Chapter 4

The day our SAT scores came out, Mom and Dad sat with Gemma in the living room, waiting for her results to load.

I was alone in my bedroom, checking mine on an old phone they'd thrown away. The phone was so slow that the page just kept loading.

Outside my door, I heard Mom comforting Gemma gently, "Gemma, you did great. You got a 1040. I'm so proud of you!"

It wasn't until noon that I finally managed to pull up my own score.

1580.

I gripped the phone and let out a long breath. Finally, I had what I needed to get out of here.

That evening, Mom casually asked what I'd scored.

Before I could answer, Gemma spoke up, "She got a 1580. Highest score in our whole school."

Then her eyes suddenly reddened. "If my hearing were normal, maybe I wouldn't be so stupid. I wouldn't have gotten such a terrible score. Mom, maybe I shouldn't have survived back then."

Mom shot me a disgusted look before immediately turning to comfort Gemma. "We don't care how high she scored. You'll always be the one we're proud of."

Something twisted painfully inside my chest.

When you were loved, even a bad score couldn't disappoint them. When you weren't, even being the top student in school meant nothing.

Gemma's score wasn't even competitive for most colleges.

Mom looked between our score reports, then suddenly took my hand as if what she was about to ask were perfectly reasonable.

"Livia, it doesn't matter how high your score is. Money is tight right now, and Gemma wants to go to a private college. Tuition and housing will cost tens of thousands of dollars a year. Over four years, that's a fortune.

"You might as well not go to college. Get a factory job instead and send your entire paycheck home every month. You can pay Gemma's way through school."

My head snapped up.

I'd earned that 1580 through years of studying until I could barely keep my eyes open. That score was my future.

Somehow, to them, it was worth less than sending Gemma to an expensive private college.

"It's my life. I'm going to college too." My voice trembled.

Dad immediately sided with Mom. "What's the point of a girl getting that much education? Gemma has hearing problems. It'll be harder for her to find a job, so she needs a degree. You're perfectly healthy. Your responsibility is to start working early and help support this family."

He paused before adding, "Besides, she used a favor coupon. Just give in to her one last time."

Gemma lounged against the couch and spoke as if she were asking for nothing at all. "You're so smart, Livia. You'll have plenty of chances to go to college later. This is my only chance to get a degree. What's so hard about letting me have it?"

The last trace of affection I had for them disappeared, but I didn't let it show.

Instead, I pretended to give in. "Fine. I'll do what you want. I'll get a job and won't apply to college."

The moment I agreed, Mom and Dad broke into relieved smiles. They immediately turned back to Gemma and began discussing which private colleges she could attend.

Neither of them asked me another question. It never occurred to them that the obedient daughter they'd raised might be lying.

I found a summer job and never went home again.

When it was time to submit college applications, I kept it from everyone and secretly put Brighton University, thousands of miles away, at the top of my list.

The day my acceptance letter arrived, I packed everything I owned into a single suitcase and quietly boarded a train headed for Cedarwick.

Before it departed, I deleted every member of my family from my contacts and blocked their numbers.

The moment Mom and Dad realized I was gone, they panicked.