SWNOVELS Chapter 371-380
Chapter 371
“It might take over twenty days for them to regain consciousness.”
“I’ve heard their condition is pretty sticky,” Romeo paused before adding, “but I trust you’ll figure out a way, no matter the problem, as long as you’re on it.” Arabella gave a small smile, “You have faith in me?”
“Yes,” Romeo affirmed, “to you, the world splits into two kinds, the living and the dead. As long as they’re still breathing, you’ll find a way to save them.” Arabella thought of her ongoing project, heavily funded but not progressing as well as she wished. She sighed, “But there are so many diseases in the world I can’t
cure.”
“That’s why you decided to go private with your research. You want to help more people, give those who are sentenced by their illnesses a chance to live. You’re doing your best.”
“Do you think I’m chasing rainbows?”
“No, on the contrary, I think doctors should be like you, serving patients with an unselfish spirit. That’s real nobility.”
Hearing this, Arabella felt a warmth in her heart.
“You’re amazing,” Romeo laughed, “I’m so proud to have such a brilliant fiancée.”
After chatting, Arabella ended the call, took a bath, and went downstairs for a late–night snack.
“Ms. Bella, are you done with work? This soup is specially prepared for you by the Madam,” Edith–brought out a bowl of soup from the kitchen, smiling, “Try it and see if you like it.”
Seeing that Edith hadn’t rested yet, Arabella said, “You should go to bed. It’s late. I don’t need taking care of.”
“I’m not sleepy,” Edith laughed, looking very kind. .
Arabella tried a few spoonfuls of soup, then asked softly, “Did my brother talk with Serena tonight?”
Edith was taken aback, “Ms. Bella, how did you know?”
“I guessed,” Arabella said coolly.
“You guessed?” Edith looked at her in surprise, “How did you guess so accurately? You must be psychic.”
She didn’t hide it and told Arabella directly, “Tonight, I saw Hans and Serena chatting on the viewing platform on the second floor from the garden, but I was too far away to hear what they were saying.”
“That’s fine,” Arabella said calmly, “I know what they were talking about.”
She thought he must be persuading Serena, hoping she could turn over a new leaf.
“Did my mom make two soups?“,
Edith looked at Arabella in surprise again, “How do you know everything? The Madam did make two, one for you and one for Serena. I would call Serena down after you finished eating, so you two wouldn’t run into each other.”
Arabella didn’t expect her to be so considerate. Her parents treated Serena and her equally, but Serena still made trouble for herself.
After finishing her snack, Arabella went upstairs.
She opened her computer, entered a special software, and input a string of chemical equations, then started researching the prescription needed for her grandparents.
This software could calculate what side effects would be produced after one drug was combined with another, which was very helpful for her research.
After a while, she received another call.
“Boss, we have a big order again! This wealthy client said he wants as much as we have in stock! haha, you might need to prepare more designs tonight.”
“It’s not someone I know again, is it?” Arabella asked with a smile.
“I promise, this time, it’s definitely not! It’s a foreign client!”
“Alright.” Arabella agreed confidently, “When do they need it?”
“Preferably before eight o’clock tomorrow morning because I still need to get the factory to rush the goods. We only have one day.”
“Okay,” Arabella hung up the phone and continued her work.
Elsewhere, Edith came to Serena’s door and knocked, “Serena, the Madam has prepared a late–night snack for you. It’s something you like. Come down and eat.”
Chapter 372
Martha opened the door to see Edith, gave her an annoyed glare, and said with a cold snort, “Are you planning to feed Serena Ms. Bella’s leftovers or something? What do you think Serena is, a trash can?”
Edith got a little pissed off, “Martha, what the hell are you talking about? The lady made a late–night snack for both girls, and you’re acting like Serena’s getting Bella’s table scraps.”
“Anyway, Serena’s not hungry, and she doesn’t need to eat!” Martha said coldly and then slammed the door shut.
Edith was so mad she could stomp her foot. What a piece of work this woman was!
After Martha shut the door, she went over to Serena, “Serena, I got rid of her.”
Serena was sitting at her vanity, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She said coldly, “Just ignore her.”
“That’s just too much! She’s just a maid, but she dares to let you eat Bella’s leftovers. Isn’t that a slap in the face?” Martha said angrily, “You’re the lady of this house, the acknowledged daughter of the boss and his lady, and she dares to treat you like this just wait and see how I’ll sort her out!”
