Chapter 1

My father threatened to kill himself three times to control my life.

The first time was when I was applying to college. He climbed onto the roof and demanded that I turn down offers from prestigious out-of-state universities and enroll at a local state college instead.

I gave in.

Even though my grades were good enough to earn a place at one of the country's top universities, I ended up staying in my hometown.

The second time came after I graduated from college.

I had landed a job with a company in a major city and was ready to finally build a life of my own. However, my father climbed onto the roof of the company's building and threatened to jump unless I quit and came home.

Once again, I surrendered.

I returned to my hometown and took a low-paying job at an auto repair shop where my father had pulled a few strings to get me hired.

The third time, he climbed onto the roof again.

This time, he forced me to marry a woman I had only met once, simply because he believed she would be 'the perfect wife'.

I obeyed.

Only after we were married did I discover the truth. She was already pregnant with another man's child, and I had been nothing more than the fool expected to clean up the mess.

In the end, I could not endure it any longer.

I stepped off the rooftop.

…

When I opened my eyes again, I saw my father gritting his teeth as he climbed onto the roof once more.

"If you dare go to a college out of state, I'll jump right here!"

I looked at him for a moment, then turned and walked away.

"Go ahead," I said without looking back. "Just don't waste my time."

Chapter 1

The expression on Dad's face froze.

The mix of rage and disbelief reminded me of something from my previous life.

Back then, after I discovered my wife had betrayed me, she beat me so badly that I ended up in the hospital. When Dad came to visit, the very first thing he said was…

"What's done is done. You have a child now. Yeah, the first one isn't your biological kid, but it's only the first one. Stop making such a fuss.

"If you ask me, it's your own fault. You couldn't even keep your wife from leaving."

At that moment, I finally understood.

Every compromise I had made back then had slowly destroyed my entire life.

"W-What did you just say?"

His voice trembled. I turned and started walking toward the stairwell.

"I said, if you're going to jump, then hurry up. I'm busy. College enrollment is open, and I need to get back to finish my applications."

"Maverick!" His voice turned shrill. "Get back here! You ungrateful little bastard! Are you really trying to drive me to my death?"

I stopped and looked back at him. "Dad, you're the one who climbed onto the roof planning to kill yourself. What's that got to do with me?"

Then I walked off the rooftop without another glance.

When I got home, I went straight into my study and locked the door behind me. I opened the college acceptance portal, my fingers trembling uncontrollably.

My grades were good enough to get into one of the best colleges in the country. This time, I was not going to throw away my future by settling for some mediocre local school.

With the memories of my previous life guiding me, I accepted an offer from the out-of-state college I had wanted most.

The moment I clicked ‘Confirm Enrollment’, my nose stung and tears blurred my vision.

For the first time... I had truly made a choice for my own future.

I had barely closed the webpage when the study door slammed open. Dad stood in the doorway, his clothes rumpled and his eyes blazing.

He must have run all the way home. His chest was still rising and falling hard.

"You..." He struggled to catch his breath before his gaze landed on my computer. "You... submitted it?"

I nodded and closed the laptop.

"Let me see!"

He rushed toward me, trying to snatch it away. I turned sideways, shielding it with my body. "Dad, it's already been submitted."

"I said let me see!" His voice shot up an octave, sharp with panic and completely out of control.

When I refused to move, he reached over and pressed the power button. The screen lit up. The login page appeared, asking for a password.

He stared at me. "What's the password?"

"I'm not telling you." I met his eyes. "It's already done. You can't change anything now."

"Which school did you choose?" His voice started shaking. "Was it out of state? Was it?"

I said nothing. My silence was answer enough.

Without warning, he grabbed my keyboard and slammed it onto the floor. Plastic shattered in every direction. Several keys flew off and rolled into the corner of the room.

"Maverick! Are you trying to kill me?" he roared, his face flushed a deep, furious red.

"Didn't I tell you to stay here and go to a local college? Is that really so hard to understand? Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to raise you by myself?

“And now that you're finally grown up, the first thing you want to do is leave this house…”

Chapter 2

"First, you'll leave for college. Then, you'll get a job somewhere else! Then, you'll marry someone there! And after that, you'll never care about me again! You're just like your heartless mother. You both want to abandon me!"

He collapsed onto the floor, pounding his fists against it as he cried out in misery.

I had seen this scene play out countless times in my previous life. Any time I showed the slightest resistance, he would break down, listing everything he had sacrificed for me and accusing me of being an ungrateful son.

Back then, I had truly believed he was right. I thought I was the one who had failed him. It was not until the moment I jumped off that rooftop...

I interrupted, "Dad, I never said I wouldn't take care of you."

He looked up through tear-filled eyes, as if he had just grabbed hold of his last shred of hope.

