Chapter 3

Three days later, the mail carrier placed the acceptance letter into my hands. The bright red envelope, stamped with the university's name in gold, was from the elite university I'd dreamed of.

My hands were shaking as I held the letter. I ran all the way home, wanting to share that joy with my parents.

When I pushed open the door, the woman from next door happened to be visiting. The second she saw the letter in my hand, she hurried over.

"Oh wow, you got into an elite university? That's incredible. All your hard work finally paid off."

She held the letter and kept praising me, her face full of envy.

Standing there, I couldn't stop smiling. My heart was full of hope.

I thought that even if we were poor, my parents would still be happy for me when they saw the letter.

But my father sat in his chair smoking without even looking up. His expression didn't change at all. If anything, he looked annoyed.

My mother came out with a cup of water, glanced at the letter, and said flatly, "So what if you got in? It's not that big a deal. It still costs money." The neighbor's smile stiffened, and she looked awkwardly at my parents.

"Your daughter got into such a great university. Why aren't you happy? This is something the whole family should be proud of."

My father crushed out his cigarette in the ashtray and let out a cold snort. "Proud? That kind of pride is bought with money. Our family doesn't have that kind of luck. Spending that kind of money on a girl is a waste. Sooner or later she'll marry out and become someone else's family."

The neighbor opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing. She put down the letter and left. The house fell silent at once. I gripped the acceptance letter so tightly my fingertips turned white.

"Dad, Mom, this is an elite university. Once I graduate, I can get a good job and help our family live better." I tried to persuade them again, my voice trembling a little. My father stood up, walked over, yanked the letter from my hand, and tossed it onto the table.

"A better life? Looks to me like you just want to drag this family down. Let me tell you right now, you're not going to college. Tomorrow I'll find you a job at a factory, and you'll start earning money."

My mother chimed in from the side. "Listen to your father. Stop being stubborn. Working and making money is the practical choice." I stared at the acceptance letter on the table. That bright red color felt blinding now. It was twelve years of my youth, countless days and nights of hard work, my only hope of changing my future.

But in their eyes, it had become a burden dragging the family down. I rushed forward, grabbed the letter, and hugged it tight to my chest. "I'm not going to work at some factory. I have to go to college."

"You dare?" My father glared at me, his eyes vicious. "This house isn't yours to run. So now that you've grown wings, you think you can fly? No way." I hugged the letter tighter, stepped back, and looked at him with steady eyes.

"My life is mine to decide." My father was completely set off by my attitude and lunged for the acceptance letter in my arms. I spun around and ran for my room, locking the door behind me and shutting out his furious yelling.

Leaning against the door, I looked down at the letter in my arms as tears slipped down silently. What I thought would be the brightest moment of my life had turned into the breaking point between me and my parents. Not only were they not happy for me, they wanted to ruin my future with their own hands.

I wiped away my tears. Only one thought remained. No matter what, I was going to college. And their coldness made the chill in my heart even heavier.