Chapter 4

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Summer, open up. I'm coming in."

I quickly splashed cold water on my face, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

My mom walked in carrying a steaming cup of milk.

The anger had completely vanished from her face, replaced by a chillingly fake kindness.

"Your dad was just upset earlier and spoke harshly. Don't take it to heart."

She walked to my desk and handed me the milk.

"Mom knows you're under a lot of pressure. Here, drink this hot milk. It's good for calming nerves and nourishing the brain. Drink it and get some sleep early."

The pungent smell of milk hit my nostrils.

I stared at the yellowish milk, my scalp tingling.

"Mom, it's too hot. I'll let it cool down first."

My mom's smile froze for a moment, her eyes instantly turning sharp.

"Hot? What hot? It's only effective when you drink it warm. Hurry up. Mom's watching you drink it."

She moved closer, clearly not leaving until I drank it.

My heart pounded like a drum, my brain racing.

"Mom, my stomach suddenly hurts really bad. I need to use the bathroom..."

I clutched my stomach, pretending to be in pain, and bolted out.

"Hey! You stubborn girl..."

When I dawdled in the bathroom for ten minutes and came back, my mom was no longer in the room.

That cup of milk was still on the desk.

Without hesitation, I picked up the cup, walked to the window, and poured all the milk into the flower bed below.

Then I put the empty cup back where it was.

In the middle of the night, I lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

I quietly got up, wanting to get some water from the kitchen.

Passing by the master bedroom, the door wasn't fully closed, showing a crack.

Inside came my parents' hushed whispers.

"Did she drink it?" It was my dad's voice.

"She did. The cup's empty." My mom laughed smugly. "This drug is amazing. Seeing her looking so dazed and confused today, I almost couldn't help laughing."

"Good. The SAT is in a few days. Tomorrow I'll contact that seller again and increase the dosage! We have to make absolutely sure there are no slip-ups. We absolutely cannot let her test out of here!"

"Don't worry. Once she fails, I'll have someone find her a job at an electronics factory. Her salary goes straight to my card every month. In a few years, we'll have her buy a car for Luke."

Hearing this, I bit my lip hard until I tasted blood.

I trembled all over, backing up step by step to my room.

Tears silently hit the floor.

So in their eyes, I wasn't even a person.

I was just an object whose intelligence could be stripped away and whose value could be drained at will!