“Martha, don’t forget, Arabella still got that video of you. We better watch our steps.
Even though she was disappointed with her mother’s favouritism, she still said, “If you’re going to teach them a lesson, don’t do it in the house.”
Big brother had already noticed her animosity toward’s Arabella, what if mom and dad found out too.
She needed to take action outside!
“I knew it. The boss and his lady are biased, their own daughter came back, and you’ve become an outsider in this house. If they really cared about you, they wouldn’t even deny you a bowl of late–night snack! Isn’t that favouritism?” Martha growled.
Then she added, “Before he talked to you tonight, he specially planted Bella’s favourite marigold flowers on her balcony.”
“Marigold flowers?” Serena was a bit surprised when she heard this, big brother doing something so romantic, that’s so unlike him! Did Arabella ask for it? “He did this. Isn’t he just trying to make Bella think of him daily? This shows he really values this little sister!”
Serena felt even more depressed, “I know.”
“Didn’t he say he’ll treat you both fairly? Why does Bella get flowers and you don’t? Didn’t he say everything he gives to Bella now is what you’ve had in these eighteen years? But you’ve never had your own flowers.”
Serena lowered her head, feeling even more upset.
She originally thought big brother made some sense tonight, she even started to waver, and she began to wonder if she was really wrong to Arabella in the past.
Now, no matter how big or small the point was, it’s enough to hurt her deeply.
“Planting such low–level flowers, aren’t they afraid of lowering the family’s class? This is the richest family in the country! The cheapest flower in the garden costs/ thousands of dollars, she’s so ordinary, even the things she likes are ordinary! Aren’t they afraid of being laughed at when they grow out?”
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Martha couldn’t help but blurt out, “She’s so inconsiderate! If she wants to plant flowers, she can do it in her own room and admire them herself or let others pick some for her to put in a vase. Why does she have to plant them where everyone can see? Isn’t this just a blatant show–off?”
Serena felt like there was a ton of bricks on her chest.
“As for everything your parents and Hans said to you tonight, none of it is sincere! You can’t trust them! If you do, you’ll be played for a fool!”
Martha said this and then deliberately lowered her voice, “If Arabella didn’t return, you would be the only young miss in the house. When you get married, the wedding gift they give you will be priceless. But remember what the lady said last time? When you get married, your wedding gift will only be slightly more than what Brooklyn Reed’s sister got!”
Her sister’s wedding gift was eighty million dollars, plus twelve houses and cars.
“So they’re going to fob you off with just these things? How could they? Didn’t they say they consider you as their own daughter? You should at least be treated like one, right?” Martha paused for a while, then continued to persuade, “While Hans is away, we can stir up some trouble to make the madam loathe Arabella! As long as we achieve our goal.”
Serena flicked her long eyelashes, looking unsure, “But my big brother has eyes and ears everywhere.”
What if he found out and kicked her out of the house?
“We’re not trying to harm anyone. We just want to give Arabella a taste of her own medicine! We can’t just keep putting up with her arrogance while she’s high and mighty. Besides, without proof, even if Hans suspects, he won’t point fingers at us!”
“So, what’s your brilliant idea?” Serena asked anxiously.
“I think,” Martha leaned in and whispered a lot into Serena’s ear. Seeing that Serena didn’t react much after hearing it, she became a bit anxious, “Serena, if you want to be the best, want to get the attention of your parents and your brothers, want to have a future with Mr. McMillian, you have to take some risks and give it a try!” Serena still felt it wasn’t right, even though she really wanted to give Arabella a taste of her own medicine. But her brother’s words tonight built a thick wall in her heart, making her too scared to cross it.
“Think about everything that happened after Arabella came back, how your parents and Hans treated you,” Martha kept persuading her, “If that’s not favouritism, then what is?”
“But, Serena was still torn.
Serena, you need to think about your future!” Martha said, “Don’t worry. Even if something happens, I’ll take the blame.”
“Martha.” Serena was touched that a servant was better than her so–called family.
“I promise you,” Martha patted her chest, “If something goes wrong, I’ll take full responsibility.”
“Martha.”
“I’ve always treated you like my own child.” Martha’s voice was full of emotion, “I’ll do everything in my power to fight for your best interest. I want nothing but the best for you!”
Moved by Martha’s sincerity, Serena finally made up her mind.
