My mom gets buzzed at the family dinner and insists on burning my admission letter.

She says, "You're a guy, and yet you can't get into Horvard University! What makes you think you can study at any university now? You might as well quit studying altogether!"

I try to stop her from doing so, only for my dad to stop me instead.

"It's just a stupid scrap of paper. Don't put a damper on your mom's mood, now. Can't you just retake the college admission exam?"

Just like that, my fruit of labor gets burned to ashes.

When I'm studying for the exam again, Mom keeps inviting people home for drinks.

All I do is utter one complaint, and I get beaten to death by her drinking buddies.

When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the night of the family dinner. This time, I've swapped out my admission letter to the IOU her boss has told her to safeguard.

Go ahead and burn it.

Two years later, I'll be sure to visit you at your grave, Mom.

Mom was a notorious madwoman at the card table. Her favorite pastime was going off the rails whenever she got worked up while gambling.

During our family dinner, Mom's older sister, Tiffany Walker, praised me for being diligent and well-behaved. She said that I was bound to have a promising future now that I'd gotten into a top-tier university.

Mom immediately slammed the table and snapped back, "What are you talking about, Mel? A young man like Frank who'd studied STEM still couldn't get into Horvard University. He's practically a failure!

"Top-tier? Please. Nobody's even heard of that university. It's just some no-name dump. He's a useless piece of trash just like his father! I'm not paying a cent for him!"

The moment I opened my eyes, I saw Mom pounding on the table with her face flushed.

That was when I knew that I'd been reborn.

Mom was the only person who'd call a top-tier university a "no-name dump".

In my past life, all I'd said was that getting into a top-tier university was good enough. She ended up losing it on the spot, flipped the table, and dumped a full pot of boiling stew all over me.

Mom yelled, "How dare you talk back to your mother? You think you're all that now? Get out of my sight!"

The scalding stew left second-degree burns across half my body. I spent the entire summer break recovering, and even then, thick, ugly scars remained.

However, Mom merely brushed it off after that. "You can't blame me for that. You were the one who provoked me even when you knew I was angry. Serves you right! What kind of son can't just give in to his own mother?"

I learned my lesson this time. I sat quietly off to the side, scrolling through social media.

She could go ahead and gamble herself into the ground for all I cared.

But even so, I still couldn't escape what was coming.

Mom got even more fired up as she played. "I know exactly what Frank is capable of. He's nothing but a bookworm! His university tuition is five thousand dollars a year. That's tens of thousands for four years! How many rounds of cards do you think I'd have to give up for that?"

She slammed the table, grabbed her handbag, and was about to hurl it at me.

Fortunately, Aunt Tiffany managed to stop her.

At the same time, Aunt Emily, Dad's younger sister who loved stirring trouble, chimed in, "Come on, Shannon. Aren't you just whining after getting the better end of the deal?"

Her teasing expression immediately struck a nerve. "What are you talking about, Emily? Do you think I'm just bluffing?"

Aunt Emily waved her hands dismissively. "That's not what I mean. I'm just saying, you speak of the university like it's completely garbage, but isn't Frank still going to attend university when admission season comes anyway? Unlike Sunny, who wants to go but doesn't even have the chance to."

Her words sent Dad flying in rage. "You're just looking down at Shannon now, Em! If she says he's not going, then he's not going ever!"

Aunt Emily was startled, yet still shot back, "Oh please, you're just talking big. If you really won't let him go, then why don't you burn his admission letter?"

Mom shot up, hands on her hips as she spoke domineeringly, "Fine, I'll burn it! I'll make him understand what happens when he angers the head of this household!"

Surprised, Aunt Tiffany sobered up instantly and hurried to stop her. "Enough now. This isn't something to joke about. Stop getting carried away now, Shannon!"

Most of the relatives around the table just assumed Mom was just worked up and didn't take her seriously. I was the only one who knew she meant every word.

As the scene grew more familiar, I quietly got up from my seat and went to my room. I took my admission letter and hid it under the bed.

Back at the table, Mom pouted and grumbled, "So what if I burn his admission letter? Who told him to talk back to me? I'm upset, okay?"

Looking at the empty envelope, I came up with an idea.

I slipped the IOU Mom's loan-shark boss had repeatedly reminded her to keep safe for him inside the envelope.

The amount was over 1.7 million dollars.

If that got burned, Mom would probably get burned alive by the ruthless Mr. Abel Jarrell right along with it.

