All Chapters of Eighteen Years as Their Punchline Ends Here: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Wyatt's POVWhen I arrived at the entrance of Northvale University once again, dragging heavy luggage bags all by myself, my sister, Shelly Yates, and my childhood friend, Wendy Zahn, were already doubled over with laughter.My best friend, Shane Sanders, tossed me a tissue to wipe off my sweat. He said, "Wyatt, how did someone as stupid as you get into Northvale University?"I clenched my fists. I glanced down at the shoe I had lost in my haste, nervously rubbing my hands together. My eyes were filled with hurt and anger. "Shane, this isn't funny at all."After all that back-and-forth, I was left with only 200 dollars out of my 1,500-dollar allowance. How was I supposed to survive the remaining 29 days?"I didn't mean to do anything." Shane looked at me for a few seconds, then shrank back. He looked even more wronged than I did.Wendy walked over and planted herself in front of him, hands on her hips. "Wyatt, today is supposed to be a happy day. Don't make a big deal out of it."

Chapter 2

Wyatt's POVWendy couldn't hold her laughter in anymore. She doubled over laughing, clutching her waist. "You don't like it? But back when you were little, you were always the one laughing the hardest."I clenched my fists. Years of pent-up hurt came pouring out all at once. When I was little, I was afraid of being left out. So, no matter how much they teased or pranked me, I would still trail after them, grinning like an idiot. When I was eight, they tricked me into going up the mountain to look for herbs to cure Mom's cold. But while I wasn't paying attention, they snuck down the mountain and used the pocket money in my bag to buy candy and toys.By the time the police found me, I had spent the entire night on the mountain, cold, hungry, and barely clinging to life. Yet, the first thing I did when I opened my eyes was smile at them. "I-It was fun. But next time, could you please not leave me behind?"Memories came flooding back. My eyes welled up with tears, but Wendy and Shane

Chapter 3

Wyatt's POVA passport was needed to enroll in a university in Haldin. So, while everyone was out having fun, I took the opportunity to go home.It wasn't far. Even by plane, it took less than an hour. But the moment I pushed open the door, a barrage of party poppers suddenly exploded all over me.A group of Wendy's closest friends suddenly appeared in front of me. "Surprise!" they yelled.I was startled. I quickly covered my face with my hands to keep the powder from getting into my nose and mouth. I have allergic rhinitis, so I can't be exposed to too much dust."Oh my! A grown man like you is moved to tears? Wendy specially arranged this confession party for you. She spent months planning it."My heart skipped a beat. It felt as though a wound that had once been ripped open was beginning to heal.A long time ago, I had told Wendy that boys also needed a little romance. And she actually remembered. "Here, these are your favorite limited-edition sneakers." They brought me a p

Chapter 4

Wyatt's POV15 minutes later, the bathroom door flew open. Mom stormed in, yanked me hard by the ear, and dragged me before everyone. My feet slipped, and I crashed hard onto the floor. Stars flashed before my eyes. Red wine stains on the floor smeared all over me, leaving me a complete mess.Mom pulled a medical report for severe depression from her pocket and threw it in front of me. "Do you see it now? You've always complained that we treat Shane better than you. This is why! We only joke around with you because we want Shane to get better as soon as possible. As long as he's happy, we're happy too."Beside Mom, Shane already had tears welling in his eyes, looking deeply moved. "Mrs. Yates, don't tell Wyatt about it. He'll feel guilty. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have joked around with him. Honestly, when he said he wanted to cut ties with me, my heart nearly stopped."Wendy immediately looked at his chest with concern, afraid something might happen to him.But I just l

Chapter 5

Third-Person POV"What kind of joke is this? My brother clearly enrolled yesterday," Shelly said sharply, frowning.Isaac ordered, "What would a lowly security guard like you possibly know? Put us through to someone in the admissions office!" His arrogant attitude immediately angered the elderly security guard. He slammed his hand on the desk and pulled up the security footage from the day before. He said, "See for yourselves. He went to the admissions office yesterday and requested to withdraw. You can hear him loud and clear. Our university is a prestigious one, a dream school for countless students. We hardly get a handful of students voluntarily withdrawing. How could I possibly forget someone this unusual?"Francine clutched her chest, clearly rattled by the sudden bad news.The security guard eyed the three of them askance and huffed angrily. "That young man was incredibly polite when he dropped off his things here. How did he end up with parents as unreasonable and overb

