"Don’t talk big." Robert cut me off with a sneer. There are so many excellent students. Do you think you can get a scholarship? Why don't you get a job and financially support your brother so he can find a wife?"

"Dad, after graduating from college, I'll make more money!

"I'll handle my high school tuition fees," I said through gritted teeth. "I won’t ask you to pay for it."

Robert glanced at me.

"Why do you have to wait to work until you’re a college graduate? I never got to college. But I got a job in the city and met your mother," he responded with a grin.

The next day, I went to town.

Robert thought I should work instead going to high school. Despite that, he didn’t oppose since I promised to pay for my own tuition.

If I was admitted to a university, it would bring honor to the family. There were only a few who managed to get into college in the village.

I found a part-time job and worked as a waiter in a restaurant.

It was in the center of the town.

That night, while I was serving the dishes to the guests, someone suddenly grabbed my butt.

I turned around and saw a few fat middle-aged men looking at me lustfully.

"What the hell are you…" Anger washed over me.

"What are you raising your voice at the guests?" The restaurant owner’s wife cut me off as she forcibly distance me from the fat men.

She positioned herself between the men and me.

She cast a glance at me. "Come on, Danielle, let’s not make a thing out of this. They were just joking around. It’s not a big deal."

She pointed to the kitchen.

"Get back to work now. Slack off, and you won’t get your salary."

The portly men laughed triumphantly.

I clenched my fists, suppressed the humiliation, and made my way towards the kitchen.

It was already dark when I got off work.

On the way home, I ran into Henric and his grandmother.

He was having a hotdog.

Henric's eyes lit up when he saw me.

"Dany," he called out.

"Yes?" I responded with a frown.

Henric was oblivious to my indifferent demeanor.

"Dany, they say your dad doesn’t want you to go to high school. Well, I heard that a clothing shop is short-staffed. It’s a well-paid job."

I nodded. "I see. Do you wan to give it a shot there?"

"I..." A trace of embarrassment flashed across Henric's face.

Seeing the shift in his demeanor, I sneered in my heart.

Pissed off by my words, Marianna strode towards me.

"What are you talking about? Henric does well in his studies. He will go to college. Why would he take a job at a clothing shop?" she said, getting worked up. "You two have been good friends since childhood. How about you get that job and pull him through high school?"

I let out a sneer and pushed Marianna away.

"Let me tell you something. I might be poor, but I'm not cheap."

Henric's face turned livid. I turned on my heels, ignoring Marianna’s insulting remarks.

In the next two months, I didn't see Henric again.

One day, I went to the restaurant as usual.

The place was filled with boxes, and a truck was parked outside.

The restaurant’s owner, wearing a gold necklace, was smoking at the entrance, and his wife instructed the truck driver to help move things.

I had a bad feeling. "What's going on?"

The owner’s wife glanced at me and didn't say anything.

I frowned. "If you closed the restaurant, can I get paid now?"

Hardly had she stopped talking when the restaurant owner burst into laughter.

"What are you talking about? Why would I pay you?" he said.

His wife also covered her mouth and smiled. Then she said to him, "We should get going!"

The restaurant’s owner walked up to the truck. Overwhelmed by frustration, I rushed forward and grabbed his arm.

"I've worked hard here for two months. Now that you’ve closed the restaurant, you should pay me," I said.

The restaurant’s owner slapped me hard, which caught me off the guard.

"What salary? Have we signed the contract? You little bitch, do you know how I am? How dare you talk to me like that?" He huffed.

I covered my face and stumbled a few steps back before steadying myself.

There were some onlookers around, watching the fun.

Watching him getting into the truck, I mustered up some courage and clung to his leg.

The next second, my vision blurred and my head hit the ground heavily. There seemed to be blood on my face.

The restaurant’s owner had kicked me.

I forced myself to raise my head. In my blurry vision, the truck drove away.

Someone helped me up.

I looked up and saw that it was the owner of the from the hardware store next door.

"This couple has always been domineering." He sighed and handed a napkin to me. "You shouldn’t confront him head-on."

I wiped the blood from my nose. "I worked there because I needed to make money to pay for my tuition."

The man was taken aback.

After a while, he took out some cash and gave it to me.

"You... need to go to school."