The next morning, Kenneth got a call from the hospital saying that his mother’s health had slightly improved: They weren’t sure if it was because of Arabella’s acupuncture treatment yesterday.
Kenneth was over the moon. After he and Louisa got ready, they rushed to the hospital with the medicine Arabella gave them.
Not long after, the college entrance exam scores were available. Probably because so many people were checking at the same time, the system crashed in no time.”
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“Yoli, any luck? Still can’t load the page?” Olga Murphy was all antsy, like ants on a hot pan.
Seeing his wife pacing the living room, Attlee Murphy couldn’t help but say, “Quit pacing around. You’re just cranking up the pressure on Yoli. She’s already stressed enough.”
Although he was just as nervous, he managed to keep a calm front.
“It’s available.” Yolanda Murphy sat on the couch, typing in her test admission ticket number and ID number on her laptop, then clicked login.
“Did the results come out yet?” Olga rushed over to look, only to find that the system had crashed again.
After some time, Yolanda kept refreshing and logging in, finally getting in!
“Dad, Mom, I scored 601 points!!” Yolanda stared at the numbers on the screen, shouting out in excitement.
“Really?” Olga leaned in to check, grinning from ear to ear, “601! Really 601! So, getting into a good university is a shoo–in, right?”
“I can’t believe Yoli did so well!” The maid on the side chimed in, “I heard this year’s test was really tough. A lot of students who usually perform well didn’t do that great. My niece was just moping at home about scoring 530 points! Yoli scored 601! That’s mind–blowing!”
Olga chuckled smugly. How could a maid’s niece compare to her daughter?
Her daughter was naturally talented!
“Congrats, you guys have such a bright daughter!”
“With Yoli going to a good university, the future looks bright!”
“Yoli is really awesome. We uneducated folks can only admire!”
The maids were all chiming in with their compliments.
It had been a while since they had something to celebrate at home. Olga felt pretty stoked, “Attlee, let our relatives know. We will treat everyone to a meal at the best restaurant in Summerfield! And we can announce Yoli’s score! Oh, right, Yoli, how have you been with Zachary Panter recently? Still in touch?”
Yolanda was initially very happy, but her expression stiffened at that, “Yes.”
They talked every few days, always her initiating!
She couldn’t keep this up! Otherwise, she would really lose Zachary!
“As long as you’re in touch!” Olga was even more thrilled, plotting, “Invite his family over for dinner then. If his parents don’t want to come, just invite Zachary. Let him get to know our relatives, have some chit–chat.“.
“Zachary’s at a top university. Can you get into his school with your score?” Attlee suddenly asked.
Yolanda bit her lip, “The cut–off for Summerfield College was above 620 in previous years. The test was quite hard this year. Not sure if they’ll lower the cut–off.”
If it were lowered to 600, she would stand a chance!
“Zachary is just in the university town, right? There are ten universities there. As long as Yoli picks one of them, she can still see Zachary every day.” Olga wasn’t worried about this at all.
Suddenly, a maid rushed in, “Sir, ma’am, there are a lot of people outside! They’re all here for Yoli!”
“Who?” Olga was a bit confused, “Are they Yoli’s classmates?”
“Not sure, they are representatives from prestigious schools. They want to invite Yoli to their universities!”
“Really? Representatives from prestigious schools?”
Olga was super stoked, and Attlee was caught off guard.
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Yolanda glanced at her pajamas, “Mom, Dad, can you stall them for a bit? I need to run upstairs and change!”
“Could it be because the exam was tough and Yoli ranked high at Summerfield. That’s why all these top universities are knocking at our door?” Olga gushed.
“Could be!” Attlee darted a look out the window, and the front yard was jam–packed with people. Yoli must’ve aced the test!
Once Yolanda was dressed and ready, they rushed out to greet the crowd.
One officer spotted them from afar and shouted, “Hello there, I’m a college admissions officer. Your daughter’s college entrance exam score is impressive! Have you considered our university? Tuition’s on us!”
Attlee and Olga were gobsmacked. Could this be for real? They quickened their pace.
“Open the gates, open the gates,” Attlee urged the gatekeeper.
Like bees to honey, over twenty teachers swarmed in. They were mobbed, everyone jostling for the spotlight. It was a full–blown student recruitment war.
“We can match whatever they’re offering! In addition to tuition waivers, we offer a single VIP dormitory! Free stay throughout your course!”
