There’s a certain kind of sidewalk theater you only get in a city like this. I was watching the matinee performance: the hero, the heroine, and the villainess, all tangled up in a screaming match on a street corner. Then a semi-truck barreled through a red light, and I went from being a nameless extra to nearly becoming a casualty. “If I die… raise my son. My bank PIN is—” The villainess, Seraphina, had shoved me out of the way. She was left broken on the asphalt, and those were her last words before she was gone. After a long search, I finally found him in a group home on the other side of the state. The moment I walked out of the building with him, a strange text began to scroll across my vision, like subtitles for a movie I was trapped in. [What the hell? Who is this random woman? Why did she adopt the little villain?] [This kid is a carbon copy of his mother—dark, paranoid, the whole package.] [Even his own father disowned him, threw him in the system while adopting another kid. This woman must have a death wish.] I looked down at the small boy beside me, swallowed by a threadbare coat. I decided the subtitles were full of crap. A little dark and paranoid? That’s not a terminal illness. 1 “Come on,” I said, opening the car door for him. He didn’t move. His gaze was locked on a car parked across the street. I followed his eyes. A sleek, black Maserati. [The little villain must be furious. His own father, choosing to adopt some other kid instead of him.] [That’s not just ‘some other kid.’ That’s Ethan, the story’s hero. Born with a halo over his head, top of his class in brains and charm.] [And this poor kid, the villain, is doomed to spend his life trying to compete with a guy he can never beat.] The subtitles, my constant companions, were chattering again. It meant the author was updating the story. That truck crash had killed Seraphina, but it had also taken the original heroine. A whole new cycle of tragedy was just getting started. I glanced back at the luxury car, then gently turned the boy’s head and guided him into my own. “Let’s go. If you like that car so much, we can buy one.” He scowled, his small face tight with defiance. “I don’t want you to buy it for me. When I’m older, I’ll buy my own.” Well, well. My son has ambition. The drive home was silent. When we got to my apartment, he stood in the middle of the living room, his small fists clenched, glaring at me like a cornered animal. “Just so we’re clear. You’re not my mom. I already have one.” “Call me whatever you want,” I said, shrugging. “By the way, what’s your name?” It occurred to me that I’d gone through this whole process without actually catching it. The director of the home had mentioned it, but I was too busy reading the subtitles in my head. He remained silent. “If you don’t tell me, I’m going to have to pick one for you. Let’s see… how about Brayden? All the cool kids in kindergarten are named Brayden.” I grinned. “Leo,” he bit out, stomping his foot in frustration. “What was that?” “My name is Leo!” I chuckled. “Leo. Strong name. I like it. I’ll call you Leo, my boy.” “Don’t! That sounds stupid. My name is Leo.” “Alright, Leo, my boy, it’s late. Time for bed. We’ve got to get you registered for school tomorrow.” I scooped him up, dropped him into the small bed I’d prepared, tucked him in, and walked out. 2 The next morning, after registering Leo for school, I realized the hero of this story, Ethan Sterling, was not only in the same class but was also Leo’s new deskmate. [And so it begins. Get ready to watch the hero put the villain in his place.] [In this kind of old-school rivalry plot, the villain is destined to be crushed.] [The sad part is, he doesn’t know it. He thinks if he just works hard enough, he can win.] [Get real. Ethan’s the main character. The whole world revolves around him. A minor villain will never see the spotlight.] The damned subtitles were back, and their commentary was particularly nasty today. Never see the spotlight? The kid I’m raising can be whatever he wants. Even if he chooses to be a couch potato, he'll be the best damn couch potato there is. That evening, after Leo finished his homework, he found me watching cartoons in the living room. “I need to sign up for tutoring,” he announced. “For Math, English, and Science. All of them.” “You’re in second grade. What do you need tutors for?” I patted the cushion next to me. “Come on, watch Bob’s Burgers with me. It’s a classic.” He gave the television a look that could curdle milk. “I need it! I have to get first place on the final exams! If you don’t sign me up, I’ll report you for neglect.” Threats? Seriously? Did he have any idea who he was dealing with? “Fine, fine, you win. I’ll find a tutoring center for you tomorrow.” Seeing that I’d agreed, he turned and marched back to his room to study. The next day after school, I picked him up and drove him straight to the city’s athletic club. The look on his face was a mix of confusion and fury. “I said Math, English, and Science. What is this? Swimming and tennis lessons?” “Well, I