All Chapters of Lowest Score in Dad's Family Love App: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

"This isn't punishment. It's love—the deep, unwavering love of a father!"My father, Daniel Jacobson, stood before the memorial plaques with his hands pinned behind his back. Below the raised platform sat our relatives, all of them silent.The Family app's scoreboard was shown on the large screen. My name had been circled.I'd scored the lowest on the board. Pointing at my name, Dad exclaimed loudly, "A complacent, unambitious person like this is not worthy of being my child! I know you all think I'm being cruel."He raised his voice so that it reverberated through the chapel. "But a diamond in the rough demands to be mercilessly shaped and polished until it shines! I'm crushing her pride today so she can survive!"The antique clock in the corner of the chapel struck nine. It was judgment time.His words cut off. Dad frowned and glanced at the door. No one stood there."Where is she?"The relatives' whispers grew to a clamor."Erik." Dad turned to my older brother, Erik Jacobs

I heard two sets of footsteps shuffle around outside as Dad and Erik adjusted their positions. I also heard them draw deep breaths.Another bang. Another hard shove against the door, which caved under impact. A crack sounded through the air as the wood splintered.Terrified, I curled into a ball. The most painful memories buried deep in my soul swarmed over my head, drowning me. Breathing became difficult.It was the eve of Independence Day.In an attempt to show our family's united front, Dad held a barbecue specially for the occasion. Grease from the meat skewers dripped over crackling flames and red-hot charcoal, the heat rising from the pit carrying with it a mouthwatering, smoky scent.Our relatives sat huddled around the barbecue pit as if it were a camping event. Everyone was beaming and laughing.Erik perched beside me, diligently turning the skewers for Dad and addressing him with just the right amount of respect.Dad ate it up."Erik's working on quite a forward-looki

A restless buzz filled the staircase landing.At first, some of my relatives craned their necks to peer up the stairs. Then, curiosity must have gotten the better of them, for frantic footsteps traveled up the steps.The footsteps belonged to my Aunt Catherine. She was the first to rush to the scene.The moment she stepped into the room, she was taken aback by Dad at the doorway, then startled to see Erik on the floor. After that, her gaze fell on my bed where I lay and the empty prescription bottle on my nightstand.Her hand flew to her mouth. Her eyes darted around the room and quickly snagged on the two uniformed figures."Officers!" Aunt Catherine wailed, shattering the last shred of propriety in the chapel as she flung herself not at me but at the two police officers. Sniveling and sobbing, she pleaded with them, "Please, you have to save us!"Daniel Jacobson is evil, through and through! The app he created has done nothing besides giving our children nightmares!"To make a

Some life finally returned to Dad's ashen face. It was the kind of energy that was twisted, formed by the world's betrayal.He looked at Erik, then at Grand-Uncle Vincent and the family he'd once controlled like minions. Then, the corners of his mouth slowly quirked upward, stretching his lips into an ugly grimace.The two police officers stepped forward, flanking Dad and grabbing his arms. "Mr. Daniel Jacobson, please come with us to the station."Just as the officers were about to drag Dad away from the judgment he'd set up himself, Nicholas interjected, "Wait."Taking out the last document—a thin set—from his briefcase, Nicholas opened the pages before the relatives. "This is the last part of Ms. Jacobson's will."Everyone stopped. Even the two police officers went still.Dad stiffened and slowly turned back, fixing his gaze on Nicholas, who narrated my will, "Regarding the disposal of personal effects and assets, please bury me with the silver moon necklace left behind by my