Chapter 159

Adam and Calvin's faces darkened after hearing Becky's words.

After Ada's outburst, Calvin slammed his chopsticks down and stormed off to his room.

Adam also slammed his chopsticks down, glaring at Becky and saying, "Isn't this embarrassing enough? Why don't you just shout it out in the street so everyone can hear!"

Under such pressure, Becky bit her lip and fell silent.

She had no appetite for food now, so she quietly set down her chopsticks and hung her head.

This was a family issue for the Beckys.

Calvin not getting into college was a disgrace to the whole family.

They had boasted about Calvin's future so much that now they would have to face the consequences.

The commotion inside the Becky house was so loud that it couldn't be contained by the door's curtain and spilled into the other two houses in the neighborhood.

Carman and Summer, as well as Dana and Caroline, couldn't help but glance toward the Beckys' house.

They couldn't make out what was being said.

Carman, somewhat surprised, remarked, "What's going on? Are they arguing?"

It was rare for the Beckys to have such loud disputes.

Adam and Ada were cultured individuals, rarely quarreling over trivial matters.

Their two children were well-behaved and rarely caused trouble.

Summer, not hearing the specifics, shook her head and said, "I don't know."

As the noise subsided, their curiosity waned.

When Shaw, Alston, and Clement came home from work, the families began to gather for dinner.

The Tang family's dinner table was filled with laughter, while the Han family's evening was just like any other.

During dinner, they chatted casually.

Dana said, "Everyone's surprised that Summer got into a great university, but I'm not. Of all the kids in the neighborhood, I always thought Summer had the most promise. She's been steady and kind since she was little; you couldn't find a fault with her."

Clement remarked, "She used to seem a bit slow, always following around with Charlie."

Dana replied, "Slow? No, she's a quiet girl with good taste. Following Charlie showed she knew he'd be someone special."

Clement added, "We still don't know how he did on the college entrance exams."

Dana said, "There's no rush; he's in the countryside, so he'll get the notification later than us. The results for the Beckys haven't come yet, right?"

Thinking about the recent commotion, Caroline quietly said, "It sounded like the Beckys were having a big argument. They're usually so calm, so the noise must have been about Calvin. I guess he didn't get into any of the three colleges he applied to. It's not surprising he didn't get into the top ones, but it would be normal if he didn't get into any of them."

Dana nodded in agreement. "I had a hunch, but I didn't think too much of it. If it's true, their family will become the neighborhood joke."

Caroline added, "Who can they blame? They were the ones boasting all around. When they were filling out applications, they acted like they were too good for ordinary schools."

Dana said, "Exactly. They wouldn't even lend us review materials back then. If Calvin didn't get into any of the colleges, I'll be the first to laugh at them."

Clement then said, "We're all neighbors; let's not add to their trouble."

Alston glanced at Clement. "Are we supposed to hold back our laughter when they've made fools of themselves?"

Clement said nothing more.

***

In the courtyard, the three households each had their own atmosphere.

Whether quiet or noisy, everything settled into peace after nightfall, behind the dimming windows.

On a winter morning, before the first light of dawn, everyone got up.

They washed up and started their day amid the steam of the early morning.

As people began to head out to work, Shaw and Carman left a bit later than the others, coinciding with Ada and Calvin leaving the Beckys' house.

Seeing Ada and Calvin bundled up in scarves, Shaw and Carman greeted them with smiles, asking, "Ada, don't you have the day off? Why are you out so early?"

Ada replied with a smile, "Just handling some errands."

After exchanging pleasantries, Shaw and Carman didn't pry further.

In the front yard, Ada rode her bike with Calvin in tow. They both had stern faces, not speaking a word.

Although Ada said she was handling errands, they were actually heading to the district office to check the posted admission lists.

For the Beckys, the previous night was sleepless.

Ada and Calvin were still in denial about Calvin's failure to get into college, so they were determined to see the admission results for themselves.

Upon checking the list, the results confirmed Adam's earlier statements.

Ada, still in disbelief, insisted on having Adam check again to find out Calvin's score and compare it with Summer's.

Adam, feeling awkward, said, "Scores and rankings are confidential."

Ada insisted, "You know people at the admissions office, don't you? Are you so indifferent about your son's future? What if there's been a mistake? We need to clarify it now if there's a chance!"

Adam, reluctantly, agreed to find out more.

When Ada and Calvin returned home after their errands, it was already noon.

Becky, anticipating that the family would be in a bad mood, had prepared lunch in advance, so Ada and Calvin came home to a warm meal.

Even with the meal ready, their faces remained cold and unyielding.

In such a tense atmosphere, Becky treaded carefully.

After lunch, she cleaned up the dishes, then stayed at home quietly studying and doing her homework, not daring to visit friends or classmates.

The afternoon passed in silence until Adam came home from work, and Ada finally spoke.

Seeing Adam enter, Ada immediately asked, "How did it go?"

Adam didn't answer directly but handed her a piece of paper.

Ada unfolded the paper and, after reading the scores, furrowed her brow deeply, muttering, "How is this possible?"

Adam, growing impatient, said, "Stop with the denial. The results are what they are. Exam scores can't be falsified. Comparing them with Summer's scores, Calvin's scores are only enough for an ordinary university. And ordinary universities are good enough. We should have considered a safety school."

Ada felt drained, her legs weak as she staggered to the table and sat down.

She clutched the score report, hiding her face in her hands, feeling a deep ache in her chest.

***

Good news rarely travels far, but bad news spreads quickly.

Within a day, news of Calvin's failure to get into college spread throughout the neighborhood.

Summer, unaware before going to work, learned about it when she returned home in the evening and was asked by a neighbor, "I heard Calvin didn't get into any of the three colleges he applied to. Is that true?"

Summer, not knowing the details, replied with a smile, "I'm not sure. I'll check when I get home."

When she got home, she asked Shaw and Carman about it.

Carman quietly said, "Dana ran into Becky earlier today and, for some reason, asked about it. Becky confirmed it."

Summer was a bit surprised but not entirely. In the novel, Calvin didn't get into top universities like Harvard or Yale, but he did go to college.

Summer had been preoccupied with her own matters and hadn't thought much about it.

Now, as she reflected, she figured out what had happened.

In the novel, she and Henry had returned to the city by the end of the year, and by then, Calvin was already a college student.