noticed you’re a little skinny. Gotta build up that physique,” I said brightly. “It’s all about a well-rounded education, you know? Mind, body, and spirit.” I tried to give him a reassuring hug, but he dodged me. “And the cooking class?” he asked, pointing to a third registration form. “Is that for my physique, too?” “That… that was a freebie! It’s a tough economy out there, you know. They had a buy-two-get-one-free deal. It would’ve been a waste not to take it.” My own cooking is so bad, my dog won’t eat it. I’d stumbled upon a kid with a stubborn, obsessive drive to be the best. I had to channel that talent toward the kitchen. For my own survival. “I don’t want this. Change them. I’m not learning any of this.” He was so angry he ripped the forms to shreds. I reached into my bag and pulled out three more copies. “Those were just printouts. I’ve got plenty more.” I leaned in conspiratorially. “You’re not… scared, are you? Scared you won’t be good at it?” “Who says I won’t be good at it?” he shot back, his pride wounded. “I can be the best at anything.” Leo snatched the forms from my hand, swung his little backpack over his shoulder, and stormed into the building. [Some mothers just don’t get it. Ethan’s parents have him in advanced math programs, and this woman has the villain signed up for swimming, tennis, and a cooking class.] [He’s already falling behind. The hero is in the math olympiad, and the villain can’t even get a real tutor. He’s never going to catch up in this lifetime.] I waved a dismissive hand at the subtitles in my vision and found a comfortable bench to play games on my phone. 3 Throughout elementary school, it was a constant battle of wills between Leo and me. He’d try to stay up all night studying, and I’d flip the circuit breaker at ten o’clock sharp. He’d read dense, historical biographies, and I’d swap them out for books on weird animal facts. On weekends, he’d try to grind through practice exams, and I’d drag him on a six-mile hike back from a park on the other side of town. During school breaks, he’d descend into a frenzy of test prep, and I’d counter with my own frenzy of blasting 80s power ballads and learning TikTok dances. “Rosemary, can you please be quiet for one second? The middle school entrance exam is next week!” He’d finally reached his breaking point. He stormed into the living room and yanked the plug on my speaker. “It’s just a middle school exam, not the bar. What are you so nervous about?” I said. “Besides, your Aunt Carol and Aunt June are coming over for poker later. We need a fourth.” He could be a dark, paranoid villain-in-training all he wanted. But when faced with three unreasonable women who needed another player for their card game, even the most determined villain is powerless. Leo played poker with us all afternoon. He lost fifty bucks. [A villain is a villain. Can’t do anything right.] [The hero gets straight A’s and can probably beat a grandmaster at chess. This kid studies himself to death and is still stuck in second place.] [And with a mother like that, his dream of ever beating the hero is just that. A dream.] The subtitles were getting snarky. But they weren’t entirely wrong. Leo worked incredibly hard, even if his motivation was to one-up Ethan. He was a dedicated kid. No TV, no video games, just studying the moment he finished dinner. The only time he acted out was when his grades weren’t better than the hero’s, which usually resulted in a few broken pencils. A parent obsessed with academic achievement would have been thrilled to have a kid like him. Unfortunately for him, he got me, a professional slacker. I didn’t want him to become the bitter, obsessive person the subtitles described. I wanted him to be a happy, well-adjusted kid who knew how to enjoy life. The week before the exam, one of my poker buddies got her hands on a box of wild mushrooms someone had brought back from a trip to Oregon. We turned them into a soup. It was delicious. Leo even had a bowl. “You’re four grown adults, and you don’t know not to eat strange mushrooms?” the doctor said, looking at the five of us—four adults and one child—all being treated for food poisoning. He was exasperated. But no one was more furious than Leo. We were stuck in the hospital for days. The middle school entrance exam came and went. 4 “I’m so sorry, Leo. I really am. I had no idea your Aunt Carol’s mother-in-law foraged those herself on a hiking trip.” I didn’t care about his academics, but I hated seeing him this heartbroken. Ethan, the hero, had aced the exam, scoring the highest in the city. He was headed to Northwood Preparatory, the best of the best. After we got home from the hospital, Leo locked himself in his room and refused to eat. To cheer him up, I gritted my teeth and made a decision. “Leo, my boy, look what I’ve got.” I slid an envelope under his door. The door flew open a second later. “What is this?” he demanded, holding up the acceptance letter from Northwood Preparatory. “I didn’t even take the test!” “Heh,” I said, grinning. “I made a fifty-thousand-dollar