After my SAT scores came out, my friend and I were on the subway heading to our hotel. When we tried to exit the station, my phone showed "insufficient funds." Stuck at the turnstile, I called my mom: "Mom, why can't I pay for anything all of a sudden?" A cold voice replied from the other end: "I cancelled the family plan." "I thought you'd definitely score a 1550, so I paid for your trip. You only got a 1540. What face do you have to be out playing?" Just then, text notifications started popping up on my phone. [Your hotel reservation has been cancelled.] [Your flight booking has been cancelled.] [Your ticket purchase has been refunded.] 1 I panicked and tried to explain: "Mom, I checked, 1540 is enough for my target college." "When we checked the scores this morning, you didn't say I couldn't go." "Mom, please unblock it first, I'm stuck inside the subway station." Outside the turnstile, my friend Chloe waved at me. I pointed at the phone, and she nodded in understanding. Mom scoffed: "Sierra, remember this. My condition for this trip was you scoring 1550." "You never said that beforehand." "I estimated around 1550 back then. I said I might not hit 1550, and you said it was fine, go have fun." Mom suddenly raised her voice: "You didn't have the ability to get those extra 10 points, so don't blame me for changing my mind." "I worked hard to put you through school, and now you want to negotiate with me? Do you know how hard it is to make money?" "Consider this your first life lesson. In society, only those who work hard and produce results deserve to enjoy themselves." "Otherwise, you get nothing. Understand?" People rushed past in the subway. Standing in the corner, my eyes welled up: "Mom, please. I'll get a job when I'm back and pay you back." "Playing the victim won't work." Click. She hung up. More notifications popped up. [Your hotel reservation has been cancelled.] [Your flight booking has been cancelled.] [Your ticket purchase has been refunded.] 2 Seeing my pale face, Chloe walked over: "What's wrong, Sierra?" My hands wouldn't stop shaking: "Chloe, my mom cancelled the family payment plan." I remembered my savings card with my red envelope money (lucky money) was taken by my mom before I left. Her excuse was: "I'm paying for the trip. Don't touch your savings. I'll keep it safe for you." "Wait, I can use my savings." I switched payment methods, but it still declined. I checked my banking app. Balance: $0.00. Furious, I called my mom again. No answer. I texted her. [Mom, at least give me back my savings.] Chloe actually looked relieved and smiled: "Is that all? I have money. We can just pay at the service counter." Apologetic, I held up my phone: "No, my mom cancelled our hotel and tickets too." We left the subway and went to the hotel. The receptionist asked politely: "I see your three-day, two-night reservation has been cancelled. Would you like to rebook?" Holding onto a shred of hope, I asked: "Can we rebook at the original price?" The receptionist's smile froze for a second: "Sorry, prices fluctuate dynamically. I can't do that." When Mom booked a month ago, this star-rated hotel was $200 a night. Now it's peak season, and the price has jumped to $600. Chloe and I exchanged awkward glances. Chloe said: "Let's find another hotel." I felt terrible, repeating "I'm sorry" over and over. Chloe covered my mouth: "Stop apologizing." "But... my money can only cover a cheap motel and food. What about your flight home?" 3 We searched online for ages before finding a cheap but remote motel. After all this hassle, I lost all mood for fun, filled with anger and guilt. Chloe didn't mind, but if this hadn't happened, we would have been happily exploring all morning. Mom still didn't reply or answer calls, so I called my dad. At home, Mom wore the pants, and Dad listened to her. But surely he'd help his daughter this time? Dad answered, his voice cautious: "Hello, Sierra." "Dad, Mom cancelled all the bookings. Can you send me some money? Or give me my savings back." Dad sighed: "You almost gave your mom a heart attack. Of course she cancelled it." From Dad, I learned the reason for Mom's sudden change. Turns out, Mom's coworker, Auntie Wang, was her nemesis. Her daughter took the SATs this year too. Mom swore her daughter had good grades and often used scores to taunt Auntie Wang about not knowing how to educate her kid, saying her daughter would have to rely on marriage to climb the social ladder. Auntie Wang, having a short fuse, made a bet with Mom. The whole office knew. Results came out. Auntie Wang's daughter scored 1550. That 10-point difference made Mom lose face at work. I didn't know my scores were betting chips for adults. No wonder when we checked scores at midnight, Mom wasn't thrilled but still told me to take lots of photos. Dad continued: "Sierra, I can't help you this time, or I'm done for too." "Borrow some money from your friend and come back to apologize to your mom ASAP." 4 So that's why Mom was posting on Facebook these past few days, bragging about sending me on a trip. She was just putting up a front to provoke Auntie Wang. It all made sense now. Chloe was indignant: "That's too much. What kind of mom is so utilitarian?" "If I scored 1540, my mom would be grinning from ear to ear." "She'd brag to everyone, even the neighborhood dogs would know how well I did." Her words made me laugh through my tears. She picked up her phone: "How about this, I'll ask my parents to buy you a ticket. We'll be frugal these few days and deal with it when we get back." I stopped her hand: "No, Chloe. Your parents work hard too." Chloe's family wasn't as well-off as mine. I really didn't want to burden them. "I'll ask other relatives." Just then, my phone buzzed with messages. In the "Happy Family" group chat, Mom posted a screenshot of my score. Auntie (Dad's sister): [Sierra is amazing, such a high score!] Mom: [@Everyone Sierra's performance this time is very disappointing.] [She's traveling with a friend now. I've cut off her allowance.] [If I find out anyone gives her money, we're cutting ties.] [@Auntie Don't spoil the child.] Mom always had the final say in the extended family. She had a stable job and connections. Relatives often asked her for favors, so no one dared offend her easily. I typed quickly, posting the screenshot of Mom promising the trip. Me: [Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, I did my best. This score is the result of my hard work.] [Mom proposed this trip. Now she cancelled my hotel and flight without warning. I'm stranded.] Fingers still typing, suddenly, a message popped up. You have been removed from the group chat. 5 Tears of grievance fell. I wanted my grandma. She would help me unconditionally. But she didn't have a smartphone. Chloe threw a pillow on the bed in anger: "What kind of mom is that? Failing to get 1550 gets you the death penalty in your house?" Outside, the clouds parted, and the sun came out. Sitting here wouldn't solve anything. I wiped my tears and stood up. "Forget it. Let's go out. Walking around sightseeing is free anyway." We wandered through historic alleys, looked at old architecture, and walked by the quiet river. Tired, we sat by the riverbank. My stomach growled. Chloe laughed: "Hungry? Come on, lunch is on me." While I hesitated, a message popped up. Cousin Rain: [So mad!! How could Auntie do this!!] [Sis has money. Sending you $200 first.] [Venmo transfer: $200.] I held my phone, almost jumping up in excitement. [Love you, Cousin! But do you have enough for yourself?] [Relax, your cousin is a corporate slave now. I have this much.] [Thanks Cousin, I'll pay you back after my summer job.] [Hehe, take it. Just between us.] [Also, don't listen to Auntie. I only got 1350, didn't stop me from being a corporate drone alongside master's grads.] [Our future isn't defined by a test score. Besides, you're the best scorer in our family's history.] I accepted the transfer and hugged Chloe: "I have money! Lunch is on me."
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387518", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel