Chapter 4

I turned and walked out of the banquet hall. Behind me, the applause and cheers were sealed away by the doors.

I felt heat rush from my nose. When I wiped it, my palm came away crimson.

Blood dripped onto the carpet and spread quickly.

I followed the emergency stairwell to the terrace.

My vision began to blur. The city neon stretched into twisted lines.

My phone vibrated.

It was a message from Vivian Harkins.

[Stop throwing a tantrum. After this ends, I'll take you for a late-night meal at that diner you like.]

[Landon did very well today. You should be happy for him. After all, he's your brother. Once he succeeds, he'll help you too.]

I looked at the screen, and a mocking curve tugged at my lips.

She remembered that I liked that diner, but she had forgotten that I only liked it because back then, we were poor and it was all we could afford.

Now that she had risen in the world, she gave my brother custom suits, diamonds, and my graduate admission.

What she gave me was still a cheap bowl of comfort food.

I opened the reply box. I wanted to curse at her. I wanted to damn her.

In the end, I typed only three words.

[I'm leaving.]

Vivian replied immediately.

[Leaving where? Come home early. Your brother still needs your tutoring before he starts school.]

I smiled.

Blood ran from the corner of my mouth and dripped onto the phone screen, landing right over Vivian Harkins's name.

Good.

I never wanted to see that name again.

[Countdown: 00:03:00]

My sight darkened. A sharp ringing filled my ears, like countless cicadas screaming.

I slid down to the floor and leaned against the cold railing, gasping again and again, yet unable to draw in even a breath of air.

My phone vibrated again.

This time it was a social media notification.

With the last of my strength, I swiped the screen open.

One minute earlier, Vivian had posted an update.

The photo showed her adjusting Landon's tie onstage. The two of them smiled at each other like a perfect couple.

The caption read: [My pride. Protecting you was the best decision I ever made.]

"Heh..."

Then what was I?

Since I was extra, since I was the "suboptimal option" meant to be sacrificed.

Then I would disappear completely.

I wanted to see, once they lost me, once that so-called Academic Prodigy System demanded its price,

whether this family could still maintain that perfect facade.

[Countdown: 00:01:00]

Breathing became difficult. I gasped again and again, but no oxygen entered my lungs.

I remembered when I was five, burning with fever and curled in the corner of the couch.

My father held my brother while watching cartoons. My mother worked in the study.

In my feverish haze, I tried to pour myself water and dropped the glass.

The first thing my father shouted when he rushed over was, "Damn brat, don't let the glass shards hit your brother's feet!"

So there had been signs all along.

So in this life, I had never once been firmly chosen.

My phone slipped from my hand.

With a soft crack, it hit the floor.

The world went utterly quiet.

Vivian Harkins, I give you my life.

And I return that so-called fairness to myself.

[Countdown: 00:00:00]

[Program execution complete.]

[Host Aaron Hutchinson: death confirmed.]

[Per host's request, revenge program initiating immediately.]