The Charity Case

Synopsis

My parents were nationally celebrated philanthropists. They poured everything they had into helping countless children. Because they were always busy, I grew up like a stray, wandering streets and alleys. When I was five, I fought a wild dog for food and got bitten. Most of my nose was torn off. I cried and called them. They were handing out candy at an orphanage and didn't pick up. I missed the best time for surgery. From that day on, I became a monster in everyone's eyes. That was also when my parents suddenly started loving me. They took me to charity forums and public talks. In front of cameras, they repeatedly cried and said, "To help those poor children, our daughter was disfigured and turned into a monster people laugh at. But after all these years, we have no regrets." My mother wiped her tears, turned to me like she always did, and gripped my hand. "Mandy, do you blame Mom and Dad?" Countless cameras aimed straight at me, capturing every grotesque, humiliating angle of my face. This time, I didn't shake my head. In that packed auditorium, under endless staring eyes, I coldly pulled my hand out of hers and said, "Why wouldn't I?"