donation to their new gymnasium fund. They were happy to make an exception.” “Son, we’re rich. Even if you do nothing for the rest of your life, even if you just want to be a couch potato, I can make sure you’re comfortable.” It was time he learned the power of money. “That’s cheating!” “No one has to know.” “But I’ll know!” His face was beet red. I put a finger to my lips. “And if you know, you just don’t say anything. Simple.” He was still just a kid. For all his protests, when the first day of school arrived, he was there with his backpack on, ready to go. That evening, as I was getting ready for bed, he started packing a duffel bag with clothes and bedding. “I’m going to live in the dorms,” he announced. I couldn’t bear the thought. If he left, who would be my poker fourth? Who would cook for me? “Leo, my boy, the dorms are gross. It’s much more comfortable at home. Come on, stay here.” He didn’t stop packing. “I’m in junior high now. High school is in three years. This time, I am going to beat Ethan Sterling. I have to live at school. You can’t stop me.” [Heh. Beat the hero? In his dreams. The harder he tries, the crazier he’ll get. He’s heading for a complete breakdown.] [Isn’t this the period where his paranoia gets worse? Living in the dorms is what pushes him over the edge, right? He starts having mental health issues.] [He brings it on himself. Always trying to one-up the hero, trying to prove himself to his biological father. It just makes him more pathetic.] [It’s useless. His mother was the villainess who got his father’s true love killed. No amount of effort will ever change that.] “Enough!” I shouted at the words scrolling in my vision. Leo turned, his eyes wide with surprise. I forced a smile. “I mean, enough of those old clothes. You don’t need to pack so much. I’ll buy you new ones.” The subtitles had terrified me. I couldn’t let Leo have a breakdown. In the end, he went to the dorms. But he only lasted two weeks. 5 “Leo, my boy! Mom’s here to see you! Are you kicking your blankets off at night?” “Honey, you’ve only been here a week, and you look like you’ve lost five pounds!” “Your Aunt Carol and the girls miss you! She made you her famous chicken soup. You have to drink it while it’s hot.” I made the trip to his school every single day, a thermos of food in one hand and a bag of clean laundry in the other. “I can’t believe Leo is such a mama’s boy.” “I know, right? He’s in junior high, and he’s still so clingy.” “And when his mom called him ‘Leo, my boy’? I literally got goosebumps.” I overheard a few girls whispering in the hallway. Leo’s face was a mask of cold fury. After another week of my daily deliveries, he couldn’t take it anymore. He moved back home. At the end of his eighth-grade year, he placed second in his entire grade. He locked himself in his room again, refusing to come out for the entire day. “You got the second-highest score in the whole school. What more do you want?” I said, using the spare key to let myself in. “What good is second place?” he said, his face devoid of emotion. “He was still first.” I knew who ‘he’ was. “So, according to you, only the person in first place deserves to live? Everyone else should just give up?” “That’s not what I meant.” “That’s exactly what you meant!” I never argued with him, but this time, I had to. “So what if you beat Ethan Sterling? There will always be someone better than him out there. Are you going to spend your whole life trying to beat every single person on the planet?” “I… I just can’t stand it! Why? Why did my mother have to be the ‘villain’?” His voice cracked. “Why did my father disown me for some other woman? What did I do wrong?” “I just want to show him. I want to be the best. I want him to regret it. I want revenge for my mother.” Tears started streaming down his face as he spoke, and my heart ached for him. “Oh, you foolish kid,” I said softly. “If your mom were still alive, the only thing she would want is for you to be happy.” “And whether she was a villain or not isn’t for other people to decide. As long as you don’t believe it, then she’ll never be one in your heart.” “As for your father… he made his choice. Everyone makes their own choices. You don’t have to do anything because of a choice someone else made.” When I finished, Leo said nothing. He just curled up on his bed, lost in thought. I sighed and pulled a blanket over him. “You know, no matter what you score, you’ll always be number one to me. The absolute best.” Leo could be obsessive, but only about his own goals. He could be withdrawn, but he had never tried to hurt anyone. He might be the story’s “dark, paranoid villain,” but at the end of the day, he was just a child starved for love. I couldn’t understand why the subtitles had to be so cruel. Was this what gave keyboard warriors their sense of accomplishment? In the days that followed, Leo studied even harder. I knew my words wouldn’t change him overnight, but things were getting better. He no longer locked himself away, no matter how poorly he thought he’d done on a test. I thought the high school entrance exam would be a turning point. But disaster struck again. 