I'll Be Your Pride

My rich roommate not only bullied me but also robbed my orphan's scholarship. I went to the counselor to reason with her. Still, the counselor accused me of stirring up trouble and revoked my eligibility to join the council.

I took my case to the dean, but he coldly pulled out expulsion papers instead. "You dared offend the daughter of a university trustee. Did you think you could stay in university?"

They burned my parents' belongings before me and shouted, "You deserve to be an orphan! Your family must have committed countless evils—this is karma!"

Ignoring the burns on my hands, I desperately pulled a metal box from the flames. Later, I knelt in front of the military district headquarters with the iron box full of my family's military medals, shouting in grief and anger. "Take these back. Please, just give me back my family."

My grandfather defended the nation, my father guarded the frontier and my mother ran into danger when everyone else fled. My brother's badge was retired with honor and I have performed acts of valor.

I want to know what I did to deserve this "karma"?

***

After scarfing down a plain bread in the cafeteria, I returned to the dorm with three meal trays. The moment Jasmine took a bite, she threw her bowl of creamy soup in my face. "How dare you bring me cold food in the dead of winter?"

Scalded and stunned, I didn't even have time to react before my two other roommates kicked me to the floor. A storm of punches and kicks rained down on me—pain and numbness blending.

It wasn't the first time. Being an orphan made me an easy target. They'd pick on me to vent their anger whenever they were in a bad mood.

My face hit the floor, rebounded and landed back down again. The hot soup stung as it ran into my nose and mouth. I couldn't even cry. All I could do was spit out a mouthful of bloodied saliva.

Jasmine sneered, stepping on my shoulder as she reached into my pocket. "Don't you think you owe me money after ruining my meal?"

However, all she pulled out was a few crumpled bills and a neatly folded watercolor painting. "So pathetic," Jasmine sneered, while Lily beside her looked equally disgusted. "I heard she cleans toilets for part-time work and digs through trash to sell plastic bottles. It's so gross."

Jasmine smirked, unfolding the painting. She laughed out loud as soon as she saw it. It was a simple drawing of six stick figures—clearly a family portrait. She turned it toward me, her voice dripping with mockery. "Is this supposed to be your family portrait? How hilarious!"

The whole room erupted in laughter, the sharp sound piercing my ears. "Her entire family's dead and she's drawing a family portrait? What a joke. She's cursed—bringing bad luck to her dad, her mom, her entire family!"

"No wonder my boyfriend dumped me. It's all because of this jinx."

"Sharing a dorm with her is just bad luck. I can't even eat properly!"

Hearing this, Jasmine covered her mouth, pretending to stifle a laugh. "No worries! I took her scholarship. I'll treat you all to steak and a manicure later!"

"Wow!" The other two looked at her with starry-eyed admiration. "You're amazing, Jasmine!"

I struggled to lift my head, tears filling my reddened eyes as I confronted her. "The scholarship was supposed to be mine. You're already rich—why did you take it? I'll report you!"

She bent down, lightly patting my face with her hand. "The rules of this world are made by people like us, the elite. Do you understand? It won't matter even if you report me to the central authorities."

Smiling, she tore the watercolor painting to shreds. The fragments fluttered down, landing on my face. I froze in place. That painting was a picture of my family reunited, which I had dreamt of.

Still, in the harsh reality that followed, all that remained were a row of memorial portraits in the living room and cold military medals. I cried as I recreated the scene on paper, imagining myself as a happy child surrounded by family.