Yolanda was all ears, a single dorm was exactly what she wanted!
“We offer single dorms too! Not just tuition waivers, but also a-$50,000 scholarship!”
50 grand?!
“We can offer a $100,000 reward!”
100 grand?!
“Our university has a beautiful campus. No matter what major you choose, you’ll have the best professors guiding you!”
“Our Summerfield College is the most prestigious college in the country. Anything they offer, Summerfield College can match!”
Attlee and Olga were over the moon, and they never expected their daughter to be such a hit!
Olga even sneakily slipped out of the crowd and whispered to the nanny. “What are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and capture this moment. I’ll be throwing a party and show everyone how popular Yoli is on the big screen!”
“Right away!” The nanny quickly whipped out her phone and started recording.
Yolanda figured her scores must be off the charts. After all, even Summerfield College was here.
“Thank you all for your warm invitation.” Yolanda smiled graciously, “Actually, I like all your universities, but Summerfield College offers the major I want to study. I’m sorry for making the rest of you take a fruitless trip.”
With that, she gave a polite bow, the epitome of a model student.
“Could you reconsider?”
Attlee confidently raised his hand to silence the crowd. Like a meeting chairperson. He cheerfully said, “I appreciate the attention and efforts all the university leaders and teachers have given to my daughter. It’s an honour for her to receive such recognition.”
He chuckled, then continued, “You all have travelled a long way. Please join me inside for some coffee and desserts, and then we can discuss school matters in detail.”
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Representatives of renowned universities hit the road when they got the message in the morning, with no time to grab a sip of water.
They all thanked Attlee for the invitation and prepared to enter the house.
“Yoli, still daydreaming? Hurry and usher the teachers in,” Olga said cheerfully and warmly.
Hearing the name “Yoli,” everyone halted in their tracks and looked at Olga in confusion.
“Ma’am, if I may ask, is Yoli a nickname for your daughter?”
“Yes, her name is Yolanda, but we usually call her Yoli.”
Upon hearing the name “Yolanda,” everyone realized they got the wrong person!
It was all because those admissions reps were too hasty, jumping the gun without confirming the applicant’s identity!
They almost ended up having coffee at the Murphy family’s!
“Excuse me, is this the Arabella residence?” one of the old professors suddenly asked.
Hearing the name “Arabella,” Attlee and Olga’s faces turned to shock.
“We’re looking for Arabella. As far as I know, she put down this address in her school records,” another representative took out Arabella’s school registered personal information, comparing it with the house number on the door, it was indeed here!
“Could Arabella have made a mistake with the address?”
“Do you have a neighbour named Arabella around here?”
“Perhaps the kid just goofed up and wrote down the wrong house number!”
There were plenty of detached houses in this area. Arabella might just live in one of them!
“You’re looking for Arabella?” Attlee seemed quite taken aback.
Olga instinctively asked, “Is she a top student?”
“Yes, she came first in the college entrance exam!”
Hearing this, everyone in the Murphy family, including the maids, was dumbfounded!
Arabella came first in the college entrance exam.
Wasn’t she a poor performer before? Did these teachers get the names mixed up? How could Arabella possibly be the top scorer?
“It seems we’ve got the wrong person. We’re sorry.” Seeing the reaction of the Murphy family, the teachers started apologizing and prepared to leave.
Olga quickly stopped one of the professors, “Excuse me, I would like to know if Yoli’s score is enough to get into your school?”
The one who was stopped was a professor from Summerfield College, who previously had a nagging feeling that the name Yolanda was familiar, and now finally remembered who she was.
He pulled his hand back coldly, his demeanour contrasting from the warm one before.
He looked at Yolanda and confirmed again, “Your name is Yolanda?”
“Yes.” Despite being hit by Arabella’s score, Yolanda still smiled and spoke politely, “I scored 601 this year.”
“Not enough.”
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Just as the old professor was about to leave, Yolanda rushed to ask, “Has the admission score of Summerfield College gone up?”
The professor’s gaze landed back on Yolanda, a hint of annoyance in his eyes. “I heard you won an award in a major piano competition by plagiarizing. No matter your score, our school won’t accept a student with bad character.”
The other university professors were all surprised. They had always thought of Yolanda as a polite and refined student. They couldn’t believe she would plagiarize to win an award. It was absolutely unacceptable!
