Chapter 3

3

She doctored her chat history with my father, cropping and splicing the messages before submitting them straight to the academic advisor.

In those fabricated chats, my father supposedly bought her expensive luxury gifts just to help me get along with my roommates. That directly contradicted my financial aid application, where I listed my father’s employment as unknown and his income as zero.

“Honesty is the most basic requirement of being a student.”

The advisor revoked my financial aid spot immediately and posted that cold remark in our class group chat. She didn't name me directly, but everyone knew who she was talking about.

My classmates began whispering and pointing behind my back, calling me a two-faced hypocrite. To make matters worse, the academic merit scholarship I had worked an entire year to earn as top of my class was completely stripped away.

My life hit rock bottom. Terrified of worrying my mother, I didn't utter a single word about what happened on campus. I merely took on extra shifts, cut back on sleep, and worked myself to the bone.

One afternoon, right after class finished, I rushed toward my job only to freeze at the entrance of my dorm building.

Standing there was my mother, whom I hadn't seen in weeks, holding a bag of freshly baked treats and homemade meals.

“You kept saying you were too busy with work to come home, so I thought I’d bring some food over to you.”

“I hope I'm not interrupting your studies. I made enough for your roommates too. You must thank them for taking care of you, okay?”

Her voice was filled with warmth. Overcome with emotion, I wanted nothing more than to steer her away from this toxic place, but Nadine walked right up to us.

“Is this your mom? From afar, I honestly thought she was one of the campus janitors.”

Nadine spat out the insulting remark without hesitation.

“I had the pleasure of meeting Tessa’s dad earlier. Seeing you now, ma'am, you really got lucky, didn't you? No wonder Tessa turned out so pretty.”

The first sentence could be brushed off as lack of tact, but the second was dripping with pure malice.

I clenched my fists in fury. With my mother present, I held back from blowing up. But Mom didn't seem to catch the hidden venom.

“Oh, what a sweet-talking girl. I can tell you're going to achieve great things.”

Mom smiled warmly, handing the containers of food to Nadine. Mumbling that she had to hurry to her next cleaning shift, she turned and left with my support.

When I returned to the dorm room, I saw the food my mother made tossed into the trash can like garbage.

All this time, I had kept my head down, focusing purely on my studies and my jobs. I tolerated Nadine's petty taunts and the stares from my peers, but I could not stand by and let her degrade my mother.

I grabbed the trash-covered food and hurled it straight at Nadine. She jumped back in terror.

“Act like trash all you want, Nadine, but you better show some damn respect in front of my mother.”

I warned her with deadly seriousness, but she only scoffed with a dismissive smirk.

“Who would eat such peasant slop anyway? God knows what cheap junk she threw in there.”

Nadine wiped the stains off her clothes in disgust, whining incessantly.

“Honestly, your mom is broke and your dad won't give you a dime. You might as well just accept me as your new stepmom.”

“Even if my man won't support you, I might feel generous enough to throw you some scraps. Sticking with me is way better than clinging to that pathetic mother of yours.”

She kept running her mouth, utterly oblivious to the dark rage taking over my face.

The second the last word left her lips, I snapped and threw a brutal punch straight across her face.