Chapter 3
“Dad wants you to apply to Yale.”
That night, Kieran stood outside my door.
Dad’s pretty traditional–he values education, thinks having kids in good colleges makes him look better.
I gripped the door handle, wanting to close it.
“But you told me to go abroad.”
Kieran was quiet for a moment, then laughed.
“You’re actually listening to me now?”
I already got the money, what choice did I have?
But before, I only listened halfway.
He’d tell me to fuck off, I’d leave for an hour, then come back.
This time I was genuinely embarrassed.
Five million dollars.
I promised I’d take it and leave, never show up again.
He said: “So you’re not listening to Dad anymore?”
I’d put on plenty of good–girl acts at home.
I looked down, biting my lip, acting all innocent and obedient, fidgeting with my dress.
He said: “Give me your login info. I’ll fill out your applications.
I said weakly: “Don’t send me to the middle of nowhere.”
Kieran chuckled softly.
“You know I won’t.”
I don’t know that.
And I don’t care.
After all, I’m taking international offers.
To be safe, Kieran applied himself to Yale Agricultural Sciences, put Sage down for Mechanical Engineering.
Chapter 3
His mom overseas has money and connections coming out her ass. He just needs the degree, doesn’t matter what major.
For my applications, he filled out all slots in Connecticut.
I had to delete them one by one.
Both him and Sage got accepted.
Dad was thrilled, ready to book a hotel for Kieran’s celebration banquet.
At dinner, he opened a bottle of wine and clinked glasses with Mom.
Kieran came downstairs and casually mentioned: “Should Ivy have her party with mine?”
We did a joint celebration after middle school graduation too.
Dad laughed.
“Ivy’s not having one yet.“.
“She’s going abroad. To avoid taking someone else’s college spot, she deleted all her applications.”
“We’ll do hers next year.”
The faint smile on Kieran’s lips instantly vanished.
His face darkened.
“Abroad?”
I kept my head down, quietly eating, occasionally sipping the wine that cost tens of thousands per bottle.
Couldn’t really handle it, but hey–drink more, earn more.
I’d never buy this shit myself.
Dad frowned.
“Yeah. The decision was pretty sudden, but I totally support Ivy.”
“Why are you making that face on such a happy day?”
Kieran looked down: “I’m not happy.”
Dad was confused.
“You said you wanted to go to the same college as someone you like. Now you got into Yale, and what’s there to be unhappy about?”
The major’s not great, but you can transfer later. We’re not actually making you farm.”
Your mom’s really happy too. She wants you to visit her for a month this summer.”
Chapter 3
Kieran asked: “Which country?”
Dad slammed down his fork: “You don’t even know what country your own mother lives in?”
He looked at me.
“I’m asking Ivy.”
Dad silently picked up his fork.
I put down my wine glass and looked up carefully.
“Haven’t decided yet.”
That night, Kieran sat in my room using my computer to look stuff up.
Why mine?
Because when they were checking acceptance results, Sage got so excited she knocked over her water glass and fried his laptop.
Seriously.
Grown–ass person playing with water in the study.
He took my chair, so I had to sit on the bed.
The room was quiet except for his typing and clicking..
“Go to France.” He suddenly said.
“Why?”
He paused: “Far from me.”
But that’s where his mom lives.
I glanced at him and scooted further away on the bed.
Kieran shot me a look, and I swear I saw a tiny smile.
“Come look at this school.”
Acting like a big brother again.
Moody bastard.
The AC was cranked pretty low.
I stepped barefoot on the cold floor, pulled my feet back, looking around for slippers.
Kieran casually tossed the jacket he was wearing onto the floor.
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Chapter 3
“Step on it.”
Starting his crazy shit without even drinking today.
I ignored him, tiptoed around it, and walked to the desk.
His expression didn’t change as he moved the mouse.
“How’s this one?”
I said: “Fine.”
He switched to a few other pages.
I kept repeating: “Fine.”
“All good.”
Kieran stopped moving.
He leaned back in the chair and stared up at me.
Actually, I’d already chosen ages ago.
Just didn’t want to tell him.
It started raining outside–sudden summer downpour.
“Are you mad at me?”
He suddenly asked, his voice so quiet it was almost drowned out by the rain.
I thought about this random–ass question and answered honestly: “No.”
At first I was.
He bullied me, told me to get the hell out of the Westfield house.
He said me and Mom were just gold–diggers.
Mom has some money too, just not as much as his parents.
He never gave me any respect at school either.
But my cold stepbrother turned into warm numbers in my bank account.
So I stopped caring how he treated me.
As for him forcing me to go abroad out of spite, I actually think he’s my guardian angel.
Chapter 3
But now I was too lazy to keep up the act–no point anymore.
He said: “Playing hard to get?”
That was tough to answer.
Acting weak and taking his money could count as playing hard to get, right?
But not in the way he thought.
I pressed my lips together, wanting to say something but hesitating.
His phone on the desk lit up at just the right moment–Sage calling.
He hesitated for a second, then picked up and walked toward the door.
Before closing it, he patiently told her: “Just wasn’t convenient to answer, that’s why I’m late picking up.”
He knows how to talk nicely.
He was just targeting me specifically before.
