Chapter 10
“Why are you here? How did you get in? Dad clearly wanted you at Sillview High,” Mind
pecking around to see if anyone noticed them.
fired off a barrage of questions,
Lillian remained unfazed. I’m here for you. As for how I got in She raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. “Take a guess
Mindy was furious. I’m calling Dad in a minute. Just wait!”
She turned to leave but sum back. jabbing a finger at Lillian’s face. “If you so much as mention you’re from the Wilson family or try to embarrass us, you’ll regret it.”
Lillian stared at the finger inches from her, her eyes cold.
Mindy hurried off, retracting her hand, completely unaware of how close she was to crossing a line, or that someone else had overheard their conversation.
“Come on, that’s too much. Sure, Lillian is your dad’s illegitimate daughter, but she didn’t ask for that. Your dad’s already brought her into the family. Just accept it, or else you’re going to upset him,” a voice said.
Lillian overheard these comments just as she reached the classroom door.
The voice continued, “Honestly, though, your dad is a real piece of work–three wives weren’t enough, and he probably has more on the side. You might want to look into it. I wouldn’t be surprised if you have siblings out there.”
Mindy slumped in her seat, her face hot with embarrassment as she shot daggers at the speaker–Sierra Terrell. She didn’t expect Sierra to overhear her and share it with the whole class.
“Shut up!” Mindy hissed through clenched teeth.
Sierra finally cought wind of Mindy’s embarrassing secret. There was no way she would let it slide easily. “What’s with the anger? With that attitude, be careful–your dad might lose his affection for you.”
Mindy, who had skipped grades, was three years younger than Sierra. Sierra teased her like an older sibling playfully scaring a younger one, making the classroom erupt again.
“Turns out Lillian’s an illegitimate child. No wonder Mindy freaked out earlier.
“You can’t really blame Mindy’s dad, though. Look at Lillian–her mom’s drop–dead gorgeous. Sending his illegitimate kid to Fillcrest High… he really cares for her mom
“An illegitimate kid, huh? That’s pretty gross.”
Most students in the room hailed from wealthy, influential familles, Growing up in a fiercely competitive environment, their disdain for illegitimate children ran deep.
“Shh, she’s here,” someone said. In just a few minutes, the way the classmates looked at Lillian had shifted.
With her arms crossed, Sierra casually observed Lillian and said to Mindy, “Hey, your sister’s back.”
Lillian quickly pieced together that the one eavesdropping around the corner had been Sierra.
Sierra looked smugly at Lillian, expecting her to either explode in anger or retreat in embarrassment. What Sierra really wanted was a big showdown between Lillian and Mindy–punches flying and all. That way, she could enjoy a double win by seeing Mindy embarrassed.
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Chapter 10
But Lillian stayed remarkably calm. With confidence, she said, Just to clarify, I’m not an illegitimate child. Yolanda is actually adopted, and I’m the real deal. She glanced at Mindy. Don’t believe me? Ask Mindy.”
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The revelation hit like a ton of bricks. Sierra was momentarily stunned, and soon she exaggeratedly covered her mouth and asked Mindy, “Is what she said true?”
Mindy was fuming, ready to snap. She shot daggers at Lillian, wishing she could shut her up once and for all.
Meanwhile, Lillian returned to her seat, unfazed by the shocked expressions from everyone who was eagerly soaking up the drama.
“Yolanda is adopted? Really?”
“I think I heard my dad mention this once.
“So Lillian’s the actual eldest daughter? Why have we never seen her? If she’s not illegitimate and is prettier than both Yolanda and Mindy, why didn’t the family invest more in her.”
“Look at Mindy–she’s not saying a word. Lillian must be telling the truth.”
As soon as lunchtime hit, Mindy bolted out of the classroom. After the first class, she had tried calling her dad, but there was no answer. She had tried at least a dozen times over the next three breaks, and now, it finally went through.
“Lillian got into Fillcrest High, and in your class!” Bradley, who had been in meetings all morning, stopped rubbing his temples. He couldn’t figure out how Lillian managed to transfer without his knowledge.
Mindy felt a wave of relief. “You didn’t get her in? So how did she end up there? Anyway, you need to transfer her to Sillview High right away, Dad.
“She just revealed that Yolanda is adopted, and now the whole class is talking about our family. This is so embarrassing!
Mindy didn’t really care about Yolanda. To her, Yolanda was an outsider, even less significant than Lillian. Mindy’s main goal was to get Lillian kicked out of Fillcrest High and, ultimately, out of the Wilson family.
“Okay, I get it. Go grab some lunch for now,” Bradley said, reassuring Mindy before hanging up. He still couldn’t wrap his head around how Lillian got into Fillcrest High, especially into an advanced class.
He called his assistant to get the number for Hank Leach, the principal of Fillcrest High. “Hello, Mr. Leach. This is Bradley. chairman of Wilson Group and father of Mindy from Grade 12, Class A
Knowing it was Bradley, Hank’s tone became enthusiastic
“Mr. Leach, I wanted to ask if a transfer student named Lillian joined Grade 12, Class A at Fillcrest High today.”
“Yes, she just registered this morning. Why do you ask?”
Bradley hesitated, unsure how to phrase his question. Finally, he spoke up. “T’d like to know how she managed to get into Fillcrest High.”
Hank paused. Bradley’s line of questioning was still off base, making him wonder about their relationship. “Lillian is a great student, and her transfer is perfectly reasonable. Is there something specific concerning you?”
As Hank wasn’t giving a straight answer, Bradley had no choice but to say, “I’m Lillian’s father.”
“Oh, I see,” Hank replied, thinking to himself, “Then why is he asking how Lillian got into Fillcrest High? Shouldn’t he have brought her himself? Why does he sound like she shouldn’t be here?’
Chapter 10
Bradley pressed on. “So…“–
“A friend of arranged it.” Hank replied with a hint of casual dismissal.
mine
Bradley cursed under his breath, “This guy talks like he’s got alle answers. Your friend? Who even is your friend?”
Realizing he was being overly secretive, Hank added, “It was a professor from Jerisburg University.”
“A professor from Jerisburg University? I wonder who that might be. Bradley furrowed his brow, ‘It’s Lillian’s first time in Jerisburg. How could she possibly know any professors there? And why would they go out of their way to help her?
“Well, I’m really sorry, but I can’t share that information. Hank Rensed something was off and decided to keep the details. Compared to the Wilsons, the Smith family certainly had a much more intimidating reputation.
