A Missing Key 218 Missed Calls One Family Secret novel Chapter 32

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.

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A Missing Key, 218 Missed Calls, One Family Secret

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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.”

The cycle repeated itself.

Only this time, Aria was the one on the receiving end.

After graduation, I asked my professor if I could move into the dorms early.

I packed my things and prepared to head to Boston.

Before I left, Derek invited me out for dinner.

Over the meal, he raised his glass to me, eyes full of respect. “Thanks to you, I probably scored at least 20 points higher on the physics section than usual. I’m planning to apply to schools in Boston. Who knows-maybe we’ll be able to grab dinner there

sometime.”

I smiled. “I’ll be waiting for the good news.”

Two weeks later, SAT scores came out.

True to his word, Derek scored a 1510. He’d be heading to Boston for college.

Along with his own news, he also filled me in on Aria.

“She bombed the SATS. Her dad forced her to kneel and apologize right before the test, and it messed with her head. She only

got an 1180.”

“Last time we all went out to eat, her dad brought up her score and just exploded. He slapped her twice in front of everyone. If we hadn’t stopped him, he probably would’ve beaten her worse.”

“I never thought he was that kind of person. They always seemed so close. I thought you were the problem. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

I hung up and went back to packing.

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