Chapter 6

Third-Person POVBefore long, Shane and Wendy arrived. They had just finished their meal, and sauce still clung to the corners of their mouths. "Don't worry, Shelly. I know Wyatt. He just can't take a joke. He thinks we were messing with him yesterday and wants to get even," Shane said, licking the sauce from the corner of his mouth and flashing Shelly a sweet smile.Wendy frowned, her face filled with exasperation. "So what if I made him run a couple of extra trips? There's no need to make such a big deal out of it. I just noticed that bastard actually blocked me."Shane nodded. "Me too."Shelly picked up her phone, confused, and tentatively dialed Wyatt's number. Just as expected…"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable."She scoffed, her eyebrows lifting slightly. "Well played, Wyatt. You'd better watch out. Once I find you, I'll teach you a lesson—"Her words died on her lips the moment she opened the email she had received a few minutes ago. It was from an ol

Chapter 7

Wyatt's POVAfter completing my enrollment, I barely managed to get by on my savings. I went to every restaurant in the area before finally finding one willing to hire me.Mom and Dad earned tens of millions a year, but I was flat broke. They gave Shane nearly 10,000 dollars in pocket money a year. But whenever it came to me, they would only sigh and shake their heads. "You don't know how to handle money. You'll only end up losing control. We don't give you much because we're protecting you. Besides, you're a man. What do you need so much money for?"So, when Shane and Wendy went skiing, all I could do was trail behind them and take pictures of them.Shelly had completed middle school in Orolia. When she came home, Mom and Dad rewarded her with a Maybach. As for me, all I wanted was a pair of pants. Yet, they called me materialistic. Instead, they gave the pants to Shane. I was the one who realized the truth too late. That was why I had spent year after year struggling in this

Chapter 8

Wyatt's POVShelly suddenly approached me and grabbed my arm. She held on tightly, as if she were afraid I would disappear in the blink of an eye. "Wyatt, why did you drop out of Northvale University without saying anything?" she cried. Her eyes were red, and her voice trembled slightly.I stared at her suspiciously. "What do you want?"Maybe the coldness in my eyes frightened her, so she quickly let go. She said, "I-I don't mean to criticize you. It's just that… your joke went a little too far. You scared Mom, Dad, and me."I scratched my head and retorted, "You think that's excessive? Nobody ever asked for my opinion when you guys used to mess with me."Shane hurried over and tugged at my sleeve. As always, he was playing the good guy in front of me. "Wyatt, don't be mad. We were just joking around. Who knew you'd take it seriously every time?"I shook his hand off. "I can tell you this with absolute certainty. If I don't find it funny, it wasn't a joke."I looked at the thr

Chapter 9

Third-Person POVEver since Isaac and Francine found out Wyatt had dropped out of Northvale University, they had been bedridden with illness. Many relatives and friends came to mock them. Some did it openly, while others did so behind their backs, blaming them for not raising him properly.But when Shelly came home with the news that he had received a full scholarship to Haldin University, their illness magically disappeared. "Yes, that's Wyatt. Oh, he has always been so self-motivated. We hardly ever had to worry about him…" They were still on the phone with relatives back home.Shelly then returned home, looking exhausted.Francine looked past Shelly and asked, "Where's Wyatt?"Shelly bit her lip and sighed. "I didn't bring him back. H-He doesn't want to see us.""How could that be?" Francine immediately hung up the phone and began to panic. "Wyatt has always been a good boy. He's always depended on us. How could he possibly not want to see us? It's all your fault!"She then

Chapter 10

Wyatt's POVAs more and more people gathered around us, I pulled my family into a nearby empty classroom. But before I could say anything, Wendy called. I had no idea what she told Shelly, but her expression shifted instantly. Shelly exclaimed, "What? Shane faked his medical records for depression?"Her words made Mom's and Dad's faces turn even paler. They didn't even dare look me in the eye anymore.Shelly then hung up the phone and looked at me cautiously. "W-Wendy said she found your depression records at the hospital. There aren't any records for Shane."I laughed bitterly, instinctively covering the scars on my left wrist. Even though the thick watch strap concealed them, I still felt a pang of heartache whenever I thought of them."Wyatt, I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to join them in pranking you," Shelly said with tears in her eyes.Mom and Dad shed a few genuine tears as well. "Wyatt, come home. We'll take care of you.""If you want to study at Haldin University, we

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