Two years ago, my dad went missing. Our home quickly became poor, and unable to lower our standard of living, Mom asked me to sell my body. 'Just this once, please,' she said. I thought it was the lowest thing ever. But I accepted. Because she was my only family. My first customer was Mom's ex-boyfriend. He crushed me with his fat stomach as I lost my virginity, and I remember crying from the pain. When I gave her the money, 'I'm sorry,' Mom also cried, then bought herself a nice dress with it. After repeating this several times, Mom found a new job, and I could return to my normal life. I wouldn't have to go through that again. I could be an ordinary girl. So I fell in love. Today was the summer festival I had been looking forward to. I made plans with my classmates to go see fireworks. I wanted to wear a cute yukata and walk beside the boy I liked. But then—'I want you to stay overnight with this person today, you know what I mean?' Mom happily put away money from an old man. 'But I promised my friends we'd go to the festival together,' I replied. 'Then just cancel that,' she laughed as she left the room. Why, how could this be? As I panicked, the old man gently approached me and said, 'If you have sex with me, we can go to the festival together.' He put his arm around my shoulder. Unable to escape my mother's curse. The sad tale of a resilient yet pitiful girl used by despicable adults.
