Chapter 67
“Is this your daughter?” asked one of the reporters.
“Yes, she is. Her name is Merida Jones,” said Elara.
The reporter looked surprised. “Your daughter took your last name?”
Elara nodded. “Yes.”
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“Then may I ask about your husband…”
Elara beamed. “I’m divorced. My ex–husband isn’t worth mentioning.
A reporter turned to Merida. “Merida, would you be willing to do an interview?”
Merida nodded eagerly. “Sure!”
The petite female reporter asked, “Why did you grab that little boy by the collar earlier?“,
“He wouldn’t let other kids play with me! Even my best friend wasn’t allowed to talk to me! I was really angry.” Merida looked down at her palm. “I didn’t expect it to be so easy to lift Beau. He was so light!”
The cameraman from Gingham TV had seen Merida effortlessly hoist Beau into the air earlier. He was intrigued. ” Merida, let’s do a test. If I put my camera on the ground, can you lift it?”
A professional video camera weighed at least 40 pounds.
He placed the camera on the ground, and Merida picked it up with one hand. She grinned while saying, “This is way lighter than the barbells I train with!”
The cameraman’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
“Merida, your mom just won first place in the ALI Math Competition preliminaries. What do you want to say to her?”
Still holding the camera like a workout weight, Merida answered confidently, “Mommy has always been amazing! I want to see her spread her wings and fly–to go higher and farther than anyone!”
Elara gazed at her daughter with soft, affectionate eyes, as warmth filled her chest.
Other children stood nearby, wide–eyed as they watched Merida surrounded by reporters. “Wow, Bambi’s going to be on TV!”
Beau crossed his arms and scowled, kicking at the cement ground. “We’ve all been on TV before! What’s so special about this?”
One of his little followers chimed in, “Yeah, but we were only on the Capitol Children’s TV. My mom said there are over ten major media outlets interviewing Merida and your Mommy.
“Once it airs, every kid in Capitol will know who Merida is! And they’ll all know she has a super smart, incredible Mommy!”
Beau stared blankly at Elara and Merida, who were surrounded by reporters. They stood right in front of him, yet they felt so far away–like they were in a completely different world.
“Hmph! I don’t care! Even if that woman becomes famous, so what? Even if she begs me to leave the Fisher family with her, I’d never go!”
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Chapter 67
+25 BONUS
Meanwhile, Niamh leaned against her sleek black motorcycle. Many parents who had come to drop off their kids lingered at the school gates, unwilling to leave. They were all listening to Elara’s interview.
The petite female reporter asked Elara, “I overheard the Summit Academy principal say he plans to expel Merida. Ms. Jones, which school do you plan to enroll your daughter in next?”
James hesitantly walked over.
“Ms. Jones, you won first place in the ALI Math Competition? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?
“Parents from the middle school, high school, and even elementary divisions are asking if you could give a math lecture for the students.”
He added, “I thought about it—if you agree to hold 30 free lectures, I won’t expel your daughter.”
Elara scoffed. “You sided with the powerful and wrongfully accused my daughter. I won’t let her stay at Summit Academy.”
James‘ expression stiffened. He felt a surge of irritation toward Elara. He had given her a way out, yet she was still being so ungrateful!
It was no wonder the Fisher family didn’t want her.
“The best kindergarten in all of Capitol is right here at Summit Academy. If you take your daughter out, where else could she possibly go that’s better than this?”
His tone grew colder. “Ms. Jones, I’m offering you a prestigious opportunity–having you lecture our students is a privilege. You should be thanking me.”
James pointed at the academic records in Elara’s hands and smirked.
“Think carefully, Ms. Jones. I’ve given you a chance. Sometimes, you have to swallow your pride.”
