They Called Me Worthless Until I Rose

1: 1

After my little sister got into a four-year university, she posted in the family group chat.

"From now on I'm a university student. You and me, we're worlds apart—I'm the sky, you're the dirt. So you'd all better learn your place!"

My mom just took it as a joke and wrote back.

"Okay, okay. Lily's a big-shot university student now."

But Lillian Barnes wasn't done. She kept typing.

"Mom, we may come from the same roots, but a community college isn't the same thing. When you message me, you'd better file a request first. I don't want my university friends seeing it."

Then she turned on my dad.

"Dad, same goes for you. Community college is community college, a real degree is a real degree. From now on I'll do things properly, and you should do things at your community-college level. That way you won't drag me down."

Just as Lillian's aim swung toward me,

I gave a cold laugh and dropped my acceptance letter into the chat first.

"Sorry to break it to you—I got into a master's program. There's a difference between a bachelor's and a master's. You're not qualified to message me."

...

After the college admissions results came out, my sister Lillian, who had grinded through twelve years of school, seemed to lose her mind overnight, showing off her acceptance letter to everyone.

Still, I could understand it.

After all, both my mom and dad only finished vocational school.

And me... I didn't have the talent. No matter how hard I worked, all I managed was a public community college.

I'd even failed the community-college-to-university transfer exam last year.

So now, seeing Lillian—who by all rights should have ended up in a community college—somehow outperform herself and land a spot at a private for-profit university, my parents and I were genuinely happy for her.

Just as my mom was setting out a whole table of food to give Lillian a proper celebration, a message came through in the family group chat, the one with just the four of us.

——To all my community-college relatives, I'm a university student now. Our stations in life are different these days, but for the sake of all those years together, I'll still drop by and see you now and then.

My parents and I looked at each other.

My mom stared at the screen for a long moment before she finally got a word out.

"What is Lily even saying? Is she talking in her sleep?"

Dad frowned, lost in thought, then laughed. "She must be over the moon about getting into a four-year school. She's just teasing us."

I gave a couple of polite laughs, but something about it left me uneasy. Still, I didn't make much of it.

By seven that evening, the dinner my mom had spent all afternoon cooking had gone cold, and there was still no sign of Lillian. That was when my mom couldn't hold back.

"Should we call Lily? But she's out of high school now. Will she think we're being too strict?"

I shook my head, helpless.

"Mom, if you keep spoiling her, Lillian really is going to think she can do whatever she wants."

Dad thought it over for a moment. "You're right. She's only nineteen. Some things still need to be reined in."

With that, my dad called Lillian.

The second she picked up, all of my dad's resolve drained right out of him.

"Lily, didn't you say you'd be home for dinner tonight? Your mom, your sister, and I made you a whole table of your favorites to celebrate. Why aren't you here yet?"

From the other end came a roar of music and Lillian's irritated voice.

"Dad, community college and university are two different paths. I'm a university student now. You're a vocational-school guy—stop trying to manage me."

The words landed, and for a moment none of us had anything to say.

My dad recovered, then forced the humble tone back into his voice. "Lily, Dad knows you're a hotshot university student now. But even university students come home, right?"

"Dad, I know. I'll still swing by now and then to check on you community-college folks. We university students do love the occasional visit to the little people, after all."

My dad opened his mouth to say something more, and I just took the phone from his hand and hung up.

"Dad, you still don't get it? Your precious daughter doesn't want anything to do with you."

My mom clutched his hand, anxious. "Jason Barnes, what's gotten into Lily? You don't think she's been scammed, do you?"

I shook my head. "Scammed? Mom, did you not hear how loud the music was on the other end? She's out clubbing!"