Chapter 105: Brooke York’s Confidence
"So, you’re blaming me? Miles York, Brooke is my biological daughter. Who else would I dote on? She’s only just come back to us, so why are your expectations for her so high? You’re putting so much pressure on her, you know that?"
"I’m putting pressure on her? As a daughter of the York family, if she’s going to enjoy the benefits and glory that come with her status, then she has to bear the responsibilities that come with it. Her every move can affect the company."
"All you ever see is the company. It’s always the company, the company, and nothing else! Why don’t you just go marry your company? Why did you even marry me and have children?"
"How can you even compare the two?"
"Why can’t I? Since Brooke came back, have you ever once cared about her? You only think about whether she can bring you benefits, whether she can bring your company prestige. What about you? Have you ever given her a father’s love?"
Their argument grew louder and louder. Even the busy servants heard the commotion, but this was the family’s private business, so they couldn’t meddle.
Brooke York’s eyes were red-rimmed, but she didn’t interrupt their conversation.
"You’re being unreasonable," Miles York finally said.
"I’m being unreasonable? Hah. Miles York, that’s rich. When you can’t win an argument, when you know you’re in the wrong, suddenly *I’m* the one who’s being unreasonable?"
"Enough. I don’t want to argue with you." Miles York sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and began to eat.
Seeing Miles York sit down to eat, Alice Cole took a few deep breaths and sat down as well, though her glare at him never softened.
Miles York finished eating quickly. He put down his chopsticks and looked at Brooke York again.
Sensing his gaze, Brooke York startled. ’What more does he want to say?’
"If your grades don’t improve, if you aren’t the top scorer on the college entrance exam, and if you get into a bad school, then I’ll have no choice but to hold the college acceptance party for Chloe York only." Miles York delivered it like an ultimatum.
Brooke York looked up at Miles York abruptly. ’He’s going to hold a college acceptance party just for Chloe York?’
’He’s my own father! How could he do this without even thinking about me? Where does this leave me?’
"Miles York, what are you talking about? You won’t hold a college acceptance party for your own daughter, but you’ll hold one for an outsider? Even if Brooke does poorly, you could just cancel it altogether. Why must you hold one just for Chloe York?"
The fire that had just been extinguished flared up again instantly. If her daughter—Alice Cole’s daughter—wasn’t getting a college acceptance party, on what grounds did Chloe York deserve one?
"If Brooke York’s grades are terrible, how am I supposed to hold a party for her? To invite everyone over to laugh at us?"
"And another thing, have you not seen Chloe York’s grades? She’s scoring above 95 in every subject. Plus, she still has a month of study time; she has room to improve. What if she becomes the top scorer? Would it be right for me not to hold a party for her then?"
Miles York’s tone was also filled with anger. Initially, he had hoped that both Chloe York and Brooke York would get into a good university. Ideally, both would become top scorers, bringing him prestige and benefits for his company that would be immeasurable.
But he never expected that Brooke York’s grades would plummet so drastically.
Compared to Chloe York’s scores of over 95 in every subject, her 89 was pathetic. Some were even in the 70s. With grades like these, what good university could she possibly get into? If word got out that his biological daughter performed worse than his adopted one, what face would he have left?
Brooke York remained silent the entire time, her head lowered. She knew that in Miles York’s eyes, there were only grades. As long as her scores were lower than Chloe York’s, even though she was the true daughter of the York family, Miles York would show her no mercy.
If Miles York really did hold a college acceptance party only for Chloe York, then she, the true heiress of the York family, would have no standing whatsoever. She would become a laughingstock.
Alice Cole fell silent as well, mainly because she didn’t know what else she could say. Brooke’s grades had indeed dropped. Compared to Chloe York’s, her scores were utterly pathetic.
Holding a party would just be inviting everyone to come and laugh at her daughter.
And Chloe York was, for now, still a daughter of the York family. If she achieved excellent results and they didn’t hold a party for her, it would indeed affect the family company.
Miles York found the sight of Brooke York and Alice Cole irritating now, so he stood up and went upstairs.
Alice Cole’s gaze fell on Brooke York. Seeing her with her head bowed the whole time, she felt a pang in her heart and sat down beside her. "Brooke, don’t overthink it. The most important thing for you to do right now is to calm down and focus. Work hard for this last month and see if you can pull your grades back up on the college entrance exam!"
"If you can bring your scores up, you’ll get your college acceptance party, and you’ll make your dad see you in a new light."
"I know, Mom. I’ll work hard. I won’t let Chloe York beat me. I will be the top scorer." Brooke York’s voice was filled with confidence.
She didn’t need Alice Cole to tell her; she knew what she had to do. The effort she needed to put in now had to be even greater than usual.
"That’s right. That’s the confidence you need. What’s so great about Chloe York? She used to be so dense. Who knows what kind of dumb luck she had on these last two tests to do so well. Maybe she’ll go back to her old self when the real college entrance exam comes around."
"Mhm!"
"Let’s not worry about your dad. All he cares about is his reputation. He can’t even figure out who his real daughter is; it’s all about face. You eat up, build up your strength. Go upstairs and study after you finish eating. Dazzle them all when the college entrance exam comes."
"Okay!" Brooke York took large bites of the food Alice Cole had put on her plate. Although she didn’t like Alice Cole much right now, she knew her mother’s words weren’t wrong.
’I can’t lose my composure now. I have to hold it together and get my grades up. If this continues, I’ll really become a joke.’
At the same time, she felt a great deal of resentment toward Mr. Parker. Her previous homeroom teachers had only ever notified Alice Cole.
’Why did he have to be different and send it to both Alice Cole and Miles York?’
In reality, the reason Mr. Parker had sent the grades to both parents was that he had just taken over the class. For students with two phone numbers on file, he wasn’t sure which parent was more involved in their child’s schooling.
So, he sent it to one number at first. The parents with only one number on file had all replied with a "Received," but he got no reply from this one. He assumed it wasn’t the right contact, so he sent the report card to the other phone number as well.
Miles York returned to his study, pulled out his phone, and looked at the message and the grade report Mr. Parker had sent him.
In truth, if it had only been about the grades, his anger wouldn’t have been so extreme. There was another reason: Mr. Parker’s comments.
He had said that Brooke York’s grades had dropped severely recently, and it seemed like her mind wasn’t on her studies at all.
And from that incident with Mrs. Prescott, he already knew Brooke York’s mind wasn’t on her studies.