I Found Out I Was the Real Daughter Before the SAT So I Tanked It Chapter 11

I Found Out I Was the Real Daughter Before the SAT So I Tanked It Chapter 11

That night, Mom sat beside my bed and asked carefully, “Annalise, do you still hate me?”

I turned over with my back to her. “You’re trying to make it up to me now because you found out what kind of person Willa really is, not because you actually love me. Why should that move me?

Behind me, everything stayed quiet for a long time.

Then came the soft sound of the door closing.

On the tenth day after score release, I was watching TV in the living room.

A courier delivered a manila envelope stamped with “Harvard University Office of Admissions.”

When Mom saw it, her whole body started shaking.

Inside was an official direct-admission letter: Annalise Nolan had passed the national Academic Olympiad admissions review and been admitted to Harvard University.

Enclosed was a photocopy of my national Academic Olympiad silver-medal certificate.

Mom screamed in delight. “So you… you were admitted directly?”

I turned off the TV and stood. “Last year, I took first place at the state Academic Olympiad and silver at nationals. I earned that direct-admission qualification last year.

Mom rushed over, trying to hug me. I stepped back. “Don’t touch me.”

“Annalise, no matter what, it’s wonderful that you can go to Harvard.” Dad’s eyes reddened. “You really are our biological daughter…”

“I’m not going. I turned it down.”

I placed the admission letter on the coffee table. “Keep this as a souvenir. I’m telling you now that it wasn’t that I couldn’t get in. I just didn’t want to perform for you.”

The two of them looked at each other, as if they couldn’t process it at all.

“Are you insane?” Mom rushed toward me. “Even if you want to punish us, you can’t gamble with your own future.”

“You got a 400 on the SAT, and now you’ve turned down direct admission. Do you really want to repeat senior year?”

“I’m not insane, and I’m not repeating senior year.” I laughed. “Back then, you staged that whole fake-heiress lie because you were afraid I’d keep skateboarding, stop studying, and embarrass the Nolan family. You wanted me to get into Harvard, major in business, come back, and take over the company so you could brag about it in your circle for the rest of your lives.”

I smiled.

“Well, I refuse. Was a 400 enough to ruin your reputation? Was turning down Harvard enough?”

Dad’s face darkened with rage. “What exactly do you want?”

“I’m going to an X Games training camp and joining the state development squad for skateboarding. I’m done with school. I’m not going to college. You were always terrified of me skateboarding, weren’t you? Then I’ll skateboard right in front of you. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

Mom clutched her chest. “You…”

“Anyway, I’ve got Mom and Dad to fall back on, right?” I winked at them and smiled like a

shameless brat.

Then I picked up my skateboard and went upstairs.

Behind me came Mom’s gut-wrenching sobs.