The Top Scorer Who Chose a Joke University

I got a 1580 on the SAT out of 1600, including a perfect score in one section, making me the undisputed top scorer in the entire state.In front of all my family and friends, I announced that I had decided to apply to Seabrook Technical College.Mom thought she'd misheard me. She stared at me in utter disbelief."I'm applying to Seabrook Technical College," I repeated.Dad was frozen for a long time. His phone slipped straight out of his hand and hit the floor."Ethan… S-Say that again?"My cousin, Matilda Flint, shot out of her chair. "Ethan Walker, have you lost your mind? Why would the state's top scorer go to some third-rate vocational school?"The living room descended into chaos. All my relatives crowded around me, talking over each other to persuade me."Ethan, are you under too much pressure? Have you fried your brain?""With a score like yours, Easton University and Northbridge University—the top institutes in the country—would be fighting over you. Why would you go t

Portia sensed something immediately."It seems your family is just as surprised by this decision? Ethan, is it something you can't talk about?"When I heard the words "can't talk about", my heart tightened. I looked at the camera, knowing that millions of people might be watching the live broadcast right now."No one is pressuring me, and there are no problems at home," I answered."As the state's top scorer, your choice will influence many younger students. Don't you think you owe everyone a more reasonable explanation?"I looked at her stern expression and felt a wave of helplessness. "I have nothing more to say."An awkward silence fell over the room.Portia glanced at her colleagues, then turned to the camera and said, "Dear viewers, we're live right now with Ethan Walker, the state's top scorer. Unfortunately, he refuses to reveal the real reason he's giving up Easton and Northbridge. The choice is certainly puzzling."Our live coverage ends here. Thank you for watching."

The malicious speculation online kept getting worse and worse."He's probably just trying to make money off of all this.""Only someone desperate for money would be insane enough to do this.""I suggest everyone stop sympathizing with them. This is just a stunt to grab public attention."Some people even started fabricating "tragic stories" about our family. One said that we owed millions of dollars in debt, another claimed Mom had a terminal illness, and some even said Dad was being chased by debt collectors and was going to jump off a building.These completely false rumors spread wildly across the Internet, becoming more and more outrageous.Just then, the doorbell rang. Mom went to open the door and found our neighbor, Linda Parker, standing outside."Your family is really famous now," Linda said, her tone hard to read. "I just ran into several reporters on my way back. They were all asking about your family's situation. Some even asked me if you're really that poor and whet

"What? Suspended?" Dad's voice trembled. "Sir, I… I know the situation online hasn't been good lately, but what does that have to do with my job?"The voice on the other end was cold. In the end, they merely said, "This is a decision from the higher-ups. Take some time off and rest at home."Dad hung up, completely falling apart."It's over… It's all over… No job, no income… How are we supposed to pay off the debt?"Mom received a call from her company, too. She had been fired. The reason they gave her was that she had "damaged the company's image".Within a single day, our family had lost all sources of income. And on top of that, all our utilities were being cut off one after another.This couldn't possibly be a coincidence. Someone had to be pulling strings behind the scenes, trying to push us into a corner.The neighbors also began whispering and pointing fingers at us.That evening, our landlord, Frank Doyle, showed up. He looked conflicted, but his tone was firm. "Mr. W

"Gambling?" I asked deliberately. "Isn't this an investment? Futures trading?"Mr. Somner and Noah exchanged a glance."Investment, gambling—it's all the same thing," Mr. Somner answered with a smile."Are there always this many people here every day?" I asked."We're the largest underground casino in the city," he explained. "The daily turnover is in the millions of dollars."He actually admitted with his own mouth that this was an underground casino!Noah patted me on the shoulder."Ethan, want to raise the stakes? Your luck is so good today anyway, so why not solve your family's problems in one go?""Alright, I'll give it a try.""Police! Don't move!"With the loud roar, the door was kicked open, and a dozen police officers stormed in."Everyone, on the floor! Hands on your heads!"The room instantly descended into chaos. Some tried to escape, while others tried to destroy evidence. But quickly enough, the police took control of the scene.Mr. Somner and Noah were pinne