At dinner...

There was a hearty meal on the table, but Tessa had no appetite for it at all.

The vegetables were too chewy, the chicken soup was too oily, and the ribs smelt somewhat strange. As a result, she only ate some beans.

Selma asked, "Aren't they up to your taste? What do you want to eat?"

Louise said immediately, "The food here is not as fresh as that in the countryside. Just tell me what you like to eat. I'll have it prepared tomorrow."

That was quite right.

Tessa felt empty in her stomach as she thought of the vegetables, fruit, goats, and cattle on the farm, as well as her father's tailored cooking skills for her.

After thinking for a while, she said, "I want to eat a piece of cake."

"Okay." Selma instantly asked a maid to take out a piece of cake.

Ashley stared at the cake and pouted. "You dare to eat cake? Don't you care about your figure?"

"It's not a big deal."

Selma looked at Tessa genially. "She likes desserts. The same as her father."

David's face suddenly fell; he put down the chopsticks.

"Tessa, I don't know what my brother thinks of education. But here, it's very important. You've been 18 and should have gone to university, but you..."

He looked up at Tessa.

Tessa's attention was all on that soft cake, which meant she didn't even raise a brow. Seeing that, David's tone became stiff.

"I've arranged a vocational school for you. You don't need to worry about the tuition fee."

At this moment, triumphant pleasure climbed on Louise's face.

This was the result of her discussion with David.

The school had a bad reputation and was far from home. In this sense, getting Tessa to that school was a good way to drive her out of this family.

Ashley understood her parents' meaning and also stole a glance at Tessa with an inconspicuous smile.

"No, thanks." Tessa wiped her mouth. "I don't want to go to that kind of school."

What an ungrateful girl!

Enraged, David said in a sarcastic tone, "Then where do you want to go? Without a high-school diploma..."

Face full of irony, Ashley couldn't hold her snort anymore.

This arrogant rustic was virtually illiterate!

Tessa looked up at them. "SD High School."

There was a moment of stunned silence.

Finally, Ashley asked in a high-pitched voice, "You? SD?"

SD was the best school in City J! How could it accept a rustic like Tessa?

"Ashley, don't be so rude. Children are late to go to school in the countryside. As long as one wants to learn, he or she can go to college at even 80!"

Hearing that, Louise cast a glance at Selma. It was as sarcastic and contemptuous as Ashley's.

Selma lapsed into silence in worry that Tessa would feel hurt. After a while, she turned to David. "Now that Tessa wants to learn there, can you try to help her?"

She thought Tessa hadn't accepted any systematic education, which made it unlikely for her to get into the school through examinations.

"As long as she's admitted, she'll soon catch up."

"I'll try, but it's not easy to enter SD."

David gave a cough and raised his voice.

"You don't need to thank me. After all, I'm your uncle. Since my brother left, I've been supporting this family alone."

As he said that, his eyes were locked on Tessa, but he could only see her buried head. His face became sourer and sourer.

Tessa pushed the plate forward. "I've finished. Take your time, grandma."

It was as if, except for Selma, everyone present was transparent to her.

Then, she rose and went upstairs.

David's face was dark with rage.

"Mr. Wexler, here's an invitation letter from the King's."

The servant's words were just like a spell that froze them all. David even forgot to scold Tessa; mouth slack, he sat stiffly with a dumb look.