Chapter 3

The manhole cover Mom pointed at shimmered in the heat, drawing a sharp gasp from everyone on the field.

The pavement was already at 140 degrees, so the metal had to be well over 160. At that temperature, bare skin could suffer burns in as little as a second. A few seconds more, and flesh could practically cook.

Mom's eyes were bloodshot, blazing with anger and bitter disappointment.

When all my classmates froze in fear, she took matters into her own hands, grabbing a fistful of my hair and dragging me toward the manhole cover.

"You're already trying to get special treatment during orientation. What kind of stunt are you going to pull once classes actually start? If you don't get up and admit you were wrong, then you can stay on that manhole cover until you die!"

My skin was already badly burned, and being dragged across the ground tore it open, leaving a gruesome trail of blood behind me.

The male instructors leading the neighboring groups were shocked by what was happening and rushed over to stop her.

"Ms. Sheldon, it's far too hot to drag a student across the ground like that. She could get hurt. If she really isn't feeling well, there's no harm in letting her rest for a while."

Mom's gaze remained icy as she snapped, "I'm doing this for her own good! If she gets special treatment just because she's my daughter, she'll start expecting it everywhere she goes. How will she ever amount to anything?"

Right. For my own good.

Every time Mom gave away something that should have been mine—just to keep anyone from accusing her of favoritism—she used those exact words.

Over time, I came to realize that she would never be in my corner. So I went along with it, making myself even more obedient and swallowing every grievance in silence.

But if I couldn't lean on her, who else could I turn to?

Too bad I was already dead and would never get an answer.

Roxanne glared at the male instructors, making no attempt to hide the contempt on her face.

"You're all too softhearted. The moment you see a little blood, you lose your nerve and back down. That's why the students walk all over you, and why none of you have ever won Instructor of the Year the way I have."

"As a single mother, Ms. Sheldon and I see eye to eye when it comes to education," Roxanne said self-righteously. "It takes blood and sweat to forge a will of steel, especially for women. If you keep interfering, you're underestimating what women are capable of!"

The men froze and reluctantly swallowed their objections. She had backed them into a corner with her self-righteous moralizing, and arguing back would only escalate the situation.

Mom tightened her grip and slammed me down onto the manhole cover.

A sharp sizzle cut through the air as my flesh was pressed against the scorching metal. Several of the more squeamish students covered their mouths and gasped.

"Oh my God, that thing is hot enough to burn someone alive! Why isn't Isabelle moving? What if something's actually wrong with her?"

Roxanne just scoffed. "Why are you panicking? I've trained more freshmen than I can count, and I've seen plenty of stubborn students like her. She cares more about her image than she does about her own life. She knows that if she gets up now, everything she's done so far will have been for nothing.

Fine. Let's see how long she can hold out."

Mom looked at Roxanne with admiration. "You really know how to deal with weak-willed trash like her. I can rest easy knowing these students are in your hands."

Only then did she pull out the inhaler she should have given me long ago and hand it over to Roxanne.

"Don't give it to her until she admits she was wrong. I've spoiled her rotten, and now she needs to be taught a proper lesson. The longer I stay here, the more she'll keep up this helpless act. I'm not going to enable that awful behavior of hers!"

As Mom turned to leave, she didn't notice Roxanne sneer and toss the inhaler into the trash.

"Asthma? Give me a break. She's pretending to be some fragile little invalid to get sympathy. If she were really having an attack, why would she ask for her inhaler once and then go quiet? Because she's faking it. I won't tolerate that kind of weakness in anyone I train."

Then she turned toward the field and barked an order. "Everyone, face this waste of space and stand at attention! Nobody gets to rest until she gets up!"