They Celebrated the Wrong Daughter의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 9

It wasn't until the train attendant came through with the drink cart that Wesley Shaw seemed to remember I was there.He chose a bottle of watermelon juice, carefully twisted off the cap, and placed it in front of my foster sister, Cassidy Richards.Then, he handed me a bottle of water."I wasn't sure what you liked, so I just got you water."He remembered Cassidy's favorite drink, yet he didn't even know what his own girlfriend liked.My nose began to sting. The excitement I felt over my unexpectedly high SAT score disappeared in an instant.I didn't take the water. Instead, I flagged down the train attendant and bought myself a bottle of watermelon juice.Wesley's hand remained suspended between us. Annoyance flickered across his face."You're the one who insisted on taking this graduation trip. I seriously don't understand why you've been giving me the cold shoulder these past few days."Three years ago, he promised that if I went to the same high school as him, he would ta

Early the next morning, noise from downstairs woke me.Still groggy, I dragged myself out of bed and looked over the railing. Wesley was already downstairs, dressed and ready to leave.The moment he saw me, he waved. "It's graduation day. Why aren't you ready yet?"The fever had left my head foggy, and I hadn't even checked the class group chat.Before I could answer, Cassidy stepped out of her room. She was wearing the dress I had spent six months teaching myself to sew by hand.I embroidered tiny rabbits and foxes across the fabric to match the outfit I made for Wesley. The clothes looked simple, but I lost count of how many times I had pricked my fingers making them.Cassidy stood there nervously twisting the hem between her fingers."Daph, I really love it... Your mom said it looks good on me. But if you don't want me to wear it, I'll take it off and give it back right now."She said she would take it off, but her grip on the skirt only tightened.Wesley hurried upstairs a

With a clatter, Mom's phone slipped from her hand and hit the floor.She stood there in a daze.Even Dad was startled by her reaction. He picked up the phone and asked in disbelief, "Ms. Davis, are you sure there hasn't been some mistake? Cassidy scored a 1490. How could Daphne possibly have scored that much higher?"Now, Ms. Davis was even more baffled. How could any parents be so disconnected from their daughter's life that they were only now finding out her SAT score?Even worse, they didn't react with pride. They questioned whether it was true."Mr. Campbell, I'm absolutely certain. Daphne did exceptionally well. She scored a 1580."All the strength drained from Dad's body, and he sank into the nearest chair.Around them, relatives were still chatting, eating, and congratulating Cassidy and Wesley.Mom and Dad could feel people glancing their way, but all the color had drained from their faces. They forced smiles, though the strain was impossible to hide.A little later, t

The moment I stepped off the plane and turned on my phone, it nearly froze under the flood of more than a hundred messages.I also had missed calls from several different people.Mom had left me a string of messages on WhatsApp.[Daph, why are you being so difficult? You scored so well on the SAT. Why didn't you tell us? Where did you go? When are you going to stop making me worry?]Wesley had sent plenty of messages, too.[I can't believe you scored that high. This is great! We can go to Westhaven University together. Stop throwing a fit. You've worried your mom enough. Come home. We'll go take care of enrollment together in a few days.]I frowned as I read through them, then blocked their numbers and deleted every message.When I stepped outside the airport, Oakdale's breeze swept over me. For the first time, I had the courage to start over and pursue a future that belonged to me alone.As I left the terminal, I opened my map app and looked up the route to campus.A middle-a

Wesley stood outside the academic building, looking far more haggard than before.The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up."Daph! I've come looking for you so many times. I finally found you."His voice sounded strained, almost desperate. He reached for my hand, but I stepped back."What are you doing here? Aren't you tired of this?" I snapped. I had loved him for years, and I had never spoken to him like that before.He froze."What did you just say? Do you have any idea how much I've missed you? I kept waiting for you at Westhaven. Why did you choose Oakdale?"I checked the time. Class was about to start.I was done trying to spare his feelings."Because I didn't want to see you or Cassidy. I can't stand either of you. Is that clear enough?"I stepped around him and headed for the building.He rushed after me and grabbed me from behind."Daph, don't do this! There's nothing going on between Cassidy and me. You've got it all wrong. Please, just listen to me."I struggled