A Promising Youth

Chapter 2 A Life of Despair

During the holidays after my entrance exams, even though my parents were still cold to me, I had a

fervent desire to live, because I was finally getting out of here, and going to college was the turning

point in my life.

But it happened that my brother who failed in the college entrance exams and spent a year outside

came back. He came with his girlfriend, and the two were ready to get engaged, and the woman asked

for a bride price of 100,000 yuan.

I was terrified at the time because my family only had 20,000 yuan in savings, and that was my tuition

for school and my only chance to get out of my family and change my fate.

My pampered brother, who got into a heated verbal argument with Mom and Dad and ended up turning

over the table and smashing the TV. I didn't expect my father, for the first time, to stand up for me and

say.

“There's only 20,000 yuan in the house, and that's for your brother his college tuition, you can’t have it!”

Hearing this, my brother, without saying a word, grabbed me by the collar into the yard, and pinned me

down on the well pad and beat me hard!

I wanted to fight back, but I really didn't dare. The sense of fear that my parents and brother, over the

years, had created in me, had long since taken away my ability to fight back.

I held my head and cowered on the floor. I had long used to this kind of domestic violence, and even

though the pain in my body, this time, was greater than any I'd ever felt before, I pushed through it and

kept telling myself.

“It will be fine. Get it through and I'll go to college and get out of here and see the pretty girl.”

I didn't know how long the fight went on, with blood coming out of my head and mouth, but my father,

who was cowering in the room, finally came forward and said.

“Even if you beat him to death, we don’t have 100,000 yuan.”

I didn't take that as my father's defense of me. They paid me go to college only because I could give

the Chan family honor, and besides, the family did not have that much money.

My brother, who had never been rejected by parents, became even angrier!

He took a lighter and set the family kitchen on fire. Though the yard went up in flames, my father didn't

stop it. I didn't think he could have beaten his tall son.

“I'll give you 10 days to prepare. If you don't get the bride price, I'll kill you all!”

My brother's red eyes stared at my parents grimly, like demons from hell.

“We don’t have that much money even if you kill us!”

My mother crouched against the doorframe, crying at the top of her lungs.

“I don't care! Other parents have them, and you should have too!”

He dragged his girlfriend away after that.

Pain, fear and powerlessness were always on my mind during that time. I was beaten by my brother

hard that I couldn't get out of bed. I spent every day shivering under the covers, afraid that he would

come back and take my tuition and ruin my life.

After healing and just being able to get out of bed, my parents were suddenly kind to me. Not only did

they count my brother's faults in front of me in various ways, they also bought me new clothes and

praised me for my success. Since I was a child, I had never worn new clothes, and all over my body,

were old clothes worn by my brother.

At that time, I was so naive as to think that my parents started to care for me. Maybe it was because I

got into college, maybe it was because I was sensitive d and obeyed. In contrast to my brother, I

became the good boy in my parents' eyes.

Looking at those new clothes, I fell to my knees and kowtowed to my mom and dad. How low I was in

this family. As long as they were even the slightest bit nice to me, I could forget all the things they had

done before.

“Dad, Mom, when I graduate from college, I'll definitely honor you and bring you to live in the city!”

Between sobs, I said this from the bottom of my heart.

My mother didn't hold back but cried.

She left with a cry. My father panicked and stroked my head, saying excitedly.

“Good boy, good boy, study hard in school! But there's something I'd like to discuss with you.”

As long as I could go to college, I would agree with anything. I nodded my head, and my father said.

“Your brother was out fighting and said your name. You and your brother looked alike, and you can get

out in a few days.”

My heart died when I heard that, why did he fight and use my name?!!! My father said.

“Do you want to go to college? If you help your brother, he'll be grateful, and he won't look for trouble at

home. As soon as you're out, you will go straight to college.”

At the time, I had no idea that why my parents would be so cruel and mean to me!

In order to go to college and to stay out of trouble with my family, I was obediently taken to the police

station by my father.

My father also paid for connections and there was hardly any trial. At the time he lied to me and said I

would be out in a week.

But a week later, I went to court, and that's when I found out that my brother was guilty of robbery and

intentional assault!

And it wasn't even my name, and it was then that I realized that I had been lied to by my parents. The

aggravation, desperation and trepidation that I felt almost forced me to tell the truth.

But offstage, I saw the murderous eyes of my parents, who seemed to be warning me.

“If you dare say that, you not only won’t go to college, but you won't get any better in the future!”

I was just about 18 years old and already able to stand on my own two feet. Many people must think

that I was an adult, so what's the point of being bold and telling the truth, even if I cut ties with my

family?

An 18-year-old man with hands and feet can't starve to death!

I wanted to, but you weren't born in my family environment, you didn't have the childhood trauma and

fear, so you can't understand and blame me for my weakness. It was like a string of the kite. Even if I

flew high, I could not escape the control of my parents. Once they glared at me, my bones tremble with

it.

I really didn't dare to resist. It became almost a habit to be obedient. I studied in school, and I didn't

have the ability to support myself. I was afraid of retaliation from my parents and brother, I was afraid of

that home, but I couldn't leave that home. Eventually I chose to compromise and was sentenced to 6

years in prison.

Three days before school started, my parents came to visit me in prison. Across the thick tempered

glass, I saw my brother on the loose!

He lived a good life and bought flip phones and had the new clothes that my mother bought for me.

Hot tears welled up in my eyes as I squeezed the phone and listened to my father's irrelevant words.

“Matteo, your brother is leaving for college tomorrow, do you want to talk to him?”

“Ah!”

A rush of hot blood rushed into my skull and I slammed my head against the tempered glass, “Why?

That's the college I got into!”

Blood slowly trickled along the glass, and my father was oblivious and said.

“You are in prison. Your brother and you looked alike, your age is similar. We can waste the chance to

college. Your brother said, when he graduated, he will arrange a good job for you.”

I was mad as hell looking at my parents, with my teeth gnashing so hard. And I just wanted to rip their

flesh and chew their bones!

I'd never hated anyone so much, but at that moment, I wanted to kill them all!