The year college entrance exams were reinstated, my fiancée stole my admission letter and gave it to my younger brother, Percival Fox. The two of them fled together to start a new life.

My adoptive parents knelt before me, begging me not to report their daughter and Percival—for the sake of the kindness they'd shown in taking me in.

To ensure those two could successfully enroll, they locked me in the shed without food or water.

I contracted the plague. On the brink of death, Norma Pruitt, the eldest daughter of the Pruitt family, secretly brought me a bowl of congee.

"Duane Fox, what they did was too cruel. I've already told my parents I won't marry anyone but you. Just marry me, and I'll support all your dreams."

I was deeply moved. I married Norma.

During the day, I helped her manage the school's affairs. At night, I studied relentlessly. Three years of exams, and I still failed every time.

I was ready to give up—to devote myself to being the man behind Norma's success.

Then I overheard a conversation between Norma and her parents.

"Norma, it's been three years. Duane's scores have improved each time. This year he even got into Capital University. Are you really not going to let him attend?"

Norma's refusal was immediate. "Percival took his student registration. If Duane goes to college, won't Percival's identity fraud be exposed?"

"For Percival's sake, I can't let him attend."

——

"But Duane has been retaking the exam for three years now. Percival is graduating next year anyway. Why don't your father and I pull some strings and get Duane a new student registration?"

The elder Pruitts offered what seemed like a reasonable suggestion, but Norma's brow furrowed deeply.

"Get him a new registration? Have Duane take someone else's spot and sacrifice an innocent person's future? How could you even suggest that?"

"But we've watched Duane work so hard these three years. During the day he handles the school's affairs for you. At night he studies by lamplight while keeping watch, yawning so hard he can barely keep his eyes open."

"The first two times you hid his admission letters, I saw him crying in secret. He kept saying he was stupid, that he'd wasted two years for nothing."

"He knows how much you care about these children. He moved into the school on his own, fighting to do every dirty, exhausting job. And the way he treats us—we couldn't ask for better."

"Such a good man. Betraying him once was enough. If we do it again, I'm afraid there'll be no coming back from it."

The elder Pruitts spoke with genuine concern, but Norma had made up her mind.

"Mom, Dad, please stop."

"Back then, I was the one who helped Louise and Percival scheme to take Duane's admission letter. That was wrong of me. Destroying his letters two years in a row was also wrong."

"But Percival isn't like Duane. He donated a kidney to me. Without an education, what future does he have?"

"Besides, I'm a school principal. Marrying me means he'll never want for anything. I'm giving him the rest of my life to make up for it. Isn't that enough?"

"This admission letter can't be kept. Percival's future is more important than anything."

With that, Norma prepared to burn my admission letter to ashes in front of everyone.

I stood outside the door, holding the chicken soup I'd made to help Norma regain her strength. I watched the letter I'd dreamed of for so long, trembling uncontrollably.

Three years ago, when the college entrance exams were reinstated, I took the test alongside my younger brother Percival and my fiancée Louise Pruitt.

The day the results were posted, Percival had failed.

Before I could even think of how to comfort him, I was told my admission letter had already been collected by someone else.

At the same time, Louise and Percival had vanished.

Someone saw them boarding a train to the provincial capital together.

The provincial capital—exactly where the university I'd applied to was located.

I couldn't believe it. I immediately told the Pruitts, hoping they could help me contact Louise.

Their response was shameless.

"Duane, let me be honest with you. Louise is in love with your brother Percival. Taking your admission letter and letting Percival take your place—that was her idea."

"Percival isn't like you. He donated a kidney to Norma. Just let him have this one. You can try again next year."

That was the result of my hard work. How could I just hand it over?

And on top of everything, Percival had stolen my fiancée!

I tried to argue, but the Pruitts tied me up and threw me into the woodshed.

Afraid I'd ruin things for the happy couple, they cut off my food.

I starved for seven days straight.

Then came the rats. A swarm of them. I caught the plague and burned with fever.

Just when I thought I'd die in that filthy shed, Norma—Louise's older sister—appeared before me with a bowl of porridge.

"Duane, hold on. You can't die. You still have your dreams!"

To get me treatment, Norma cut ties with her own family. She carried me on her back all the way to the clinic in town.

I was too delirious to swallow medicine, so she fed it to me mouth to mouth.

Under her care, I clawed my way back from death's door.

Then Norma knelt before me and confessed her feelings.

"Duane, I've always loved you. I just couldn't say anything because of Louise."

"Will you marry me? Whatever Louise owes you—I'll make up for it."

I wept with gratitude.

My fiancée and my brother had both betrayed me, but I still had Norma, who loved me with everything she had.

We got married.

For three years after the wedding, Norma kept her promise. She wouldn't let me work odd jobs—she wanted me to focus entirely on studying for the exam.

I appreciated how hard she worked running the school, so I came to help out.

