Mom Gave Away My Grad Spot

At the public announcement for the university's graduate-school recommendations, my mother, the dean, was preparing to announce the only slot to a top university. Everyone at the university assumed it would go to me, her biological daughter. I'd ranked first in GPA for three consecutive years and had two SCI-indexed papers published. When she announced the name "Quinn Hammond," the entire auditorium fell silent. Quinn was a student on financial aid my mother had supported for years. Her GPA ranking had barely made the cutoff. I stared at my mother, gritting my teeth as I demanded, "I worked countless all-nighters in the lab for that graduate-school recommendation. Why should I just hand it over to someone else?" My mother spoke as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Quinn's family is struggling financially. The fact that she’s managed the GPA cutoff proves she's far more resilient than you. "You've had access to the best education since you were little. Even if you had to apply for the programme on your own, you'd still make it into graduate school. "I'm the dean. I have to avoid any appearance of favoritism. I absolutely cannot give people an excuse to say I used my position to favor my own daughter!" My heart went completely cold. She simply wanted the reputation of a selfless, magnanimous educator while also having me add another achievement to her record. If she wanted to use all the blood, sweat, and tears I'd poured into my studies to pave someone else's path, then I wasn't going to graduate school anymore. I turned around, tore up my graduate recommendation application, and accepted an offer from a classified national research institute in the northwest. I'd be able to participate directly in core national strategic projects, a position far beyond that of an ordinary master's or doctoral student at a top university. The two achievements my mother wanted to claim? She could forget about getting either of them in this lifetime. Chapter 1 As I watched that woman on stage, standing there with such righteous indignation and putting on an act of selflessness, I couldn’t help but find it absurd. When I was ten, I came down with a high fever and curled up weakly on the sofa, barely conscious. My mother, however, was already grabbing her bag and hurrying out, about to lock the door. "Mom, I don't feel well..." I cried, begging her to take me to the hospital. But she pulled her hand away. "Quinn just transferred schools and isn’t adjusting well. She's having an emotional breakdown, and I need to go counsel her. "You're just running a fever. Sleep it off, and you'll be fine. Don't act spoiled!" That day, my fever became so severe that I had a seizure at home and nearly died. When she finally came home in the middle of the night and saw vomit all over the floor, there wasn't a trace of concern on her face. Instead, she reprimanded me for being irresponsible. "Some people can't even afford to eat, while you were born into such a privileged family. How can you not even know how to take care of yourself?" Back then, I thought I hadn't done well enough. So I studied like my life depended on it, desperately trying to become someone she could be proud of. For the core data in those two SCI papers, I pulled countless all-nighters for months. I ended up in the emergency room twice with stomach bleeding. Even the doctors warned me that if I kept pushing myself like that, I could die. And Quinn? She used the financial aid my mother gave her, and every day, aside from sleeping, she went shopping with her roommates. Even her final exams barely scraped by the passing mark. And now, the results I'd practically traded my life for. With one lighthearted excuse about avoiding any appearance of favoritism, Mom had handed them to someone who couldn't do anything. "I refuse to accept this." I stared straight at Mom. "Graduate school recommendations are based on GPA and research achievements, not on who can tell the saddest story. "If Professor Sylvia Shaw thinks she's qualified, fine. I demand that Quinn Hammond's comprehensive evaluation records be reviewed publicly!" Mom's face immediately darkened. "Leah Collins! Are you questioning the university's decision?" "I'm questioning you!" My eyes filled with tears. "You're talking about avoiding favoritism because you can't use your authority to seek personal benefits for your own family! "My GPA is the highest in the entire university, and I received top marks in the blind review. What right do you have to block me?" "Enough!" A low voice suddenly came from beside me. Louis Yost, my boyfriend of two years, stood up and grabbed my wrist. He lowered his voice, his tone full of reproach. "Leah, can you stop making a scene?" I stared at him in disbelief. Louis frowned, his eyes filled with disappointment in me. "Prof. Shaw is always so strict with you. Isn't that precisely because she wants to avoid any suspicion of favoritism? And now you're openly challenging her in front of everyone. Are you trying to back her up against the wall? "Besides, Quinn is so pitiful. She doesn't even have a decent computer. "You have everything. You could even get in on your own merits. What's wrong with giving her your spot? Do you really have to be this selfish?" I froze. His grip on my wrist hurt, but the pain in my chest hurt even more. I looked at the boyfriend I'd loved for two years, the man I'd even planned a future with, and yet here he was defending another woman. Then I looked up at my own mother, who was staring at me with a warning in her eyes. So this was how they saw me. All my hard work was worthless. Being good at what I did was the original sin that made me deserve to be sacrificed. I looked at Louis and slowly pried his fingers off my wrist. A tear fell onto the back of my hand and spread out. "Fine. Be all high and mighty." I picked up the graduate recommendation application form from the table and tore it to