Yolanda’s face turned pale instantly.
Another admissions officer also said, “Although our admission score this year is 600 points, we also don’t accept students with bad character.”
“We are the same.”
“Don’t even think about getting into our school. Even if you apply, we won’t accept students with character issues. Our principal attaches great importance to students‘ character.”
“Our principal does too.”
Hearing the teachers from these top universities express their rejection one after another, Yolanda’s face turned even paler, and she could barely stand.
Attlee was shocked, only understanding what had happened after they had left.
And when Olga saw the nanny still filming, she snapped angrily, “What are you still filming for? Haven’t we been humiliated enough?”
The neighbours enjoyed the spectacle, especially Fiona Bishop, who had previously tried to sign a contract with them. She was clearly enjoying their discomfort. Olga’s face was burning. She pulled Yolanda and whispered, to the others, “Get inside the house now.”
They all hurried into the house and locked the door.
“How could Arabella possibly be the top scorer of the college entrance exam? She must have cheated! I’m going to report her! What makes her qualified?” Olga paced anxiously around the living room.
Before anyone else could speak, Olga angrily said, “It must be her. She must have leaked what happened at the awards ceremony. How else would the teachers from these top universities know what happened that day? Don’t forget that the awards ceremony was not public!”
As she said this, Olga wished she could strangle Arabella.
“There’s no such thing as a perfectly kept secret! I don’t think it was Arabella who spilt the beans. Attlee sat on the couch, his earlier confidence and arrogance gone.
Yolanda was also upset. Her dad still trusted Arabella so much. If it wasn’t Arabella who leaked it, then who was it?
“How do you know it wasn’t her? You always take her side!” Olga stomped her foot in frustration. “You and your mom are fooled by that girl!”
“If Arabella really did tell the professor from Summerfield College, it would mean they knew each other. But that professor clearly didn’t know Arabella. He even mistook Yoli for the top scorer of this year’s college entrance exam!”
Everyone listened and thought his reasoning made sense.
“Maybe she told the professor over the phone, so he didn’t know what she looked like?” Olga suggested.
“The point now is not who leaked the news!” Attlee corrected angrily. “The point is, Yoli was rejected by those famous universities at the same time. How will the neighbours view this? Can we still choose those universities in the university town when we apply to college in the future? If not, she will be so far from Zachary. What if Zachary is attracted by other girls? Then what about Yoli?”
“You’re right.” Olga quieted down, starting to think of a solution.
“Stop blaming everything on Arabella. If you hadn’t done such a drastic thing before, we could have also been proud of Arabella for being the top scorer in the college entrance exam.”
“And before that, if we hadn’t made our relationship with her so bad, even if Yoli plagiarized Arabella’s work, Arabella wouldn’t have been so strict. Now she wants us to compensate for the loss and cut ties with us.”
“And before that, she knew Dylan. She might have been able to help us establish a good relationship with Allbara Investment.”
“All these good connections, you ruined them all!”
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Just as the old professor was about to leave, Yolanda rushed to ask, “Has the admission score of Summerfield College gone up?”
The professor’s gaze landed back on Yolanda, a hint of annoyance in his eyes. “I heard you won an award in a major piano competition by plagiarizing. No matter your score, our school won’t accept a student with bad character.”
The other university professors were all surprised. They had always thought of Yolanda as a polite and refined student. They couldn’t believe she would plagiarize to win an award. It was absolutely unacceptable!
Yolanda’s face turned pale instantly.
Another admissions officer also said, “Although our admission score this year is 600 points, we also don’t accept students with bad character.”
“We are the same.”
“Don’t even think about getting into our school. Even if you apply, we won’t accept students with character issues. Our principal attaches great importance to students‘ character.”
“Our principal does too.”
Hearing the teachers from these top universities express their rejection one after another, Yolanda’s face turned even paler, and she could barely stand.
Attlee was shocked, only understanding what had happened after they had left.
And when Olga saw the nanny still filming, she snapped angrily, “What are you still filming for? Haven’t we been humiliated enough?”
The neighbours enjoyed the spectacle, especially Fiona Bishop, who had previously tried to sign a contract with them. She was clearly enjoying their discomfort. Olga’s face was burning. She pulled Yolanda and whispered, to the others, “Get inside the house now.”
They all hurried into the house and locked the door.
