I hid the gloom under my eyes and shook my head. “No one bullied me, Dad. I fell by myself.”
My mom then hugged me and cried. “You have to be more careful in the future. You are a piece of flesh that fell from my body. If you get hurt, I will feel my heart out and hurt.”
Taking this opportunity, I spoke up, “Mom and Dad, didn't I give you my scholarship the other day? Can you give it back to me? That is the cost of my study abroad.”
Mom and Dad both were stunned at the same time. Dad was silent for a moment. He only showed a difficult look.
He told me in a serious tone, “Audrey Ainsworth, what's so good about going abroad? You just worship foreign things. We don't want you to go abroad. Why don't you stay at home with us instead of going abroad? This money, Mom and I will keep only for you. So that you won’t be cheated.”
Mom followed the conversation and said, “Your dad is absolutely right. Didn't you have a working part-time program recently? Isn't that money enough for you? I also heard you've got a boyfriend. Did he give you this idea? I advise you not to keep such a man. You have to break up quickly.”
The two of them looked as if they were doing me a favour, but it made me feel even more heartbroken. I handed in all the scholarships and as well as work-study two jobs to earn money. I didn’t have a penny left over in addition to the living expenses, where was there any money left?
I remembered Evelyn in school wearing a famous designer. She also had a driver to pick up and drop off. She usually spent more money on water at other times.
She invited classmates to hold parties in her mansion from time to time. She had even bragged in the class that she spent no less than one hundred thousand dollars a night. But I just wanted to get back my scholarship, but I got a lot of words.
Compared to Evelyn Ainsworth, she was more like a biological daughter than me. They even asked me to give up the love that I got with great difficulty.
In college, I was so poor that everyone knew it. No one of the opposite sex was willing to get close to me. Only Cornelius Holbrook, who was also from a poor family. We sympathize with each other. Although we didn’t officially confirm our relationship, we already regarded each other as our other half in our hearts.
I pulled the corners of my mouth. I felt a deep disappointment in my heart. Seeing my face pale, my father patted my shoulder to comfort me.
“My daughter, please, don't think too much. You also know the situation of our family, right? We have to spend money everywhere. It's not safe for you to keep those scholarships on you.”
My mom also said, “Yes, my daughter. Your previous tuition fees are borrowed. You have not yet returned to others. So, do not think so much. You have to go to bed early. Don’t stay up late all night. It’s not good for your health and body.”
I nodded my head despondently and went back inside the house. Just after I closed the door, I heard my dad's cell phone ringing.
He made a point of glancing at my room first. The two of them sheepishly ran to the restroom. I quietly approached and heard them ask in a very patient tone.
“Evelyn, why are you suddenly calling Mom and Dad? Didn't I tell you, that when we're at home, don't call us.”
Evelyn replied, “Dad, I need a sum of money.”
Mom and Dad exchanged a look. “Didn't I give you a card just now on your birthday? That's a hundred thousand dollars there, Evelyn.”
Evelyn's tone carried impatience, “It’s not enough, Dad. I just now invited a group of classmates to my birthday party. We ordered a few bottles of red wine and it was all gone, Dad. So, please, give another hundred thousand over.”
Dad was still hesitating at that time. My mom pushed his elbow with a dissatisfied look on her face.
“My hubby, why are you still considering it? Evelyn is not like Audrey, honey. Let alone one hundred thousand dollars, even five hundred thousand you have to give her. Evelyn is the future heir of our Ainsworth Family, right? Think about it, Evelyn is prettier and has a good temperament than Audrey. Wasn't she adopted in the first place so that she could give face to the Ainsworth Family?”
Dad silenced for a while. But my mom still said, “Audrey has scars on her face. She can't inherit the family business. Our family can't afford to lose this person.”
