Chapter 104: The York Couple’s Quarrel
What Alice Cole said seemed to give Brooke York the out she needed. She quickly nodded. "Right, it was because of that. After what happened, I just haven’t been able to focus on my studies."
"Regarding that incident, your dad was definitely in the wrong. How could he make you stand in the sun for so long just to apologize to those people?"
The memory of it made Brooke York feel humiliated, while Alice Cole was just angry.
Brooke York tugged on Alice Cole’s sleeve, her voice pleading. "Mom, can you please not tell Dad? If he finds out my scores on the third mock exam are this bad, he’ll be so disappointed in me."
"What’s there to be afraid of? You’re his daughter, no matter what. It’s not like he’d dare to scorn you, would he?"
"No, he can’t find out! He values Chloe so much right now. If he learns that Chloe’s grades are so good while mine are so bad, he might give up on me... and give the company to her!"
"Give the company to Chloe? In his dreams."
Just then, a maid appeared at the door. "Ma’am, Miss, the Master is back."
"Brooke, don’t be nervous. Relax. I won’t tell your father, and I’ll help you cover it up. Don’t worry."
Brooke York nodded and followed Alice Cole downstairs.
When they reached the dining room on the first floor, they saw Miles York, just as expected, already sitting at the table reading a newspaper.
Miles York saw them approach and put down his newspaper.
The two of them sat down, and the family of three began their meal. Suddenly, Miles York thought of something and asked, "Brooke, your results should be out, right? How did you do?"
Brooke York froze, her chopsticks hovering. She shot Alice Cole a pleading look, and Alice gave her a reassuring glance in return.
"Oh, the scores aren’t out yet. But do you even need to ask? When have Brooke’s grades ever dropped? She only ever improves, never gets worse!"
Miles York said nothing. He wasn’t going to take Alice’s word for it anymore; he wanted to see the results for himself.
"Then when will they be out? I remember they’re usually released on the Monday evening after the test. Wasn’t that the case last time? Why haven’t they been posted yet?" Miles York asked, puzzled.
"They have a new homeroom teacher this time. Different teachers release the scores on their own schedules."
Brooke York explained quickly. ’Thankfully, I never tell them my grades myself when they’re handed out in class. I always deliberately wait for the teacher to be the one to inform them.’
"Is that so? Alright then." Miles York didn’t press the issue.
Brooke York breathed a sigh of relief. ’That was too close.’
But halfway through the meal, Miles York’s phone suddenly pinged with a new message.
Miles York glanced at his screen, saw who it was from, and set down his chopsticks to pick up the phone. But in the next moment, the look on his face soured.
Soon, his expression had turned grim. The atmosphere around him grew heavy and oppressive, tinged with a palpable anger.
Brooke York and Alice Cole both sensed it and exchanged a glance.
Miles York put down his phone. "Brooke, did your school hand back the papers for the third mock exam today?"
Brooke York’s heart dropped. ’Why would he suddenly ask that?’
Although she didn’t know why a glance at his phone prompted the question, Brooke York knew she couldn’t tell the truth. "Not yet. The teacher said they aren’t finished grading them."
"Not a single one?" Miles York asked again, his gaze sharp and fixed on Brooke York.
Being stared at and questioned like that twice in a row, Brooke York began to panic. She lowered her gaze, her hand gripping her chopsticks tightly.
’She wasn’t sure if he knew something. But how could he? The results were sent to Mom; he shouldn’t know. Did someone tell him?’
Lost in her own frantic speculation, Brooke York completely missed the way her father’s expression was darkening by the second.
"What’s gotten into you? The child already said they haven’t been handed back yet! She doesn’t know her scores!" Seeing her husband’s demeanor, Alice Cole stepped in again to defend Brooke.
In truth, she was panicking too. ’The way he’s acting... he clearly knows something. Otherwise, why would he ask if not even one subject’s results were back?’
"Brooke, you are my daughter, but the one thing I cannot stand is lying. I’m going to give you one more chance. Tell me, were the mock exam papers handed out or not? Were some of them returned, but not all? Or is it true that not a single one has been given back?"
"Th-they really haven’t. The teachers aren’t done grading. And since this was the final mock exam, the teachers... they said it would take longer."
Brooke York chose to stick with the lie, but her words faltered.
Hearing her daughter’s stammering, Alice knew. ’The lie is falling apart. There’s no way Miles will believe her.’
And just as she finished speaking, Miles York slammed his hand on the table. The sudden bang made both Brooke York and Alice Cole jump.
Alice Cole was the first to recover, immediately taking the offensive. "What is wrong with you? Why are you flying into such a rage all of a sudden? Slamming the table like that... you scared us half to death!"
Miles York was unmoved by his wife’s words, his eyes still fixed on his daughter. "Brooke York, did you really think that if you didn’t tell me, I wouldn’t find out? Your new homeroom teacher, Mr. Parker, just sent me your results."
At his words, the color drained from both Brooke York’s and Alice Cole’s faces.
It dawned on Alice Cole. ’They had given the school two contact numbers. The previous homeroom teacher knew her better, so she always just sent both Chloe’s and Brooke’s results to her and didn’t bother Miles.’
’But this new teacher, wanting to be thorough, had naturally sent the report card to both numbers.’
"You’re just slipping further and further behind. What on earth is going through that head of yours all day? Are you spending all your time scheming against Chloe? Or maybe you’re too busy figuring out how to get on Mrs. Prescott’s good side? How to swap the marriage certificate and marry into the Prescott Family, is that it?"
Miles York fired off three questions in a row. Brooke York’s face went ashen. She felt utterly humiliated, wishing the ground would swallow her whole.
"Everyone makes mistakes! And no one can improve all the time. Sometimes you slip up. You just have to figure out why and fix it, right?" Alice Cole tried to reason with him.
"Besides, Brooke just had one bad mock exam. It’s not like this was the actual college entrance exam. Why are you being so harsh?"
"Me, harsh? Let me tell you, you’re part of the reason she’s like this! Ever since she came back, you’ve done nothing but spoil her. Now she’s grown willful and lost all the drive she had when she first returned."
Miles York turned his fury on Alice, who was trying to placate him.
’When Brooke first came back, she might have been a bit provincial, but her grades were good, and she was gentle. And now? Her grades have plummeted, and all she thinks about is plotting and scheming.’