"Then change it back! There's still time! Accept the local college's offer! Go to medical school! Become a doctor after you graduate. It's a stable career! You won't have to live so far away, and I'll get to see you all the time..."

"I'm not changing it." My voice was quiet but unwavering. "And stay out of my college applications."

He froze. It was obvious he had never expected me to reject him so directly.

I picked up my laptop, stepped around him where he was still slumped on the floor, and walked into my bedroom, locking the door behind me.

Outside, he kept yelling.

A few minutes later, I heard him calling our relatives. In between sobs, he told them how difficult he was, how much he had sacrificed, and how ungrateful I had become.

I could not have cared less. Instead, I opened my laptop's security settings and changed the password. The simple one based on my birthday became a long, complicated string of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

Leaning against my headboard, I rested a hand on the cool metal casing of my laptop and silently promised myself that this time… my life belonged to me. I would never compromise for anyone again.

Maybe it was because the pain of jumping off that rooftop had felt so real in my previous life, I slept like a rock.

My dreams were haunted by scattered fragments of that life.

My fingers were cracked and bleeding after endless winters spent working at an auto repair shop. Then came the vase my wife had hurled at me during one of our fights. After that, Dad was standing in my living room, looking at me with disappointment as he said, "You couldn't even keep your wife. The kids are already grown. Just put up with it."

I jolted awake, my forehead drenched in cold sweat.

The bedroom was dark, with the only light coming from my laptop screen. Then, I heard it. The soft tapping of keys.

Someone was sitting at my desk, trying to guess my laptop password.

The moment he realized I was awake, the bedroom light snapped on, forcing me to squint against the sudden brightness. Before I could fully gather my thoughts, Dad hurled the laptop onto my bed. His face was ashen with rage.

Pointing a finger at me, he shouted, "You changed the password? What's that supposed to mean? You're guarding against me like I'm some kind of thief?"

Anger flared inside me. However, the instant I met his eyes, all that anger drained away, leaving only exhaustion.

I had known this would happen.

For more than ten years, he had walked into my room whenever he wanted. He went through my phone whenever he felt like it. Even when I set a password, I had to tell him what it was.

I sat up, pulled the laptop closer, and answered calmly, "I already told you, my college decisions are mine to make. This is my computer, and you have no right to go through it."

"I'm your father! What of yours can't I look at?" His face turned bright red, his voice sharp enough to cut.

"Do you really think I'd hurt you? I just wanted to see which schools you applied to! I'm doing this for your own good! Why do you have to go so far away?

"Choose a college here, become a doctor after graduation, and then I'll help you find a good wife and settle down. Isn't that a whole lot better than drifting around somewhere far from home?"

I had heard those words my entire life. "I'm doing this for your own good."

In my previous life, those exact words had dragged me straight into hell.

"Enough!" My voice was not loud, but it stopped him cold. I walked over to the coffee table and picked up the fruit knife lying on top.

I did not point it at him. I simply held it in my hand.

Chapter 3

The cold handle of the knife rested against my palm.

"Dad, you keep saying that if I don't stay here, I'll be driving you to your death. However, have you ever stopped to think about me?"

He opened his mouth. Not a single word came out.

"My grades are good enough to get into one of the best colleges in the country. They're good enough for me to study out of state and major in something I actually love.

"But you insist on making me stay here and attend an ordinary local college I never wanted. Dad, that's not what's best for me, that's destroying my future. The person who's really cornering me...is you."

The moment those words left my mouth, the expression on Dad's face went blank. It was as if, for the first time, he was really seeing me. For the first time, he realized that the son who had always obeyed him had been carrying that much resentment all along.

Then he exploded.

"I'm cornering you? Maverick, do you even have a conscience? I fed you, clothed you, and sacrificed everything for you! And now, you're saying I'm the one ruining your life? Fine! I'll die right now! Maybe then you'll finally be happy!"

He shouted as he charged toward the balcony in an exaggerated panic.

However, I knew he was not going to jump. This was simply the most effective way he knew to force me into giving in.

When he saw that I did not move, he started yelling even louder.

A few moments later, someone next door pounded on the wall. Then the neighbor across the hall threw open a window and shouted, "Would you keep it down? It's the middle of the night! Some of us are trying to sleep! If you don't stop, I'm calling the police!"

Dad's voice caught in his throat. He stood frozen by the balcony, unable to move forward or back. His face shifted between red and pale with embarrassment.

Finally, he shot me a vicious glare, stormed back to his room, and slammed the door so hard the whole apartment shook.

At last... the apartment was quiet.

However, I knew it was not over.

The next morning, Dad was already gone when I woke up.

I barely gave it a second thought. After getting dressed, I headed out to look for a part-time job.

