Chapter 3

When we were kids, Janet and Harvey both had custom-made dishes and utensils.

I was the only one who didn't.

When Grandma, Mom's mother, came to visit, I cautiously brought it up.

Mom tore into me for even asking. "You eat enough already. Now you're making demands, too. Do you think bowls are free? Did you have to bring it up in front of Grandma? You're young, but you sure are scheming!"

That day, I ate half a bowl of stew with tears streaming down my face, then went back to my room.

Before Grandma left, she knocked on my door and handed me a custom-made bowl with a smile.

"If Janet and Harvey have one, then you should have one too, Liam," she said.

The room fell completely silent.

Mom blinked and took a couple of steps back, looking conflicted.

I walked past her and washed the bowl in the sink. Then I dried it and carefully put it in my duffel bag.

I asked again, "Is there somewhere for me to sleep? If not, I'll get a hotel room."

Dad took a deep breath and was about to speak, but Mom stopped him.

"There's a folding bed on the balcony," she said.

I nodded and made do with the folding bed.

I had wanted to say a proper goodbye.

Now, I didn't see the point.

The balcony was unbearably hot. The injury on my lower back had swollen, and the pain kept me awake until morning.

I went to the fridge looking for some ice, but when I opened it, I saw that every section had already been claimed.

The bottom section was for Harvey's beef only, and the middle was filled with Janet's favorite ice cream.

I heard Mom and Dad talking in their room, and my name came up.

Without really thinking, I quietly moved closer.

"Do you think we went too far back then? We cut off the internet and forced Liam to attend a less prestigious college. He could have gotten to Harvoton University," Dad asked.

Mom raised her voice. "How was that too much? What's wrong with him and Harvey going to the same college? If Liam had really gone to Harvoton University, just think how upset Harvey would have been."

I trembled as I listened. The ice pack slipped from my hand and hit the floor with a thud.

I couldn't stop myself from asking in a trembling voice, "So back then, you were willing to ruin my life just to make Harvey happy?"

Mom froze for a moment, then immediately snapped back.

"You're a country bumpkin, and you would've been taken advantage of if you'd gone to Harvoton University! What's wrong with keeping you here where we would keep an eye on you?"

Dad looked at me like I was being unreasonable. "Liam, we were only doing what was best for you."

All the hurt I had kept inside came rushing back.

I said, "You sent me away to the countryside and stopped me from attending the top university. Was that all for my own good?"

"Enough!" Dad's expression darkened. "How dare you talk to us like that? What's wrong with living in the countryside? If you thought you were treated badly, how did you get so heavy?"

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Grandfather and Grandmother, who were Dad's parents, brought a big pot of homemade beef stew to the table and called everyone over.

They gave Janet a big chunk of beef, and Harvey got another. Then they tossed a couple of picked-over scraps of meat, bones and all, into my bowl.

"Look at how skinny you are. Have some more."

Pale pieces of meat floated in a thick layer of grease on top of the stew. Just looking at it made me sick.

It was the same when I was little. Grandmother always made me eat the greasy broth from the stew.

Anything Janet or Harvey didn't like went straight onto my plate.

That's why I gained so much weight as a kid. The heavier I got, the more they called me greedy and looked down on me.

Dad glanced at me. He said nothing, and he didn't stop Grandfather and Grandmother either.

I stood up and dumped the entire pot of stew, meat and all, into the trash.

Then, I took out the only family photo I kept inside my phone. I tore it to pieces and threw it into the trash, too.

"How dare you throw that stew away? That's good food!" Grandmother screamed behind me.

Grandfather sighed. "What a waste. A few years in the city and you've gotten so spoiled."

"Stop talking about him! He acts like everyone owes him something. What an ungrateful brat!"