To everyone who looked at us, my sister and I were the perfect children, the absolute gold standard. No matter how brutal the exam, we were the twin prodigies who always clinched the top two spots in the grade, usually with matching perfect scores. That illusion shattered during the last mid-term. When I missed the grade-A student’s podium, landing in second place by a single, agonizing point, my mother’s face, for the first time, was a mask of sheer, cold disappointment. “Audra, are you even embarrassed? Losing the top spot by a single point?” My sister, Penny, who’d just wrapped up a round of Fortnite on her headset, looked up with an unsettling calmness. “It’s just pathetic, Sis.” “To throw away such an easy point.” I wrung the hem of my shirt and started to speak. “Next time, I promise—” But Mom cut me off, her voice sharp as glass as she pointed toward my room. “Don’t you dare talk back! You think I don’t know that look?!” “Ten practice tests. You don’t come out until they’re finished. And you don’t eat a bite of dinner!” Locked inside, I heard the familiar, low, angry murmur of my parents’ argument starting up. “She’s a child, Joyce! You’re going to starve her just for one point?” my father, Rick, protested. “Starve her? She just failed us! What right does she have to eat?” “Besides,” Mom’s voice dropped to a cutting whisper, “what’s one night going to hurt?” Their fighting made my head swim. My consciousness blurred, and a strange, desperate fantasy began to form: If only I could truly be the flawless, gold-medal child my mother wanted... The next second, a sterile, synthesized voice whispered in my ear. “Congratulations, Player. You have successfully triggered the Golden Child System.” “Do you wish to activate?” 1 When the Golden Child System actually materialized before me—not as a ghost, but as a chillingly real interface—I hesitated. “What’s the cost?” I whispered, my heart hammering. “The cost? You will be entirely overwritten by the perfect persona. To put it simply, upon system activation, the 'you' you are now will cease to exist.” The raw sound of my parents’ argument continued to echo from the hallway. “You blame me for being hard on her?! What other choice do I have?” Mom wailed. “The fortune teller said Penny is a born savant, a golden ticket, but Audra is a remedial class waiting to happen!” “We liquidated almost everything—sold the custom house and the good car—just to afford the best tutors and brain-boosting programs to claw our way back to good grades for Audra!” “And now she’s slipping…” “She isn’t the prettiest, Rick, and if she doesn’t have perfect grades, what will she have? Who will want her when she’s older? I’m terrified!” My mother’s painful sobs blended with my father’s frustrated sighs. I could barely hear them anymore, too consumed by my own realization. That’s why our big, beautiful custom kitchen had been replaced by this cramped townhouse. That’s why Dad was constantly staying late at the office. That’s why Mom’s meticulously maintained face now had those sharp, new worry lines, and her hair was streaked with gray. That’s why Penny’s designer clothes were fewer, and she often looked at me with a strange mix of regret and judgment. It was all because of me! I was dragging them all down. Looking at the void, I nodded, the action surprisingly firm. “I agree. I will activate the Golden Child System.” “Acknowledged. Deducting all current assets from the Player’s account.” I reflexively tried to interrupt. “Wait!” “Can I please keep seventy-five dollars?” The system’s voice was laced with digital impatience. “Negotiation is prohibited.” I clutched the crumpled fabric of my shirt, a final, desperate plea escaping my lips. “Please. Tomorrow is my mother’s birthday. I want to give her a gift. One last time.” After a long silence that stretched forever, the system finally relented. “Fine. Consider it a holiday bonus. Seventy-five dollars retained.” “However, your persona will be completely suppressed by the end of tomorrow. You are advised to say your final goodbyes now.” I nodded, feeling a quiet understanding settle over me. After the system vanished, I heard a sharp rapping on the door, followed by a low, furious mutter. “What? Are you sulking because I yelled at you? How old are you, throwing a tantrum?” “Fine. Don’t open it. I’m taking your plate. Starve, for all I care!” “Honestly, I must have