Chapter 3

The party was in full swing when, out of nowhere, someone suddenly mentioned my name. "Em got into a school in Aurelia City, but what about Soph? What was her score?"

My mom, sitting to Em's right, suddenly wiped the smile off her face and gave me a quick, cold glance.

She said, "Her? Bet she didn't hit the required admission score. She's been keeping quiet for days. She probably feels ashamed.

"We're telling her to give it another shot and aim for Aurelia City, same as Em. We've already bought a place there.

"We told her long ago not to go off on her own and apply somewhere else.

"If she'd followed Em and picked a school in Aurelia City, with Em tutoring her, maybe she would've gotten in this year too.

"But nope. She never listens to us, and now she's paying for it."

My aunt looked a bit embarrassed, then gave my shoulder a gentle pat and told me not to lose heart.

"Grad school's tough these days. Almost nobody gets in on their first try. It's okay, Soph, you'll definitely get in next time," she said.

I thanked her quietly and kept my eyes on the table, tuning out the rest of the conversation.

My phone was lying face down on the table, but right now its screen was lit up with the offer from Eldoria's school I'd applied to.

While Emily was getting ready for her grad school interviews, I was juggling my thesis and submitting all my paperwork for studying abroad.

The day Emily got her acceptance letter, my mom summoned me back home.

"I pulled some strings and got you into this grad school cram course. After your thesis defense, you're coming straight back for the boot camp.

"Next year, you're applying to the same school as Em. We'll be waiting for you in Aurelia City," she said.

She shoved a registration form at me. Every detail about me was already filled in.

"I don't want this. I'm not going to Aurelia City," I said, pushing the form back to her.

My mom's expression turned stormy.

She snapped. "So where do you want to go? Arden City? What's so special about Arden City anyway? We already bought a place in Aurelia City; everyone's waiting for you there. What are you thinking?"

"Back when you wanted to apply to Arden City, your dad and I were totally against it. We told you to pick Aurelia City like Em, but no matter how much we tried to talk you into it, you wouldn't listen.

"And now look. First try, and you failed, and you've got nothing lined up. Did your dad or I ever blame you? Did we ever say anything bad to you?

"Even now, I'm still pulling strings, asking everyone for advice and recommendations, spending tens of thousands of dollars to get you into this intensive prep course.

"And you? You say you're not going. Sophie, what on earth is going on in your head?"

She leaned on the table, her eyes full of disappointment and frustration, like she couldn't believe I was letting her down like this.

"I never wanted to go to Aurelia City. That's Emily's dream, not mine. I don't want to be in the same city as her, or go to the same school with her ever again. I'm not going to Aurelia City, not if it kills me," I shouted.

She slapped me.

The slap hit me hard. I looked into my mom's red, furious eyes, rubbed my swollen cheek, then reached for the registration form lying on the table.

I ripped the form to pieces right in front of her.

"I'd rather die than go to Aurelia City," I said, my voice trembling but resolute.

My mom let out a sarcastic laugh. "So tell me, if not Aurelia City, where else could you possibly go?"

With my jaw set, I spoke each word loud and clear. "I can go abroad. No matter what, I'm not going to Aurelia City. I can't stand that place. That's Emily's dream, not mine."

"Study abroad? Are you serious? You couldn't get into a school in Arden City, and now you think you can go overseas? Why should you get to go when Emily isn't? Are you smart enough for that?" she snapped.

She pointed at me, her eyes cold and dismissive, like I wasn't worth her time.

"Sophie, don't try to stir up trouble or make things unfair in this family. It's never going to happen. You'll only ever get what Emily gets, and you'll live the same life as her. Got it?" she said coldly.

She slammed the door, and the paper scraps flew right past my face, leaving a thin line of blood across my cheek.

Resentment and bitterness were boiling up in my chest. It hurt so much I could barely breathe.