Chapter 4 A Future They Tried to Take Away

Even after I cried until my tears ran dry, I couldn't come up with a single word to refute it.

…

Over the next few days, the atmosphere at home felt awkward. I left early every morning to practice driving and returned late at night, but not a single person in the family spoke to me.

Then, on the day the SAT results were released, the system issued another new instruction.

Fortunately, I'd ranked among the top fifty students in the entire state, earning the distinction of being the city's top scorer. After I finished taking calls from my school and the admissions officers of several universities, the whole family fell silent.

Dad took a sip of water. "You should still apply to a tuition-free community college. You'll get financial assistance, and you won't have to worry about finding a job after graduation. For a girl, stability is the most important thing."

Mom agreed. "A community college is a good choice. It'll make it easier for you to find a husband, too. Just apply to a school in our state. It's on the outskirts of the city, so you can come home on weekends. I'll have time to teach you how to do housework."

Jordan nodded as well. "The outside world is a mess. With your personality, someone could sell you off, and you'd probably help them sort out the transaction. Just listen to Mom and Dad."

Before I could even speak, they'd already decided for me.

"It's settled, then. You're applying to the local community college."

…

Three days later, when it was time to submit my university applications, I hesitated.

I checked with the system. "What if I disobey them and they get angry? What if they refuse to pay my tuition?"

"Why don't you figure out a way to handle it yourself then?" the system replied.

Over the next few weeks, I practiced driving and took on a part-time job, all while worrying about what might happen.

Through our class rep, who had plenty of part-time work experience, I started working as a commercial model. The photographers said my eyes and short hair gave me a distinctive look. When I wasn't smiling, I had the perfect face for high fashion at the time.

I wasn't used to having heavy makeup or posing in front of a camera. It didn't feel like a respectable job to me. But when I was earning several hundred dollars a day, I kept my mouth shut.

That was until one of the brands I worked with sent me a box of skincare products, alerting Mom to what was going on.

She threw the entire box onto the floor, covered her face, and burst into tears. "How did I end up raising a thief? You stole money from your own family to buy this useless, frivolous stuff! I might as well die!"

I picked up the products one by one and explained, "I earned the money myself from my part-time job."

Jordan stood to one side, his gaze ice-cold. "In that case, where's the money? How come we haven't seen a single cent of it?"

Of course, the system wouldn't let me hand my earnings over to them, so I could only remain silent and return to my room.

I'd almost started crying again, but after days of being treated coldly by my family, I'd already exhausted my tears. I sat quietly, lost in thought for a long time.

…

Half a month later, my teacher informed me that my university acceptance letter was ready for collection.

My name appeared on the school's honor board. I'd been accepted into the country's third-ranked university, where I'd be studying computer science, a prestigious major.

Everyone outside my home was beaming with joy as they congratulated me. But the moment I stepped through the front door, I was met with an atmosphere so cold it could freeze over.

Through a closed bedroom door, I heard Jordan say, "Make her repeat the year! Computer science is a man's field. She'll be at the bottom of her class as soon as she starts."

I couldn't help thinking that, in his mind, if he could manage to study at an ordinary private university, he must know what he was talking about.

Mom was crying. "How can a girl like her go to Calemont? The cost of living there is outrageous! She's going to spend so much money without sparing a thought for her brother!"

Dad's voice was low and cold. "I think she's gotten too big for her boots. We might as well marry her off. Mr. Lawson from the villa neighborhood next door seems like a good choice. He's only thirty, already has a car and a house, and he lives nearby, so he can help our family out. I heard that…"

Every word they said felt like a knife stabbing into my heart. A torrent of emotions surged through my chest, drowning out every last bit of reason.

For some inexplicable reason, I murmured, "Do they even love me?"

The next second, the system let out a beep. "Congratulations, your bond has been successfully severed."