ESCAPE

By Oscar T

The story was about a Chinese-American family in the suburbs of Washington DC., who got their education, worked hard,
played by the rules, realized their American dreams by owning a successful restaurant and a law firm. They became obsessed with the pursuit of Ivy League colleges, where they insisted, their kids must go to study to pave the road for their future success.
In the process, they lost their way as they never understood the true essence of education and even put their kids' mental health
in jeopardy. It turned out to be a nonsensible pursuit which resulted in the losses of relationships with their children, marital failure and physical illness and even the "escape" of the husband.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798350932690

Book preview

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© 2023 Oscar T

ISBN: 979-8-35-093269-0

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Table of Contents

CHARLES WAS HAVING A NIGHTMARE

WAKE-UP CALL

A SUCCESS STORY OF AN CHINESE AMERICAN FAMILY

PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WAS A FAILURE

OBSESSION WITH PRIVATE SCHOOLS

BAD NEWS FROM SINGAPORE

JESSICA WAS A NICE GIRL AND HIS FAVARITE NIECE

FIRST DATE FOR A WHILE

JESSICA DIDN’T GET ANY RECOGNITION

AFTERMATH OF JESSICA'S DEATH

A SURPRISE VISIT FROM THEIR NEIGHBOR

EB5 VISA BUSINESS WAS GOING STRONG

CONNIE WAS SICK

CHARLES SAW A BEAUTIFUL SCENE

CHARLES GOT LOCKED OUT

TIFFANY STARTED QUESTIONING HERSELF

DOCTOR HAD THE TEST RESULT

CONNIE CHECKED INTO THE HOSPITAL

The IN-LAWS WERE BACK IN THEIR LIFE

TENSION STARTED AT TIFFANY’S DORM

IMPLOSION AT THE DORM

JAKE HAD A NICE CHAT WITH MOM

CHINESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION

WAR ON RESTAURANT TIPS

PAINFUL MEMORY

CONNIE WAS INSPIRED BY THE TIGER MOM

JAKE’S GRADE FRUSTRATED CONNIE

CHARLES HAD AN ALCOHOL ISSUE

BUDHAISM CAME TO RESCUE

TIFFANY CHOSE AN EASY PATH

TIFFANY CALLED HOME

CONNIE WENT ONTO CORNELL CAMPUS

CHARLES MADE A DISCOVERY

OLD MAN FELL

OLD MAN PASSED AWAY

A FUNERAL

SUMMER PLANS

JAKE WAS GROUNDED

CONNIE FELT PRESSURE AT WORK

CHARLES WAS INTRIGUED BY HIS CUSTOMER’S EXPERIENCE IN TIBET

TIFFANY DIDN'T WANT TO COME HOME

JAKE'S SUMMER WAS UNEVENTFUL

A NEW SEMESTER BEGINS FOR TIFFANY AND JAKE

MOTHER-IN-LAW CROSSED THE LINE

A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON RELATIONSHIPS

CONNIE DID NOT FEEL WELL

TENSION AT HOME

CONNIE WAS PICKING UP JAKE

WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL IN D.C.

MELANIE WAS BAPTIZED

JAKE KNEW THE SHADY BUSINESS OF GOING IVY

CONNIE TRAVELLED TO CHINA FOR BUSINESS

PRODUCTIVE SEMINARS ON EB5 INVESTMENT VISA

FLIGHT BACK HOME

CHARLES BECAME EMOTIONAL

MOTHER AND SON HAD A GIRLFRIEND ISSUE

COLLEGE DESTINATIONS

A CONVERSATION WITH A PROFESSOR

TIFFANY WANTED TO SPEND SUMMER IN NEW YORK

MOTHER-IN-LAW CROSSED THE LINE

CHARLES DIFFUSED A BOMB

ANOTHER TRAGEDY

CONNIE GOT A SHOCK

CHARLES NEEDED HELP FROM HIS PARTNER, WEI

JAKE HAD SOME PRINCIPLES

CHARLE’S BUSINESS PROPOSAL

CONNIE NEEDED A NEW MERCEDES

JAKE AND MELANIE WERE ALWAYS ON THE PHONE

CHARLES HAD A DECENT PROPOSAL

CONNIE GOT THE NEW RIDE

HERE CAME THE ADMISSION LETTER

MELANIE AND JAKE EXCHANGED VOWS

CHARLES WAS READY TO GO

GOODBYE TO TIFFANY

FAREWELL

PEACE

CHARLES WAS HAVING A NIGHTMARE

The largest World Fair in history was under way in Shanghai.

Long lines were everywhere. 6 hours' wait at China Pavilion. 5 hours' wait at Saudi Exhibition Hall which was supposed to be the most luxurious.

The daily average number of visitors was around 400,000 and Charles and his family joined the crowd enthusiastically.

The family of four were walking and enjoying the expo. Charles (the husband), Connie (the wife), Tiffany (the daughter), Jake (the son) were all excited and having fun. At the busiest intersection, Charles was checking the map.

When he looked up 10 seconds later, Jake was nowhere to be seen.

Charles asked Connie: Where is Jake, Connie?

How do I know? He was following you! Connie replied angrily.

I saw him a moment ago! Tiffany, the daughter said.

Oh, no! Charles was agitated.

This sent a chill down Charles’ spine. His heart was racing fast. He was out of breath. He felt like he was in the midst of an army of ants and all l he could see was numerous black dots moving around him.

Jake!

He shouted out at the top of his lungs. Connie and Tiffany were also shouting Jake's name. No response.

Stay where you are and don’t move! He’ll be back here and I’ll go find him. He told his wife and daughter.

