The Score That Got Me Killed

"I can't wait for your results, Yvonne." My mother spoke gently, and she looked at me with a smile in her eyes.

In my previous life, I worked myself to the bone just to meet her expectations every day.

My mother realized I was in a daze, refusing to check my results. She held my hand, trying to encourage me. "Even if you flunk your SATs, I'll do everything to bring your scores up."

I knew how much my parents had done for me. They signed me up for the best schools and spent millions on a house near a reputable school zone. Instead of signing me up for summer school, they took me on a trip around the world to broaden my horizons.

They even put a lot of estates, vehicles, and savings under my name. I refused to let them down and end up ordinary, so I proved myself by scoring nearly 1,500 points on the SATs. They disowned me and kicked me out of the house, and I died out there.

I couldn't understand why they weren't happy with my results, changing completely after seeing my results. I wondered if I could change everything by not letting them see it, so I took a deep breath.

"I'm a little nervous, Mom. Can we check it later?"

Though she seemed surprised, my mother smiled lovingly. "Of course. You can check whenever you want to."

She left the room, and I heaved a sigh of relief. Slowly, I opened up the website again, then logged in. My results popped up on screen, showing 1,580.

I logged in and out again several times, but it was the same.

The result wasn't the problem, so why had my parents reacted so violently? Perhaps they thought I cheated because it was higher than what I usually scored. But they saw how hard I studied, and the exam halls were closely monitored. I could never cheat.

Just when I was deep in thought, my mother came in with a fruit platter. I wanted to cover up my results, but it was too late. The plate fell from her hands, and she stormed up to me darkly, trying to yank my hand away.

My heart raced. Panicked, I came up with a lie. "It isn't mine! It's Gianna's!"

My mother froze for a moment, then disgust filled her eyes. "I can't believe she's that kind of girl. Stop talking to her."

I couldn't believe it. If they reacted so violently after seeing my results, then I might be the problem, but Gianna was my best friend. They had no reason to get mad at her results. I was still stunned, but my mother shoved me.

"What are your login credentials? I'll help you check."