Eighteen Years Of IOUs, One Day To Pay Them All Chapter 03

Eighteen Years Of IOUs, One Day To Pay Them All Chapter 03

I took a rideshare to the bank with my advisor and deposited the $20,000 scholarship check.

When I got back to my dorm, I had just opened my laptop to work on my study-abroad application when the student in the room next door knocked.

“Rowan, someone from Student Conduct wants to see you in the office.”

I had no idea what this was about, but I went anyway.

When I walked in, a student conduct administrator was sitting behind the desk with a troubled expression.

They slid a complaint across to me.

“Rowan, someone filed a complaint claiming you’ve been accepting large sums of money from an older man off campus under questionable circumstances, and that it makes you ineligible for the university-sponsored study-abroad program.”

I looked down at the complaint.

A photograph had been attached.

In it, I was getting out of a black luxury sedan with a thick envelope in my hand.

The name on the complaint was Tessa Bennett.

My sister had reported me.

Rage surged through me, and I stormed straight to her dorm room.

Tessa was sitting in a chair painting her nails.

When she saw me walk in, she smiled.

“Well, that was fast.”

My eyes burned with anger. “You reported me?”

Tessa lowered her hand and looked me up and down.

“What? You can do it, but you can’t stand being called out? Rowan, you really took our family rule to heart. If you want something, you pay for it. So now you’re paying with your body? What are you planning to buy next?”

There was no reasoning with her.

“You’re coming with me to the conduct office. Withdraw the complaint.”

She scoffed. “Why should I?”

I grabbed her arm and tried to pull her toward the door.

She fought me hard, then twisted around and slapped me across the face.

For one stunned second, I froze.

Then my anger took over.

Within minutes, we were fighting, and a crowd had gathered outside the room.

Someone called campus staff, who finally pulled us apart, and our parents were notified through our emergency contact information.

Tessa and I ended up standing side by side in the office.

Both of us had disheveled hair and visible slap marks on our faces.

Dad arrived quickly, looking frantic.

The moment I saw his familiar face, tears burned behind my eyes.

“Dad…”

But instead of coming to me, he stormed forward and slapped me across the face.

The sharp crack snapped my head to the side, and my ear rang.

The student conduct administrator shot to their feet.

“Sir, stop. You cannot hit her.”

Dad ignored them.

He pointed at me and shouted, “How could you be this disgusting? Have you really sunk this low? Have we ever denied you food or clothes? You’re out there selling yourself? Maybe you don’t care what people think, but I do!”

Mom came in behind him and grabbed his arm before turning to me.

“Rowan, tell me what happened. Why did you start fighting with Tessa? And where did that money come from?”

I stood there with my left cheek swollen and burning.

Not one person had asked if I was hurt.

I fought back my tears, but my voice still shook.

“Tessa lied about me and filed the complaint first. The money from yesterday was my university scholarship—twenty thousand dollars. I have the award letter. You can verify it with the university.”

Tessa snorted.

“Who are you kidding? A scholarship? There’s a photo of you getting out of some older guy’s luxury car.”

I stepped toward her, furious and ready to argue, but Mom shoved me back.

“Enough! Why are you dragging this out over one little misunderstanding? Even if Tessa got it wrong, she was worried about you. Why do you have to make such a huge deal out of everything?”

I looked at Tessa’s smug smile, and whatever warmth I had left for this family died.

I clenched my fists and gave everyone in the room a cold look.

“I’m giving you two choices. First, Tessa withdraws the complaint and apologizes in front of everyone. Second, if you refuse to withdraw it, I’ll put it in writing right now that I’m cutting ties with this family. From today on, I’m no longer part of this family.”

The room went completely silent.

Mom and Dad stared at me in shock, as if they couldn’t believe the girl standing in front of them with her voice raw from shouting was the same Rowan who had always been quiet and obedient.