Chapter 3 With Caleh Joining my cause , my father's hesitant expression began to soften . But my mother eyed me suspiciously , looking me up and down . " What if you go to college and then disappear after graduation ? Who'll take care of us then ? There's a college graduate from our village whose parents can't even find him now . " At her words , my father , Raymond , also grew suspicious , staring intently at me while smoking , trying to determine if I was telling the truth . My heart sank as I feared my college plans might evaporate . I quickly said : " I can sign a contract ! And I'll choose a college close to home , then come right back to find work after graduation !" As my mother tried to argue further , my father extinguished his arette a and displayed a rare moment of warmth . " How could I not trust you ? Tiffany , you're my daughter . You and Caleb share the same blood . Our family should be harmonious and supportive of each other … " However , my mother's face darkened beside him , she sneered : " What's the point of all this education for a girl ? She should get a job now , bring home money to support our family , and when she gets married , at least she won't be around giving us headaches . " " Mom ! " Caleb suddenly interrupted , raising his voice in protest . " With just a high school diploma , how much could she make at some retail job ? She'd end up marrying some broke loser. Forget buying me a house - she probably couldn't even afford a used car . " My father also timely shot my mother a harsh glare before half - heartedly smoothing things over . " Don't take your mother seriously . She didn't get much schooling - sharp as a bowling ball , that one . " Then he put on a show of scolding Caleb . " Why are you still playing games ? That's unacceptable . Your sister is willing to buy you a car and a house , and you can't even repay her by writing up this contract yourself ? Do you expect her to do that too ? " Hearing this , Caleb didn't throw his usual tantrum . Instead , he tossed his phone aside , shuffled over in his slippers to find paper and a pen , and began writing the contract with everyone watching . When he finished , he thoughtfully dug out an ink pad from a corner . With a forced smile , I signed my name and pressed my fingerprint onto the paper , then proceeded to fill out my college application right in front of them . After watching me complete everything , father and son were unusually cheerful , while my mother let out a heavy snort and rolled her eyes , then stated his conditions : " Let me make this clear : since you're the one who wants to go to college , you'll have to earn your own tuition and living expenses . All the money in this house belongs to Caleb - you don't get a penny . Since you've already submitted your application , you'll start working for money tomorrow . And you broke my door , so you're paying for it . " Facing her merciless demands , I gritted my teeth and agreed to everything , then secretly changed my college preferences later that night .