“How could Arabella possibly be the top scorer of the college entrance exam? She must have cheated! I’m going to report her! What makes her qualified?” Olga paced anxiously around the living room.
Before anyone else could speak, Olga angrily said, “It must be her. She must have leaked what happened at the awards ceremony. How else would the teachers from these top universities know what happened that day? Don’t forget that the awards ceremony was not public!”
As she said this, Olga wished she could strangle Arabella.
“There’s no such thing as a perfectly kept secret! I don’t think it was Arabella who spilt the beans. Attlee sat on the couch, his earlier confidence and arrogance gone.
Yolanda was also upset. Her dad still trusted Arabella so much. If it wasn’t Arabella who leaked it, then who was it?
“How do you know it wasn’t her? You always take her side!” Olga stomped her foot in frustration. “You and your mom are fooled by that girl!”
“If Arabella really did tell the professor from Summerfield College, it would mean they knew each other. But that professor clearly didn’t know Arabella. He even mistook Yoli for the top scorer of this year’s college entrance exam!”
Everyone listened and thought his reasoning made sense.
“Maybe she told the professor over the phone, so he didn’t know what she looked like?” Olga suggested.
“The point now is not who leaked the news!” Attlee corrected angrily. “The point is, Yoli was rejected by those famous universities at the same time. How will the neighbours view this? Can we still choose those universities in the university town when we apply to college in the future? If not, she will be so far from Zachary. What if Zachary is attracted by other girls? Then what about Yoli?”
“You’re right.” Olga quieted down, starting to think of a solution.
“Stop blaming everything on Arabella. If you hadn’t done such a drastic thing before, we could have also been proud of Arabella for being the top scorer in the college entrance exam.”
“And before that, if we hadn’t made our relationship with her so bad, even if Yoli plagiarized Arabella’s work, Arabella wouldn’t have been so strict. Now she wants us to compensate for the loss and cut ties with us.”
“And before that, she knew Dylan. She might have been able to help us establish a good relationship with Allbara Investment.”
“All these good connections, you ruined them all!”
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“Are you blaming me?” Olga was incredibly pissed off, “How was I supposed to know she was that good? And let’s be honest, no matter how nice we are to her, do you think she’d appreciate it, let alone reciprocate? Look at everything that’s happened at home. Has she ever really helped out?”
“Can you guys stop arguing?” Yolanda was fed up. Her parents were constantly bickering in front of her, driving her up the wall.
Only then did Olga notice her daughter’s frustration and toned down her anger, “Yoll, don’t sweat today’s stuff. Scoring 601 is already a big deal! We’re all so proud of you!”
Yolanda wasn’t buying it, though. That dummy actually got first place, and she only scored 601! She felt embarrassed!
“I’m going upstairs!” At that moment, all Yolanda wanted was to change out of her clothes as fast as possible. She had dolled herself up because she thought the lecturers from the prestigious university were coming to see her.
Turned out, she was just the butt of the joke!
At Reflections Villa.
Serena descended the stairs in an elegant nightgown, tablet in hand, and asked gently, “Martha, could you check what’s up with the internet? Why is our connection suddenly gone?”
She couldn’t connect her tablet to the wifi, but it was crucial for checking her test results.
“Serena, don’t worry. I’ll go check it out right away.”
1
Martha knew they were expecting exam results today. Could Arabella have done poorly and hired someone to sabotage their internet connection so they couldn’t compare Serena’s results to hers?
With that thought in mind, Martha hurried off, eager to see Arabella embarrass herself.
Not long after, Martha rushed back into the living room, one slipper flying off in her haste, a huge grin on her face, “Serena, Mr. Collins just got word that teachers and professors from a bunch of top universities are on their way over. Apparently, the top scorer is here at Reflections Villa!”
Catching her breath, she hurriedly shared the news, “And some major university professors are also hurrying over, taking every form of transportation they can! Only you and Ms. Bella took the exam at Reflections Villa!”
Serena was overjoyed at the news. Could it be that she was the top scorer?
One of the maids couldn’t help but say, “Could the top scorer be Serena? She’s been an excellent student since she was young! She even got first place in the last mock exam!”
“Ms. Bella’s high school is pretty average. Even if she normally does well. It’s hard for her to get top scores, right?”
“I think Serena has a higher chance.”
“I think so too.”
