All Chapters of Cutting Off The Devil: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

They can play out their sweet, doting romance however they like. I won't interfere anymore.Timothy was someone my family sponsored since childhood. He came from an extremely poor and remote mountain village.Not long ago, he lost his mother. As for his father, the only breadwinner in the family, he fell from a high platform when Timothy was six, leaving him permanently disabled.At home, there was also an elderly grandmother to care for.Growing up in such circumstances, Timothy never gave in to despair. On the contrary, he was extraordinarily hardworking.The village chief once told my parents that Timothy would get up before dawn every day and walk three kilometers of mountain paths to the town school. After classes, he would rush back up the mountain to forage for mushrooms to help support the family.In the evening, he would return home to take care of his family members. Only deep into the night would he finally have a moment to touch his books.He couldn't bear to waste m

One month before the SAT, I’d wrapped up my revision, and everything was in place. I just needed one final push.My ranking was steady at first place in the grade, unmoving.At first, Timothy's results were still holding within the top five. Gradually, though, they began to slip.Tenth, 50th, then 90th.By the second mock exam, Timothy hit a record low.He was placed 250th in the grade.Teachers took turns calling him in for talks. My parents subtly asked whether it was due to excessive pressure that he performed well.Timothy hesitated, then nodded and agreed.Unexpectedly, in the exams that followed, his grades suddenly rebounded.I felt a hint of confusion, but in the end, I didn't press the issue.The teachers and my parents, however, finally relaxed.One day, rushing to class, I ran into Timothy and Lucy on the way.It was truly terrible luck on my end.Lucy looked at me and smiled coquettishly. "Tim, tell me: am I prettier, or is your little childhood sweetheart pret

I stayed indoors for a full three months, not daring to go out, until the uproar slowly died down.Even though the current Timothy knew nothing about what would happen in the future, I didn't consider him innocent. A person's nature wouldn't change.Timothy looked at me with a wronged expression."Cecil, did you misunderstand what Lucy and I said last time? I didn't want to put it that way either. It's just that Lucy gets jealous easily. If anything I said offended you, I apologize. This concerns my studies. You've said before that you'll support my dreams, right?"After saying that, he looked at me expectantly."Oh? Are you done?" I asked.I continued, "First, I already warned you before. You chose not to listen. The outcome today is something you have to bear yourself. Second, yes, I support dreams, but only the dreams of the diligent, driven Timothy from the past. "As for you now, do you really think you're worthy of that support? Third, I'm not angry. You're right: we're no

As the saying went, "When ill luck begins, it does not come in sprinkles, but in showers."Timothy seemed completely oblivious to my desire to escape. He strode over quickly. "Cecil, you're back. Why didn't you tell me in advance?"I silently edged farther inside. "I think I made myself very clear last time.""Cecil, I'm sorry. I was a bastard before. I misjudged people. I was fooled by Lucy, too. That b*tch already hooked up with some rich scion long ago."After spitting that out viciously, he grabbed my hand. "Cecil, let's make up, okay?"I looked up and saw the heavy darkness lurking in his eyes.Fear prickled up my spine. Afraid he might hurt me, I pretended to give in. "O-Okay."Satisfied, he finally let go.I hurriedly sent my friend home. When I returned to my apartment, lingering fear washed over me.Timothy's situation became too extreme. If things went wrong, he really might do something irrational.Before I could sort through my thoughts, Justin came back."What