signed away my soul in a past life for this child!” I couldn't bring myself to open the door. I was terrified that if I looked at my mother, I would burst into tears and beg the system to abort. Only after the sound of the TV had faded did I dare to pull the door open. The hallway was dark and empty. On the dining table, a bowl of smash potato sat beside a pile of my favorite dishes. Next to the plate was a small, untouched slice of my favorite strawberry cake. I pressed my hand hard against my mouth, stifling a sob. 2 The next morning, I planned to wear a new, crisp button-down shirt—my final, clean slate for a day of goodbyes to my friends. But the moment Mom saw the shirt, her face darkened instantly. “Audra Sophia, have you lost your mind with all those worksheets?” “Why are you putting on a brand-new uniform shirt for a regular school day?” The bite of my bagel suddenly tasted like sawdust. I mumbled an excuse. “Because…” Penny, adjusting her glasses, spoke up, her tone frighteningly cold. “They’ve been talking at school about you hanging around with boys, Sis. Looks like the rumors were true.” Hanging around with boys? I’d just been cornering the Calculus TA in the library to ask about an obscure theorem... But Mom didn’t wait for an explanation. Her hand lashed out, delivering a hard, stinging slap across my cheek. She was shaking with fury. “How dare you! You’re already chasing after boys?!” “And here I was, feeling guilty last night for getting upset over one measly point!” “Your mind hasn’t been on your studies for months, has it?” The spot where she struck me burned. Before I could even cry out, she roughly yanked the new shirt off my body, forcing the faded, threadbare polo I normally wore back onto me. She then violently pulled the carefully tied high ponytail I’d spent so long perfecting, tearing the tie out and only stopping when my hair was a tangled, wild mess. In the bathroom mirror, I looked like a desperate mess. “You will go to school looking like this every single day from now on!” “See if you dare to have any ‘bad intentions’ when you look like a madwoman!” I looked toward my father, my eyes pleading. Usually, he would step in and be the peacemaker. But this time, he was just as furious. “Don’t look at me. You heard your mother.” “Young woman, you should be focused on your studies, not on this irrelevant nonsense!” I sniffled, holding back my tears. I reached out to grab a bagel to eat on the way, but Mom snatched my hand away. “What are you eating for?!” “Get out! Go to school! Just looking at you makes me sick!” I silently slung my backpack over my shoulder and waited by the door for Penny. Mom helped Penny perfectly braid her hair and handed her a pre-packed bento box. “The fruit today is excellent. Make sure you share with your friends at school.” She caught my pitiful gaze, and her expression chilled instantly. “There’s nothing for you today.” “You can have a fruit cup the day you get back to the number one spot.” I nodded, the disappointment a heavy weight in my chest. But then I remembered that this was my last day with them, and I managed a small, forced smile. “Okay, Mom.” As I opened the door to leave, she called out, “Wait!” “I haven’t given you this yet!” A flicker of hopeful anticipation sparked in me. The next second, her action crushed it. She shoved a thick stack of advanced placement workbooks into my already full backpack. The weight caused my shoulder to slump instantly. She didn't hesitate to push me out the door. “There. Go to school.” “Oh, and by the way, you are to submit a Daily Accountability Report every evening.” “Everything you did in school, everything you studied—written out clearly. Don’t try to fake it. I will call your teachers and your classmates to verify every detail.” Penny stood beside her, headphones on, playing a game, completely oblivious. A bitter taste filled my mouth. Why did she get the effortless perfection, everything she wanted? Why could I never, no matter how hard I tried, stand beside her? I shook my head, trying to banish the ugliness. It was okay. After today, I would be their flawless child. They would never differentiate between us again. I suddenly looked forward to tomorrow. 