chapter 2
Lydia, with red eyes, knelt directly in front of the interviewer.
She pleaded cautiously, "Please, let my daughter go to school. We'll find a way to gather whatever amount it takes!"
The interviewer ignored her.
Lydia simply started kowtowing.
Her forehead was bruised, and she grabbed the interviewer's pant leg.
Her voice choked, "My daughter is waiting to go to college! Her father and I have worked on the farm all our lives. Our biggest wish is to support her education so she can have a better life and not suffer like us. Please!"
Gideon also knelt down.
He hunched over, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and handed one to the interviewer.
He said, "I may not be educated, but I know my daughter's grades are top-notch, and she will definitely get into college.
"If she doesn't go to college, her future will be ruined. I'm begging you to help!"
Gideon smokes only the cheapest cigarettes to support my education.
Watching Gideon and Lydia, who had never bowed to anyone, humble themselves like this for me, my heart ached deeply.
Although our family is ordinary, Gideon and Lydia had never endured such humiliation despite all their hardships.
At this moment, he was kneeling and pleading for me to go to college.
Unfortunately, none of this worked.
The interviewer was not moved at all.
He said, "Don't do this, we will not admit Ashley."
Gideon thought his sincerity wasn't enough and even grabbed a sleeve to shine the interviewer's shoes.
He polished the shoes while begging, even kowtowing again.
Even so, the interviewer remained unmoved. "Stop pretending to be pitiful here, it's useless. We won't admit a student like Ashley."
The interviewer's tone was firm.
But no matter how much Gideon and Lydia pleaded, the interviewer refused to pay us any attention.
After the interviewer left, Stanford University revoked my admission.
I, the person involved, was completely baffled.
I desperately searched for reasons within myself.
What do you mean by a student like me?
What exactly did I do wrong?
In my memory, I never did anything wrong.
Since childhood, my grades have been good, my conduct upright, and Ive been a role model for other students.
Gideon and Lydia saw me looking dazed and came over to comfort me.
Gideon patted my head and said, "Ashley, it's okay. If this school doesn't want you, you can apply to another one. There are so many universities in the country; one will definitely accept you."
Lydia wiped away my tears and agreed, "Ashley, your grades are so good, how could you not get into college? No matter what, we'll do our best to help you fight for it!"
Theyve gone quite gray because I failed to get into college three times.
After the first rejection, they willingly paid for my tutoring.
They told me not to worry, they would always have my back.
After the second rejection, they hired a tutor for me at a high cost.
They worked multiple jobs, trying every way to earn money to support me.
They have always given to me unconditionally.
The reason my SAT scores kept improving was all thanks to their dedication.
But the third chance our family waited for still fell through.
At this moment, I feel deeply indebted to them.
I looked at their aging faces and rough hands, choking up as I apologized, "Dad, Mom, I'm sorry. It's my fault for letting you down again."
"I'm the burden, I've been holding you back."
They, of course, didn't blame me and just told me not to overthink.
That night, I tossed and turned in bed, replaying every detail in my mind.
Stanford University has already rejected me, so I can only rely on the other schools on my application list.
The first two times I applied, I was too confident about Harvard University and Yale University, so I didnt apply to any safety schools, and they both rejected me.
This time, I also applied to other universities.
Although my grades are enough to easily get into Stanford University, I also applied to other lower-ranked universities.
I was so afraid of being rejected by even these that I applied to the universities with the lowest requirements.
I thought, if the Ivy League and top schools don't want me, maybe regular universities will, after all, I've always been top of my class.
Sure enough, I still found hope.
When a regular university sent out admission notices, my name appeared on the provisional admission list.
The school heard that the top student in the city applied to them, and the next day they sent people to my home with great fanfare to welcome me.
We looked at the crowd at the door, and smiles finally appeared on our faces.
The school leader warmly approached, shook Gideon's hand, and said, "Having a top student like your daughter at our school is truly a great honor!"
"You two have truly raised a wonderful child. Rest assured, once your daughter joins our school, she will be a priority, with resources tilted in her favor."
Hearing these words, Gideon and Lydia's eyes lit up.
Lydia tightly held my hand and happily said that I had finally succeeded.
Gideon also straightened his back, his face full of pride.
The atmosphere was harmonious and joyful.
The school leader quickly took out the prepared admission letter for me and even asked us to take a group photo together.
He opened the admission letter with a beaming smile.
"Ashley Easterlin, upon approval, you are granted..."
He was reading and suddenly paused.