Chapter 1: Lời Hứa Vũ Hội Bị Đe Dọa

Part 1

**My Grandmother Threatened to Cut My Tuition Because I Took My Uncle With Down Syndrome to Prom — and then her real demand exposed the family’s dark obsession.**

I had just asked Uncle Daniel to prom, as we’d promised for years.

Grandma called me into her study five minutes later.

She threatened to cut all my tuition.

Uncle Daniel’s face lit up when I confirmed our prom plans. He’d talked about it for months, his excitement infectious. It was a family tradition, even if Grandma Eleanor pretended it wasn’t.

But then her summons arrived, crisp and immediate. My heart sank as I walked towards her study, a room where happiness rarely entered. Eleanor sat behind her immense mahogany desk, her expression glacial.

“Eliza,” she began, her voice cool. “Your prom date is set. You will be attending with young Mr. Sterling III from the Sterling Group.”

I stared at her. “What are you talking about, Grandma? I’m going with Daniel.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “That is not an option. This alliance with the Sterling family is crucial for our holdings.”

“Your attendance with their heir is non-negotiable.”

She leaned forward, her gaze piercing. “Refuse, and not only will your college tuition be revoked, but every privilege you currently enjoy will cease. Daniel’s well-being is also… dependent on your cooperation.”

A cold dread settled over me. This wasn’t about a simple date; it was about control, about power, and a threat that extended far beyond just my future.

Her words hung in the air, a chilling ultimatum. My freedom within this family was suddenly on trial, and she just laid out the terms.

Part 2

I found my mother, Catherine, in the drawing-room, staring out the window. My voice was tight.

“Why did you let her do that?”

She turned, her face crumbling as tears welled in her eyes. “She made me break it too, Eliza.”

Catherine’s voice was barely a whisper. “My prom promise to Daniel.”

“Grandma Eleanor forced me,” she said, her hands twisting in her lap. “She said it was for the family’s image, that he couldn’t be seen.”

She looked away, ashamed. “It broke something between Daniel and me that never healed.”

Then her eyes darted to the door, suddenly fearful. “There’s also a special fund, Eliza. For Daniel.”

“Eleanor set it up years ago and she controls it.”

Catherine wrung her hands, shaking her head. “I just can’t say anything more about it.”