When I Scored My Mom Below ZeroChapter 2

I walked into the classroom holding my midterm exam paper, my right cheek swollen like a bun, traces of blood at the corner of my mouth.

The students around me whispered:

"Nina got beaten again, just because she didn't get a perfect score in math. So tragic..."

Wendy rolled her eyes:

"Tragic? Her mom's the homeroom teacher. She has access to the best resources and still can't get a perfect score. Who else should get beaten?"

I paused, swallowing the bitterness at the tip of my nose, and walked into the classroom.

Just now in the office, Mom had slapped my face swollen in front of all the teachers and students.

"98 points? Should you have lost those two points? Speak up!"

Mom's furious roar still seemed to echo in my ears. The beating left my right ear ringing so badly I could barely hear.

But Mom still didn't stop the punishment:

"If you make such a careless mistake again, I'll slap your left cheek swollen too!"

Then she looked at the students behind me:

"Those of you who also lost points due to carelessness, did you see that?"

I didn't know how the students behind me reacted. I just kept my head down, my fingers nearly drawing blood from my palms.

After the other students left, Wendy stepped forward with a smile, acting cute with Mom:

"Ms. Sterling, I didn't mean to be so careless. I won't do it again next time~"

Mom smiled at her indulgently:

"You're always like this! Don't do it again, understand?"

Wendy stuck out her tongue playfully.

I pressed my lips together, my fingers digging deeper.

"Alright, you can all go now!"

Mom waved her hand. Only then did I dare to slowly turn around, expertly pulling up my hoodie to hide my numb, beaten face.

The second before leaving the office, I heard a teacher from another class say admiringly to my mom:

"Wendy really is Ms. Sterling's favorite class representative. You wouldn't even touch a finger on her."

"Ms. Sterling really knows how to raise children. Your daughter just lets you hit her without making a sound!"

Mom said proudly:

"Wendy's not dumb, she just doesn't use her cleverness in the right places! As for my daughter, she's been this obedient since childhood. She never talks back."

But Mom doesn't know.

Someone who doesn't fight back when beaten or cursed is either a dog or a corpse.

Because Mom uses me to establish authority, no one in class dares to be my friend.

Enduring the pain in my right hand, I returned to my seat and pulled out a miniature notebook from my sleeve.

"Face slapped swollen for scoring 98 on math test. Deduct 1 point from Mom."

I wrote it down silently.

This is the 99th time already.

That means Mom has used me to establish her authority exactly 99 times.

One more time, and I'll be free.

For a warrior, making a life-or-death decision takes only a moment.

But I'm not a warrior. I'm an ordinary person, cowardly and weak.

I carefully tucked the notebook back into my sleeve and took out my math paper.

Even though it was break time, I wasn't allowed to play with others.

Listening to the sounds of classmates laughing and playing around me, the wound on my right cheek seemed to hurt even more.

Wendy walked over to me, sneering with contempt:

"Nina, Ms. Sterling treats me like a real daughter. You must be an orphan Ms. Sterling picked up, nothing more than a punching bag."

I clenched my fists tightly, staring at her coldly:

"Someone whose mother abandoned her loves stealing other people's moms."

Wendy's mother ran off with someone else when she was four years old.

This wasn't a secret in class.

At these words, Wendy's eyes widened, instantly furious:

"Nina, you just wait!"

"I'm waiting."

I said coldly.

She would just go whisper in Mom's ear and get me another beating.

Perfect. That would be doing me one last favor.