Chapter 3
My dad picked up the box at the door, suspicious.
The package was battered and wrinkled; when it arrived earlier, he'd assumed it was some useless stuff my mom had ordered and hadn't even glanced at it.
As he tore open the box, Vivian's voice burst out over the phone, shocked. "Wait, Julie, is the gift safety gloves? You can buy these everywhere in the shop."
My dad's heavy breathing came through the phone. "Is this all? Did you really mean to send this? I've taken care of you for eighteen years, and this is all I'm worth to you, huh?"
I sighed. "If I buy you something expensive, you say it's a waste of money. If it's cheap, you complain it's too shabby. Why don't you tell me straight up what you actually want?
"Or do you only cherish things from Vivian, even if it's a scrap?"
His face twisted with anger, like I'd hit a nerve. "Why are you being so snarky? Do you think it's the price I care about? I'm upset because you didn't put any thought into it."
Vivian tried to calm him down. "Mr. Dudley, don't be mad. Maybe Julie is a bit short on cash."
Just then, the cruise speakers boomed. "Please enjoy the fireworks show Ms. Dudley has arranged for Mr. Sloan, worth 200 thousand in total."
Dad slammed his phone down. "Short on cash? She just doesn't want to spend a dime on me. Where did she even get that money?"
As the fireworks exploded across the night sky, the System chimed in. [Detected Gordon Dudley's extreme emotional response. Heartbreak value increased. Host, you unlocked the third-stage reward of 1.5 million.]
Hell yeah.
*****
For several days after this, they didn't reach out.
On the day of the school event, I sent a message in the family chat. [School event at 2 p.m. today. Will you be there?]
My dad replied almost instantly, [Go ask Mr. and Mrs. Sloan. We have to be with Vivian.]
I raised an eyebrow. Good, everyone was in position.
Let the show begin.
My parents flanked Vivian as they entered the classroom in the afternoon, as if guarding some priceless treasure.
They took their seats up front, not even glancing my way the whole time.
I was the only one left, standing alone in the back corner.
"That's Julie, right? I heard her parents ditched her."
"Poor thing. She doesn't even have anyone here for her at the event."
Hearing the whispers, Vivian showed just the right touch of kindness. "Mr. and Mrs. Dudley, maybe one of you could keep Julie company. She looks so lonely standing there by herself."
My dad scowled. "No way. She's spoiled. She must face the consequences of her tantrums. Don't worry about it, Vivian. We're here just for you."
I gave a slight nod, feeling satisfied.
It was exactly as I had predicted.
Just then, a buzz rippled through the classroom as Celeste appeared at the door in a dark green dress, with George looking dapper in his suit, both scanning the room.
"Julie, you're here," Celeste called out, smiling gently.
I didn't head over right away. Instead, I shot my parents a subtle smile, just to let them know I saw them.
They froze on the spot, staring daggers at me.
With a big grin, I linked arms with Celeste and led them straight to the VIP seats, deliberately ignoring my parents the whole way.
The principal said, "Before we officially kick off the event, as usual, let's hear from our top scorer in the recent exams, the excellent student, and today's star representative, Julie Dudley, to share her experiences."
With countless eyes on me, I calmly got up and headed to the stage.
The principal handed me the trophy and certificate, smiling as he announced, "Now, let's invite her parents to join us on stage and celebrate with her."
As soon as he finished, my mom instinctively started to get up, but my dad quickly grabbed her shoulder, holding her back.
Standing at the stage, I fixed my gaze on George and Celeste, making it clear I was inviting them to join me.
"Dad, Mom, please come up here," I said, my voice warm and sincere.
My dad stared at me, totally stunned, unable to tear his eyes away from George and Celeste striding up to the stage confidently.
For a second, my parents were frozen, like someone had hit pause on them.
They could only watch. Celeste smoothed out my sash, George gave my shoulder a proud pat, and we stood in the spotlight, taking a photo together.
Across the crowd, I locked eyes with my parents.
My mom was still frozen halfway between sitting and standing, while my dad sat beside her, his face dark with anger.
"Check out that family. They look so cute," one of the parents said, not even realizing how harsh it sounded. The words hit my parents where it hurt most.
My mom's shoulders gave a violent shudder, and my dad's face darkened, the veins on his forehead bulging.
Just when the tension hit its peak, Vivian pulled out her classic sympathy card.
She softly tugged at my mom's sleeve, her voice thick with tears. "Mrs. Dudley, please don't be sad. If my dad were still around, he'd hate to see you so upset."
Normally, that line would have made my parents drop everything and rush to comfort her, but this time, it didn't.
"Just stop," my dad muttered, not turning around. It sounded like he was talking to Vivian, but really, he was just talking to himself. "What's the point of saying all that now?"
The helpless look on Vivian's face stiffened at once.
Even after I walked off the stage with my trophy, their burning gazes remained fixed on me.