pieces without hesitation. Under my mother's stunned gaze, I walked out of the auditorium without looking back. Chapter 2 After the assembly, stories about my “deeds” spread like wildfire in Atherton University. “Throwing her weight around.” “Jealous of a poor student.” “Forcing her own mother to abuse her position.” Quinn became everyone’s inspirational little sweetheart, while I was painted as the vicious, spoiled heiress. Louis didn’t even bother pretending anymore. He stopped bringing me breakfast and stopped discussing research data with me. Instead, he devoted all his time and energy to celebrating Quinn securing the graduate-school slot. I came across the photo he posted on his social media. Quinn was holding a cake, while he gazed at her with doting affection. His caption read: [We’ve finally made it through the toughest of times. Congratulations to our small-town scholar.] I scrolled past without a change in expression, then blocked him. That afternoon, I was summoned to the dean’s office. When I pushed open the door, Mom was sitting behind her desk. I thought she might feel at least a little guilty. Maybe she’d even offer a few words of comfort, if only for appearances. Instead, she didn’t so much as look up. “Hand over the core data from your national-level research project. Make a copy for Quinn.” I froze, certain I’d misheard her. “What did you just say?” She finally looked up, her brows drawing together. “Quinn may have secured her graduate school program, but her thesis still needs work. “Your project is a perfect fit for her research. Let her use your data, and she’ll be able to graduate with honors.” I stared at her, a chill creeping through me. Suddenly, I was reminded of the year I took the SAT. Desperate to make Mom proud, I’d pushed myself to the limit and become the city’s top science student. When I was awarded prize money, I didn’t spend a cent on myself. Instead, I scrimped and saved to buy her an expensive silk scarf. I’d been so excited to give it to her and held it out for her. She didn’t praise me. She didn’t even try it on. The very next day, I saw that scarf around Quinn’s neck. When I confronted Mom, she didn’t even hesitate to defend herself. “The color is too flashy. It doesn’t suit me. And poor Quinn has never had anything nice. It’s much better suited to her. “You’re the city’s top student. Surely you can do without one scarf?” She was right. I could do without it. So she could take away my spot in the graduate school program, too. And now, she wanted to take the core data I’d poured my heart and soul into, data I’d earned at the cost of my health, and use it to pave the way for someone else. “Mom.” My eyes burned, and my voice trembled. “I’m your daughter, too. Have you ever, even once, felt sorry for me all these years?” Mom paused, caught off guard for a moment. Then irritation took over. She slammed her hand against the desk. “Leah, what is wrong with you now? “You’ve always had the best of everything. Quinn can’t even afford a decent computer. Why are you so determined to hold that against her? “As dean, it’s my responsibility to look out for every underprivileged student! And as my daughter, you should understand that better than anyone! “If you keep being so selfish and petty, don’t you dare call me Mom again in the future!” I looked at her furious face. At last, I understood what all that talk of a loving mother-daughter bond, all her claims of being selfless and impartial, really meant. I was nothing more than a prop she used to maintain her public image. Tears welled in my eyes, but I forced them back. I took a deep breath and wiped the corners of my eyes. “Fine. “Professor Shaw, I’ll hand over the data.” Chapter 3 When I returned to the lab, I had barely sat down when Quinn showed up. She was carrying a cheap cup of instant coffee and walked over to my workstation. She wore that same innocent, timid expression she always had, but her eyes betrayed a hint of smugness. "Leah, thank you for the data." She set the coffee on my desk, her voice quiet and hesitant. "Louis said I might not understand some of the programs, so he'll teach me how to run them step by step. "Don't be mad at him. He's just too kind. He only helped me because he felt sorry for me." I kept my eyes on the computer screen. "Take your stuff and get out." Quinn's expression stiffened. She bit her lip. "Leah, I know you're upset, but Prof. Shaw was only thinking about the bigger picture..." As she spoke, she reached out and braced a hand against my desk. She "accidentally" tipped the cup over. Brown liquid instantly spread across the desk, spilling onto a framed photograph in the corner. It was the only photograph I had with my mother. I was seven then. There was no Quinn in our lives yet, and no such thing as "avoiding favoritism." Mom had taken me to an amusement park, smiling so warmly. I watched the liquid seep through the edges of the glass, gradually blurring my mother's face in the photograph. All the happiness we'd once shared had been buried beneath years of favoritism and suppression, just like that photograph. Now, all I could remember was her cold indifference as she discarded me for the sake of an outsider. I quietly looked at the photograph and suddenly thought that maybe it was better this way. Maybe it was time for me to give up on my illusions about this mother-daughter relationship, too. "I'm sorry, Leah! I didn't mean to!" Quinn let out a startled cry, frantically grabbing tissues. As she reached across the desk, her arm deliberately swept the framed photograph off the edge, sending it crashing to the floor. The glass shattered everywhere. "What happened?" Louis had just walked through the door. When he saw Quinn standing amid the broken glass, her eyes red with tears, his expression changed instantly. He immediately stepped between us and shoved my shoulder. "Leah, when are you going to stop?" "Quinn came all this way to thank you out of the goodness