I suppressed the surge of emotions and took a seat at the dinner table.
As usual, there was a tense atmosphere.
My mother frowned as she took a bite of food.
"You're about to start your final year of high school, and your self-discipline is so poor. You shouldn't stay at school—you should move back home."
In my previous life, I had always rebelled against her. Upon hearing those words, I flipped the table over.
My stepfather, noticing my silence, sighed hypocritically.
"Don't be so hard on the child. We need to respect Susan's wishes."
He was always good at this.
I was rebellious and immature, and my mother wasn't good at expressing herself, which led to constant conflict between us.
My stepfather played the role of the peacemaker, but in reality, every word he said was adding fuel to the fire.
I was too naive to see through his schemes and believed he was the only one who truly believed in and supported me.
But not this time, Jeremy.
I pretended to be nonchalant.
"I'm not staying at school. Didn't Uncle Jeremy tell you?"
"He helped me rent an apartment near school, fully furnished with a computer, gaming console, and all sorts of makeup. Oh, and this too."