My parents once spoiled me like a princess, buying me a house and braving rain for cake, filling albums with my smiles before five. After my sister was born, I lowered the AC slightly for her, only to be slapped and locked in the fridge. They forgot a strong lock—five-year-old me couldn't escape, nor their neglect. Nora's Mom and security rescued me. My parents, thinking me dead, begged forgiveness through tears. I shook my head—the ice of childhood had built a wall in Stella's heart.