“Whoever it is, you should freshen up and change into something appropriate. I heard some of the faster professors are almost at Reflections Villa!” Serena felt she might be the top scorer but didn’t want to appear too eager. She suppressed her excitement and asked, “Where are my parents?” “They went to the hospital this morning to deliver medicine to the elders and are on their way back now,” Martha‘ replied.
“I’ll go change then.”
After Serena went upstairs, Edith was very anxious and couldn’t help but linger outside Arabella’s room.
Arabella had spent the whole night drawing design drafts and spent a lot of time making antidotes. She had only just fallen asleep.
Not long ago, she told Edith not to wake her up or call her for lunch.
If she didn’t get enough sleep, she got very grumpy.
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Edith hovered at the door for a bit, then heaved a sigh and headed downstairs, not wanting to wake Ms. Bella.
Serena just came downstairs in a new outfit, and Martha immediately started gushing over her. “Serena is so stunning! With that kind of grace and looks, no one else in the world can hold a candle to you!”
The surrounding maids couldn’t help but think of Ms. Bella’s beauty. Sure, Ms. Bella might be even more gorgeous, but they didn’t want to rain on Serena’s parade. After all, Serena’s a knockout too.
“Serena, congrats! You’re definitely snagging the top spot!” someone laughed, “Have you decided on a major yet?”
Serena answered with false modesty, “Not sure if I’ll be number one, could be my sister?”
“Serena, everyone knows you’re top dog!” Martha beamed, full of confidence, “I watched you grow up. Who else could it be but you?”
Just then, a maid excitedly announced, “The internet’s back, Serena! You can check your scores now!!”
Serena quickly grabbed the tablet on the sofa and punched in her exam and ID numbers.
A gaggle of maids circled her, firing off questions.
“Why isn’t the webpage loading?”
“Could it be that there are too many people checking results, and it’s crashing the system?”
“I’m so nervous, even more than when I checked my own scores.”
“Serena’s score is gonna be sky–high.”
The webpage remained blank. One maid comforted her, “No sweat, Serena. You’re for sure the top scorer. The results will show up soon.”
“Congrats, Serena, you’ve made your parents proud!”
“Congrats, Serena.”
“Serena, kudos to you!”
Although Serena was confident she nailed the top spot, she still awaited the results. Her eyes never left the screen as she gently said, “Don’t congratulate me too early if it’s not me.”
“It’s definitely you!” Martha chimed in, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “We’ve got two students in this house. If one’s top and the other bombs, well, that’s just embarrassing! If I were the one who bombed, I’d dig a hole in the garden and bury myself rather than face the shame.”
Everyone caught the dig at Ms. Bella, but no one dared to speak up due to Martha’s standing.
Only Edith reprimanded her, “Martha, the results aren’t out yet. It’s not fixed who’s number one.”
“Once the results are out, someone’s gonna be red–faced!” Martha asked Edith, “What did Ms. Bella promise you for defending her? Wanna make a bet?”
Edith, a bit peeved, asked, “Bet on what?”
“Let’s bet on today’s chores. Whoever loses has to do all the housework. If someone loses, the rest of us are off the hook, and she’s got to do it all! How about it?”
“I’m in!” Edith thought to herself, can’t let her win in spirit. No one’s going to disrespect Ms. Bella on her watch.
Just then, someone shouted excitedly, “Serena’s scores are out!”
Everyone huddled even closer!
Chapter 380
Serena was thrilled to find out her total score was 722.
That score was even higher than last year’s top score at Summerfield.
“Wow, your scores are off the charts!”
“The top scores in other cities usually hover around 702, 708, 711. No one’s hit 722 yet!”
“So, does that mean Serena is the national champion?”
“Serena is the national champion?”
Everyone was stunned. Even Serena herself couldn’t believe it and was ecstatic.
Martha excitedly said, “Serena, snap out of it and call your parents with the good news!”
“Such great news needs to be shared!” Martha quickly handed her a cell phone, “Call them now!”
i
Serena couldn’t believe her scores were even higher than she had anticipated.
She was feeling pretty smug, knowing she was about to become famous.
Her name would be in the headlines, trending topics, and all major platforms!
She was undeniably the national champion!
She was about to become the centre of attention!
Seeing her dialling the number, Martha couldn’t help but boast, “Blood relations are no big deal. It’s you who are bringing glory to your parents! Everyone else can just bow down to you!”
