Chapter 4

The moment he heard that, he slipped right back into playing the victim. Pointing a finger at me, he shouted.

"Tell you? So, you can secretly change it back to one of those out-of-state colleges? Not a chance! If you dare change it back, then I'm not your father anymore! From this day on, I'll act like I never had a son!"

I had heard those words too many times.

In my previous life, every time he said them, I would give in. I would plead with him, and I would compromise.

This time, I simply looked at him for a few seconds. Then I turned around, yanked the front door open, and ran outside.

"Maverick! Where are you going? Get back here!" His shouts were cut off as the door slammed behind me.

I had barely made it out of our apartment complex when my phone rang. It was my mom's sister, Aunt Emily. Without a word, I declined the call. A few seconds later, it rang again. This time, it was my uncle. Then another call came in and another.

Soon, it was my other uncle... then my cousin.

Even the family group chat exploded with messages.

[Maverick, how could you treat your father like this? Do you know how hard it was for him to raise you all by himself?]

[We heard you're insisting on going to college out of state. Why go so far away? Wouldn't it be better to stay here with your dad?]

The messages kept pouring in, each one telling me to be sensible and listen to my father. I stared at the screen and almost laughed.

Years ago, Aunt Emily's son had been accepted to an excellent university. He was planning to study computer science out of state.

Aunt Emily cried, screamed, and even threatened to kill herself to stop him from leaving. The following year, she pressured him into getting married. Not long after his wife gave birth, she ran off with another man.

He ended up raising the child alone and never managed to find a stable job. Even now, he still lived with his mother, numbing himself with alcohol every day.

Somehow... Aunt Emily still had the nerve to tell me to compromise. Still, I knew that was not the right time to confront Dad head-on. There were three days left before the enrollment deadline.

Even if I managed to reset my password and switch my acceptance back, he would only make another scene.

Sitting alone in a pavilion at the park, I absentmindedly scrolled through social media. Then one photo caught my eye. It was from a graduate one year ahead of me. He had posted a picture celebrating his award at the National Computer Science Competition.

My eyes lit up. Slowly... a plan began to take shape.

Just after I finished sending him a message, my phone rang again. This time, it was my father's younger sister, Aunt Linda.

I answered.

"Maverick! Where are you?" Aunt Linda sounded panicked. "Get to the hospital! Your dad passed out!"

By the time I arrived, Dad had already regained consciousness. He was lying against the hospital bed, pale-faced, hooked up to an IV.

The moment he saw me, he let out an icy snort and turned his head away. "What are you doing here? I don't have a son."

"Oh, come on, don't say that!" Aunt Linda quickly stepped in to smooth things over, pulling out a chair for me.

"Maverick rushed over the second he heard you were in the hospital. Maverick, your father spent the entire day running around because of you. He didn't eat a single thing, and he pushed himself so hard that he collapsed. Can't you be a little more understanding?"

I had heard that routine countless times before. Every time, family ties and guilt would weigh so heavily on me that I could barely breathe.

In the end... I always backed down.

However, this time was different. I knew I had to take one step back first.

For my future.

To lower Dad's guard, I had to pretend to give in.

Keeping my head lowered, I dug my fingernails into my palm and said in a hoarse voice, "I understand."

The hospital room fell silent for a few seconds. Dad slowly turned to look at me, suspicion filling his eyes.

"I know I shouldn't have made you so angry," I continued, my voice weary and resigned. "As for college... I'll go wherever you want me to."

Dad's eyes lit up instantly. "Really? You'll stay here and go to college here?"

A bitter smile crossed my face. "What choice do I have? You ended up in the hospital because of this. You already changed my password. What else can I do?"

"That's more like it!" Aunt Linda clapped her hands happily. "Maverick, now you've got it! Your dad would never hurt you. Everything he's done has been for your own good!"

Dad beamed. He reached over and patted the back of my hand, his voice unusually gentle.