All Chapters of My Parents Gave My Oxford Spot to My Sister, So I Left: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

I opened my bedroom door, pulled a few empty cardboard boxes out from under the bed, and started packing the architectural sketches on my bookshelf one by one.I'd just put two thick portfolios into a box when my door swung open.Evan leaned against the doorframe, a secondary credit card in his hand. He tossed it onto my desk."Go buy yourself some clothes you like, or take a vacation in Hawaii." His tone made it clear he thought he was doing me a favor. "Camilla's been kind of depressed since the breakup, and her therapist says she needs a change of scenery. Your grades have always been good. You can get into a good school on your own. Giving her the letter keeps the peace in this house."I looked at the shiny silver card and didn't reach for it.Evan hadn't always been like this.I still remembered the time I fell and hurt my knee when I was ten. Evan carried me on his back for two miles along a mountain trail. Dripping with sweat, he set me down on the couch and said, "Selena, I'll

Chapter 2

Early the next morning, I went out to the glass conservatory at the far end of the grounds.That was where I kept the miniature city model I'd spent three months building for an international competition.I'd carved each piece from balsa wood and resin, pouring everything I had into every street corner and every window.The moment I pushed open the conservatory door, I froze.Camilla was standing in front of my model with two of her closest friends, a coffee cup in her hand. She was pointing at the church in the center and shaking with laughter."Yes, that spire. When I go to Oxford, I want my apartment to have that same vintage look."As she talked, she reached out and casually toyed with the church spire, her fingernails painted bright red."Don't touch that!" I hurried over.But it was too late.The balsa spire snapped with a sharp crack as she tugged at it. The uneven pressure brought the structure beneath it crashing down. In an instant, a third of the miniature city lay in ruins.

Chapter 3

Tonight was the night I was leaving.The estate was hosting a huge Christmas Eve party.Crystal chandeliers lit up the ballroom as bright as day, and the air was thick with the scent of champagne and truffles.It was the most important night of the year for my family. Every relative and every old family friend would be there.My father stood in the middle of the ballroom holding a glass, with my mother on his arm. Camilla stood beside them in a champagne-colored couture gown, like a proud little princess."Thank you all for coming." My father's voice boomed with pride. "Tonight, I have some wonderful news to share. My younger daughter, Camilla, has been accepted into Oxford's architecture program. She'll be heading off to study in Europe with our family's recommendation letter!"The crowd broke into enthusiastic applause.Camilla lowered her head shyly, soaking up everyone's praise."Camilla is amazing. She's making the whole Prescott family proud.""I heard that program is incredibly

Chapter 4

Light snow was drifting through the night sky over Boston.I wheeled my suitcase out through arrivals and spotted Adrian in the crowd right away.He stood tall in a charcoal-gray cashmere coat. When he saw me, he smiled, warmth lighting his deep blue eyes.He came over and took my suitcase from me like it was the most natural thing in the world."Your flight was delayed half an hour. Are you tired?""I'm okay." I looked at him, and the tension I'd carried all day finally eased.He didn't ask why I'd come alone or why I looked so pale. He just handed me a steaming cup of black coffee."Welcome to Harvard, Selena. Your new life starts now."I took the coffee, and its warmth seeped through the paper cup into my palms."Thank you, Adrian."The next morning, sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows into an empty room at the Prescott estate in New York.Alice pushed open Selena's bedroom door, holding gifts from one of last night's guests."Selena, time to get up. Come down for b

Chapter 5

Richard stared at the tablet screen, breathing hard.His shock gave way to rage. He felt betrayed."Ungrateful brat! She's nothing but an ungrateful brat!" He slammed his fist down on the table. "She applied to Harvard behind our backs? Does she think we're a bunch of fools? She used this family's resources to apply, didn't say a word when she got in, and then ran away right in the middle of Camilla's celebration. She's trying to humiliate us on purpose!"Alice had paled a little, too. She remembered how unnervingly calm Selena had looked the night before, and unease crept over her. Even so, she instinctively sided with Richard."Richard, don't get so worked up. Selena's just too stubborn. She ran off to Boston on her own, with no money from us. How is she going to survive? Is she going to pay her tuition and living expenses by waiting tables?"Evan was already dialing Selena's number."We're sorry. The number you have dialed is not in service." A cold, robotic female voice came throug

