When the criminals murdered me and left me abandoned in a pigsty, my father was accompanying his adopted daughter for her coming-of-age ceremony.
It was also my birthday that day.
However, I suffered cruel humiliation and abuse at the hands of criminals.
In a sudden impulse, they made me call for help, so I called my father.
But he said, "I've already told you that you're not my daughter anymore. If you want to die, die far away!"
That night, my father was called back to the police station due to a major homicide case.
Despite being a coroner, my father was hailed as the Sherlock Holmes of murder cases, renowned for his exceptional insight and deductive skills.
However, after spending the entire night examining my mangled body, he found nothing at all.
Dad, did you truly not recognize the girl sealed inside the body bag?
***
A major homicide case in River City shocked the entire police community.
In the early morning, a body abandoned in a pigsty was discovered by someone.
The news quickly spread across various newspapers.
My father, who was hailed as Sherlock Holmes, was also called back to the police station.
He had originally been celebrating his adopted daughter Yoko's birthday.
He entered the autopsy room, lifted the white cloth covering my body, and the flashlight shone brightly.
"What happened?"
"Somebody reported the discovery of a female body. It was horrifying, not only was the victim abandoned in such a place, but the body also showed numerous signs of being brutally beaten. It's evident that the victim experienced inhumane torture before her death."
My father listened in silence and responded with a grunt.
If he knew that it was me lying on the autopsy table, he would surely think I deserved to die, wouldn't he?
Because it was I who disturbed his celebration of Yoko's coming-of-age ceremony, even though it was also my birthday.
Dad, were you finally willing to see me on my birthday?
My father swiftly put on rubber gloves and began analyzing each part of the body.
He was truly remarkable. In just one night, he organized what little was left of me.
His assistant trembled as she held the camera, sighing with regret and disbelief.
"From the simulated analysis of the skull, it appears that the victim was a very young girl, no older than 21. To be tortured like this after death, with even her body so broken... It's truly inconceivable. What kind of deep hatred could drive someone to inflict such cruelty on such a young girl?"
My father's tone remained indifferent as he expressed his opinion. "According to my observation, not only after death. From the presence of most illegal drugs in the victim's stomach, it indicates that the victim was tormented by the murderer before her death. In particular, there are several injuries that show deliberate abuse and beatings, resulting in lividity marks."
Yes, my father was remarkable.
That murderer, that beast!
Over eight hours of humiliation and abuse!
Every minute, I struggled, but to no avail.
Every minute felt like an eternity!
But I couldn't help but think, it was my birthday.
I shouldn't cry, but the pain reminded me of you, my father.
My only call for help didn't receive any rescue from you.
Instead, you told me to stay away...
At that moment, my father suddenly grasped my shattered hand, making me extremely nervous.
It was because of the birthmark on my wrist.
It had been there since I was born, and I remembered you telling me it was a symbol of your love with Mom.
Surely, my father would recognize it, right?
After all, he was the Sherlock Holmes of murder cases!
But he glanced at it briefly and then let go.
I forgot, my body was discarded in a pigsty, so it could have gotten dirty.
"Extract the victim's DNA. Currently, we don't have many leads to go on. Confirming the victim's identity is the top priority right now."
My Aunt Yvonne rushed in, looking flustered.
"Neil, I just called Ann, but she didn't answer. It's her birthday today, right? I ordered a cake for her and went to her rented apartment, but she wasn't there. Could she have gone to see you?"
She held a bunch of gifts in her hands.
It seemed like they were all meant for me.
Unfortunately, Aunt Yvonne, my mouth can no longer open. I'm sorry for disappointing your kind intentions.
2Growing up, Aunt Yvonne had always been the kindest to me.
After my mother passed away, she became the one who loved me the most!
However, my father didn't allow her to love me too much.
Because I was a sinner, having such a sinner as a family member was something everyone should have been ashamed of!
My father was furious. He took off his rubber gloves and sternly said, "Her? That sinner? Does she even deserve to celebrate her birthday? She must have entered society now and has aborted several abortions for others! This kind of person deserves to die, and I won't allow you to mention that sinner in front of me!"
My father's words were like knives stabbing my heart.
It hurt so much.
Dad, I had always been your daughter.
Why did you insult and berate me like this?
It wasn't my fault when Mom passed away all those years ago.
I had repented, truly repented for a long time, Dad.
"Neil, it's been so many years already. Ann has suffered enough without a mother." Aunt Yvonne couldn't hold her words any longer.
"If it wasn't for her causing Yara's death, how could I be left without a wife? How could she be left without a mother? This sinner, she should never have been born into this world. Her birth was a mistake from the very beginning! She deserves to die, she deserves to die! Yvonne, remember this, she killed your sister-in-law! Don't mention that damned bastard again!"
