Chapter 5

From that day on, I stopped fighting the fat. I even picked up the clippers and shaved my head completely bald myself.

Gradually, the poor nutrition and pure lard caught up to me. I gained weight rapidly, my pores oozing a foul, greasy odor. The other kids at school looked at me with disgust, but I didn't care.

Compared to survival, what was dignity?

Mom was ecstatic. She genuinely believed she had broken my spirit and transformed me into an obedient doll.

She started taking me to her alumni reunions just to show off how tame I was.

When she saw a friend's daughter fussing over the meat on her plate, Mom piped up proudly:

"My Nora used to be a picky brat too. Look at her now. I whipped her into shape."

She shot me a look.

Without missing a beat, I pulled out a container filled with cold pork fat and began shoveling it into my mouth right in front of her old classmates, swallowing huge chunks whole.

Listening to the awkward, hollow compliments from her friends, Mom beamed with pride.

Later, in the restroom stall, I overheard them whispering:

"Is Sarah completely out of her mind? Did you see the way that poor kid was eating? It was like watching a starving animal."

"She lost her marbles the day her husband left her. We are definitely not inviting her next time."

Those cruel words floated past my ears without a sting. My heart had grown numb. Pain couldn't touch me anymore.

I channeled every ounce of energy into studying. Every single second was accounted for. I memorized vocabulary on the walk to school; I recited history notes silently in bed before falling asleep.

My grades climbed from the bottom of the class, to the top ten, to straight A's.

I aced my high school entrance exams with a near-perfect score, and prestigious prep schools came knocking on my door.

However, when I demanded a full-ride scholarship plus a $10,000 upfront signing bonus to cover my living expenses, the admissions reps walked out in disgust.

"So young and already so mercenary? Talent without character is worthless."

"Our academy does not accept students with such greedy attitudes."

I sat alone in the empty classroom, dread settling over me. Was my plan going to die before it even started?

Just then, the door creaked open.

A chubby, balding man in an expensive suit walked in with a warm, calculating smile.

"I can give you the ten grand, and wipe your tuition to zero," he said, tapping his fingers together. "Under one condition."