Chapter 5
I lowered my head, clenching my fists so tightly that my knuckles turned white. Tears welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill over.
Was I still not good enough? But I really gave it my all.
My parents looked visibly relieved.
"See? I always said she was just a burden, couldn't do anything right. Good thing we cut her loose early," they sneered.
People around started whispering.
"Girls just can't measure up to boys. Luke's kid barely put in any effort, and he still made it," someone muttered.
"Shh, keep it down. Todd cares about his reputation. If he hears you, he won't like it," another warned.
"Well, maybe Mara will just let it go now," someone else said.
Just then, the man posting the results spoke up.
He said, "Oh, by the way, this list is only for students who got into the standard high schools.
"But I've got an announcement that'll blow your minds. Mara Foster got accepted into the best high school in town with flying colors!"
That school was the top spot in town, the kind of place everyone was dying to get into.
I thought I'd be lucky if I could barely make it into a standard one. I really didn't expect this.
The good news hit me out of nowhere, and I was just standing there, dumbfounded.
Stanley froze for a moment, and then yelled, "No way! It must be someone else who has the same name. How could she possibly be that good?"
My parents were in total disbelief. They kept pestering the guy to double-check, and he was clearly getting fed up.
"Is there another Mara Foster in your town? How could anyone mess up something like this?" he shot back.
People in the town started giving me strange looks.
Some were surprised, some were impressed, and some even seemed a little uneasy around me.
Bursts of excitement had me rushing home to tell Todd the big news.
But he just grunted and kept on with his work, barely even looking up.
Honestly, I really thought he'd be proud of me.
It felt like a cold shower. My mood instantly tanked, and I sent a pebble flying with a frustrated kick.
Still stewing over Todd's reaction, I brushed off dinner, saying I wasn't hungry, and went to bed early.
In the middle of the night, I woke up to pee. As I passed through the front room, I spotted Todd sitting alone at the dining table.
He had a bottle of liquor and a small plate of snacks in front of him.
He was quietly sipping his liquor, absentmindedly tracing his fingers over the certificate the school had given me.
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.
Hmph, he was totally happy.
What was with the tough guy act?
Since high school meant I had to live on campus, Todd drove me there himself, hauling along bags of homemade treats for my roommates.
He was usually the quiet type, but this time he actually opened up, telling my roommates I was new around here and asking them to keep an eye on me.
In the end, he awkwardly fussed over my bed and tucked in the sheets all wrong before dragging himself away, clearly not wanting to leave.
Everyone in my dorm couldn't help but envy me.
One of my roommates said, "Mara, I thought your dad looked pretty intimidating at first, like he'd be tough to deal with."
Another chimed in, "Turns out, he's way more thoughtful than any of our dads. Seriously, I'm jealous."
Someone else added, "Honestly, you and your dad don't look alike at all. So, you must take after your mom, right?"
I just nodded and said, "Yeah, but my mom died pretty early. So it's just my dad and me now."
I only heard about this from one of the ladies in the town.
Back then, Todd's wife was the local beauty. Everyone said she was the prettiest woman for miles.
Too bad she passed away giving birth.
After that, a bunch of folks tried to play matchmaker for Todd, but he shot them all down.
He took me in because his wife always dreamed of having a daughter.
The baby she never got to meet was a girl, too.
Maybe he just saw me as a replacement for the daughter he lost.
But honestly, I didn't care.
Why bother worrying about all that? He was genuinely good to me, and that was what counted.
That was enough for me.
Back in the town school, I was the top student.
But once I hit town, especially at the top high school, there were smart kids everywhere.
My usual tricks stopped working real quick.
The pressure was insane. I timed myself for everything, even eating and bathroom breaks, and I was literally dreaming about vocab drills.
Sometimes I'd be so wiped out that I'd get nosebleeds in the middle of the night.
But I knew I couldn't stop.
Compared to being forced to marry that fool, Cody, in my previous life, this kind of grind was nothing.
Todd showed up every single week, always handing me food and slipping me some cash.
I kept telling him I had more than enough, couldn't even spend it all, and that he should stash some away for himself.
He looked skinnier, kind of gray and worn out, like he hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep in ages.
But back then, I didn't really notice. I just thought he was tired from all the work.
Thinking about it now, I was honestly way too oblivious.
This weekend, I waited forever at the school gate, but Todd never showed up.
I was starting to wonder what was going on when I spotted Jerry from the town waving at me from afar.
He handed me a bag of food and a wad of cash wrapped in newspaper.
He told me Todd had twisted his ankle and was resting up at home.
I thanked Jerry and lugged the stuff back toward my dorm, but the whole walk back, I couldn't shake this nagging worry in my chest.
Jerry's face looked kind of weird, like he was trying to hide something. Was he keeping something from me?