Dad looked furious. Mom pressed her hand to her forehead, shaking with anger.They looked past Rodney and Cindy, who were making a scene, and turned their eyes to me.I walked over to them and said softly, "Mom, Dad, let's go."Neither of them gave Cindy another look.Dad nodded grimly and put an arm around Mom's shoulders. The three of us turned and walked away.Behind us, Cindy and Rodney kept shouting and shoving each other, while the parents nearby whispered and pointed at them.Cindy had created this whole mess herself and forced me into it as a supporting role.In the end, it cost her her own future, and the whole thing came crashing down.…Seven years later, I stood at the podium at an international academic conference, presenting my research fluently to leading scholars from around the world.The spotlight shone warmly on me as I spoke. Below me, the audience listened closely, breaking into applause from time to time.As soon as the conference ended, Mom called. She
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