Chapter 4Traded Away: My College Seat for Hers

Mr. Lawson's voice echoed through the living room, plunging the air into a suffocating silence.

Dad's hand froze in midair, whereas Mom's jaw dropped. Winona let out a piercing scream, her eyes rolling back, and fainted on the couch.

"Winnie!" Mom and Dad snapped back to reality. They couldn't be bothered to interrogate me as they hurriedly rushed Winona to the hospital.

…

Two hours later, I was called out into the hospital corridor.

Mom's and Dad's attitudes had undergone a complete 180. Gone was their previous arrogance, along with the slaps and insults.

Dad pulled out a debit card from his coat and handed it to me. "There's 75 thousand dollars in here, Han."

Mom stepped forward and gently stroked my head. "You're a good kid, Han. You did so well on the exams this time. Your father and I are proud of you!"

Then, she sighed. "However, the big city is full of sharks, and you're far too timid. You'll get eaten alive if you attend such a prestigious college.

"Winnie's different. She's been exposed to high society since she was a child. Besides, she has a weak heart. If she doesn't get into a good college this time, she won't be able to handle it!"

Mom paused before revealing her true intentions.

"I think you should give Winnie your identity and your academic records and let her take your place at Pennington College. We'll give you these 75 thousand dollars instead.

"From now on, your father and I will send you living expenses every month and support you for the rest of your life, okay?"

Dad chimed in coldly from the side, "During the decade you weren't by our sides, Winnie was the one who cared for us and fulfilled the role of a daughter. Don't be ungrateful. This is what you owe her. Now, it's time for you to repay your debt."

Looking at the debit card, I found it ironic.

I owed Winona?

No one cared about how I had survived the bitter cold winters in those ten years I spent wandering the streets. Nor did anyone care about how many dishes I had washed in restaurants just to afford a single revision book.

As I gazed at the debit card, the image of my future self's fingers, crushed by a machine in the video, flashed through my mind.

I took a step back, dodging Mom's hand.

"Okay," I responded calmly.

The moment I agreed, Mom and Dad shoved the debit card into my hand, beside themselves with joy.

They turned on their heels and rushed into the ward to hug Winona. They loudly discussed plans to throw her a grand celebration banquet for her college admission, inviting all their relatives, friends, and business partners.

In the two weeks that followed, they devoted themselves entirely to preparing for the banquet, completely forgetting that I even existed.

Even when I missed family dinners several days in a row or spent my days packing up my belongings, they didn't spare me so much as a glance.

It gave me the quietest farewell I could have asked for.

The day before the celebration banquet, I left the house without a single thing they had bought me. I only took my passport and a few physics books.

A sleek black sedan with a special license plate pulled up downstairs, and an escort from Project Pyre held the car door open for me.

I got into the car and never looked back.

…

Winona wore a haute couture gown on the day of the banquet, basking in the praise of all her relatives and classmates.

"Winnie, you really were hiding your light under a bushel! You usually kept such a low profile, yet you ended up ranking first in the entire city!"

"You're a lucky man, Liam. You've raised a child who's got what it takes to make it into Pennington College!"

Dad was glowing with pride as he was showered with compliments, looking incredibly pleased with himself.

Winona lifted the hem of her gown and took the stage. She was about to deliver her speech when the doors of the banquet hall were abruptly pushed open.

A postal courier marched in and called out, "The admission letter from Pennington College has arrived! Who's the top scorer? The letter must be unsealed by the recipient herself!"

The entire hall erupted in an instant.

Eager to show off, Dad even had someone turn on the projector in the banquet hall and place the admission letter on the display stand.

"Come on, everyone. Let's witness my daughter's glorious moment together!"

Amidst a round of applause, Dad tore open the seal in one swift motion. The words appeared on the giant screen, displayed in crisp gold lettering against a red background.

However, the moment everyone saw the recipient's name, the applause throughout the hall came to an abrupt halt.

The admission letter read, "Congratulations on your admission to Pennington College, Hannah Fairchild!"