Chapter 3

I watched helplessly as the fat, juicy meat was stomped into a pile of mush, and I burst into tears.

But Grandma still gritted her teeth and snarled, "Eat, eat, eat! You want to eat? Go on, eat!"

She continued, "All you ever think about is eating good food and wearing nice clothes, but you don't study properly! Your teacher said first place gets three dollars. When have you ever gotten first place?

"A worthless little piglet like you still wants to eat meat? Non way!"

She spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the pile of meat, completely destroying my last shred of dignity and any thought of picking it up to eat.

Mom was so upset she broke down in tears, and Dad just kept sighing. No matter how much he tried to reason with Grandma, she was as stubborn as a mule and wouldn't budge.

The second scene ended with her face, still breathing heavily, twisted in rage and stubbornness.

As I waited for the machine to drop me into the third timeline, I stared right at Grandma's face. She looked so fierce it was almost scary.

When I was a kid, that angry look of hers used to haunt my nightmares.

But now, even with her glaring at me up close, I wasn't scared at all.

Before I left, I checked the live comments like I always did.

Just as expected, everyone was showing me sympathy and totally roasting Grandma in the chat.

[This old hag is something else. I seriously want to slap her!]

[For real. I've never seen anyone so gross. Not letting her granddaughter eat is bad enough, but wasting food? Why do that?]

[Brenda's mom hauled all that stuff back, and she just stomped it to mush in one go. That's infuriating!]

Amid all the angry rants, a few comments suddenly made me freeze.

[Is it just me, or does that meat look kinda weird?]

[Yeah, some of it's got fuzz on it, and the color looks off.]

[Plus, I swear I saw some white stuff on top. Looks just like rat poison.]

But those comments were quickly drowned out by a flood of angry rants.

Instinctively, I glanced at the meat and spotted a few pieces that hadn't been totally smashed. They seemed to have some strange white powder on them.

A cockroach took a bite of the meat, and it dropped dead.

A chill shot up my spine in an instant.

But before I could figure it out, my mind started to go fuzzy again.

But this time, I saw it clearly.

Grandma's mouth was twisted in a fierce scowl, but her eyes were shining with unshed tears.

Ever since I could remember, she was never one to let things slide. Even when she was in the wrong, she'd still fight for the last word. She was always quick to argue, never wasting energy on regrets or second thoughts.

What could make someone who never shed a tear almost lose control like that?

Before I could figure it out, I was whisked away to the third timeline.

This time, I was back in my sophomore year of high school.

Class was already over, but the noisy classroom suddenly went dead silent.

My deskmate, who'd always been pretty cool with me, nudged my shoulder and quietly pointed toward the door.

She whispered, "Brenda, that wicked grandma of yours is here again. She must've heard you got a scholarship and is here to hit you up for money again!

"Seriously, you'd better keep that cash safe this time. Don't let that wicked old hag get her hands on it!"

I nodded, feeling a bit helpless, and walked over to the door.

Grandma looked way older than the first time I saw her, and she didn't have that constant sour face anymore.

But as soon as she spotted me, she stuck out her hand like it was only natural. "Where's the money? Give it to me."

I glanced at my deskmate, who was quietly cheering me on, bit my lip, and shook my head. "I didn't do well on the exam this time. No scholarship."

Grandma let out a cold laugh. "Don't give me that nonsense. I saw it as soon as I walked in. You topped the grade this time, and there's 1,500 dollars for it!"

Seeing I still wouldn't give in, Grandma suddenly softened her expression, her voice taking on that earnest, almost pleading tone she always used when trying to convince me.

She said, "Brenda, don't think I'm being harsh. I'm doing this for your own good, really.

"Our family's not rich, and your parents only care about Jeremy, never about you. If you don't make something of yourself, what's a girl supposed to do in the future?

"I'm not after your money, honey. I just want to keep it safe for you. When you get into college, I'll give it all back, I promise."

Grandma added, "Even if you don't hand it over to me, whatever you do, don't give it to your mom. She's greedy and only has Jeremy in her heart. If you give it to her, you'll never get it back!"

Grandma spoke with her voice trembling and tears streaming down her face. Her usual harsh and intimidating expression softened, even showing a touch of tenderness.

Everyone in the chat was stunned by what they saw.

[Honestly, it kind of makes sense. If Brenda's mom really loved her, why would she leave her in the countryside for over ten years and never check in, but kept her son close all those years?]

[Yeah, no matter what, this old lady really did raise Brenda. She doesn't seem to be lying.]

[Come on, are you guys serious? She's here for money, so of course she'll pretend to be kind.]

[If you actually trust this old witch, drop your contact info. I've got some health supplements to sell you.]

[What a joke. Does every kidnapper claim they did it for the kid's own good? Moral manipulation is just sickening!]