Chapter 3

Bryce seemed unprepared for my harsh words. He gritted his teeth and spoke with determination and resentment. "Alright, I'll see how much backbone you have!"

Three days after the scholarship was revoked, Mr. Hayden pushed a competition registration form in front of me and said with a somewhat troubled tone, "Nelly, the registration fee for this provincial competition is 2,800 dollars. You need to pay it as soon as possible."

I looked down at the paper, my throat tightening.

In the past, I could make up for it with my scholarship, even if my family did not give me the money. Now, I could not even afford a single cent.

When I got home that evening, Marissa was sitting on the couch, munching on peanuts. The TV was showing Lara's guaranteed university admission interview. "Lara is amazing! She will definitely have a bright future."

Seeing me return, Marissa's expression sank. "You've ruined your reputation so badly. Without the school scholarship, why bother studying? If you start working sooner, you can help ease the burden on the family."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lara came out of the room. She gently bit her lip. "Nelly, you don't have to work so hard. Bryce said that he'll take care of you even if you don't get into university."

For the first time, I realized that people could be so shamelessly malicious.

I sneered, "So you're feeling smug now?"

Lara's eyes instantly reddened.

I said nothing more and turned to go back to my room. However, I froze as soon as I opened the door. The room was a mess. The closets were wide open, and all of my mother's belongings, which were in the cardboard box under the bed, were gone.

My face turned pale instantly as I rushed out. "Where are my mother's things?"

Marissa slowly replied, "Oh, that pile of junk? People came to interview Lara today, and it would've been embarrassing to have that pile of junk filmed, so we threw it away."

I frantically rushed out and searched through the trash cans, but I found nothing. That night, I dragged my suitcase and left home. Starting the next day, I went to class during the day and worked part-time at night. I distributed flyers, washed dishes, and worked the night shift at a convenience store.

Finally, I rented a basement room on a street behind my school. I piled my textbooks next to my bed and slept only four hours a day, spending the rest of my time grinding through practice questions.

Two weeks later, Bryce waited for me outside the convenience store where I worked part-time. This was the first time I saw him after our argument. I heard he had gone abroad to clear his head.

He had lost a lot of weight, and his eyes were bloodshot. The moment he saw me, his pupils contracted sharply. He probably had not expected me to be wearing a cheap work uniform with my hands covered in chilblains.

His voice was hoarse. "Nelly."

I tried to walk past him, but Bryce grabbed my wrist. The next second, his expression changed drastically because my hands were terrifyingly cold. He stared at me. "Where do you live now?"

I did not answer, and Bryce's eyes reddened slightly. "Why won't you go home?"

I finally looked up at him. "Is that my home?"

Bryce's breath hitched. After a long pause, he answered in a low voice, "I've already paid your competition registration fee. Don't live in the basement anymore. I'll rent you a new place."

While shoving a bank card into my hand, he said, "There's 100,000 dollars in there, Nelly. Don't be so hard on yourself."

I looked down at the card and suddenly found it ridiculous. I threw the bank card back at him. "Bryce, do you think that I'll still follow you around like before as long as you spend some money on me?"

His face turned pale instantly. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" I looked at him and spoke each word clearly. "You stole my guaranteed university admission spot, snatched my scholarship, and now, you want to decide how I live? What gives you the right?"

Bryce's Adam's apple bobbed violently, but he could not utter a single word.