Chapter 3

On Friday morning, my hearing aid stopped functioning.

I took out the old batteries and tried to clean them. Then, I put them back.

The indicator light flashed and dimmed very quickly.

There was an English listening test this morning.

When the speakers played, I could only hear some buzzing noises.

After all the questions were played, my paper was still empty.

The English teacher, Jane Spencer, stopped at my desk.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

I pointed at my ear.

“My hearing aid ran out of battery.”

“The exams were announced a week ago. Didn’t you prepare spare batteries?”

I did not answer.

This examination carried weight in the total course grade.

She marked me an F.

“Zoe, you can’t always use your health as an excuse.”

Her statement made me feel worse than being scolded.

During class, Mrs. Anderson brought me the expulsion letter.

“Today is the due date.

“If the outstanding fees are not paid, you’ll have to move out by next Monday.”

I asked, “Can you give me a few more days?”

“The school has already given you multiple chances.”

Mrs. Anderson softened her voice.

“Your father owns a company, and your mother’s working overseas. You can’t apply for a hardship allowance.”

There were two other teachers in the office.

They were both staring at me, a student who had a CEO father and a mother who was working overseas.

Yet, I was standing here asking for an extension for ten thousand dollars.

It seemed like a huge joke.

I walked to the end of the corridor and gave my father a call.

He only answered after many rings.

“What’s wrong again?”

“My teacher says that if we don’t pay the overdue fees by today, I’ll be asked to leave.”

“Didn’t I ask Nancy to settle it?”

“She said she doesn’t have the money.”

Peter’s voice immediately became angry.

“Zoe, Gloria’s been sending you gifts every single week, and you turned every single one of them down.

“When Lilian asks if you have enough money, you don’t bother to reply to her text messages.

“Now that you run into trouble, you’re looking for me again.”

I held the phone tightly.

“Nancy took away everything that Gloria sent me.”

“She’s taking care of them for you.”

“Does she need to keep the batteries for my hearing aid then?”

He paused.

Someone was calling his name.

He seemed like he wanted to hang up in a hurry.

“Zoe, don’t make an enemy out of her.

“She’s never treated you poorly since she joined our family.”

I wanted to say that I was indeed treated poorly, that I did not manage to get enough food or all the medicine that I needed.

I did not even have enough batteries so I could understand what was going on in class.

However, he had already hung up on me.

At noon, Mrs. Anderson asked me to come to her office again.

My bag of expired cookies was on her desk, alongside a detailed transaction list of my student card.

Yesterday, every student had received three hundred dollars as part of the meal allowance campaign.

As soon as the money hit my student account, it was transferred.

In the remarks, it read: Guardian requested to withdraw the money.

Mrs. Anderson called Nancy in front of me.

Nancy said, “She’s eaten at home. I don’t think she should accept the meal allowance from school.”

“But she’s been staying in school this whole week.”

Nancy paused.

“She likes to lie. Mrs. Anderson, you shouldn’t be fooled by her.

“Her father has given her a lot of money. She’s pretending to be poor to gain attention.”

Everyone in the office heard Nancy’s words.

Mrs. Anderson hung up the phone.

“Zoe, tell me the truth.

“Is anyone taking care of you at home?”

I hung my head.

“Yes.”

“Who?”

I could not answer.

Nancy was in charge of taking care of my daily life, yet she would take all the food allowance from me.

Peter said he was taking care of me, yet he did not know that I had overdue school fees.

Lilian and Gloria sent me dozens of text messages every month, yet they did not know that I did not have enough money to buy batteries for my hearing aid.

Before school ended, I was asked to clear out my dorm.

My roommate helped me pack my books into a box.

Just when I picked up the box, the bottom gave out.

My textbooks were scattered on the floor.

The tampons that Poppy gave me also fell out.

Someone passed by in the hallway.

I bent down to pick up the items, and Poppy stopped me.

“Why don’t you tell the teachers?”

“It’s hopeless.”

I had told them many times.

Whenever I said that I did not have enough money, they only replied that I was careless with money.

When I said that I could not hear, they only asked why I would not change the batteries.

Everyone knew what to do.

Yet, I did not.

Mrs. Anderson helped me pick up a few books.

“Don’t move out yet.

“I’ve called your parents.”

I was stunned.

“My father?”

“No.”

“Your biological mother and stepmother.”