Chapter 8
Chapter 8
That same day, Dad’s phone got absolutely blown up.
A tidal wave of furious messages flooded in-people calling him “old bastard,” “piece of shit,” “scumbag”-the works.
He literally passed out from rage on the spot.
Aria had it even worse.
Not only was her phone number leaked, but all her social media accounts were doxxed too.
She panicked, yanked out her SIM card, and deleted every account overnight.
The internet had a field day:
[Didn’t she say she was gonna expose Josie and turn public opinion against her? Now that she’s the one getting dragged, she’s running faster than anyone Imao]
[This whole family is rotten to the core.]
[Ugh I’m so jealous of Josie. She’s so young and already accomplished so much. Getting early admission to Harvard’s physics program? That’s insane. And her family still doesn’t appreciate her.]
[Physics is SO HARD. I can score 90+ on math tests but I’m barely passing physics. The fact that Josie gets perfect scores every
time is incredible.]
[Please, Josie, start a livestream and tutor us physics failures. I’d literally pay to listen to a genius like her teach.]
[Begging for a physics livestream!]
[SAME]
Seeing how much demand there was, and since I didn’t need to take the SATs anymore, I asked my professor for permission and decided to start livestreaming every Saturday night for two hours, teaching clear and effective problem-solving strategies.
To my surprise, my concise explanations and straightforward methods actually helped a ton of students improve their physics grades.
Parents started flooding the stream with donations, thanking me for helping their kids.
Those who had money donated. Those who didn’t just showed up to support. The stream blew up.
Soon enough, it was SAT day.
I figured I’d show up just for the experience, even though I didn’t need to take it.
But when I got there, I ran into Aria and Dad.
10:22
A Missing Key, 218 Missed Calls, One Family Secret
23.39%
Chapter 8
I turned to leave.
The second they saw me, they rushed over. “Josie, wait! Don’t go. I’m not here to yell at you today.”
I instinctively stopped.
There were people everywhere. I wasn’t worried they’d try anything.
As they got closer, Dad pulled out a warm bottle of milk and smiled ingratiatingly. “Here, drink this, Josie.”
I scoffed. “No thanks. I’m afraid it’s poisoned.”
Dad’s face stiffened. His smile faltered.
Aria quickly jumped in. “Sis, Dad just wants to make things right. We’re family. There’s no such thing as grudges that last forever. Just come home. The house has felt so empty without you.”
“Of course it’s empty. You don’t have anyone to yell at or boss around to do all the chores anymore.”
Dad almost lost it right there.
But then he remembered I’d been making bank from my livestreams lately. He held it in.
“Alright, Josie. No matter how angry you are, it’s time to let it go. Take the milk. After the test, I’ll cook you a big meal and apologize properly. How about that?”
“Yeah, sis. Remember that keyboard you wanted? If you come home, I’ll move it into your room. From now on, everything with you.”

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