Right before college entrance exams, my dying grandfather showed up. He had late-stage leukemia. His offer was simple: whoever takes care of him until he dies gets his multi-million dollar inheritance. My dad spat on the ground and cursed, "You old fraud! Trying to trick me into going back to that shack in the boonies? Keep dreaming!" My mom, busy shuffling mahjong tiles, scoffed, "He just wants us to pay his medical bills. Hasn't he lived long enough?" I had just been told to drop out of high school and get a job. When I tried to defend Grandpa, my fat, spoiled brother slapped me across the face. "Shut up, you adopted trash! What gives you the right to speak? If you care so much, you go!" Suddenly, a row of text floated across my vision like a live stream comment: [These idiots are so dumb and cruel. They don't know the old family home got bought out by the government for thirty million dollars!] [Exactly! Money is nothing to the old man. He just wants to leave this world with some dignity.] [Ungrateful wolves. Raising them was a waste.] I gasped. I looked at my grandfather, who was wiping away tears, and then thought about my exams. "Okay!" I said. "I'll go!" 1 They say having an elder in the house is like having a treasure. But in my family, Grandpa was just trash. Ever since he hurt his leg in the mines and got diagnosed with cancer, he became a thorn in my parents' side. They hated that he couldn't earn money and cost them medical fees. Their favorite phrase was, "Why won't this useless old thing just die?" His biological grandson, my younger brother Tyler, despised him too. "Having a cripple for a grandpa is so embarrassing!" Grandpa never dared to talk back. He just sat in the corner, secretly wiping his tears. When we moved to the suburbs, my parents left him behind in the old countryside shack to rot. They hoped he would starve or freeze to death. But then he showed up with his offer. My parents laughed in his face. "Trying to scam us on your deathbed? Do you think we're stupid?" Honestly, I didn't believe a retired miner could have millions either. But when I tried to speak up for him, Tyler shoved me down. Grandpa tried to help me up, mumbling apologies. "Don't hit your brother... it's all my fault..." Tyler sneered. "He's not my brother. You two are perfect for each other—one old corpse and one little bastard." My mom looked at Tyler with pride. "Exactly. If you're so noble, Lucas, you go take care of the old man. Get out of my house!" "And quit school while you're at it! We told you to get a job ages ago!" I struggled to stand up, dizzy. That's when the floating text appeared again. [The old man is hiding his wealth to test his descendants!] [These morons are celebrating while losing a fortune!] [Forget it, the old man is so heartbroken he's planning to donate it all!] I took a deep breath. College exams were coming up. If I went to the countryside... But looking at the weeping old man, I gritted my teeth. "Fine! I'll go!" I would take care of him. And if the money was real? I wanted it. 2 I packed my things into a single duffel bag. My mom threw it out the door. My dad leaned against the doorframe, smoking. "Fed you for fifteen years for nothing. Ungrateful wolf." Mom added, "If you want to help that old thing, get lost. Saves us a mouth to feed." I picked up my bag without a word, supported Grandpa, and we headed back to the old house. It was an escape for me, too. Exams were approaching, and they were convinced I wouldn't get into college. They constantly pressured me to drop out. "Lucas, your grades are trash. You're not cut out for school!" "Quit and work! We can only afford to send Tyler to college!" My 250-pound brother spent all day gaming and barely passed his classes. Meanwhile, I was in the top 100 of my grade, aiming for a top-tier university. But every time I showed them my report card, Tyler claimed I cheated. My dad would whip me with his belt. "Cheating scum!" Mom would sneer, "Of course he cheated. How could a stray be smarter than our Tyler?" They had sentenced me to failure. But I didn't want to give up. I wanted to go to college. Grandpa's house was dilapidated. It was where we all lived before my parents adopted me, back when they were poor. Now, it was the tomb they prepared for him. Despite his bad leg, Grandpa cleaned up the room with the best sunlight for me. "This room is bright. Good for Lucas to study." Watching him carefully place my tattered books on the desk, my eyes watered. The floating text returned: [Finally, someone who appreciates education! The old man has high hopes for Lucas!] [Tyler is the bad seed lying about cheating. Only Grandpa believes in Lucas!] I was adopted after my parents struggled with infertility. But a year later, Mom got pregnant with Tyler. Suddenly, I was a burden. "Should have never adopted the little bastard." "Throw him out. We have our own son now." But due to reputation and laws, they kept me. They named my brother Tyler—strong, ambitious. For me? My dad looked at skinny little me and said, "Been here two years without a real name. Since you're the extra one, let's call you Spare." Just kidding. They named me Lucas, but they treated me like a spare part. Growing up, I was mocked. "Lucas the stray! Tyler's servant!" When I was ten, Tyler, already pushing 180 pounds, laughed while I got beaten for not wanting to go to school. It was Grandpa who took me to change my middle name to "Hope." He hoped my life would be bright. It wasn't. But I was grateful. 3 After I missed a few days of school, Tyler called to gloat. "Hey, stray. Regretting it yet?" "Missed two days already. Bet you have to wake up before dawn to walk to school from that dump!" "Your grades were fake anyway. Now you're gonna be dead last!" "If you kneel and beg me, maybe I'll put in a good word with Mom and Dad." [Pfft! Don't beg him, Lucas! He's just trying to gross you out!] [Exactly! With Grandpa's backing, Lucas doesn't need school! Grandpa's about to hire a private tutor!] [A famous tutor is already at the door!] As I stared at the text, a voice called from the yard. "Is this Lucas's home?" I hung up and went outside. A middle-aged man in plain clothes stood there with a briefcase. "Hi, I'm Lucas." Grandpa hobbled out. "Ah, Mr. Stone! Lucas, this is the tutor I hired for you." [Arthur Stone! Grandpa actually got THE Arthur Stone!] [With Stone tutoring him, Lucas is gonna crush it!] I was stunned. Arthur Stone was a legend. His name was on the textbooks we used. He was a former senior educator at the top magnet school in the state and helped write the college entrance exams. Grandpa hired him? I politely greeted him. "Thank you, Mr. Stone." Stone smiled. "Let's get to work." He was incredible. In two hours, I learned more than I had in a month at my crappy high school. Before leaving, Stone praised me to Grandpa. "His foundation is solid. It's a shame his school put him in the remedial class. With some work, he can get into an Ivy." Grandpa beamed, organizing a stack of old certificates. "I knew my Lucas had potential." My heart trembled. Those were my old award certificates. Mom had thrown them in the trash when we moved. Grandpa had saved them. 4 My days in the village were fulfilling. But every night, I heard Grandpa vomiting in pain. My parents said he had cancer and was dying. I looked at the floating text for answers. [Grandpa has leukemia. He's been suffering for years!] [Luckily he has money for the best treatments. If he relied on his son, he'd be dead already!] [He's in remission now and just wanted to spend time with family, but those ingrates kicked him out!] Leukemia. It wasn't necessarily a death sentence if we could find a bone marrow match. I decided to get tested next time I went to the city. Half a month later, I returned to school for a mock exam. Grandpa's house was far, so I had to bike starting at 5 AM. Grandpa didn't buy me a car or a house near school. [The old man is testing Lucas!] [He needs to see if Lucas has the grit to handle millions!] At school, Tyler blocked me on the stairs. I looked down at his multiple chins. "The stray came back? Here to see if you're last or second to last?" I ignored him and picked up my bag he threw on the floor. "You think taking care of that old corpse will get you anything? Idiot!" He was jealous. He thought I'd have a miserable time, but I looked... peaceful.
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