Chapter 3 I Earned It Myself

Finally, Tania would say, "That's enough, Riley. I'm tired. Go away."

When the final exam results came out, I ranked third in my grade, while Tania ranked 120th.

When Mom saw this, she crumpled the report card in her hand, her knuckles turning white as she glared at me.

"How exactly did you tutor your sister? She dropped 20 places."

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

Then, Tania peeked out of her room with tears welling up in her eyes. "Mom, don't blame Riley. I'm just not smart enough."

Mom immediately pulled Tania into her arms and stroked her back. Then, she turned to me and said, "You don't have to tutor her anymore. I'll hire her a private tutor."

Private tutoring costs 400 dollars per lesson.

Meanwhile, I'd been tutoring her for free for more than half a year. Yet, all I got in return was a thankless and resentful, "You don't have to tutor her anymore."

Tania's tutoring expenses doubled that semester. Naturally, it had put a strain on our finances.

One evening at dinner, Dad put down his utensils and looked at me.

"Riley, stop going to those weekend classes. They're expensive. You can study on your own just as well."

"Okay."

Meanwhile, Tania's dance lessons continued that same weekend, and so did her piano lessons and private tutoring.

Not a single one of her classes was canceled.

In my sophomore year of high school, the school was selecting students for a physics competition.

My homeroom teacher approached me and said, "Riley, you have one of the most consistent physics scores in your entire grade. The school wants to recommend you for the competition."

The registration and training fees came to 2,800 dollars.

When I got home that day, I stood at the entrance changing my shoes for a long time. Eventually, I pushed open the living room door.

Dad was sitting on the sofa watching a video of Tania dancing, while Mom was in the kitchen making soup for her.

I stood beside the dining table, placed the registration form on the table, and told them how much it would cost.

Dad didn't even look up from his phone as he replied dully, "2,800 dollars? What good will entering some physics competition do for a girl? It's not like you can make a living from it."

Just then, Mom came out carrying the soup and glanced at the form before saying, "Exactly. Tania has her art entrance exams next year, and the intensive training will cost a fortune. Please try to be considerate of the family."

The registration form stayed on the table all night, just like that.

The next morning, I picked it up, folded it neatly into quarters, and tucked it inside my diary.

Later, I got a job at the bubble tea shop near school. I went there every day after class for three months, washing cups and mopping floors until ten at night.

I saved up the registration fee little by little.

The day I won first prize at the competition, I walked out of school clutching my certificate and saw Dad's car parked across the street.

My heart had skipped a beat back then. For one foolish second, I thought he had come to pick me up.

Then, the car door opened. I saw Tania bouncing out, holding up a brand-new iPad.

"Thanks, Dad! I promise I'll practice my drawing," she cooed.

Dad smiled and ruffled her hair. Then, he started the car and drove away.

He never once looked in my direction.

Winning first prize gave me access to a reduced-score admissions pathway, but I never used it.

After all, I didn't need to. My scores alone were high enough to get me into the university whose name my family couldn't even be bothered to look up.

The air-conditioning inside the plane was a little chilly, so I pulled my school uniform jacket tighter around myself.

I'd tucked my citizenship transfer certificate deep in my pockets. It was already stamped with the official seal.

…

From that day onward, the place listed under "Previous Residence" would no longer tie me to that home.

My phone vibrated just as my plane landed in Beckham City.

It was a private message from Tania. "Riley, did you bring in my dress?"

The message had been sent two hours ago and only came through once my signal returned.

I didn't reply. Instead, I switched my phone to silent, slipped it into the side pocket of my backpack, and followed the crowd out of the arrivals hall.