Chapter 4

After that day, Harry wouldn't leave me alone. He kept showing up after school, bugging me to add him on WhatsApp.

I ignored him, but he kept trailing behind me like a shadow, glancing around like a thief trying not to get caught.

He would groan. "Come on, I went out of my way to get my sister off my back. She's such a pain."

Like any of that had anything to do with me.

I said coldly, "Sorry, I don't have a phone."

Harry scoffed. "Oh, come on. You listen to music every day and expect me to believe you don't have a phone? What do you think I am—a toddler?"

Before I could respond, he yanked out my earphone cord and, along with it, the device in my pocket.

His eyes widened in disbelief. "No way. Is that... an MP3 player? Who even uses these fossils anymore?"

I shot him a cold, warning look that said he'd crossed the line.

Sure enough, he stopped following me.

Ever since I started vocational school, things with Mom had only gotten worse.

We barely spoke at home.

Still, that didn't stop her from constantly picking on me and tearing me down.

I never thought she would actually show up at the parent-teacher meeting.

She had never once bothered to come to my school.

But this time was an exception.

I was the top student at vocational school. The teachers praised me endlessly, and my classmates practically put me on a pedestal.

At the parent-teacher meeting, every teacher had nothing but praise for me. Mom should've been proud.

But judging by her expression, you'd think they were scolding me instead.

The teacher asked her to share some parenting insights with the other parents.

She declared, "Don't spoil your kids. The more you pamper them, the more defiant they become. Raise them the hard way. The tougher the struggle, the stronger they'll grow."

No one expected the parent of the top student to say something like that.

The room fell into an awkward silence, but for me, sitting in the back, it was pure humiliation.

After the parent-teacher meeting wrapped up, I trailed silently behind Beatrice.

Not a word passed between us, a sharp contrast to the cheerful conversations between other students and their parents.

Beatrice had parked her electric scooter right behind a luxurious sedan.

As we walked up, the driver stepped out, clearly irritated. "Ma'am, why did you park your scooter right behind our car? Do you know how long we've been stuck here waiting?"

Beatrice's face flushed with embarrassment. "I'm not the only one who parked here. Everyone else did too."

The driver shot back, "But yours is the only one that's locked."

While they were arguing, my gaze drifted to Delsphere High School. They were having their parent-teacher meeting today, too.

"Beatrice? Oh my goodness, is that really you!" A gentle voice caught my attention, and I turned to see an elegant woman with cascading curls, her face untouched by time.

She sat in the sedan, wrapped in designer clothes that practically shouted her wealth.

I was stunned. Since when did Mom know someone this wealthy?

The driver fell silent when he realized they knew each other.

The beautiful woman stepped out of the car and took Mom's hand. "Beatrice, we haven't seen each other in ages."

Mom seemed even more shocked than I was. She was trembling all over, and I couldn't tell whether it was from excitement or fear.

"Claudia, what a surprise to see you here. You haven't aged one bit," Mom siad. I was surprised to hear her speak so uncharacteristically gently, almost as if she were trying to match the woman's grace.

The woman, Claudia Henderson, spotted me and walked over with a warm smile. "And who might this be?"

"This is my daughter." Mom immediately stepped forward, her voice firm and possessive, as if terrified Claudia might snatch me away from her.

She even stepped forward to stop Claudia from getting too close.

Though clearly puzzled, Claudia managed a polite smile. "My, look at you. You've grown so much."

She asked warmly, "Which school do you attend?"

With a dismissive tone, Mom said, "She's never been the sharpest. Her grades were poor. She just barely made it into a vocational school."

I watched my mom lie through her teeth without even batting an eyelid.

Claudia turned to me with a warm smile. "What's your name?"

She was so beautiful and gentle. If only she were my mom.

I swallowed and replied, "My name is Janet Lambert."

"Janet Lambert," Claudia repeated, her gaze fixed on my face as she studied me closely. Slowly, her expression began to harden.

Mom noticed the change in her expression. "Claudia, actually..."

"Wait a second. Are you that Janet? The one who ranked first at Delsphere High and then... ended up at a vocational school?" Claudia asked, eyes narrowing.

I nodded.

At that moment, Mom suddenly grabbed my hand and gave it a sharp, warning pinch.

I had no idea what she meant.

Mom continued to lie, "They just share the same name. As if she could ever be that smart."

After the driver moved his car aside, Claudia pointed to a large promotional poster plastered on the wall.

My profile photo was front and center, with a detailed list of my accomplishments printed beneath it.

Claudia was bewildered. "Beatrice, you sent her to a vocational school? What on earth were you thinking?"

At the mention of this topic, Mom's face clouded over.

She said coolly, "Claudia, this is a private family matter. I'd appreciate it if you respected my decision."

Claudia blinked, stunned. "I respect your choices, Beatrice, but do you respect your daughter's? Did you ever ask what she wanted?"

See? Everyone knew that.

Sure, we weren't rich, but it wasn't like we were that poor. I could've gone to Delsphere High.

I could've worked part-time, earned scholarships—money was never the real problem.

"I..." Mom began.

Right then, a girl called out, "Mom, what's taking so long? Dad and Harry have been home forever. They're waiting for us to eat."

That same girl I'd seen with Harry walked over. She looked at me with nothing but disdain. "You again?"

Claudia asked, "Do you know her?"

The girl scoffed. "How could anyone not know her? She's famous. Isn't she the academic genius who went to vocational school?"

Claudia ridiculed, "Look at her, then look at you. No wonder your father refuses to show up to your parent-teacher meetings. You're always at the bottom of the class."

Though she sounded like she was grumbling, the affection in her voice was unmistakable.

While Claudia and her daughter were talking, I noticed Mom on the verge of tears.

She looked at Claudia's daughter, fighting back tears. "Is this... your daughter?"

Claudia beamed. "This is my daughter, Yelena Simmons."

I watched my mother's bizarre behavior in shock.

She grabbed Yelena's hand and looked her up and down, as if Yelena were her long-lost daughter.

So caught up in her emotions, she completely missed the look of disgust on Yelena's face.

She asked, "Who are you, Ma'am?"

"This is my best friend. You know, you and Janet share the exact same birthday." As Claudia finished speaking, she turned to me, her gaze tender.

Something seemed to come to her mind, and she said, "Oh, that reminds me. Your birthdays are just around the corner. How about we celebrate them together?"

Mom let go of Yelena and raised her voice. "We'll pass."

Claudia was startled by her outburst, and she explained, "Sorry, Claudia, I'm not feeling well today. I didn't prepare a birthday present for your daughter, so let me just give her a monetary gift instead."

With that, she pulled out 300 dollars from her pocket.

That was the scholarship money we'd just picked up from the academic affairs office. It was my reward for being a top student.

Without a second thought, Mom gave it to someone she'd just met for the first time.

Claudia tried to refuse, but Mom pressed so hard she had no choice but to accept.

She was completely out of character, and I watched in cold detachment.

They were clearly rolling in money; those 300 dollars probably meant nothing to them, yet I still didn't have a phone.