Chapter 448
What he didn’t realize was that his parents actually cared a lot about whether their kids could make them proud. The only reason he never felt the pressure was because it had never been directed at him, so he grew up without those worries.
“I heard if you get early admission, you don’t even have to take the college entrance exam p>
Octavia didn’t want to listen to her kids go on with their ridiculous chat. She turned her attention to Claire, fishing for more information.
“Claire, are you still planning to take the entrance exams p>
Truthfully, Claire had no idea what Octavia was getting at.
“I could take them, or not. Either way is fine p>
Octavia frowned a little, obviously unsatisfied with that answer.
“Well, you should give it a shot. You’re so talented, maybe you’ll be the top scorer. Just imagine the attention your school would get, and how proud it would make your grandmother and the rest of your family p>
She paused, looking a little uncertain.
“Has anyone from your village even gone to college before? It’d be a big deal. You could really give your village a boost p>
Octavia put on her most caring face, acting like she truly had Claire’s best interests at heart.
Claire was still confused about what she was really after.
“I guess you have a point,” she murmured.
“Exactly. Even if you just take the normal route, you could probably get into Cabinda University, no problem.” Octavia looked at her expectantly.
Claire didn’t brag.
“It’s hard to say. Sometimes things go wrong and you might not even get into a good school. That happens p>
Shirley chimed in, full of encouragement.
“With your grades, not getting the top score would honestly be an off day. Even if
things didn’t go perfectly, Cabinda University is totally within reach p>
In Shirley’s eyes, Claire had always
excelled at school. If she didn’t freeze up during that tough competition, why would she mess up a standard exam? The main thing Was, Claire was so steady and level-headed. Shirley just couldn’t imagine what could possibly throw her off.
Shirley’s words seemed to convince Octavia, who nodded and looked back to Claire.
“If you decide to take the entrance exam, what happens to your early admission spot p>
“If I don’t use it, it just gets canceled,” Claire said calmly.
The truth finally hit her. Now she understood what Octavia really wanted. Octavia was actually hoping to get her early admission spot for someone else, probably her own daughter, Cindy. How could she even think that was possible?
Seeing Cindy practically staring holes through her, Claire realized the mother- daughter duo both had their eyes on that spot.
“Early admission only works if you meet the school’s strict requirements,” Claire explained. “It’s not like you can just hand it off to anyone. If you could, people would just use those spots as bargaining chips p>
She hoped Octavia would let go of such wild ideas. Anyone who thought they could just take somebody else’s college offer had to be joking.
Even Shirley was left speechless.
“Octavia, those early admission spots can’t be given away. If that were possible, rich people would just buy their way in, don’t you think p>
And even if Claire could give it away, why would she hand it to Cindy? Honestly, Shirley felt like she and Claire were way closer than Cindy and Claire.
Claire quickly figured out that tonight’s dinner was nothing more than a setup, but her annoyance faded as soon as she realized. Whatever. She’d just eat her fill and enjoy herself.
After dinner, she grabbed Shirley for
a walk, not bothering to pay attention to whatever plans Octavia and her kids might be hatching Octavia had only brought it up to see how everyone would react worried that Shirley might try for the spot too. With everyone splitting up, Octavia figured she could take some time to rethink her strategy and talk things over with her son.
So, Claire and Shirley left for a walk instead of catching a ride in Lance’s car. That
left Octavia and Cindy alone with him, giving them plenty of time to plot their next
move.