of her heart. Why are you taking your anger out on her?" I stumbled backward from the shove and hit the corner of the desk. A sharp pain shot through my side. I ignored him and pointed coldly toward the door. "Get out." Louis looked like he wanted to say something else, but the icy look in my eyes made him swallow his words. He gritted his teeth. "You're impossible! Quinn, let's go. Don't bother with this crazy woman!" Late that night, the laboratory was completely empty. I sat alone at my workstation, clearing out the files on my computer. An email suddenly popped up from the Northwest National Classified Research Institute. [Ms. Collins, your security clearance and background investigation have both been successfully approved. In view of your irreplaceable role in our classified research projects, when would you be available to report to the base?] I stared at the words on the screen and typed my reply without hesitation. [Tomorrow morning.] I closed my email and packed up the folders on my desk. Quinn wanted the data, didn't she? My mother wanted to take the work I'd poured my heart and soul into and use it to pave the way for her, didn't she? Fine, I'd give them exactly what they wanted. I clicked [Send] and transferred the files to Quinn. Chapter 4 Early the next morning, at a secluded meeting point on the outskirts of Atherton, I sat inside a black military SUV and signed my name on the confidentiality agreement. A staff member handed me a metal case. "Ms. Collins, according to regulations, you must surrender all personal communication devices before entering the base. "From this moment on, your security clearance requires strict non-disclosure. Your project records will be sealed, and your affiliation with the base will remain classified. "Until the project is declassified, your identity in the outside world will not be shown. Are you ready?" I nodded and took out my phone. "Can I make one last call?" The staff member nodded. I dialed Mom's number. The phone rang for a long time before she finally answered. Her voice was cold. "What is it now? You already gave Quinn the data. What else are you trying to pull?" I looked out at the barren landscape beyond the window, my voice calm. "Mom, I'm not going to graduate school anymore. I'm leaving." There was a momentary pause on the other end. Then her voice turned mocking. "Leah, are you done with this little game of playing hard to get? "Not going to graduate school? Do you really think you can survive without me? "You're only doing this to force me to give the spot back to you! Let me tell you right now, dream on! "If you've got that much pride, then don't ever come crawling back to me!" Listening to the certainty in her voice, I didn't argue. I simply replied, "As you wish." Then I hung up and dropped my phone into the metal case. The vehicle doors shut, and the SUV sped northwest toward the endless sea of sand. Meanwhile, Atherton University was glowing with lights. After successfully securing a graduate-school recommendation at a top university for the underprivileged student Quinn Hammond, Mom had been named one of the city's "Top Ten Inspiring Figures in Education." Tonight, the university was holding a celebratory banquet in her honor. Inside the hall, Mom stood beaming with pride, wineglass in hand, accepting congratulations from university administrators and members of the media. Quinn wore an expensive haute couture gown, paid for with my mother's own salary. She leaned against Louis, triumph written all over her face. "Professor Shaw truly is selfless. She was even willing to give up her own daughter's spot. What a remarkable sense of integrity. She's a role model for all of us!" Surrounded by praise, my mother beamed. "Not at all, not at all. As educators, we're supposed to treat every student equally. Quinn worked hard and earned this. It's what she deserves." Just then, Vincent Daly, a vice dean who had never gotten along with Mom, approached with a wineglass in hand. There was a teasing glint in his eyes as he deliberately jabbed at her. "Professor Shaw, on such an important occasion, how come your daughter, Leah, isn't here? "I heard she hasn't even been attending classes lately. Could it be that she resents your decision as dean?" The atmosphere around them immediately turned awkward. Quinn's eyes reddened at once, and she spoke in a wounded voice. "Maybe Leah is still angry with me... It's all my fault..." Louis slipped an arm around her, his heart clearly aching for her. "It's not your fault. She's the one who's petty!" Mom's expression darkened. The next second, she connected her tablet to the hall's giant screen. "Leah is petty and has been skipping classes for half a month because she's jealous of Quinn! "As dean, I have always stood on the side of principle, never family. I will never abuse my position for personal gain! "If she refuses to abide by the university’s regulations, then as dean, I will initiate her official dismissal right now!" The entire hall erupted in an uproar. Quinn was so delighted she nearly jumped for joy. As long as I was expelled, all the research achievements I'd left behind at the university would belong to Quinn. Mom quickly logged into Atherton University's central academic administration system and entered my student ID. Without the slightest hesitation, she clicked the confirmation button to "Cancel Student Enrollment." However, the moment she clicked it, the giant screen in the grand hall suddenly flickered, and a system alarm blared throughout the hall. The academic administration system that had been displayed on the screen was forcibly disconnected right after. Several lines of large text appeared in the center of the screen: [This individual's files have been encrypted and locked by the nation's highest security authority!] [No one is authorized to access, modify, or cancel these records. Any attempt to do so will be deemed a suspected attempt to steal state secrets!]