College was expensive. Although my scholarship covered my tuition, I refused to keep relying on him for my living expenses. More importantly, if I wanted to change my future, I had to start building a safety net of my own.

By the time I got home after spending the entire afternoon job hunting, it was already 5:30 pm.

I walked to my bedroom, grabbed the doorknob, and pushed the door open. My laptop was gone.

"Where's my laptop?"

"Oh, that?" Dad casually dropped some vegetables onto a plate without even looking up.

"I accidentally knocked over a cup of water this morning. It spilled all over your laptop. So, I took it to a repair shop. The technician said they need to inspect it first. It'll probably be a few days."

A knot formed in my stomach. Something felt very wrong.

I did not argue with him. Instead, I turned around and went straight back to my room. I immediately pulled out my phone and logged into the college application portal.

I entered my password. A bright red message flashed across the screen: [Incorrect password. Please try again.]

I entered the password three more times. Every attempt came back wrong. My hands started to tremble.

Doing my best to stay calm, I walked back out of my room. Holding my phone, I stopped in front of Dad and held the screen up for him to see.

Fighting to keep my anger under control, I asked, "What's going on? What did you really do with my laptop today?"

He turned off the faucet. After shaking the water from his hands, he wiped them on his apron and looked at me as if everything he had done was perfectly reasonable.

"Applying to college is a huge decision. Of course, I had to make sure you chose wisely. You're still young. What do you know? A college's reputation isn't what matters, the important thing is your major and the career you'll have afterward.

"I even paid for an admissions counselor to evaluate your options today. They helped me pick the best college and the best major for you. They're all local colleges with medical programs. You'll become a doctor. It's a stable career with great pay.

"I've already accepted an offer for you, so you don't have to worry about it anymore."

I could hardly believe what I was hearing. He had actually made the decision for me.

My voice trembled with rage. "What gives you the right to decide which college I attend? Who told you that you could accept an offer on my behalf? Give me the account and password. Right now."

Chapter 4

The moment he heard that, he slipped right back into playing the victim. Pointing a finger at me, he shouted.

"Tell you? So, you can secretly change it back to one of those out-of-state colleges? Not a chance! If you dare change it back, then I'm not your father anymore! From this day on, I'll act like I never had a son!"

I had heard those words too many times.

In my previous life, every time he said them, I would give in. I would plead with him, and I would compromise.

This time, I simply looked at him for a few seconds. Then I turned around, yanked the front door open, and ran outside.

"Maverick! Where are you going? Get back here!" His shouts were cut off as the door slammed behind me.

I had barely made it out of our apartment complex when my phone rang. It was my mom's sister, Aunt Emily. Without a word, I declined the call. A few seconds later, it rang again. This time, it was my uncle. Then another call came in and another.

Soon, it was my other uncle... then my cousin.

Even the family group chat exploded with messages.

[Maverick, how could you treat your father like this? Do you know how hard it was for him to raise you all by himself?]

[We heard you're insisting on going to college out of state. Why go so far away? Wouldn't it be better to stay here with your dad?]

The messages kept pouring in, each one telling me to be sensible and listen to my father. I stared at the screen and almost laughed.

Years ago, Aunt Emily's son had been accepted to an excellent university. He was planning to study computer science out of state.

Aunt Emily cried, screamed, and even threatened to kill herself to stop him from leaving. The following year, she pressured him into getting married. Not long after his wife gave birth, she ran off with another man.

He ended up raising the child alone and never managed to find a stable job. Even now, he still lived with his mother, numbing himself with alcohol every day.

Somehow... Aunt Emily still had the nerve to tell me to compromise. Still, I knew that was not the right time to confront Dad head-on. There were three days left before the enrollment deadline.

Even if I managed to reset my password and switch my acceptance back, he would only make another scene.

Sitting alone in a pavilion at the park, I absentmindedly scrolled through social media. Then one photo caught my eye. It was from a graduate one year ahead of me. He had posted a picture celebrating his award at the National Computer Science Competition.

My eyes lit up. Slowly... a plan began to take shape.

Just after I finished sending him a message, my phone rang again. This time, it was my father's younger sister, Aunt Linda.

I answered.

"Maverick! Where are you?" Aunt Linda sounded panicked. "Get to the hospital! Your dad passed out!"

By the time I arrived, Dad had already regained consciousness. He was lying against the hospital bed, pale-faced, hooked up to an IV.

The moment he saw me, he let out an icy snort and turned his head away. "What are you doing here? I don't have a son."

"Oh, come on, don't say that!" Aunt Linda quickly stepped in to smooth things over, pulling out a chair for me.

