All Chapters of I Can't Keep You, so I'll Let Go: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Smart.That was the word I'd heard the most ever since I was brought back to the Hunt family.Reynold was the child Mom and Dad adopted after I went missing. He had helped them through their darkest days.So even though I was their biological son, I could never measure up to Reynold in their hearts.The only thing I had going for me was that I was smart. I only had to look at a textbook once to get it, and a single glance was all it took to solve a problem.But Mom and Dad never loved me any more for it. They would only sigh helplessly. "Being smart is a good thing, of course. But we're a family. There's no need to always turn everything into a competition. Reynold is already working so hard. Can't you just let him have this?"And so, coming in first was my fault. Scoring a perfect mark was my fault. Being better than Reynold was the biggest fault of all.To make up for my "wrongdoings", they doubled their efforts to make it up to Reynold.The best food went to him first. He wo

I froze at once. My first thought was that the vendor was trying to scam me.But he slapped the bills onto the table, quickly drawing a crowd. Some held them up to the light, and some felt the paper.In the end, they all shook their heads and said, "They're fake."That night, I squatted outside the mall entrance until dawn, clutching a stack of fake cash.The next morning, the moment the bubble tea shop opened, I rushed inside and slammed the fake bills onto the counter. "Why did you trick me? This is fraud! I'm calling the police!"The shop owner didn't even bat an eye. "I didn't prepare this money. Your mom came by yesterday and picked up your wages ahead of time. She left those fake bills with me and said that it was to build your character, so you'd realize that making money isn't that easy."My brain went completely numb. My hands and feet felt frozen as I rode the bus home.The second I burst through the door, my eyes burned with tears. "Did you take my wages?"Instead of

A small group of four waited outside the door. The woman leading them held a microphone, followed closely by a crew member balancing a camera on his shoulder.Nicole blinked in surprise. "Can I help you?"The woman flashed a professional smile. "Hello, we're from the city news network. We're here to do an interview with Ollie Hunt. Is he home right now?"The expression on Nicole's face instantly froze.Everyone else in the living room automatically looked over.Frankie frowned and asked, "An interview with Ollie? What for?"The reporter paused, clearly not expecting this kind of reaction from them."You don't know yet? Ollie is the top scorer in the entire state this year. He got 1570. We contacted his school, but they said that he has already checked out, which is why we came directly to his home."The moment the words left her mouth, the living room fell completely silent.The brooch in Reynold's hand hit the floor with a sharp clatter.Nicole opened her mouth, but not a si

Third-Person POVAfter the reporters left, a terrifying silence fell over the living room of the Hunt residence.On the coffee table, Reynold's acceptance letter still lay wide open.Just moments ago, everyone had gathered around it, laughing and celebrating. But now, no one even glanced at it.Frankie was the first to snap back to reality. He grabbed his car keys and marched straight toward the door. "We're going to the school. I need to know where the hell he applied."Nicole followed closely behind him, her footsteps erratic and rushed.Paige and Julia went along too.Only Reynold remained on the couch, his face completely drained of color.He wanted to call out and stop them. His mouth opened, but in the end, he couldn't form a single word.Since the school was already on break, Ollie's homeroom teacher, Eleanor Glover, was the only one left in the office.When she saw them march in together, her expression didn't register any surprise. It was almost as if she had expecte

Three days after Julia left Glenridge, the Hunt family made the headlines.It started because that television interview never aired.People found it strange. I was the top scorer in the state, yet no one in my family knew where I had gone.Then, a neighbor from the rented apartment was interviewed.She mentioned that I had lived alone for a year, that no one cared when the AC broke, and that I was left shivering in the hallway during a midnight blackout.Next, the owner of the bubble tea shop spoke out. He revealed that Mom had picked up my month's wages, only to swap them for fake bills.The headlines were biting."Top Scorer and Biological Son Kicked Out by Family, Goes Missing After Living Alone for a Year"."Family Celebrates Adopted Son's College Acceptance While Top Scorer Son Leaves Unaccompanied".I was eating dinner in the cafeteria when I saw the news.My roommate looked at me cautiously. "Ollie, is this… you?"I glanced down at the screen.The photo showed the re