Part 2My Elite Parents Called Me an Idiot and Chose a Genius Daughter Instead

I saw Mom and Dad's car.

Dad slammed on the brakes and stopped outside a convenience store.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I saw Jacey perched on a high stool, eating a hot dog covered in sweet-and-spicy sauce. Her phone was charging on the table in front of her.

She was perfectly fine, with sweet-and-spicy sauce still clinging to the corner of her mouth.

Mom and Dad threw open the car doors and rushed inside.

Mom grabbed Jacey and hugged her. Her eyes instantly reddened with the overwhelming joy of finding someone she thought she had lost.

"Jacey Lee, why didn't you answer your phone? Why did you turn it off?"

Jacey froze for a moment before putting on a wounded expression.

Tears immediately filled her eyes.

"My phone ran out of battery. I was in a bad mood and wanted to be alone for a while."

Dad grabbed her hands and checked her from head to toe. He did not relax until he confirmed that she had not lost even a single strand of hair.

"You scared me to death! What would we have done if something had happened to you?

"Come on. I will take you somewhere nice to eat and help you calm down."

They took Jacey to the most upscale restaurant in the city.

The meal cost $600 per person.

I floated above the dining table and watched the servers bring out one exquisite plate of delicacy after another.

Jacey picked at a piece of bluefin tuna with her fork. "Mom, this fish isn't fresh. It tastes fishy."

Mom immediately waved over the manager and demanded, "What's the meaning of this? How dare you serve Jacey something like this? Bring us your best!"

"If you don't want to eat it, then don't force yourself," Dad coaxed gently from beside her.

I stared at the premium slice of fish as it was thrown into the trash and instinctively touched my wrist.

A black ring of burn marks circled it.

I got those marks the last time my hand trembled while I was eating and I spilled some food on the table. Mom had put a "behavioral correction bracelet" on me and shocked me with it.

"That's aversion therapy. It will teach you a lesson.”

So that was the difference: when a genius wasted food, she was taking care of herself.

When a stupid girl’s hand trembled while she ate, she deserved to be shocked.

[Dad, I want some fish too. I don't mind if it tastes fishy.]

If I became smart, would I no longer have to wear that bracelet?

Just then, Dad's phone rang.

It was an unfamiliar number.

"Hello? Are you Anna Lee's dad? This is Frank Lowe from Willow Creek."

Dad frowned, clearly displeased. "What is it?"

"Simson, your mom and Anna still haven't come home, and it's completely dark outside. I passed by the canal just now and thought I saw a pink shoe…"

Dad glanced at Jacey, who was eating oysters, and his voice turned extremely arrogant.

"Got it. She probably went visiting some relative. Isn't that what you country people do? Don't make such a fuss."

"But…"

"Enough. I'm busy here. She obviously threw the shoe away on purpose to get attention. Ignore her and let her walk home barefoot so she can learn her lesson."

The call ended.

Dad tossed his phone onto the table. "Country folk are always such a nuisance. Anna’s putting on another show and even threw away her shoe."

Mom sliced her steak without looking up. "That's classic attention-seeking behavior. We absolutely can't give her any attention, or she'll dare to throw away all her clothes next time."

I floated in midair and watched them dine in elegant comfort.

[Dad, I wasn't putting on an act.

[Am I really that unbearable? Even after I died, that was still what you thought of me.]