"Maverick rushed over the second he heard you were in the hospital. Maverick, your father spent the entire day running around because of you. He didn't eat a single thing, and he pushed himself so hard that he collapsed. Can't you be a little more understanding?"

I had heard that routine countless times before. Every time, family ties and guilt would weigh so heavily on me that I could barely breathe.

In the end... I always backed down.

However, this time was different. I knew I had to take one step back first.

For my future.

To lower Dad's guard, I had to pretend to give in.

Keeping my head lowered, I dug my fingernails into my palm and said in a hoarse voice, "I understand."

The hospital room fell silent for a few seconds. Dad slowly turned to look at me, suspicion filling his eyes.

"I know I shouldn't have made you so angry," I continued, my voice weary and resigned. "As for college... I'll go wherever you want me to."

Dad's eyes lit up instantly. "Really? You'll stay here and go to college here?"

A bitter smile crossed my face. "What choice do I have? You ended up in the hospital because of this. You already changed my password. What else can I do?"

"That's more like it!" Aunt Linda clapped her hands happily. "Maverick, now you've got it! Your dad would never hurt you. Everything he's done has been for your own good!"

Dad beamed. He reached over and patted the back of my hand, his voice unusually gentle.

Chapter 5

"That's more like my son. You're still young, so all you think about is going out into the world. In a few years, you'll understand why I've done all this. Isn't staying here so much better? I can take care of you. If you move out of state, who's going to look after you?"

Dad's hand was warm as he held mine tightly.

In my previous life, he had held my hand the same way while telling me, "I'm only doing this for your own good."

Then I spent my days at an auto repair shop, working under the blazing sun in the summer and freezing winds in the winter. My hands cracked from the cold, and I earned only 3,000 dollars a month.

I was betrayed by the woman I loved. She smashed a vase over my head.

I let Dad keep holding my hand. I did not pull away. I simply lowered my head and answered quietly, "Okay."

For the next two days, I became the perfect son.

He checked my college application account at least twice a day to make sure I had not changed any of the enrollment decisions.

I never complained.

Sometimes, I even leaned over to look at the screen with him and said, "Dad, the medical program you picked actually looks pretty good."

Every day, I went grocery shopping with him, cooked alongside him, massaged his shoulders, and rubbed his legs whenever he asked. Whatever he told me to do, I did it without a word of protest.

Little by little, he finally let his guard down.

Whenever he called our relatives, he sounded happier than ever. He proudly told everyone that I had finally grown up, that I finally understood how much he cared about me.

On the night of the enrollment deadline, after dinner, I casually said, "Dad, my classmates told me there's supposed to be a meteor shower over the hills outside town tonight. I'd like to go watch it.

"If you're worried about me, you can even keep my phone, or you can come with me."

He blinked, clearly surprised that I was asking for permission to do something. He took my phone and spent several minutes going through it.

Finding nothing suspicious, he looked at the excitement on my face and finally nodded.

"Fine. I'll go with you, just to make sure you don't run off."

It was only a little after 9:00 pm when we reached the hilltop. Quite a few people were already there, waiting for the meteor shower.

I sat quietly beside him, chatting as usual. I gave away nothing.

At 11:40 pm, I tugged gently on his sleeve. "Dad, I need to use the restroom."

Afraid I might try something, he followed me and waited outside the entrance.

As soon as I stepped into the last stall, I locked the door. Then I reached into the hidden pocket inside my jeans and pulled out an old phone.

It was the one I had used in high school. The cellular service had long since been canceled, but it could still connect to Wi-Fi. I powered it on as fast as I could, connected to the public Wi-Fi at the scenic overlook, and opened a cloud-based notes app.

Inside was a complicated password… A phone number. I dialed it. The call connected after three rings.

"Hello?" A young man's voice answered.

"It's me." I lowered my voice. "It's time."

With that, I hung up.

My heart pounded so hard it echoed in my ears. My palms were soaked with sweat. After taking several deep breaths, I slipped the phone back into the hidden pocket, flushed the toilet, and walked out of the stall.

Dad was waiting outside. The moment he saw me, he looked me up and down.

"What took you so long?"

"My stomach wasn't feeling great." I rubbed my stomach.

He did not ask any more questions. He just urged me to hurry back.

By the time we returned to our spot, the clock had just passed midnight. Dad let out a long sigh of relief.

A victorious smile spread across his face.

"That's it. The application system is closed now. Everything's settled. Now, all you have to do is wait for the acceptance letter from the local medical school."

I turned to look at him. In the faint glow of the distant lights, his face looked soft and blurred, filled with the satisfaction of someone who believed everything had gone exactly as planned.

I smiled too.

"Yeah, Dad." My voice drifted into the night breeze, soft but unmistakably clear. "Everything's settled. I'm definitely going to that out-of-state college."