He went to one direction for a few hundred meters and paused. He then turned to another direction, calling Jake's name.

All of a sudden, he heard the announcement from the loud speakers: May I have your attention, all the visitors. Jake's family come to the Help Desk immediately please.

They all rushed to the station. There was Jake behind the service desk.

Boy scout’s trainings did help---Jake didn't panic and found the nearest assistance station and asked for help.

Holding Jake tight in his arms. I’m sorry, Jake. Please forgive me. I wasn't paying attention. Sorry. Charles was very emotional.

Jake was all tears but he wasn’t saying anything. Connie came up and grabbed Jake from Charles and, suddenly, slapped Jake’s face.

You little fool! How come you don't follow your dad! What if we can’t find you… Connie yelled.

This really pissed off Charles--- his face was turning red, his eyes wide open, and he roared back at her:

Are you still human?

He pushed her away and the crowds stopped to watch. He raised the big umbrella in his hand and smashed down at his wife…

WAKE-UP CALL

BANG' BANG! Time to get up! Can I ever count on you? Connie was standing there over his bed after knocking on the headboard real hard.

Charles sat up in awe, gasping for air. He shook his head in disbelief again, trying to make sense of his dream. That incident was still haunting him.

It's time to make breakfast! Gosh! Connie said to him.

Life was back to normal. Charles cooked breakfast for the family at 6:30. Wife, Connie, and son, Jake. In no time, he made French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon and hot cereals.

Jake was in good mood.

Morning, dad. Great breakfast. Much better than that of my school. He concluded.

Charles happily replied: I'm glad you like it.

Connie came over and took a look at the eggs.

How come you don't do hard-boiled eggs? I told you nutrition is better when eggs are hard boiled. She protested.

Oh well. Jake likes scrambled eggs. Hard boiled eggs for tomorrow.

Charles was used to this kind of fuss and didn’t say anything, even a bit annoyed.

Jake, how do you like the boarding school so far?

Good. Oh, I forgot to ask you-can I join golf team and play golf? I had a tryout last week and the coach said I'm OK.

You definitely should play, especially when your school has a driving range which is rare. Go for it. The best sport ever.

Yeah! He raises his arms and screams in excitement.

And you may want to talk to your mother about it. It's a quite expensive sport and you know what she might say, right?

Also, I need a new set of golf clubs.

You have a set of used clubs and what’s wrong with them? You know how much a new set cost?

I know. In the range of $1,000. up to $5,000., like the new PXG clubs or even $10,000. Which are Japanese Honma clubs. That's what our coach told us. I don't need a Honma set, though. He giggled.

$2,000. is the limit, all right? Maybe we can buy used irons or wedges.

Cool!

Call your mother about it.

Jake got off the car and walked towards the gate of campus.

Have a nice week, Jake.

A SUCCESS STORY OF AN CHINESE AMERICAN FAMILY

Charles, the husband, was a self-trained restaurateur, owning a thriving restaurant in suburban Virginia.

Connie, the wife, was a successful lawyer, owner of a law firm in DC, whose posh office was located on K St. NW in DC. After getting her JD from Georgetown Law School, she started working for one of the well-known laws firms and made it to partner 12 years later. She could have stayed at the firm and live comfortably but she wanted to break out on her own. She quit the big law firm and set up her own law office. She was specialized in immigration and has been very successful.

Tiffany was the daughter, a sophomore in Cornell University in New York. Jake was the youngest boy, a rising Junior in high school at Elite Prep School in Bethesda, Maryland.

Tiffany went to one of the top public high schools in Virginia and got into an Ivy school. Cornell wasn't exactly what she and her family wanted but it's an Ivy any way.

Since her junior years at high school, the heavy workload and cutthroat competition put a toll on her-she was hardly ever cheerful, always tired, and nothing can excite her. She kept at the above-the-average level. The high school was infamous for its AP classes, which she hated the most. The teacher bragged about his AP Physics as the equivalent of that of MIT and Stanford and he got away with the drop-out rate of 40% of his class due to his seniority and lack of young teachers.

A GPA of 4.2 at her high school was the average and she struggled to beat it.

Her parents had too high expectations of her. They always thought she can go to top 5 ivy league colleges and they have the money ready. It didn't work out as they wished. Cornell was so called The Ivy for Every Man or Armpit Ivy, which was mean, and Connie was disappointed.

Never would Charles have imagined he could be the owner of a restaurant. After he got his master's degree in Education at a well-known Chinese university, he moved to Virginia when Connie was going through law school. Job market wasn't too kind to him in DC area where government contracting was the only game in town, mostly in computer programming or IT support or accounting services, none of which he was good at.

He became a realtor in 2002 and he didn't make too much commission sales until 2005 when the housing boom arrived. Among Chinese home buyers, there was a bidding frenzy in Fairfax County.

He made his fortune the easy way by flipping properties in DC area. Before he knew it, he already owned 4 townhouses and 2 condos in Virginia and Maryland suburbs. Of course, they moved into their dream house in McLean, Virginia. Sitting on a 2 acres land, the brand-new house was built by Toll Brothers, the all-time favorite among Chinese home buyers, and the view is just spectacular.

By 2008, the real estate market crashed. Charles didn't get out quick enough. Then his friend, Wei, came to invest in Virginia and they decided to get into a partnership and open a restaurant.

Being a boss gave him the freedom during the day so he could run errands for the family-picking up/dropping off Tiffany at piano lessons, taking her to tutors, dance practice, volunteer work, competitions of dance team, it went on and on.

His partner, Wei, doesn't like this, who was from China as well, and they have argued numerous times for this.

PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WAS A FAILURE