Chapter 3

I looked closely at the previous grids. Each one felt like a knife scar on my body.

The 96th grid read: "She threw away my SAT prep materials."

Suddenly, I remembered how damp and cold the rain was that night.

Three months before the SAT, I had organized all my study prep materials, which I had saved up for a whole year to buy, into a canvas backpack.

Whenever I had a spare moment, I would study.

But Chloe took advantage of the time I was taking a shower and threw all my materials into the trash outside.

By the time I realized my books were gone, the sky was completely dark.

I was trembling with anxiety. I dragged Chloe to ask where my books were, but she didn't show a hint of remorse. Instead, she laughed and pulled the 96th Favoritism Coupon from her pocket, handing it to Mom, who had rushed over.

"Mom, I'm using my coupon. I just hate seeing Hazel read all day. Those books are gone, so tell her not to yell at me."

Holding the paper coupon, Mom immediately shielded Chloe. She turned around and scolded me harshly.

"It's just a few books! You can just reprint them or copy them again. Why did you have to scare Chloe? Her hearing is already so fragile. You yelled at her so loudly that her head hurts. Can you take responsibility for that?"

My eyes burned with tears, my voice shaking.

"I spent a year saving up for those materials! There are practice tests in there that you can't even buy anymore! There are only three months left before the SAT. How am I supposed to start over?"

Dad sat on the sofa scrolling through his phone, chiming in casually.

"You're smart. Missing a few books won't affect your test. Chloe was just being a playful kid. Let it go."

"A coupon is on the table. This matter is settled. Don't bring it up again."

I ran downstairs to search the bushes. It was pitch black and pouring rain.

My legs were scratched and bleeding from the thorns, but I refused to stop.

It wasn't until midnight that I found my materials. They had been soaked into a muddy pulp by the rain.

They were completely ruined.

I squatted in the thorns, picking up the torn pages one by one. The cold wind whipped my face, mixing with the tears streaming down.

But the cold outside was nothing compared to the ice in my heart.

A neighbor passing by saw how miserable I looked and kindly helped me.

Meanwhile, my parents stood at the entrance of the building, busy comforting a sulking Chloe. They didn't even bother to come down and look at me.

When I got back inside, holding the wet, ruined books, I ignored my feverish and battered body. I tried to negotiate with my parents, asking if they could help me buy new materials.

Mom waved her hand impatiently.

"Our money is saved for Chloe's future college fund. Figure out your own problems. Who told you to pick a fight with her anyway?"

In the end, I had to stay up until three o'clock every single night, manually reconstructing those materials.

Pulling my thoughts back to the present, I traced that line of text. It felt hilarious.

Back then, I studied so hard because I wanted to major in pre-med. I wanted to cure Chloe's ears.

I wanted to wash away the "guilt" I supposedly owed her.

But it turned out, I never owed her anything.

Suddenly, my phone rang. It was my high school counselor.

"Hazel, the school offers a special $5,000 Community Merit Grant for outstanding graduating seniors. If you need it, come to the office tomorrow to fill out the form."

I quickly agreed.

I knew that to escape this family and go to college, I would need a lot of money.

But the moment I hung up and opened my room door, I found Chloe eavesdropping outside.

Without a shred of embarrassment, she ordered,

"Hazel, give that grant money to me!"