I knew that he was not well-off, and this amount of money was far from enough to pay my tuition.

But I still took the money and bowed to him deeply.

After returning home, I didn't sleep all night.

I had to pay for my tuition fees in two days. What should I do?

I sat there until dawn the next day. A loud noise outside broke my reverie.

I pushed the door open, and saw my aunt, Katy Cullen.

She had never visited us since she got married nine years ago.

It was said that her husband and in-laws were not happy with her not giving birth to a son.

Robert's spirits lifted when he saw the gift Katy had brought us.

I was absent-minded when I broke a plate.

Just as Robert was about to slap me, Katy intervened.

She flashed him a bright a smile and said, "Come on, Robert, it's not a big deal.

"Dany's hand is injured. I’ll help her deal with her wound."

Without waiting for Robert's reply, she escorted me to the kitchen.

Looking at Katy’s haggard face, I felt feel sympathy for her.

She turned around and closed the door. Then she took out a paper bag.

"Use this pay for your tuition fees," she said.

My heart tightened. "Aunt Katy..."

"Take it." Katy handed it to me.

Seeing that I didn't take it, she suddenly burst into tears.

"Your mother... also persuaded me to go to high school and paid for my tuition with her own money. But I was coaxed into dropping out and getting married."

"My mother?" This was the first time I had heard someone mention my mother.

"Aunt Katy, what is she like?" I asked, curious.

"Your mother is very good-looking and talented." Katy wiped away her tears. When she heard footsteps outside, she quickly stuffed the paper bag into my pocket.

"Thank you. I wish you all the best," I said sincerely.

She turned around and smiled. "You should pray that I will have a son. Well, we should get out."

When the new semester began, the weather was still hot.

I arrived at the high school with my luggage and saw Henric not far away.

He was an orphan who lived with his grandmother.

I wondered how he had managed to pay for his tuition fees.

Some curious people in the village had inquired about Henric’s tuition. But every time they brought it up, Marianna would change the topic.

Henric looked troubled as he had no idea how to go through the enrollment procedures.

I noted his distress. And as he was dress in hand-me-downs, some cast derisive glances his way and mocked him.

A beautiful girl in a white dress suddenly walked up to him. She smiled and chatted with him for a while, and then walked away.

Henric was visibly relieved as the girl was willing to help him with his enrollment. I was dumbfounded.

The girl was the rich woman Henric had married in my previous life.

In my previous life, I had never seen her.

Now it seemed that they should have known each other when they were in high school in the past life.

Kept in the dark, I had been working hard to provide for Henric.

As I thought about it, I felt like being a fool.

As I get them out of my head, I got enrolled and headed to my dormitory.

When I got there, the girl in the white dress was already sitting on the bed.

"Hello, I’m Thalia Sheen. What's your name?"

As she spoke, she offered a brilliant smile.

I regarded her with mixed feelings.

Unaware of my indifference, she helped me with my luggage.

It turned out that she was my classmate.

Henric was in another classroom which was at the end of the corridor.

Our headteacher was George Cooper.

In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. I had found a part-time job.

After all, the money Katy and the hardware store’s owner had given me was only enough to cover tuition fees.

I had to make money for living expenses.

Thalia sat in front of me. Thanks to her beauty, approachable nature and rich parents, she had got quite a few admirers.

Yet, she gave extra attention to Henric.

She often held a textbook and went to his classroom for advice. From time to time, she would bring him snacks in the name of gratitude.

One afternoon, I was collecting my staff after school, someone tapped on my desk.

I looked up and saw that it was George.

"You’re going to tidy up the auditorium. Come with me. I’ll inform you of your tasks in detail there," he said.

"But," George drawled. "As a student, you should focus on your studies, not making money."

I contemplated explaining that I needed this job to provide for myself but decided against it when I saw his gloomy expression.

The auditorium was very large, and there were photos of students participating in the activity on both sides of the corridor.

As we entered the building, George began sharing me with my task.

"The glass must be cleaned every week. There can't be any dust on the cabinet. When there's no one around, we have to use roach killers."

…

I didn’t listen to him at all as one of the photos attracted my attention.

The girl in the photo was someone I would never forget.

It was my mother, Laura Gibbson.