"Die! You poor, worthless student!"Before Ethan could even understand what was going on, a heavy, brutal fist smashed straight into his face. The violent blow snapped his head back into the slush, splitting his lip and filling his mouth with a warm taste of his blood. Stars flashed behind his eyes, but the physical agony was nothing compared to the deep, shattering pain in his chest.The rain fell hard on the ground of Westley Academy, mixing with the tears streaming down his bruised cheeks. Ethan was pinned flat in the mud, heavy boots holding his legs tight so he could not move. He had worked double shifts until his hands bled, sacrificing every single meal and hour of sleep just to buy that small velvet box for Chloe—the only person who made him feel human in a school full of bully students. Julian smiled a mean, ugly smile and leaned down close. He grabbed Ethan's hand and started pulling his fingers open, one by one. Ethan tried with all his might to hold on to the necklace, hi

A large crowd of students from the academy rushed inside, pushing past one another to see Ethan raising his hands on the father that gave birth to him. Dozens of bright phone screens lit up the room all at once."Keep recording, everyone!" Julian shouted from the front of the crowd, grinning with cruel excitement. "Make sure the whole campus sees what this ungrateful animal is doing to his own family!"Before Ethan could even open his mouth to speak, Marcus moved with speed. He dropped heavily to his knees on the hard floor, clasping his trembling hands tightly against his chest in a masterclass of theatrical despair.Hot, fake tears instantly poured down Marcus's face as he let out a loud, agonizing wail."Please stop, Ethan, I am begging you!" Marcus sobbed hysterically, rocking back and forth as if terrified for his life. "Do not hit your own father again! This is the seventh time you have raised your hands against me, even after this old man has begged you so much. Why do you hate

Marcus and Chloe stepped into the silent, tense room, carefully positioning themselves near the center of the floor.Chloe kept her eyes lowered, her posture painfully fragile as she let small, breathless sobs escape her trembling lips. She held the math textbook tightly against her chest like a protective shield, repeatedly casting quick, terrified glances toward Ethan whenever he shifted in his seat, making it look as though she feared for her life.Beside her, Marcus moved with the slow, unsteady steps of a completely exhausted and broken father. He kept one arm wrapped supportively around Chloe's shivering shoulders while pressing his other trembling hand over his own heart, projecting the image of a man whose soul had been crushed.Ethan sat stiffly across the room, watching the sickening, flawless performance with cold, paralyzing horror."Stop pretending," Ethan whispered through dry, cracked lips, his voice raw with a deep, suffocating agony. "Just tell them what really happen