My father didn't hesitate. He stood up, downed his wine, and beamed. "Maya is a good girl. You must treat her well."
Lily nodded vigorously. "Rest assured, Professor Fox. It is the least we can do."
*Professor.* The title scraped against my nerves like nails on a chalkboard.
My father had taught for thirty years in the Chinese Department at a local university. I understood the old-school mentality, the obsession with reputation. But time and again, they sacrificed what belonged to me to impress outsiders.
Why?
It had been this way since childhood. They always claimed it was for my own good, but it was nothing more than vanity. They lived for their "face."
"I don't care about your charity projects." My voice cut through the noise of the banquet. "Give me back Grandpa and Grandma's money. Give me back *my* money."
My mother immediately gripped my arm, nails digging in, signaling me to shut up.
"That is the blood and sweat of two generations," I continued, undeterred. "It is not a prop for your ego."
If our family were wealthy, perhaps I wouldn't care. But the truth was, we had barely saved anything over the years.