After the interviews, public opinion about me and Asia took a sudden turn.
My classmates began to say that she had a persecution complex and started distancing themselves from her:
"Don’t get too close to Asia. Otherwise, if there’s a disagreement, she might say you bullied her because she’s poor."
"To be fair, her family isn’t that poor, right? Her parents have legitimate jobs. There are plenty of students at our school who receive financial aid loans, but we’ve never seen them complain about being bullied."
"Well, some people just like to blame fate instead of working hard."
Surprisingly, Asia remained very quiet throughout all of this.
She stayed quiet through the final self-study period leading up to the college entrance exam, and didn’t cause any trouble after the exam ended.
Claire warned me, "Be careful. She’s probably preparing to strike back."
I smiled. "It’s okay. She can keep her composure, and so can I."
I could sense that Asia was plotting something.
At home, it was clear that Cayden’s attitude towards me was deteriorating.
In the past, he at least avoided bullying me in front of the Daughertys.
Now, during a family meal, he slammed a bowl full of chicken soup onto the table, splashing hot oil and broth onto my face.
The nanny nearby let out a startled cry and hurriedly brought me an ice pack and burn ointment.
Throughout the incident, Mrs. Daugherty continued sipping her soup as if nothing had happened.
Mr. Daugherty lifted his head slightly and said to Cayden, "Be more gentle. Don’t make people think our child is uncivilized."
They didn’t bother with me.
To them, I was just an adopted daughter without real affection. They brought me home based on the advice of a soothsayer, like a decorative money tree, aiming for good fortune.
In the previous life, Asia tried to cultivate a relationship with them.
It proved to be a completely mistaken approach.
When the Daughertys were busy, they would leave even their biological son with the nanny. How could they develop a relationship with an adopted daughter?
In the world of the wealthy, talking about emotions is the least useful. Talking about benefits is effective.
So, I put down the ice pack and spoke calmly:
"Dad, Mom."
"There’s something I need to tell you."
"I scored 800 on the SAT, making me the top student in the science category."
As soon as I finished speaking, Mr. and Mrs. Gu raised their heads sharply.
Even Cayden’s eyes widened.
I picked up a piece of salad with my chopsticks, ate it slowly, and then met the astonished gazes of the three at the dinner table, speaking calmly:
"As you’ve always said, studying is our own responsibility, so I didn’t think to report it."
"But my teacher just called me. They said journalists want to interview you about your parenting methods, so I wanted to ask if you’re available."
In the previous life, even while working part-time and studying, my academic performance was excellent.
In this life, having learned the same material again without any obstacles, my grades soared.
the Daughertys exchanged looks.
Up until now, they hadn’t paid attention to the exam.
Cayden had already applied to schools in Australia and would go abroad for further studies right after finishing high school, so he didn’t need to take the exam.
As for me, their adopted daughter, they left things to fate and didn’t bother to put in effort.
No one could have imagined that I would score so well.
"I want to apply to the W University." I looked at Mr. Gu. "I plan to intern in the investment department of Dad’s company during my first year."
Mr. Daugherty was silent for two seconds, and when he spoke again, a smile appeared on his face:
"It’s good that you have this ambition."
"Destiney, congratulations —— bring out the red wine from the trunk of my car. Destiney must be eighteen now, right? Let’s celebrate properly today."
I ignored Cayden’s gloomy gaze, which was almost dripping with hostility, and raised my glass to clink with the Daughertys, thanking them warmly for raising me.
I bet correctly.