Chapter 6

The gala was held in the grand ballroom of the Four Seasons in Boston.Adrian and I walked in side by side.I wore a simple deep blue velvet gown. My hair was pinned up, and I wore no elaborate jewelry. Even so, I drew the attention of countless reporters and investors."Is that Professor Hartwell's date? Isn't that Selena, the rising star who designed the new art museum?""I heard she won two industry gold awards in just four months. She's going places."I held my glass of champagne and smiled in response to the friendly greetings. Adrian stayed at my side, half a step away, his hand hovering near the small of my back in silent support.Just then, the ballroom doors swung open again.My father, my mother, and Evan appeared in the doorway, looking worn out from the trip.My father had pulled every string to find out I'd be at this gala tonight, then flown straight to Boston with my mother and Evan.My mother scanned the room. When she spotted me looking radiant at the center of the roo

Chapter 7

Our corner of the ballroom went dead silent.My father stared at me, wide-eyed and breathing hard. He'd never seen me confront him so ruthlessly.For the past 20 years, all he'd had to do was raise his voice a little, and I'd lower my head and take whatever they put me through. He'd grown so used to my obedience that he'd forgotten I only obeyed because I still had hope for them."You... you've lost your mind!" My father jabbed a finger at me, his hand trembling slightly. "You think you can defy me just because you've got Adrian? Don't forget, ten percent of the Prescott family trust is still in your name! One word from me, and you won't see a single cent. You think the Hartwell family is going to accept some penniless Cinderella?"He'd pulled out what he thought was his deadliest weapon. In his warped way of thinking, money and self-interest were the best ways to keep someone under control.My mother quickly backed him up, coaxing me as if I were a child. "That's right, Selena. Stop b

Chapter 8

Three months later, the Prescott family's real estate company, their pride and joy, faced the worst crisis in its history.After the gala in Boston, Hartwell Holdings, the conglomerate Adrian's family ran, pulled out of every possible deal with the Prescott family. Then it spread the word across the industry that it wouldn't finance any project connected to them.It was like the first domino falling.Their cash flow dried up, partners pulled out, and banks called in their loans. In just three months, Richard's empire was teetering on the edge of collapse.And Camilla's scandal was the straw that broke the camel's back.Oxford formally expelled her and sent a notice of her academic fraud to every top university.Camilla's reputation was ruined. The socialite friends who used to flock to her now avoided her like the plague.In the middle of a heavy snowstorm, Camilla got kicked out of her apartment in Oxford and slunk back to the Prescott estate, which was falling apart."I told you I di

Chapter 9

A year later, another heavy snow fell over Boston.I stood at the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor of our house, holding a mug of warm milk. My belly was starting to round. I was four months pregnant and moved a little more slowly these days.Adrian wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and rested his chin against my neck."Watching the snow?" he asked softly."Yes." I smiled.Over the past year, I'd become a rising star in North American architecture.Adrian and I had started a family of our own, and our life together was peaceful, fulfilling, and happy."Someone's been standing down there for a long time." Adrian followed my gaze, and his expression sharpened.Through the swirling snow, I saw a figure by the iron fence outside the house.It was an old man in a worn-out coat, his hair gone gray and his face gaunt and haggard. He was badly hunched over. He clutched a hat and shivered in the snow.It was my father.In just one year, the Prescott family had declared ban

Chapter 10

That was the last time I ever saw my father.Later, I heard bits and pieces about them from old classmates.After my father got home from Boston, he had a sudden stroke that left him completely paralyzed and bedridden.They lived in that cramped, leaky apartment. Evan got wasted every day, and whenever anything went wrong, he screamed at our paralyzed father and our mother, who had lost her mind.Every day, my mother sat by the window, clutching a paintbrush I'd used when I was little.Sometimes she waved at the empty street and called out with a smile, "Selena, come home for dinner. I baked your favorite cookies."But her Selena was never coming home.Camilla, the one they'd spoiled rotten, was later arrested on suspicion of credit card fraud and ended up in a local jail.She called home from jail more times than anyone could count, begging for help. But the home that had once sheltered her from everything had crumbled to dust, and there was no one left who could save her.Their unche

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