The next morning at school, my homeroom teacher, Ms. Langley, came looking for me.

"Aria, there's one spot in your grade for studying abroad as a math major. The tuition and fees would be fully covered. Do you want it? I know your family's situation isn't easy. This opportunity could change your life."

The requirements, though, were daunting—three first-place awards in math competitions and a high score on Elarish language.

My grades were excellent. I was the only one in my grade who met both requirements.

I nodded right away. "Of course, Ms. Langley. I'd be honored."

This had to be what my parents had wanted all along—a child forged by hardship, who grew up faster, worked harder, and shone brighter.

Ms. Langley patted my shoulder. "Alright. You don't need to take the June exam. Just rest for now, and when the time comes, head to college a bit early."

Soon I'd finally be free—free from this place, free from this ridiculous live stream game, free from those so-called parents who never deserved the title. I'd be fine on my own.

So what if it had all been lies? Anyone could lie.

…

There was an event in the city today, a student learning conference put together by several schools ahead of the SATs. I'd been invited as one of the top students, representing my school.

Before the conference began, a student from the private school was supposed to give a speech.

A familiar figure stepped onto the stage. It was Ruby. She was the representative from the private school.

A few students noticed we looked alike and started whispering.

"Hey, doesn't that girl look a little like Aria from our class?"

"She kind of does, but honestly, that girl's prettier."

"Well, she's rich. How could a poor kid ever compare? It's a whole different world."

Ruby and I were twins. Our faces had once been nearly identical, but years of malnutrition had left their mark on me, creating subtle differences between us.

She'd grown up cradled in love and wealth, while I had grown up alone in hardship and tears.

I caught someone whispering, "I heard her grades are terrible. She's only up there because her family's rich and connected."

Ruby stood at the podium, speaking with an ease that came naturally as she shared her study experiences.

In the second row, I spotted Mom and Dad. Their faces lit up with pride as they held their phones high, recording every second of Ruby's speech.

Loving someone meant wanting to hold on to every trace of them.

I thought about how Dad had never once shown up for a parent-teacher conference, and bitterness rose in me.

The conference dragged on endlessly, and halfway through, I headed to the restroom.

When I was ready to leave, I realized the stall door wouldn't open. No matter how hard I pushed or pulled, it wouldn't budge, as though someone had locked it from the outside.

"Hello? Is anyone out there? Can you help me?" I shouted, pounding on the door.

Only silence answered.

The door wasn't that high. I was about to climb over when a bucket of water fell on me, soaking me from head to toe.

I screamed.

Laughter rang out from outside the stall, and the door swung open.

I wiped my face and blinked, trying to clear the water. Finally, I saw who it was.

Ruby.

A few girls were behind her, and together they blocked the stall, trapping me inside.

Ruby stepped forward, shoving me into the corner. Her eyes blazed with barely contained hatred as she spoke, her words dripping with sarcasm.

"Aren't you supposed to be a top student? Your grades are great. So why can't you get up on stage and give a speech? Aria, did you really think Mom and Dad would come for you after the SATs?

"Not a chance. I'd never let them take you back! And the live stream isn't ending, either. You're stuck in that dark, filthy apartment forever, rotting while everyone laughs at you!"

Ruby yanked my hair. Pain shot through me as I stared at her twisted face, a shiver of fear running down my spine.

She was terrifying. How had the sweet, gentle girl from six years ago become this?

Not satisfied, she raised her hand. The girls behind her surged into the stall, tearing at my clothes.

Ruby lifted her phone, recording every second. "Look at your body. What a waste if no one sees it. With Mom and Dad treating you like that, as your sister, I definitely can't fall behind."

She laughed, loud and unrestrained.

I swallowed my sobs, forcing myself not to cry. Any tear would only fuel her excitement.

After what felt like forever, she finally seemed satisfied and left, her group trailing behind her.

I crouched on the floor, soaked and shivering from the cold. She might still be laughing now, but who knew how long that would last.

…

That night, Dad came home, which didn't happen often, carrying a bag full of food.

"Aria, I won some money playing cards, so I got you a few treats."

He pulled the snacks out of the bag, mostly imported. They were probably leftovers from the villa that Ruby didn't want, handed down to me like charity.

Dad stood before me, looking like he had something to say. Just as I opened my mouth, he suddenly started crying.

"I'm sorry, Aria. I have cancer. I don't have much time left."

Cancer? Really?

Before I could say anything, he grabbed my hand and poured out his plea. "I don't want to die, Aria. You have to save me. I've got some money with me. How much do you have? We can sell your grandma's bracelet to pay for my treatment."

The moment he mentioned Grandma's bracelet, my guard went up. "I can give you money, but not the bracelet."

It was something Grandma had left me before she passed. In the six years I'd lived in this apartment, she'd been with me for half that time.

