It was a quiet evening at the Smith household, and the only sounds that could be heard were the soft clicking of the mouse and the gentle tapping of the keyboard. Mrs. Smith sat at the computer, checking her daughter's latest test results. She frowned as she looked at the scores. They were not what she had hoped for. Mr. Smith noticed his wife's disappointment and walked over to the computer. He took a look at the screen and let out a sigh.
"Emily!!!" Mr Smith called angrily
The walls of the house seemed to close in around her as Emily saw her parents checked her rests. The disappointed looks on their faces made her heart sink, and she braved herself for the inevitable scolding.
"We can't believe you're doing so poorly in math," Mr. Smith said. "You've always been such a good student. What happened?".
Emily felt like a failure. She knew her parents had high expectations for her, and she had always tried to meet them. But now, she felt like she was letting them down. She looked down at her hands, which were trembling slightly.
"I-I don't know," she stammered. "I just- I just don't understand it."
Her father's expression turned stern. "That's not an acceptable answer, Emily. We need to understand what's going on so we can help you. If you don't tell us, we can't do anything to fix this."
Emily felt tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't want to disappoint her parents, but she didn't know what to say. She just felt so lost and confused.
"I'm sorry," she said, her voice breaking. "I don't know what else to say."
Mrs. Smith put her arm around her daughter and gave her a gentle squeeze. "It's okay, honey," she Said softly. "We just want to help you. But we need to understand what's going on first. Can you try to explain to us what it is about math that you're struggling with?"
Emily thought for a moment, trying to put her feelings into words. "It's just… everything. I don't understand the concepts, and I can't remember the formulas. Every time I try to do the homework, I just get more and more confused. And then when we have tests, I just freeze up and can't think of anything."
Her mother nodded sympathetically. "That sounds really frustrating.
"Look at your brother and sister," Mr. Smith said, his voice tight with frustration. "They're both doing so well in school, and you're the one who's struggling. Why can't you be more like them?"
Emily felt a sharp pain in her chest. She knew her brother and sister were both good students, but she had never thought of herself as less than them. Her father's words stung, and she felt tears welling up again.
"I-I don't know," she said, her voice trembling.
"I just can't seem to do As well as them. I'm trying, but it's not working."
Her father shook his head. "You're not trying hard enough. If you would just apply yourself and focus, you could do better. But instead, you're making excuses. It's like you don't even care about your future".
Emily nodded, even though she didn't really agree with him. She knew he was trying to be supportive, but his words felt more like criticism than encouragement. "I hear what you're saying," she said quietly. "But can I go to my room now? I just want to be alone for a while."
Her father's harsh words cut through the silence, berating her for failing. Even her siblings joined in, taunting her and calling her a disappointment. The once-comfortable home now felt suffocating.
*********************************************
The sun was shining, but there was a dark cloud hanging over the university campus. The tension between Emmanuel and a girl had been building for weeks, and it was only a matter of time before it all came to a head. As Emmanuel walked to class, he knew that he would have to face the girl sooner or later. He just hoped it would be later. But then he saw the girl heading straight for him, a stormy expression on her face. The confrontation was about to begin.
"Hey," the girl said, her voice dripping with resentment. "I heard you've been talking to some girl. Who is she, and what are you up to?"
Emmanuel took a deep breath, preparing himself for the onslaught. "Her name is Sarah, and she's a friend. That's all there is to it. I'm not interested in you, and I've been trying to tell you that for weeks. Why can't you just leave me alone?"
The girl's face turned red with anger. "You're a liar! I know there's more to It than that. You've been flirting with me and leading me on. You're just using me to get what you want, and then you're going to toss me aside like garbage."
"That's not true!" Emmanuel protested. "I've been nothing but honest with you from the start. I'm not interested in a relationship with you, and I never have been. I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear, but I'm not going to pretend to feel something I don't."
The girl's eyes narrowed, and she stepped closer to Emmanuel. "You're not going to get away With this. I'm not going to let you hurt me like this. I'm going to tell everyone what you've been doing. I'm going to make sure they know what kind of person you really are."
Emmanuel's heart was racing, and he felt like the walls were closing in on him. He knew he had to get out of this situation, but he didn't know how. He took a step back, trying to put some distance between himself and the girl.
"Please, just leave me alone," he said, his voice shaking. "I'm not interested in anything you have to say."
The girl's eyes flashed with rage, and she took another step forward, her fists clenched at her sides. "You think you can just walk away from this? You think you can just ignore me and it will all go away? You're wrong. I'm not going to let you get away with this. I'm going to make you pay for what you've done."
Emmanuel's chest was heaving, and he felt like he was going to pass out. He had to get out of this situation, and fast. But what could he do? He was trapped, and he didn't know what to do next.