed Brenda’s number.

When Brenda arrived at the clinic, her first words weren’t to ask if I was okay.

She stared at the dirty shirt I had on, her eyebrows knitted in disgust.

"That’s Luna’s old hand-me-down! You got grease all over it! How am I supposed to wash that out?"

The physician walked over with my chart.

"Someone needs to pay for the debridement and burn dressing at the front desk."

Brenda clutched her handbag tightly against her chest and took a step back.

"We don't have the money. Just slap some antibiotic ointment on it."

"She’s a D-tier kid. Why on earth does she need expensive medical burn gel?"

Gritting my teeth against the searing pain, I dragged myself to the counter and swiped my own debit card.

That was the exact moment I severed every shred of hope I had left for them.

During summer break after my freshman year, I took a grueling ten-hour greyhound bus back home just to collect my old high school notebooks and reference materials.

When I opened the front door, my old bedroom was gone.

It had been converted into a massive walk-in closet, stacked high with Luna’s delivery boxes and designer clothes.

My twin bed was nowhere to be seen. In its place sat a battered cardboard box holding the few books I had left behind.

Brenda leaned against the doorframe, chewing on sunflower seeds.

"What did you come back for? There’s no room for you here."

"Where’s my bed?" I asked.

"Sold it to a junk dealer. It was taking up space," she rolled her eyes. "Luna needs a proper dressing room. Take your box of garbage and get out."

I stood frozen in the hallway, holding the heavy box.

Luna walked out of the master bedroom wearing a brand-new silk robe.

"Stella, you reek of cheap diner grease. It’s disgusting."

"Step back. Don't ruin my new hardwood floors."

I stared at her designer slippers, which cost hundreds of dollars.

Then I looked down at my worn-out canvas sneakers, the soles peeling away at the sides.

Without saying a word, I turned around and walked out into the heat.

That night, I sat alone on a cold plastic bench at the bus station until sunrise.

The chilly draft blew through the terminal, making me shiver uncontrollably.

I hugged the cardboard box against my chest and whispered to myself: *Stella, you don’t have a family anymore.*

*From now on, you only have yourself.*