Scott's POV
When I was filling out the paperwork, my fingers hurt so badly I could barely hold the pen.
Soon after, someone from the detention center came to pick me up. Before the trial, I’d have to be held in custody.
My dad let out a sigh and asked the officer, “Can we have a moment? Just to say goodbye?”
The officer gave us a sympathetic look and led us into a small, bare visiting room.
I sat down and said in a low voice, “What’s left to say? Everything that needed to be said has already been said.”
Lovell was on her phone as she replied, “Don’t worry. He’s almost here.”
I frowned. “Who?”
Right then, the door opened and Adrian walked in.
He strolled in with a grin and said, “Bro, thanks for giving me the chance to go to college.”
Dad added seriously, “Adrian came all the way here because he wanted to thank you in person.”
I nodded silently.
Then Adrian complained to Lovell, “Did you really have to make me get a fingerprint tattoo? Do you have any idea how painful that was? You’re the one who came up with that crazy idea just to mess up my fingerprints.”
I looked down at my own fingertips, still raw and burned from the acid, and gave a bitter, silent smile.
Adrian turned to her again. “Lovell, you owe me a reward.”
He pulled her into his arms and started kissing her like no one else was in the room.
Lovell looked awkward as she glanced over at me. “Scott, you know how it is. Now that you and Adrian have switched identities, a lot of people still think I’m dating you. If I act distant around him, it’ll look suspicious. So, Adrian and I have to keep up the act for a while. But don’t worry. We’ll break up when the timing’s right.”
I nodded. “You’re doing a great job acting.”
Then I stood up, walked to the door, and followed the detention officers to the car.
That night, I curled up on the cold metal bed, my mind filled with the sound of Grandma’s cries and my mom’s dying words.
She had asked me to make something of myself, to fight for a better life. Even without her around, she wanted me to stay strong and never give up.
I had studied so hard all these years, grinding through every day so I wouldn’t let her down. I wanted to earn a place in the world, to become someone she could be proud of, even in the afterlife.
But now, all of it was gone.
I’d failed her.
My dad’s cold indifference and Lovell’s betrayal all sat on my chest like a pile of bricks.
I broke down and cried.
But no one cared.
“Mom, I’m sorry,” I whispered, eyes shut tight. “I didn’t have a choice.”
The next day, it was time for the inmates to watch TV.
We all sat on tiny plastic stools, lined up neatly, watching the news.
To my surprise, Adrian appeared on screen.
He was dressed to the nines, wearing a bright red flower pinned to his chest, being interviewed under my name.
Smiling for the camera, Adrian said, “I became the top scorer in the college entrance exams to honor my late mother. My mom was a teacher. She died after being severely injured while trying to protect someone during a robbery…”
He was telling my mom’s story.
And the truth was that the story had been the reason I worked so hard all these years. That pain had fueled me.
Sitting there behind bars, I couldn’t hold back my tears.
Then the reporter turned to my dad.
“Mr. Osborne, we’ve heard that you had a nephew who lost his parents young, and you raised him. But recently, he was arrested for theft. Do you have any thoughts on that?”
My dad’s face turned cold. “He’s a disgrace to our family. I don’t want to talk about him. I just hope his mistakes won’t affect my son’s future in civil service.”
The reporter smiled politely and turned to Lovell. “We’ve heard you’re a top student couple. Now that you’re heading off to college, do you think this will impact your relationship?”
