- 4.
I spent the whole summer locked in my room,
studying high school books.
Harlow and Jake spent their days partying and
wasting money. My parents started to like me
more and more.
Harlow and Jake were kids. They forgot
everything when they were having fun. This
allowed me to focus on my work.
<
Nobody likes to work hard, but society only
cares about results. I had to immerse myself in a vulgar war to Improve my future social status.
I had to try.
My parents came to me before school started.
Just as I thought, they suggested that I should give up my spot at the best high school in the city and go to a normal high school with those
two trash bags.
They thought I could motivate the two
underachievers to be productive.
It would cost a lot of money to send the two to
a good high school. But it wouldn’t cost a
penny to send me to a normal one.
They were profit–driven..
I refused in front of my whole family. “No way!”
My parents were embarrassed.
Elizabeth spoke first: “Olivia, I’m sure you can
do well even at a normal high school. I’ve
checked it out, and it has a good graduation.
rate. Please think about it.”
She actually had the nerve to say that.
Last time, because they had a bad first impression of me, they weren’t so polite. They just ordered me to go to this normal hight
school, giving me no choice.
The high school had a terrible teaching staff, and the learning atmosphere and curriculum couldn’t compare to that of a good high school.
The teachers still hadn’t finished teaching the
final year’s classes by the second semester.
It was misleading.
<
So I refused without hesitation: “I said, you
agreed to let me study hard before I came
home with you. Why do you want to take away my chance to go to a good school?”
Charles became impatient. “We’re just asking for your opinion, don’t be so hostile.”
“My opinion is that I don’t agree. You’d be the
laughingstock of the city if you let the best
student go to a normal high school.”
“And,” I turned to those two slackers: “You
expect me to motivate them?”
“They’ve been having fun all summer. They
haven’t looked at a single book. How can you
expect them to be productive?”
“If I go to a normal high school, will they hold
me back or will I motivate them?”
“Are tutors that expensive now? Can’t we
<
afford after–school classes? Or do you just not
want me to go to a good college and make you
look good?”
Jake was not happy when he heard that: “What
the hell do you mean, Olivia?”
“So you’re saying that me and my sister are embarrassing Mom and Dad? That you’re the
only one who will make them look good?”
“Let me tell you, don’t pretend to be
enthusiastic, it’s useless!”
“My family has money, and I can spend it
however I want. Even if I don’t pass anything,
Mom and Dad can still take care of me and my
sister for the rest of our lives. You’d better stay
away.”
He glanced at me, scoffed, and said, “You hick
who can’t even drink tap water, that old man
deserved to be dragged down by you, you
く
should have starved in the streets and frozen to
death under the bridge.”
I felt something in my brain snap, and my faith
in supporting me for so long was like a piece of
straw that was broken when a peasant lit the
stove and thrown into the fire.
When I came back to my senses, I saw Jake on
the ground, his face full of horror, blood
gushing from his nose.
Charles and Elizabeth were holding my arm
tightly, and I was still holding the giant glass
ashtray on the coffee table.
Harlow screamed and scrambled away.
A cold sweat broke out all over my back. I
almost beat Jake to death.
Charles grabbed the ashtray from me. Elizabeth
held me, shaking, and whispered apologies.
<
I shoved her off, staring at Jake on the floor. “So, you guys really are siblings after all…”
I turned on my parents, ice in my veins. “Why
did you bring me back? I’m nothing but an
outsider in this family!”
“Jake, you don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be
gone as soon as I get into college. I’m not fighting you for your inheritance. Everything
here is yours. I don’t want any of it.”
“You’re right. I don’t belong here. My last name
is Walker. Not Sterling.”
I turned and walked out, leaving them with at
shadow of the soul.
Outside my door, I heard Charles yell, “You
idiot! What the hell did you say to her?”
“I didn’t say anything! I can’t stand her. What
would I want to talk to her for?”
<
“What did I say that was wrong? She shouldn’t
have come back, she should have died out
there!”
“If she hadn’t shown up, Harlow wouldn’t be so
upset! This is all your fault!”
Smack!
After that loud slap, the living room went silent.
