Chapter 1

My daughter took me to court.

She sued us because I left our house to my son. She claimed I was a sexist who favored boys and demanded half of everything.

I cried and begged her not to ruin her own life. She was still so young. She just smirked, saying I was finally scared and that it was too late for regrets.

My husband told me to let her go. He said we should just act like we never had a daughter.

This was the first case of familial gender discrimination in the age of Artificial Intelligence. The AI Court trial was being broadcast globally. The loser would be permanently exiled to the Metaverse, which was essentially a death sentence.

When the AI finished its judgment, the person being exiled wasn't us. It was my daughter.

A video had exploded to the top of the trending charts. it was my daughter's public accusation against us.

In the video, she looked gaunt and pale. Her eyes were bloodshot as she held up her ID card to the camera.

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"My name is Sienna Vance. I am here to formally report my parents for their extreme favoritism toward my brother and the abuse I suffered because I am a girl."

"They didn't just hit me. They forced me into child labor to pay for my brother's formula. At sixteen, they made me drop out of school to pay off their mortgage. Now, the house is in my brother's name."

"This year, they told me to quit my job and come home to be their unpaid nanny. They want me to spend my life taking care of them and my brother's future kids."

She flashed some screenshots at the camera.

They were snippets of our conversations. I had told her to stop working away from home and come back to look after us and eventually help with her brother's children.

The comment section went wild.

"I feel for you, sis. I'm a daughter too. I know exactly what it feels like to be treated like a guest in your own home."

"My parents are the same. They want my dowry for their retirement and expect me to beg my husband for money to give to them. I can't even hold my head up in front of my in-laws."

"This is literally driving her to the edge! How can parents be so cruel?"

My heart ached as I watched the video. Then, the second clip started playing.

"I've endured this for eighteen years. Today, I'm done. Why should I be a slave? Why should I sacrifice everything for my brother? I am applying for an AI Judgment! I will be the first daughter in the world to stand up against a sexist family!"

"I know that if I lose, I'll be exiled forever. But I believe in justice! I will survive because the truth is on my side!"

"I don't want it to end this way. If my parents show they are sorry and give me half the house, I'll drop the case. I'll even come home and take care of them until they pass."

"I'm not ungrateful. But they are the ones forcing me to fight for my rights!"

"The house isn't even that important to me. I just want a fair attitude. Is that too much to ask?"

The sympathy in the comments poured in again.

"She's so kind-hearted. Even after all that, she's willing to give them a chance. Why do the good ones always get hurt?"

"Don't give them a damn thing! Sue them! I want to see justice served. Let's see who ends up in the Digital Void!"

"Don't back down, girl! If you give them an inch, they'll take a mile. They'll only get worse!"

The AI Judgment system was the most impartial tool of the new era.

Regardless of the case, the AI remained cold and immune to outside influence. it balanced pure logic with human ethics.

Every adult citizen had the right to request a trial. To ensure transparency, the process was live-streamed to the entire world.

Today, I sat in a cold, metallic chair. I was facing the daughter I had raised for nearly two decades.

She looked just like she did in the video. Her eyes were hollow, and her hair was dry and brittle.

The holographic projection of the AI Judge appeared. Its voice was flat, devoid of any emotion.

"Do the defendants maintain that they did not practice gender discrimination? Are you aware that a loss results in immediate and permanent digital exile?"

We nodded in unison. "We understand."

As the AI Judge prepared to continue, I couldn't help but look at Sienna. I tried to reason with her one last time.

"Sienna, we are family. I don't want to see anyone exiled forever. Please, just stop this."

My son, Caleb, was covered in tears. "Sienna, please don't do this. I just want you to come home."

My husband, Robert, didn't say a word. He gripped my hand so hard it shook. His eyes were rimmed with red.

Sienna remained unmoved. "I just want fairness. I refuse to believe there is no justice in this world!"

I sighed. I knew there was no turning back for her.

The AI Judge's cold voice echoed through the room.

"Once an AI Judgment begins, the presentation of evidence cannot be stopped. There are no retractions. No one may leave until a verdict is reached and the sentence is carried out."

"The trial begins now."

The live stream was flooded with messages of support for Sienna. Every viewer seemed convinced we were the villains.

"Go for it, Sienna! We're all behind you!"

"Yes! You are an icon for modern women. Don't let their threats scare you!"

"This family is so fake. They're still lying even when they're about to die. If they were scared, they shouldn't have come here."

"They're just trying to manipulate her emotions. It's disgusting."

Robert let out a long sigh and wiped a tear away. At that moment, I felt him truly give up on her.

I noticed Sienna freeze for a split second. She probably didn't expect us to actually go through with it.

But there was no exit. She had to start presenting her evidence.

The first item was physical.

Sienna pulled up her sleeves and pant legs. She revealed a network of crisscrossing scars on her arms and legs.

Some were dark brown, others were jagged. They looked terrifying.

"My parents gave me these when I was a kid. Just because I went out to play instead of doing chores, they whipped me."

"I remember my dad screaming. My mom would just stand there and sometimes she'd even grab a stick to help him."

"I had nowhere to hide. I spent three days hiding in a doghouse. I only came out when I was starving and someone found me."

The viewers in the comment section were livid.

"Are they even human? Who does that to a little girl!"

"That's not discipline. That's attempted murder. It's straight-up torture!"