By the time I returned to the dining table, Mom was already red-eyed with fury. She pointed right at me and yelled, "Are you even listening to me, Frank? Bring me the envelope yourself! Don't make me say it twice!"

Resigned, Aunt Tiffany nudged Dad to say something.

But instead, he said, "Just burn it. What's the big deal? Frank can reapply again next year. I don't want my sweetheart to be upset.

"We hardly ever all get together like this, and Shannon's having a good time now. What's wrong with burning one admission letter?"

At that, Aunt Tiffany's mind went blank.

"What are you even saying, Jason? That's your own son! He worked hard for the three years he's in high school, all just for that admission letter!" The veins on the back of her hand pulsed as she spoke, clearly furious.

But Dad was unmoved. "But Shannon's upset. I can't stand seeing her lose her temper. I don't care about anything else as long as she's happy. Frank's our child, so why shouldn't he do what we say?"

Then, he handed the lighter to Mom, even turning to grab the envelope that held the admission letter.

I was used to Dad's antics since I was still a child.

Back when I was in high school, Mom was addicted to gambling. But he never stopped her, nor did he divorce her.

Whenever Mom played cards, Dad would pay for it. It went to the point where we didn't even have money to buy bread, but we'd have a card table in the house.

He'd do anything to keep her happy.

As for me, it was considered kind enough for them to keep me alive.

Back then, my monthly living expenses were barely 200 dollars. I was so hungry I could eat grass.

Aunt Tiffany was the one who secretly gave me money every month, just enough to help me survive three years of high school.

Seeing Dad was even worse than Mom, Aunt Tiffany slammed the table in rage.

She yelled, "Do you know what's going on right now, Jason? Your son is one step away from university! Can you please use your brain for once? And you too, Shannon! Isn't it comfortable enough staying home to play cards and scroll on your phone every day? Must you be so unreasonable now?"

Although Mom was still indignant, she only dared to pout to garner sympathy from Dad. Aunt Emily stopped fanning the flames as well.

That was because Aunt Tiffany's hand, pressed hard against the edge of a beer bottle cap, had started bleeding unknowingly.

My nose stung. At that moment, I grew more certain that she was the only person who cared for me.

Just as things were about to settle down, Dad spoke up again.

"No, this won't do. Just look at how miserable Shannon is now. It kills me to see her like that. A good husband is supposed to treasure the woman he loves. He upset my sweetheart, so there have to be consequences," he said.

"I've told you before, Frank. Your mom runs this house. Go get the admission letter yourself!" Dad looked at me coldly, with no emotion in his voice.

This time, I did not argue nor make a fuss. I merely let out a quiet laugh. "Think about this carefully, Dad. Does having Mom smile for a moment really matter more than my entire future?"

Dad turned around, marched straight into my room, and grabbed the envelope from the desk. Before anyone could react, he snatched the bottle of liquor off the table and poured it all over the envelope until it was completely soaked.

He then handed it to Mom. "Come on, Shannon. Don't listen to them. I got your back this time!"

I stood there, frozen.

Seeing the look of determination on Dad's face made me realize that he only loved Mom but not me.

"This is insane! Put that envelope down, Jason!" Aunt Tiffany kicked the chair aside and lunged forward, grabbing at his arm.

Amidst the struggle, Dad yelled, "Hurry up, Shannon! Don't worry about your older sister. She doesn't get a say in our family business!"

Mom, already upset, only grew even more agitated at his words. She grabbed a bottle and smashed it against the back of Aunt Tiffany's head.

"This is my family's business, Tiffany! Stay out of it!" she yelled.

Glass shattered across the floor. Aunt Tiffany cried out while clutching the back of her head, blood dripping down the floor.

Everyone rushed forward to check on her. But Mom quietly grabbed the lighter and lit the envelope on fire.

The moment the flame touched the alcohol-soaked envelope, it surged and devoured the paper in seconds.

In the flickering light, Mom's face was flushed as she giggled. "See that? What I say goes in this house. Both of them listen to me. Frank better get into Horvard next time and make me proud!"

Then, she fell backward and passed out cold.

While still clutching her head, Aunt Tiffany staggered toward the burning scraps and tried to smother the flame with her bare hands.

I grabbed her wrists, trying to stop her. "Don't, Aunt Tiffany. Just forget it!"

Aunt Tiffany's eyes grew red. "Forget it? How can I? You only get one shot at those three years of high school!"

She let out a broken cry before passing out.