Everyone said I was lucky. A principal for a wife, and such a devoted one at that.

I thought so too.

Until today.

Now I knew the truth. Every ounce of suffering I'd endured—it all traced back to Norma.

The soup crashed to the ground, and the sound cut through the room.

Inside, Norma froze. She set down the admission letter and stepped outside, her expression guarded.

When she saw it was me, that wariness didn't fade. If anything, it sharpened.

"What are you doing here?"

"How long have you been standing there?"

Two rapid-fire questions, like an interrogation.

My heart went cold.

I wanted to ask her—after burning my admission letters all those times, didn't she feel even a shred of guilt?

But I knew the answer better than she did.

No. She didn't.

She was just like Louise. The only person in her heart was my brother. Percival.

I swallowed the accusations rising in my throat and forced my voice to stay casual.

"I just got here. I heard your parents were coming, so I made some soup for everyone. Didn't expect to spill it..."

Norma's gaze dropped to my scalded hand, the skin an angry red. Her expression softened. She pulled me inside to treat it.

"You—I told you to leave these things to me, didn't I?"

"Let me put some oil on this first. I'll take you into town to get it looked at."

Her movements were gentle, careful, as she dabbed the oil onto my burns.

My eyes swept the room. The elder Pruitts sat there wearing hollow smiles.

But unlike before, there was something else behind those smiles now. A flicker of guilt.

The admission letter was gone from the table. They must have hidden it. Still, I couldn't resist testing Norma.

"Honey, I heard everyone's admission letters have been arriving. Have you seen if mine—"

"I already checked. There's nothing for you."

"Duane, don't be too upset. Worst case, I'll take care of you for the rest of your life."

She lied without a single crack in her composure. And then she comforted me.

My heart had already sunk to rock bottom, yet I still clung to our three years of marriage, wanting to give Norma one last chance.

"But I heard my name was clearly on the admission list..."

"You heard wrong." Norma cut me off without hesitation, her brows knitting together as she spoke.

"Duane, I know you can't accept it, but this is just fate."

"You're not meant for college. Don't bother applying again..."

Fate?

But Norma knew better than anyone that my grades were good enough for university!

She was the one who'd torn up every single acceptance letter—torn away the wings that could have carried me toward my dreams.

Bitterness flooded my chest. I turned my head away, barely managing to hold back tears of disappointment. The Pruitts noticed something was off and shot Norma a look before stepping in to smooth things over.

"Norma! Is that any way to talk to your husband?"

"Duane, don't take her words too seriously. What she means is that even without college, with her by your side, you'll be just fine."

They gave Norma a pointed look.

Only then did she put on a show, leaning into my arms.

"Mom and Dad are right. I'm the principal—more than capable of providing for you..."

"Principal Pruitt! Mr. Percival Fox is on the phone! He says he's already on the train and wants you to pick him up!"

Before Norma could finish, someone outside interrupted.

"Really? Why am I only hearing about this now?"

"I need to go right away. It's so hot out—if Percival gets heatstroke, that would be terrible."

Her eyes lit up instantly. Without another word, she abandoned me and rushed out the door.

The Pruitts looked embarrassed, but they didn't forget to make excuses for their daughter.

"Louise called and asked Norma to look after Percival."

"After all, Louise is still Norma's sister, and Percival is your own brother..."

I looked at these two—my in-laws who had wept and knelt before me after Norma and I got married, swearing that everything before had been their fault, promising they'd never contact Louise or Percival again, begging for my forgiveness.

Now I understood. They were cut from the same cloth as Norma.

I shook my head slightly and said words that completely betrayed what I felt inside.

"Percival is my brother and Norma's brother-in-law. It's only right that she picks him up."

The Pruitts praised me for being sensible and understanding, yet they made no move to leave.

I knew why. They couldn't tell whether I knew about the acceptance letters.

I made an excuse about going into town to buy medicine and left.

At the pharmacy, I searched every pocket and couldn't scrape together enough for a tube of burn ointment.

I was about to leave when I heard Percival's familiar voice from behind a curtain.

"Norma, it's just low blood sugar. You really didn't need to bring me to the clinic."

"You spend so much money on me all the time. Doesn't my brother have a problem with it?"

Norma's voice dripped with indifference. "He's a man I support. What opinion could he possibly have?"

"Besides, you're down one kidney. You need to be extra careful."

"Doctor, I'll take all those supplements you mentioned. And throw in some candied fruit—he doesn't like bitter things. Something sweet for him to snack on."

"Thanks, Norma. Maybe... get some for my brother too? I don't want him overthinking."

Percival spoke, but I heard the contempt in Norma's reply.

"Why waste the money?"

"Besides, he can stomach any kind of bitterness. He doesn't need it."

"Last year, when those two fat pigs at the school got sick, he insisted on taking them all the way to town to see a vet."