All Chapters of Traded Away: My College Seat for Hers: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

I pushed the front door open. The three of them were gathered around the dining table, with a towering, custom three-tier fondant cake in the center. Five bold characters were written across the top of the expensive gold-leaf chocolate—"Congratulations on Your Academic Success!"It had been prepared for my adopted younger sister, Winona Fairchild. Even though she hardly ever cracked open her textbook, and even though her score fell far short of even the minimum passing mark, Mom and Dad had still gone all out to throw her the grandest celebration. Winona sobbed in Mom's arms while Dad stood beside them, his face full of heartache as he handed her tissues. "Don't cry, Winnie. It's okay even if you didn't do well. You just didn't perform well for once, that's all. I'll buy you the bag you've had your eye on tomorrow," Dad said.Mom gently patted her back. "That's right. Even if you don't go to college, your dad and I can take care of you for the rest of your life." I stood

After confirming my admission documents, I returned home at noon. As soon as I pushed the door open, before I could even kick off my shoes, a slap cracked across my face. The force sent me staggering backward, my back slamming hard against the shoe cabinet. A loud ringing filled my ears, and I tasted the metallic tang of blood in my mouth. Clutching my cheek, I looked up, only to meet Mom's eyes. They were filled with hatred, as if she wanted to skin me alive. "You ingrate, do you have to push your sister to the point of no return before you're happy?"Mom's voice was high-pitched and harsh, light-years away from the loving front she usually put on in front of me. Dad stormed out of my room with the review materials I had organized and several physics books that I treasured the most. The very next second, he tossed all of them onto the floor. The pages were strewn across the floor, ruthlessly trampled under his shoes, leaving behind a trail of black footprints. "What's t

"Hannah Fairchild? Isn't it supposed to be Winona? What on Earth is going on?" "If I remember correctly, Hannah's the name of their long-lost eldest daughter.""Liam, didn't you tell me this banquet was for your younger daughter, Winona? Why does the name on this admission letter belong to your eldest daughter?""Exactly. Didn't you tell us that your eldest daughter had poor grades, qualified only for community college, and had already been sent off to work in an electronics factory?" After a brief moment of silence, the entire banquet hall descended into chaos. The smug expression on Winona's face immediately froze. Staring long and hard at the name on the giant screen, her entire body trembled, and her meticulously manicured nails almost dug into her flesh.Dad's face flushed crimson before it darkened, and a sheen of cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead. However, after a split second of panic, he hastily composed himself. He chuckled dryly before explaining to

In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed. In the heart of the desolate northwestern desert, fierce winds kicked up blinding dust storms, but the high-octane atmosphere inside the facility remained undeterred. Clad in a white anti-static lab coat, I stood before a massive precision instrument, recording the last set of readings. The living conditions here were brutal. There were no fine dining steaks or custom-ordered cakes. Every day, we ate from communal pots and drank water with a faint earthy taste. Yet, I felt more free and fulfilled than ever before. Here, no one belittled me for walking quietly, nor did anyone force me to work on an assembly line tightening screws. The nation's top physics academician had taken me under his wing as his last apprentice. My seniors were pure-hearted and sincere. Whenever I solved a complex equation, they would lift me into the air and cheer with pure joy. In the evening, I climbed up the sand dune outside the base alone. Gazing

That day, a national commendation ceremony for cutting-edge talents was being held outside the square of Pennington Town Hall. Security cordons had been set up around the perimeter, with guards stationed every few steps and checkpoints placed throughout the area. Mom, Dad, and Winona looked like three beggars, shivering in the early winter's biting cold. Their eyes were glued to the entrance of the hall. They had been camping out here for three whole days. At long last, the grand doors swung open, and a group of distinguished figures emerged, surrounding several young scholars. I was positioned dead center, dressed in a crisp bespoke suit and with a gold medal representing the nation's highest honor pinned to my chest. I was conversing softly with my mentor, Professor Myers, who was walking beside me. My eyes were bright and clear, and my presence was calm yet commanding. The three of them, who were standing outside the cordons, were shell-shocked."Han… That's my daughter…" M