Dad's face turned red, his neck swollen, as he inadvertently pointed at the body bag.
A bitter taste filled my mouth, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't utter a word.
It's alright.
Dad, you have gotten what you wanted now.
The one lying here was your most hated daughter.
The evil creature, the sinner!
Mom, Dad was so fierce.
When I see you again, will you still accept me?
I am your child!
I am your own flesh and blood.
3While Aunt Yvonne continued to berate him for his unreasonable behavior, she left the house and kept trying to call me.
My phone was turned off, so she started sending me text messages, urging me not to wander around outside.
It's no use, Aunt Yvonne. The one inside the body bag was me.
The DNA results would take about two days to come out, and my body was placed in the morgue.
They couldn't even find something proper for me, so they put me in several jars.
I felt so cold.
When would I be able to leave? I missed my mother so much.
A day later, Aunt Yvonne returned to the police station and went straight to find my father.
She saw him still investigating the surveillance footage.
"I couldn't get through to Ann these past two days. Neil, has she called you or sent any messages?"
My father ignored her, and only a few colleagues working on the case shook their heads in response.
She immediately took out her phone, called me in front of him, but it was still turned off.
"Sorry, the number you dialed is turned off..."
Aunt Yvonne muttered to herself, "Why? It has been two days, why is Ann's phone still turned off?"
She had a bad feeling about it.
She pushed the door open and walked out. Aunt Yvonne, where were you going?
As my father was about to pour himself some coffee, he told her to mind her own business.
Aunt Yvonne glanced at my father, feeling a bit nervous. She asked, "Neil, tell me, have the DNA test results come out?"
"Not yet, Yvonne. What's wrong with you? This is a police station, not a place for you to wander around. If you have nothing else, just leave!"
Aunt Yvonne was about to speak when her phone suddenly rang.
She immediately answered it.
"Ann, is that you? Why didn't you call me earlier? Do you know how worried I've been..."
But this call couldn't be mine.
The voice from the other end of the line made Aunt Yvonne's expression grow more and more serious.
After hanging up the phone, she glared at my father with anger.
"Neil, are you still a father? Ann hasn't been to school for three days. Do you have any sense of responsibility as a father? You're still focused on your investigation, and your mind is only filled with solving mysteries. You haven't even noticed the disappearance of your own daughter. What kind of father are you? What kind of man are you?"
My father's tired eyes were bloodshot.
"Is it reasonable for her not to go to school? She stays out all day and hangs out outside. I can't control her anymore. She can do whatever she wants. Skipping school? I wonder what kind of a troublemaker she will become in society if she won't even graduate!"
Dad, I was already a ghost!
Right beside you.
Haven't you noticed yet?
"Neil, that's enough! Ann may not be perfect, but she is your biological daughter. Her mother died giving birth to her, do you think she had an easy life? Would Yara's spirit forgive you in heaven?"
Aunt Yvonne suddenly grabbed my father's shoulder and forcefully pushed him to the ground.
Her eyes were red and gradually became moist.
As soon as my father looked up, he halted whatever he was about to say.
"The body was found at a pig farm near Ann's school. If I remember correctly, from the day the body was discovered, Ann didn't go to school, right?"
Did she finally realized that the body was mine?
My father waved his hand. "Yvonne, why are you being so neurotic? That sinner got away with killing her mother, so what could happen now? She just resents me for never liking her, and now she's hiding intentionally to make us search for her!"
"Well, Neil, you've done such a great job as a father!"
"She just wants attention. This rebellious kid is beyond anyone's control! Why are you looking at me like that? Fine, I'll call her right now!"
Then he started calling me.
But after three or four attempts, they all turned off'!
"Ann's phone has been turned off for a long time, don't you know? What are you pretending here? She is your own daughter. You're known as the Sherlock Holmes of murder cases, and yet you can't even find your own daughter. If anything happens to her, no one will spare you! You not only caused Yara's death but also the death of your own biological daughter. You are the sinner! A complete sinner!"
Aunt Yvonne's voice choked with tears.
Aunt Yvonne, please don't cry. Let me wipe away your tears.
I wanted to comfort her, but I realized that my ghostly hands couldn't touch her.
My only family in this world who still cares about me, please don't cry for me anymore.
4At that moment, someone from the laboratory approached with the test results in hand.
"The DNA results for the murder case from two days ago are out!"
Aunt Yvonne immediately turned around, wanting to saw the report.
It was dimly lit in the room, and she trembled as she brought the repost to the desk.
Dad, soon you will know whether I really wanted to skip school.
The daughter you hated the most is really dead.
