It was a long and hot summer in Zreka. It was as stuffy as a big steamer in a room without air conditioning.

Jimena Byers flapped the fan for a while, but it was still too warm for her to bear, so she pushed the door open and went outside.

When she walked to the corner of the living room, she heard a quarrel.

"Mom, I've told you I don't want to go to school! Stop pushing me!"

"You are only sixteen years old and you don't want to go to school? You can't earn a living playing games!"

"I'm not just playing games. My dream is to become a professional e-sports player! Education is not for me!"

As soon as Jimena heard it, she knew that it must be her brother quarrelling with her mother about not going to school again.

She was about to turn around and leave, but she heard her brother say, "Besides, our family is so poor. With Jimena going to college soon, how is there so much money in the family to send both of us to school together?"

"What college? Your sister is going to get married. Your dad has arranged a good engagement for her. As long as the marriage is settled, our family can enjoy a good life."

"What? You want Jimena to get married? Does she know this?"

Jimena stopped her footsteps.

She thought she heard it wrong.

She was only 18 years old, although it was written that she was 20 years old on her ID card. It was because the rule in her country wrote that if the first child was a daughter, the second child could only be born when the daughter was four years old. So in order not to be fined, her age was forged as two years older.

And now, her parents actually wanted to marry her off?

"Your sister is a girl, so she will get married sooner or later. There is no need for her to get into college! What's more, the bridegroom's family is willing to offer two houses to marry your sister!"

Two houses?

Jimena clenched her fists.

Was she only worth two houses in her mother's eyes?

Her parents had always favored her younger brother ever since she was a child. In the past, she did not think much of it. After all, her younger brother was still a child, and she was willing to give in and spoil him. However, now that she had heard this conversation, her heart was filled with anger!

How could they do that? Just because she was a girl, it was okay to deprive of her right to continue studies?

Her grades were way better than her brother's anyway!

Mom was too biased!

Jimena knew that she couldn't just wait helplessly. If her mother refused to give her money to send her to college, then she would borrow some!

......

Standing at the door of her good friend Isabel Moss's house and thinking of the conversation she overheard, Jimena couldn't help but shed tears.

As soon as Isabel opened the door, she saw Jimena's tearful face. She asked hurriedly, "Jimena, what's wrong with you? Why are you crying?"

Jimena wiped her tears and followed her into the house of the Moss Family.

When Isabel's mother, Alex Moss saw Jimena coming, she waved her hand and said, "Jimena, you're here. Come in and have a seat."

Jimena was somewhat reserved. Every time she visited the Moss Family, Alex was very warm to her, but this time, she came to borrow money.

Not long after they sat down, Jimena said, "Auntie, can... can I borrow some money from you?"

Alex was stunned. "What's wrong, Jimena? Have you encountered any difficulties?"

Jimena grabbed the corner of her clothes and felt a little embarrassed. "My mom... doesn't allow me to go to college. I... I want to borrow some money from you. I will return it to you in the future with interest..."

After she said that, the air was still for a long time.

In the long silence, Jimena became more and more nervous. She lowered her head and dared not to look at Alex's face.

Alex sighed, "Jimena, it's not that Auntie doesn't want to help you. It's just that our family is not in a good shape ourselves, so I can't just fork out some money for you..."

Everyone knew that Jimena's family was destitute. Lending money to them would be as if putting money in jeopardy.

Even though the Moss Family had the money, they had no intention of lending it to Jimena.

Jimena froze upon being rejected. She kept looking down all the time, and her tears—which she had tried so hard to stop—filled her eyes again.