Diary of Adeline

Diary of Adeline
Walking back from school to my house, which was miles away, has become my
daily routine ever since we moved to Shanghai. Today, our teacher was absent, so
we got to go home earlier. To avoid being questioned about my early arrival by
my obsessive stepmother, I decided to spend the rest of the day laying in the
grass by the riverbank, contemplating my new life.
My favorite part of the day is going to school. I get to talk to my friends, whom I
unfortunately cannot invite over to my place. Well, on the bright side, I don't have
Niang watching my every move there. I've always seen school as a form of escape
from home. And my favorite part is that I get to study. Yes, I'm a child who loves
to study. Learning new things piques my curiosity, and I'm always hungry for
more knowledge. Compared to my school life, my home life is hell. My parents
don't really care about me, and since I'm the least favorite child, I get the worst
treatment out of everyone. The only person who truly cares about me is Aunt
Baba. She treats me like her daughter, helping me with homework, giving me
pocket money, etc. She told me that if I worked hard enough, I could go to college
and be independent. Well, my true motivation stemmed from a glimmer of hope
that if I studied hard enough, my parents would feel proud of me and genuinely
like me.
The sun started to set, it was time to go back to my house, about to relive the
same usual miserable routine. I slowly get up from the grass and brush the dirt off
my skirt. I look back one last time, admiring the beautiful scenery before taking
my leave.