Claire said it like it was no big deal.
Everyone else just stared at her, completely stunned.
"Why wouldn't they let you go to the winter camp?" Fletcher finally asked, looking like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
If Claire was telling the truth, her adoptive mom was seriously suspicious. First, she tried to stop Claire from signing up for the camp. When that didn't work, she went straight to reporting her. And not just that—she blasted Claire online, accusing her of cheating and claiming she'd gotten the answers ahead of time. She even swore she was going to get into the camp herself.
Her report sounded so convincing that people online started demanding a full investigation. Some were even insisting Claire shouldn't be allowed to go to the camp at all, saying she'd stolen someone else's spot.
In just a single day, Claire's name was everywhere, and the hate was nonstop. People were calling her a thief. First, she'd supposedly stolen the "heiress of the James family" identity, and now, she was stealing someone's future too.
If things didn't calm down online, there was a real chance Claire would actually lose her spot at the winter camp.
"It's because her biological daughter transferred to Silverpeak," Claire explained, sounding almost bored. "She couldn't keep up with the classes and got really stressed out."
Everyone just gaped at her.
"If I go to the camp, there's a chance I'll get straight into Cabinda University after. That made Cindy upset. She cried at home every day and even got depressed.”
"My adoptive mom said I'd get into college anyway, so it didn't matter if I skipped the camp. She wanted me to give Cindy six months. Maybe she'll catch up by then."
Claire talked about it like it was nothing. The rest of them, though, were fuming.
Fletcher's face turned dark. "That's ridiculous."
“This is a competition. What does she think it is?"
"She wants you to drop out just so her own daughter doesn't feel so much pressure? What does she take you for?"
Lemuel could barely contain his anger. "You got into the winter camp because you earned it. If Cindy's grades aren't good enough, she should work harder!"
"We can't just stop the whole class because one person can't keep up, right?"
Lemuel looked like he was ready to drag Cindy in and give her a piece of his mind right then and there.
Claire just smiled. "That's not
necessary: My adoptive mom just
thinks Cindy likes to compare
herself to me. So, as long as don't put too much pressure on her, everything will be fine."
Leo, who'd been quiet until now, frowned. "You didn't actually say yes to that, did you?"
Dropping out of the winter camp would be crazy.
“The James family might've raised you for eighteen years, but you earned your own knowledge. They have no right to tell you what to do."
"If you actually..." Leo trailed off, but Claire already knew what he meant.
Everyone else was watching Claire anxiously too, worried she might give in just because she felt guilty about the past.
“Of course I said no,” Claire replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Everyone finally relaxed.
"Thank goodness you didn't agree."
"So what did your adoptive mom say after that?” Lemuel asked, still curious about what Octavia had done next.
"She didn't say much. Just told me
to think about it. She said I'd been living Cindy's life for eighteen years and shouldn't push her over the edge."
Lemuel looked like he couldn't believe it. "How is that your fault? Cindy's the one who can't handle it."
"If they really cared, they'd be helping Cindy deal with her feelings, not asking you to drop out!"
"The James family parents are just way too much,” Lemuel muttered.
He turned to Fletcher. "Mr. Fletcher, you see? Claire's grades are more than solid. None of us ever expected her adoptive mom to make such an unreasonable request."
"Her situation is pretty complicated. She and Cindy were switched at birth..." Lemuel
started filling Fletcher in on everything.