I called an ambulance to get Aunt Tiffany to the hospital, but Dad tried to stop me.

He said, "It's nothing serious. Your mom's hands are red!"

I ignored him and turned away. After retrieving the well-hidden admission letter, I got into the ambulance.

Before we left, I looked back at the ashes scattering into the wind and scoffed. "This time, we might not be the ones getting the short end of the stick."

Aunt Tiffany was gravely injured. Not only did she sustain a mild concussion, but the back of her head even needed several stitches.

I stayed by her bedside all night in the hospital, never sleeping a wink. Meanwhile, Mom, who was responsible for this, slept soundly at home.

She didn't call until Aunt Tiffany woke up. "Oh, Tiff, I'm sorry for last night. I was on my period, so my hormones were running wild. It's my bad. I'll bring a couple of bottles of bourbon over to your place another day as an apology!"

Mom spoke of the matter lightly, which made Aunt Tiffany snort.

Mom immediately snapped back, "What's that supposed to mean, Tiff? Are you really going to hold it against me when you know I wasn't feeling well? We're sisters. You're being way too petty!"

She was always like this.

In my past life, when her gambling buddies beat me to death, Mom defended them in front of the police. "We were just trying to teach him a lesson. That brat kept talking back to me. How is that my fault?"

Now, it mattered even less to her when Aunt Tiffany had only gotten injured.

"Honestly, Tiff, you weren't blameless last night either. I was already worked up. Why did you have to stick your nose into my family's business? How about this, we'll split the cost of the bourbon 50-50. We'll drink it together when you're discharged," Mom said.

Aunt Tiffany laughed out of sheer disbelief. Apparently, half of the 17 stitches in her head were her own fault now.

She said, "Do you even remember what you did last night, Shannon?"

"What did I do? Jason said I accidentally hit you," Mom stammered, playing dumb.

Aunt Tiffany barked, "Forget hitting me! You burned your own son's admission letter last night! Do you understand that you could've destroyed his entire future? What kind of mother does that?"

Her reaction was so intense that it startled the nurse who came in to change her bandages.

However, Mom sounded completely relaxed on the other end of the line. "I've been wanting to burn that stupid admission letter for a long time. University graduates are everywhere these days, and they're useless. So why waste tens of thousands of dollars on it?"

She paused, then burst out laughing. "How was it? I was pretty convincing, right? Even Jason bought it—"

It turned out Mom had done it on purpose.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Shannon?" Aunt Tiffany exploded, nearly throwing her phone across the room.

Mom even sounded smug when she said, "Why are you so mad, Tiff? That kid's worthless. You're the only one in the family who treats him like he matters. He's not even your son. Are you stupid or something?

"If I hadn't been drunk back then, and Jason hadn't insisted, I never would've had Frank in the first place. He's such a burden. By the way, where did that useless trash go—"

Before Mom could finish, Aunt Tiffany caught sight of my pale face and ended the call.

"I'm sorry. I've failed to protect your admission letter, and I couldn't set your mom straight. I'm really sorry!" she said.

Aunt Tiffany was always strong, not even crying when she had to endure a painful night. But now, her voice finally broke.

I patted her shoulder. "This isn't your fault, Aunt Tiffany. I'm used to their antics by now."

Aunt Tiffany was fiercely career-driven when she was younger. As such, she remained unmarried until now.

Out of all my relatives, she was the only one who had ever truly cared about an unwanted child like me.

I wouldn't have been beaten to death by Mom's gambling buddies if she hadn't been overseas on an academic exchange in my past life.

Aunt Tiffany lowered her head, deep in thought. After some time, she asked, "What are you going to do now?"

I smiled and replied, "I'm going to university, of course."

Aunt Tiffany said, "Good! I'll support you and pay for your retaking of senior year in the best school possible. Just stay as far away from your drunkard mom as you can!"

I waved a hand. "I'm not retaking anything, Aunt Tiffany."

Aunt Tiffany immediately pursed her lips. "You're not retaking? That's not an option! Don't lose hope, Frank! I believe in you—"

She watched my smile grow bigger. Under her surprised gaze, I pulled out my perfectly intact admission letter. "I already got into the university I wanted, Aunt Tiffany. There's no need to retake anything."

Aunt Tiffany was stunned. But before she could even start laughing, Mom's call came in again.

This time, Mom sounded panicked. "Where's Frank? Is he with you? Put him on the phone right now! Is he trying to get his own mom killed?"