The Spilled Milk and the Broken Chains

Summary

At the most critical moment of my grad school admission interview, my mother suddenly burst into my room, a glass of milk in hand.

Instantly, a bold system prompt popped up on my computer screen.

[Interview interrupted. Score invalidated.]

I slammed my hand onto the keyboard, my voice hoarse: "Mom, let's cut all ties!"

The room was silent for a few seconds.

She looked at the black screen, then down at the half-spilled milk.

"Just for this?"

I closed my eyes, physically and mentally exhausted.

"Yes, just for this."