Chapter 4

Upon hearing my name from Ms. Wagner, Mom refused to listen to the rest of her question and simply brushed her off with a vague answer.

"Jasper? Given his scores, does it matter which college he wants to apply to? It makes no difference."

She then hung up without waiting for Ms. Wagner's reply.

I stood where I was in a daze, feeling devastated.

"Mom, I scored highest among every candidate in the city! I didn't let you and Dad down! Why aren't you willing to even ask about it? Do you really not love me anymore?" I asked aloud.

Dad looked greatly disappointed.

"I've never asked for Jasper to have good grades. All I ask is that he stays healthy and that our family can live in harmony. I simply don't understand how he turned out like this," he said.

I felt aggrieved. It was as if someone had stabbed me with a rusty knife and twisted it, the pain bringing tears to my eyes.

Dinner was a quiet, somber affair. Still, Mom and Dad left a meal for me outside my bedroom before retiring for bed.

Unfortunately, I would never again be able to eat food.

…

The next day, Mom woke up early to check in on me, only to discover that the food and cake before my door had been left untouched.

The whipped cream had lost its shape, and the strawberries were looking shriveled.

Mom's expectant expression instantly faded. She pounded on the door and yelled, "Jasper Gunn! Get out of your room!"

There was no response.

Mom quickly teared up and asked, "What exactly do you want? You won't eat your dinner or the cake. Are you trying to starve yourself to send me to an early grave? Must I get down on my knees and apologize to you before you're satisfied?"

Hearing the commotion, Dad rushed out of his bedroom and helped Mom up.

"Jasper, enough! Come out so we can talk things over properly! Your mother's not in the best of health, so stop making her angry!" he shouted.

Just as the words left his mouth, the doorbell rang.

Mom hastily scrubbed a hand across her face before going to open the door.

Several reporters carrying video cameras were standing outside the door.

"Hello! We're from the local TV station, and we'd like to interview your son," he revealed.

Mom's eyes lit up instantly, and her anger melted away in a flash.

"Evan, come on out! People from the TV station are here to interview you!" she called out.

Evan ran out of his room, looking very smug.

However, the reporters exchanged glances before asking with a smile, "Is Jasper Gunn not home? He's this year's highest-scoring student among the candidates who applied for Hareford University, so we're here for him."

Evan's smile froze on his face.

Dad was stunned, but then he shouted with irrepressible delight, "Wonderful! I just knew Jasper was a capable kid! I knew he'd make it!"

Mom hurriedly turned to lead the reporters while babbling incoherently in her excitement.

"Honestly! Why didn't he share such wonderful news with us? Please come right in! He's in his room. I'll go get him."

I hurriedly spread my arms to block her way, shaking with fear.

"No, Mom! Hurry up and make them leave! Dad, please stop Mom quickly and don't let her see me! I'll frighten her!"

However, they couldn't hear me at all.

The reporters followed closely behind Mom with their video cameras over their shoulders, the lenses trained on my room door.

The feed was being broadcasted live to thousands of households.

The bookshelf behind the door was already teetering precariously from Mom's forceful kicks before, so it toppled over at the slightest push of the door.

Mom flung the door open and announced, "Jasper, I'm coming in! Reporters from the TV station are here to interview you! It's a live broadcast, so everyone in the city will be watching! You should quickly tidy up your room!"

A second later, her words died in her throat.

Through the camera lenses, I was lying blue-faced in a huge pool of blood.

The reporters were stunned, but their cameras were still trained steadily on my body.

Mom rushed forward with a pale face and screamed heart-wrenchingly, "Jasper? Jasper!"