Chapter 1 My mom and my little brother teamed up to push me into traffic so they could raise money for his study abroad . [ ] They stood there cold as ice while a truck took my leg . [ ] After that , hungry for a bigger payout , they tied me up at home and - holding a knife - sawed off the only leg I had left . [ ] I gasped and begged until my lungs burned , but they didn't spare me a single scrap of mercy . [ ] They were already picturing the settlement money in their hands , but the driver ran and then died in a hit - and - run . [ ] With no payout coming , the two of them dumped me - now legless - out in the wild . [ ] They left me to be chewed at by feral dogs until I was gone . [ ] When I opened my eyes again this time , I flinched away from my mother's hand as she tried to shove me . -0 The pain unclenched like a fist , and I could finally look at their faces with clear eyes . [ ] Cold slid through me from head to toe , like falling into an ice cellar , and my teeth started to chatter . My eyes burned ; they went red before I even realized it . Seeing me frozen , Mom grabbed my arm hard and barked like she owned me : " What are you standing there like an idiot for ? " ] " Get moving - your brother's counting on you to earn his way to college . " [ ] " Don't forget who fed you ; you owe us . " [ ] I swallowed the hate that wanted to climb out met the Sedeul woman who'd once shoved me into traffic with nothing but a flat stare . My brother Ben leaned against the fence , arms crossed , watching show . Because he had what made him more valuable - because could give them a grandkid , because of his looks - money and chances always went to him . [ ] This time I was done letting them break me . [ ] My stare must have gotten under Mom's skin because she tensed and pulled me toward the highway , her eyes flicking to the traffic like a gambler eyeing the cards . Anger took over her face and suddenly she was on me , nails and fists flying . [ ] " Shut that sour face up , you little tramp , " she snarled . [ ] Ben pretended to step in and calm things down , calling out , " Don't - don't hit her , she didn't do anything . " ] But his hands worked with Mom's , pushing me toward the road - toward the same big rig that had taken me before . Back then I'd believed my little brother might actually protect me ; I'd been wrong . ] The truck was coming fast and my mother and Ben both looked frantic . ] When my stance stayed steady , Mom lunged and slammed her shoulder into me . ] ]] 1 smirked just a little and stepped aside , slipping behind them where they crashed through empty air . [ ] She hit nothing and froze , eyes wide , screaming . I used the moment to signal the driver ; he braked and swerved away , horn blasting . [ ] The truck slowed , and for a second it felt like Mom was the walking disaster everyone avoided . [ ] She stood up on shaking legs , red with humiliation , and came at me swinging . [ ] " You trying to kill me ? " she shouted . [ ] " Remember - if you kill , you pay . If you want to die , fine , but I'm not going with you . " [ ]