Everyone knew she was mocking Ms. Bella, but no one dared to speak up for fear of offending her.
After a while /Kenneth Collins answered the phone, “Serena, are the scores out?”
“They’re out.” Serena tried to control her excitement and calmly said, “I scored 722.
“722? That’s the highest score nationally, isn’t it?” Kenneth happily said, “What about your sister? Are her scores out?”
Serena was a bit annoyed that her father brought up her sister so soon, but she quickly laughed, “My sister is in her room by herself right now. She might be sleeping or feeling down. Dad, when are you coming home? You should spend some time with her when you get back, give her some courage and confidence, okay?”
“We’ll be home in five minutes.”
“Alright, my sister and I will be waiting for you at home.” Serena gracefully ended the call. Then she couldn’t resist sharing the good news in all her group chats. Her class group chat had already announced her score. Many classmates were guessing that she was the national champion. Serena denied it modestly while smirking.
After receiving many compliments, she turned to Edith, “Edith, it’s getting late. Can you wake my sister up? If she’s the national champion and the teachers from prestigious schools are at our doorstep, and she hasn’t even washed up. That’d be quite embarrassing.”
Before Edith could respond, Martha laughed coldly, “If she could be the national champion, I would kneel down and polish her shoes! Serena, you must be confident. You are definitely the national champion!”
1
Since Serena had already shared the news in the group chat, many people guessed she would be the national champion. The news spread quickly, and soon, many mothers and ladies of high society were calling Louisa.
When Louisa walked in, she was still dealing with them, “No, we didn’t really push her to study. She did it all by herself. It’s too early to say she’s the national champion, haha. Alright, if our family does have the national champion, we’ll definitely throw a party.”
Kenneth was also busy with phone calls, “Throw a party? Of course! If the champion is from our family, not only a party, everyone is welcome to our vacation villa anytime. We’ll cover all the costs.”
Meanwhile, Serena was basking in the glory of being the national champion, feeling proud and also texted Hans Collins on WhatsApp to announce the good news.
“Did Arabella’s scores come out?“.
Of course, everyone at home was concerned about Arabella!!
Serena whispered, “She’s locked herself in her room, probably not feeling great.”
As for why she wasn’t feeling great, Serena didn’t need to spell it out. Anyone with half a brain could guess she didn’t do well.
At this point, Hans didn’t reply but instead sent a message to Arabella.
Arabella was still asleep, her phone on silent, unaware of the messages piling up on her screen.
[Did your scores come out? Don’t worry. I’m here for you.]
Romeo McMillian had also messaged her that morning.
[How did you do? Don’t stress. I’ve got your back.]
And there were many more unread messages.
[Bella, my guys couldn’t find you, then I remembered you’re not living with the Murphy family anymore. You’re at Reflections Villa, right? My guy is on his way. You better apply to my school!]
Seeing Louisa end her call, Martha quickly complimented her, “You’re so lucky to have such a smart and beautiful daughter like Serena. Now you’re the mother of the national champion, you’re going to get a lot of media attention!”
Louisa laughed, “You’ve spent the most time with Serena since she was a little girl. If Serena really is the national champion. You’re the unsung hero! No matter if Serena is the champion or not, everyone’s salary will be doubled this month. Martha, your salary will be multiplied by five.”
“Thank you!” Everyone thanked her in unison, very excited.
Martha, being pleased, added, “Ms. Balla might not have done well or doesn’t have the courage to check her scores. You guys should go comfort her. If her scores aren’t good and she wants to retake the exam next year, Serena can help her out. Let’s not let her feel down.”
Just as Louisa was about to go upstairs, a maid rushed in to report.
“Dozens of teachers from famous universities are at our doorstep. What should we do? should we invite them in?”
“I’ll go invite them in myself.” Louisa quickly left the hall.
Kenneth was hot on her heels, with Serena confidently strutting alongside. All the household servants followed out to catch the show.
“Hello, we’re here looking for the national top scorer.”
Before the speaker, a professor from Summerfield College could finish, Martha hurriedly pulled Serena in front of him, “The top scorer is right here. This is Serena. She scored 722 points this year!”
Serena held her head high, waiting for them to fight over her, this outstanding student.
“She really is impressive. The young people these days are really something, hahaha.” The professor laughed in a friendly manner, with other teachers nodding in agreement, their eyes filled with admiration for Serena.
722 points, that truly was a sky–high score!