Even Grandma had been fooled. Like me, she thought that after the divorce, Dad had spiraled into ruin. He was cruel enough to lie even to his own mother.

Thinking about Grandma, who had been so old and had endured hardship with me, made my chest ache unbearably.

I frowned. "Dad, are you really sick, or are you trying to trick me out of my money and Grandma's bracelet for gambling?"

His eyes darted away for a moment before he pulled a stack of medical reports from his bag. "I'm really sick. Look at these results. How could I lie about something like this?"

I had given him the chance to be honest, yet he still wouldn't tell the truth, stubbornly trying to deceive me.

Glancing at the reports, I immediately noticed they were fake. He hadn't even bothered to make them look convincing.

A deep, sinking disappointment settled over me.

Seeing that I wouldn't give him the bracelet, Dad had no choice but to back down. He even put on a look of grievance.

"Fine, I'll figure something out myself. I poured you a glass of milk. Don't forget to drink it. You've been putting a lot of effort into your studies."

I drank the milk and went to bed, carefully sliding the bracelet I had hidden onto my wrist, worried he might try to take it.

That night, I slept soundly.

But when I woke the next morning, my wrist was bare. The bracelet was gone. I quickly opened the live stream to see what had been recorded the night before.

I realized that Dad had slipped sleeping pills into my milk while I wasn't looking. While I was out cold, he had quietly taken the bracelet from my wrist and gone back to the villa.

No wonder I hadn't noticed a thing last night. He had drugged me.

People in the comments were talking about it.

"This is too cruel! That bracelet was the heirloom Aria's Grandma left her, and he just took it like that."

Dad actually fired back in the comments. "She doesn't deserve my mother's bracelet. It was meant for me. Taking it is just a way to toughen Aria up."

Dad belittled me on the live stream, twisting everything to make himself look right. His hypocrisy left me reeling.

Ever since I realized that everything I said and did in the apartment was being livestreamed, I stopped spending time at home. I went to school during the day and worked part-time after class.

I'd rather sit outside my apartment building, reading under the dim yellow light, than go back to that apartment full of hidden cameras.

I pulled out my phone and tapped the live stream link, noticing a new post from the streamer.

"On SAT day, we'll be going live outside the school when Aria, raised in hardship, returns to the villa. Don't forget to donate generously!"

Comments started flooding in almost immediately.

"I can't wait to see her face when she realizes her family is rich."

"She's going to be over the moon. Finally, she's a wealthy girl in every sense."

"Not so fast. She might be crushed for a long time. Six years of living in poverty… why did she have to go through that?"

A sneer curled on my lips. There was no way I'd let their plan succeed.

On the day of the exam, I would be boarding a plane to Delvoria. And this whole game? In the end, I'd be the one pulling the strings, turning the tables on them instead.

…

I didn't spend a single moment studying for the SAT. Every ounce of my energy went into preparing the paperwork to go abroad.

I called Dad, hoping he could come home and keep me company for a few days before the exam. I deliberately asked, "Dad, can I see Ruby after the exam?"

He agreed without hesitation, patting my shoulder. "Of course. Once it's over, I'll take you to see your mom and Ruby."

I forced a small smile, pretending to be excited, and carried the soup I'd been simmering in the kitchen over. "Dad, you've been sick. You need something nourishing. I made this just for you."

He was deeply moved when he saw the soup.

I set a stack of papers in front of him as he sipped slowly. "Dad, you've been sick. You shouldn't have to deal with debt collectors all the time. I don't want it weighing on you. I can't bear to watch you suffer.

"That's why I'm taking all your debts onto myself. I'll earn the money to pay them off. But first, we need to sever our family ties. Once you sign this, all the debts will be mine."

Dad didn't even look at the papers. He just signed after listening to me.

"You've been too kind to me, Aria. Once I start making money, I'll make it up to you, I promise."

I smiled and nodded, telling him to take care of his health.

He had no idea that what he'd just signed wasn't only the papers severing our family ties. It was also the agreement for the high-interest loans I was taking out in his name.

…

Early on the morning of the SAT, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked out the door, just like any other day. No one watching the live stream would have noticed anything was off.

But I wasn't going to school. I was headed to the airport.

I had nothing left to take from this apartment. I snapped my SIM card in two and tossed it in the trash, replacing it with a new one.

A new life was about to begin.

Between my part-time earnings, the scholarship, and the ten million dollars I'd taken out in Dad's name on a high-interest loan, I had enough to get by in Delvoria for now.

Once I landed, I'd find an apartment and settle in.

Two days earlier, Dad asked me where I'd be taking the SAT. I just gave him my school name without hesitation.

I knew Mom and Dad planned to wait outside the school after my last exam. It wasn't just them. Everyone watching the live stream was waiting for this day.

They expected to see it all—my surprise, my shock, maybe even tears.

But too bad for them. I was going to disappoint them. They'd never get to see it.