But as Dad leaned in to take a closer look, he accidentally spilled coffee onto the paper, causing it stained.
"Neil, what are you doing?"
"It's my fault, I'm just too tired and couldn't hold the cup properly. Can you print another copy of the report?" He looked towards the person from the laboratory.
"My colleagues in the lab are also working overtime. They just took a break, but I'll call them to issue another copy. It might take about half an hour."
"Okay, let me know as soon as the results are out. I will inform the family."
"Okay."
I sighed and aimlessly wandered around, feeling bored.
Yoko arrived at the police station carrying fruits and tonics. My father hadn't been home for several days, so she immediately leaned softly against his shoulder.
"Dad, is the work stress getting to you lately? Why don't you take a vacation? I can accompany you."
"I still need to follow up on the case. Once it's solved, I'll take some time off. I haven't had a chance to spend time with you due to the ongoing investigations. I hope you're not mad at me."
If I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I wouldn't have known that my father had such a gentle and caring tone.
"Why would I be mad? You're the best dad in the world. How could I ever be angry with you?"
I floated numbly by their side, watching their deep father-daughter bond.
All that remained in my heart was a bitter smile.
In a trance, it felt as if I had returned to the first time I met Yoko.
She was the girl my father encountered while investigating a case involving human trafficking. She was seven years old at that time and had been sold by criminals to a poor countryside in the mountains.
Without any identity or knowledge of her biological parents, my father took pity on her and brought her home, naming her Yoko Ford.
"Ann, from now on you have a little sister. I won't allow you to bully her, do you hear me?"
At that time, my father already disliked me, so he found another child he could love and care for.
Yoko was very intelligent, and she understood our relationship.
On her first day at our home, during dinner, she piled a lot of meat onto my plate.
"Ann, you should eat more meat. I'm satisfied with these vegetables."
But there was clearly a lot of meat left on the plate.
It was an unintentional remark that struck a chord.
My father felt heartbroken and praised Yoko for being so considerate.
"She must have gone through a lot to be so mature."
Shortly after, my father picked up a chicken leg from the plate and put it in Yoko's plate.
"Since Yoko just joined our family, you should be more accommodating to her. She is so well-behaved. If I ever catch you bullying her, I won't forgive you!"
Afterwards, my father poured more and more of his love into Yoko.
Meanwhile, on the day I reached adulthood, I left home because of the words he had said.
He constantly reminded me that he had a legal obligation to support me, but once I turned eighteen, it was time for me to fend for myself. He no longer had any responsibility to provide for me.
He always saw me as an annoyance, a thorn in his side.
He believed I was the one responsible for my mother's death, and as a sinner, I didn't deserve to stay at home.
Yoko was incredibly clever and knew how to manipulate people's emotions.
She saw my father working hard and gently massaged his shoulders. "Dad, you've been working so hard. I missed you so much today. Are you tired from work? Let me pour you a glass of water."
My father was very happy. "I am so lucky to have such a considerate daughter."
But he often forgot that I was his biological daughter.
5My father received a photo on his phone, a picture of a bag filled with dismembered body parts.
Accompanying it was a threatening message!
"I've received a message from the criminal, along with more photos of the remaining victim's body. Locate this number now!"
He was completely unaware that the person in the photo was me.
That day, while I was on my way to school, I was kidnapped by a criminal.
He held a knife to my throat and covered my head with a sack.
"So, you're Neil Ford's daughter, that bastard!"
Then, I was locked inside a small dark room, enduring inhumane torture every day.
Their methods were horrifyingly cruel, causing me unimaginable pain.
I begged and pleaded, saying I was sorry, asking them not to hurt me anymore.
But they replied that being Neil's daughter meant I deserved to die.
They were so ruthless and strong that I couldn't break free.
Later on, the criminals gave me a chance to make a phone call for help.
They handed me a phone and said that if my father came to rescue me, they would let me go.
As I dialed my father's number, I could hear the background music playing on their end, celebrating a birthday, along with Yoko's cheering.
"Dad, can you come and save me? I..."
But my father said, "I've already told you that you're not my daughter anymore. If you want to die, die far away! Don't bother me anymore."
He hung up the phone, and I could only hear the beeping sound.
As a result, the criminals thought I was useless and intensified their torture to me.
Dad, it hurt so much.
When I was being tormented and abused by them, where were you?
Mom, I will soon be joining you. Will you not love me either like Dad?
"We found the location!"
My thoughts were abruptly interrupted.
They all looked at the computer displaying the location.
"It's an abandoned building in the suburbs. I know that place."
Dad hurriedly drove towards the location, seeming quite happy and filled with anticipation.
The true culprit of the case would finally come to light.
Dad, soon you would be able to see the complete me as well.