Chapter 5

Mom hastily added, "I know that you're very well-behaved, Ash. Olly's not very good at studying. He's going to be in low spirits if you pursue your doctorate. Also, who knows when we're going to be able to afford to buy a house without you working too?"

She hung her head and pretended to wipe her nonexistent tears.

Meanwhile, the disdain in my heart had reached its peak.

Dad placed a piece of sliced steak on my plate and tried to change the topic. "Eat up. You've lost too much weight over the last two years."

The corners of my lips curled up into a self-deprecating smile. How could I not lose weight when I only ate a single meal every day since I was always buried to the elbows in work?

A shrill ringing shattered the awkward and tense air in the private booth.

A hint of guilt flickered in Mom's eyes when she glanced at her phone screen. She hastily turned the phone over and said, "The telemarketers are getting so annoying these days."

The phone started ringing again a few seconds after it fell silent.

Mom let out a dry laugh before heading outside to answer the call. 30 seconds later, she reentered the booth, looking as white as a sheet. She pulled Dad up to his feet and said, "The boss just called. An urgent matter just came up. Take your time eating, Ash. We'll be taking our leave first."

I fixed a faux-worried expression on my face and said, "Let's go together, Mom. I can lend a hand too."

Mom immediately waved her hands and said, "No need! You've already worked yourself to the bone. You should rest up today."

"I'm 24 this year, but this is the first and only time you've celebrated my birthday with me. Do you have to go?" I asked, unable to hold back my overflowing reluctance and despair.

I turned my head to the side and did my best to hold back my tears.

Mom hesitated for a moment before saying, "Well… Maybe we can eat some cake first before leaving—"

However, her phone started ringing again before she could finish her sentence. Dad also showed her a message on his phone.

Mom's hesitance disappeared. She frowned and snapped impatiently, "We can celebrate your birthday every year. You know that you're already 24, so can you stop being so immature?"

She then shoved me aside. She didn't slow down even when my waist collided against the sharp and hard corner of the marble table.

"Wait."

I stopped trying to figure out why I was always inferior to Oliver in their hearts. I also stopped having any expectations of them. As I stared into Mom's eyes that were full of irritation, I calmly handed the disownment contract to her.

"I've already registered for my doctorate. I'll have to submit an application if I want to drop out. I'm going to need your signatures."

The lighting in the private booth was dim. On top of that, my parents were in a rush to go to Oliver's side. As I expected, they didn't even bother looking at the contract before penning their signatures on the dotted lines.

However, just as I was about to retrieve the disownment contract, Mom suddenly grabbed my hand and said, "We'll celebrate your birthday again when we're free, Ash."

I nodded as I retracted my hand, saying, "Alright. Go do what you need to do."

I watched them leave without a trace of hesitation. I didn't look forward to the birthday party that I knew wouldn't happen. I also didn't continue eating. Instead, I immediately rushed home to pack my belongings after I paid the bill.

I placed an order to deliver one copy of the disownment contract to them while keeping one copy for myself. I then got into my advisor, Richard Dyer's car.

My phone started ringing nonstop just before I boarded the plane. Mom's name was flashing on the screen.

Having no desire to talk to her, I set my phone on silent mode. Moments before I boarded the plane, I sent a message to them.

"You've got what you wanted. Never bother me again."

After sending the message, I took out the SIM card, snapped it in half, and threw the broken pieces into the trash.

Ignoring the two figures who had rushed the boarding gate, I picked up my suitcase and left.