3 The moment school was over, I rushed to the mall to buy Mom’s gift. It was a long commute, and I didn’t get home until after eight that evening. I threw open the door, excitement overriding caution. “Mom, happy birthday!!” “Look what I got you…” But I was met with my mother’s furious, ink-black face. She blocked the doorway, stopping me from entering, a heavy object—a rolled-up magazine, perhaps—held tight in her hand. “Audra Sophia, it’s eight o’clock. Where in the hell have you been?!” “Do you have any idea how worried your father and I were?” Dad’s voice, tired and strained, came from the living room. “It’s your mother’s birthday, Audra. Can you just keep it together for once?!” Penny snatched the bag from my hand and tossed it onto the floor. “You are impossible, Sis! We waited for hours, and you’re out shopping with your boyfriend!” I instinctively lunged to grab the bag. “No, I wasn’t! I didn’t!” “That’s for my…” But in their eyes, my frantic denial was a clear sign of guilt. “No, huh?” Mom ripped the bag open. She roughly tore the elegant wrapping paper and stared at the delicate silver necklace inside. She froze for a moment, picking up the chain. “What is this…” Did she recognize it? I swallowed and took the chance to explain. “It’s your birthday gift, Mom!” “Every time we walk past the Tiffany counter at the mall, you always stop and stare at that gold necklace…” “You always say it’s ‘just okay,’ but I know how much you love it. I couldn’t afford the gold, so I bought you the silver one instead…” “But I know you won’t mind, right?” I spoke faster, more excitedly, reaching for the chain. “Mom, let me try it on you! If it doesn’t fit, we can still exchange it tomorrow!” Mom jerked her hand back, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Really?” Her gaze made my stomach churn, but I managed to hold her stare and nod. The atmosphere grew thick and heavy. Finally, Dad spoke. “Alright, alright. The child made an effort. Stop being so paranoid, Joyce.” “Audra, go wash your hands. We’re eating dinner.” I sighed in relief. The next second, the heavy magazine in Mom’s hand snapped across my leg. “Only he would believe that garbage!” she hissed. “I saw the price tag! This cost several hundred dollars! Where did a student like you get that kind of money?” I cried out, doubling over from the pain. “Aah! That was… my savings! From all my birthday money!” She paused for a second. Then she struck me again, harder. “You’re still lying! You spent all your allowance on those advanced placement books months ago! There’s nothing left!” “Tell me—did that tramp from school buy this for you?!” “I am a total failure! How did I raise a child like you?!” I tried to endure the pain, reaching out to support her trembling body. “Mom, no. You’re not a failure. I’m the problem!” “I’m not good enough…” She shoved my hands away with surprising force. “Get out!” Her voice was frail, almost a whisper. “If only I just had Penny. If I only had one daughter…” I looked up to see her clutching her chest, her breathing shallow and ragged. “Mom—” She collapsed to the floor. Dad immediately called an ambulance. As I tried to follow them, Penny blocked me from getting into the vehicle. “Audra Sophia, you just caused Mom to faint. How dare you even try to get in the car?!” Helpless, I grabbed my father’s sleeve, tears streaming down my face. “Dad, please! I want to go to the hospital with you!” But he angrily flung my hand away. “Stop making things worse! Are you trying to kill me too?!” I fell hard to the pavement. He didn’t look back, climbing into the ambulance as the doors slammed shut. The siren wailed as the car sped away. I ran after it. “Mom!” “Mom!!” But no matter how loud I screamed, the ambulance never stopped for me. I stared blankly at its disappearing taillights. “System, can you activate the program now?” The cold, synthetic voice responded instantly. “Your current neural network has not achieved full sensory suppression. Premature activation will result in unimaginable, excruciating pain.” “Do you wish to proceed?” I nodded, utterly resolute. In less than a second, a line of blood bloomed on my forearm. The system was forcibly implanting a neural chip beneath my skin. A strange sensation washed over me—an intense, sickening feeling of something else tearing at my body, fighting for control of my consciousness. As the physical pain slowly began to recede, I heard my own voice—but not my tone—speak the final command. “Golden Child System officially initiated.”
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