Having such a bright, accomplished daughter-in-law was something to be proud of —not to mention the chance for beautiful, intelligent grandchildren in the future. Honestly, who wouldn't want to see their family's bloodline improve with the next generation?
All thanks to Claire, Octavia suddenly found herself once more a favorite among the city's wealthy matrons—something she hadn't expected at all. Invitations poured in as society wives angled for connection; perhaps Octavia would let them introduce their sons to Claire, or at least drop them a good word.
But Octavia brushed off their hints with practiced tact, insisting that Claire was an independent woman now and made her own choices. The ladies weren't fooled; many suspected she was only playing coy, holding out for a better offer. After all, shouldn't an adoptive mother still have the final say about her daughter? Then again, with a background like Octavia's, she had every right to be selective. Let her act high and mighty, they thought-she could afford to.
For every polite refusal, more invitations followed: lunches, coffee dates, shopping trips, spa appointments. Even Octavia couldn't turn them all down, and eventually felt obliged to accept a few.
It was in the living room that Octavia fielded these calls. Cindy had gone upstairs, but when she heard her mother on the phone again, she crept back to the stairwell, pausing on the landing to listen in.
Realizing these society women were calling about Claire-always about Claire— Cindy's hands balled into tight, trembling fists, her knuckles turning white with suppressed rage.
The sudden favor and attention lavished on Claire made something twist inside her, making her wonder if coming back to the James family had been a mistake from the start.
Just then, her phone buzzed-Fallon was calling.
Cindy saw the name flash on the screen and immediately rejected the call, terrified Octavia might overhear. Hurriedly, she retreated to her bedroom.
Octavia heard a faint vibration and looked up, but since Cindy was nowhere in sight, she dismissed it. She knew her daughter was oversensitive, and worried that her conversations with the other women might further upset Cindy.
What Octavia didn't know was that Cindy was just as anxious—not that her mother would overhear, but that a call from Fallon might displease Octavia.
The phone buzzed again. This time, Cindy picked up, but the familiar "godmother" greeting caught in her throat. She couldn't bring herself to say it, unsure of how to even speak to Fallon now there was a wall between them that hadn't been there before.
She'd always been happy to hear from Fallon. Now, she just felt lost.
"Cindy, your college entrance exam scores are out. How did it go?" Fallon asked gently.
"I did terribly. Satisfied?" Cindy snapped, her tone sharp, edged with pain.
Fallon let out a soft, helpless laugh. "What a thing to say, sweetheart. If you didn't do
well, I worry for you. Why would I be satisfied?"
"Are you still angry at me?" Fallon pressed.
Cindy hesitated. "I don't know."
She truly wasn't sure anymore—was it anger she felt, or just a deep, aching sadness?
That answer brought a faint,
bittersweet smile to Fallon's lips.
She knew-Cindy's heart was
already beginning to soften. "I don't
know was much better than a
Stubborn refusal
"Cindy, it's okay if things didn't go
wellou fail this time you
always try again. Collegeet
exams aren't the end of the world."
S.W
But with every word, Cindy's resentment only grew. "Easy for you to say. The exams aren't scary for kids who've had top-notch tutors since they were littlem nothing like that."
"There are people out there who've had everything from the start-they breeze through and become class valedictorian without even breaking a sweat."
“But what about me? I'm stuck with extra lessons, burning myself out, all for the chance to scrape into an average college."
"I wasn't always like this. I don't know what happened my grades just keep getting worse."
"I can't even outperform a fake. Does that make you happy?"
"If you hadn't swapped me and her back then, would I be like this now?"
Cindy let all her pain and bitterness pour out. At first, all she heard on the other end was silence.
Finally, Fallon spoke her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry, Cindy. It was my fault. If only... I wish I never made that choice."