6 “Is my entire life destined to be a failure?” “No matter how hard I try, it’s useless. Fate just loves to mess with me!” On the first day of the high school entrance exam, Leo was in a car accident. He was unconscious for two days. Just like with middle school, he missed the test. And Ethan Sterling was, once again, the top scorer in the city. A news report featuring an interview with him was playing on the hospital room TV. Leo sat on his bed, his knuckles white as he gripped the sheets. [The villain’s paranoid personality is about to be fully awakened. I bet he’s going to try and get revenge on the hero.] [What’s the point of revenge? He’s the hero. He can’t be killed.] [Honestly, I kind of feel bad for the villain. All that hard work for nothing.] I was terrified Leo would do something reckless. That he would snap. That he would go after Ethan. So, that night, I drove him out of the city. We drove for eight hours, crossed three mountain ranges, and took one ferry. Finally, we arrived at my grandmother’s house in the middle of nowhere. “Grandma, the kid bombed his exams and he’s throwing a fit. I’m leaving him with you for the summer,” I explained. “Watch him closely. Don’t let him wander off, especially not near the river.” I left her a thousand dollars and was gone before dawn. The next day, Leo somehow got his hands on a phone and called me. “Rosemary, you come get me right now. I need to repeat the year and study for the retake!” “What’s that? You want to jump in the lake? Sorry, can’t hear you, bad connection.” I hung up. He called back immediately. “If you don’t come get me, I’ll walk back myself.” Ha. No one had ever escaped from my grandma’s watch. Not even the livestock. [This is hilarious. The villain was ready for his comeback, and she just shipped him off to the countryside.] [Is this some kind of reality show? Look at him, his hair is all messed up.] [This woman is unbelievable. Does whatever she wants. A GPS would get lost trying to find that place.] The subtitles were having a field day. I chuckled as I shuffled my poker cards, reading their commentary. My grandma… she was one of a kind. A paranoid villain? She once made a wild monkey from the mountain do chores for two days before letting it go. Leo stood no chance. He stayed in the countryside for two months. His days were filled with feeding chickens, herding cattle, and cutting grass for the pigs. He was so exhausted by the end of the day that he’d fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, with no time to dwell on his misfortunes. His appetite grew, too. Grandma called to tell me he was eating three large bowls of rice at every meal and that I needed to send more money. September first rolled around. The autumn breeze signaled the start of a new school year. It was time to go get my son. 7 Standing at the entrance of the state’s top-ranked public high school, Leo hesitated. “You didn’t… do the same thing you did for middle school, did you?” he finally asked. I pulled his luggage from the trunk and grinned. “Of course not. This is a state-level magnet school. This one cost a hundred thousand.” “The principal couldn’t stop smiling. I think I paid for his new boat.” Perhaps because he’d grown accustomed to my methods over the years, he didn’t protest this time. As I was leaving the school, he suddenly called out to me. “I’m going to work hard these next three years. I won’t let you down. I won’t let your money go to waste.” Seeing his earnest expression, I patted his shoulder. “You’ve got it all wrong. I spent the money to make you happy, not to make you work yourself to death.” “As long as you’re happy for these three years, I don’t care if you’re a straight-F student.” “And after three years, if you still want to go to college, I’ll buy you a spot in one of those, too. Any fancy university you want. I’ve got the money.” The most important thing in life is to be happy. Everything else is just noise. “It’s not that I like school,” he started, “I just…” “I know. You have your own plans.” I cut him off gently. “But my plan is this: no matter what your plans are, or how they turn out, I will always be your safety net.” [Damn it, why am I getting emotional over this random woman?] [Me too. The villain’s life has been tragic, but finding a mother like her feels like winning the lottery.] [It won’t matter. A villain is a villain. The heroine is about to make her appearance. The real rivalry starts now.] What? I stopped in my tracks, focusing on every word of the subtitles. It took me a minute to piece it all together. The main heroine, a girl named Ava Chen, was about to enter the picture. And my son, the villain, was going to fall obsessively in love with her. For ten years, his obsession would drive him mad, leading to an intense rivalry with the hero. In the end, she would marry the hero, and Leo, in his despair, would kill himself. Absolutely not.
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