Chapter 256: Chapter 266: A Top Student’s Sorrow

Holly Winslow’s return to class after what felt like an eternity drew the attention of her classmates. All eyes were on her stomach, as if they were ultrasound machines trying to determine if she was pregnant.

"..."

Mortimer Quincy, who loved nothing more than stirring the pot, wrapped an arm around her shoulder. A smirk played on his lips as he deliberately misled the onlookers. "Honey, slow down. The path is slippery."

Those standing nearby let out a collective "Ooh," their faces lighting up as if they’d just struck gossip gold.

Holly Winslow: "..."

’A slippery concrete path? My ass.’

’Quincy the Drama King.’

She jabbed him with her elbow and whispered, "Quincy the Puppy, have you no self-control?"

Mortimer Quincy raised an eyebrow. One word escaped his throat. "Control?"

’Is she doubting my... performance?’

Before she could answer, he lowered his voice again. "Honey, are you implying I can’t perform?"

"Bingo." Holly Winslow grinned, snapped her fingers, and then bolted.

Mortimer Quincy mentally vowed to get even.

A professor who hadn’t taken attendance in ages suddenly called on Holly Winslow. After she answered, he looked at her and said, "You were absent for the last lecture. I’ve already recorded it. That’s a five-point deduction."

He paused, then added, "If there were extenuating circumstances, come see me afterward, and I can waive the penalty."

The entire class erupted in a knowing uproar, all eyes turning with suggestive smirks toward the couple in the middle of the fifth row.

Holly Winslow: "..."

’Extenuating circumstances?’

The scoundrel beside her, Mortimer Quincy, let out a shameless, low chuckle. She shot him a death glare before turning back to her book in frustration.

’They say if you play with fire, you’re bound to get burned.’

’This was a first for her.’

’The only silver lining was that she had plenty of points to spare. No need to panic. No need to panic.’

Mortimer Quincy leaned in, whispering with a grin, "Honey, what do you say we go with ’extenuating circumstances’?"

The words had barely left his mouth before he was kicked under the table.

’His darling was ticked.’

After class, Serena Shaw and their friends gathered around. Serena offered her "condolences" with a wide grin. "Holly, allow me to comfort you... for one second. HAHAHAHA! That was brutal! You got marked absent even when he didn’t take attendance."

"Such is the tragedy of a star student."

"HAHAHAHA."

Holly Winslow: "..."

She tickled her playfully. "One more word out of you and our friendship is over," she said, feigning anger.

Serena Shaw immediately pantomimed zipping her lips.

Autumn Underwood then brought up something that had happened to Serena a few days prior. "You’re actually lucky, Holly. You have points to spare. Unlike Serena here, who’s out of chances. Otherwise, she’d never be so obediently attending an early morning class with us."

Serena Shaw: "..."

She waved a hand dismissively. "Autumn, you’re just twisting the knife. I’m out."

"Hahaha, if you were really that wounded by it, you wouldn’t have waited until you ran out of points to finally start attending class properly," Autumn Underwood teased, seeing right through her.

Serena Shaw giggled. "Hehe." She then put a finger to her lips. "Shh. Let’s just keep this our little secret. Don’t let my man find out, or he’ll make me hit the books again."

Trying to hold back a laugh, Simone Quincy gestured behind Serena. "I think your man just heard you."

Serena Shaw turned to see Nathan Chaney’s face. She flashed a sycophantic smile. "Skipping class was an accident."

Nathan Chaney just stared at her, his expression unreadable.

Holly Winslow and the others couldn’t help but laugh shamelessly. Soon after, Serena Shaw was led away, presumably for some "friendly re-education" from her boyfriend.

It had been a while since she’d had a proper chat with her roommates, so Holly Winslow told Mortimer Quincy to amuse himself for a bit and headed back to the dorm.

Her desk and bed were still spotless. It was clear her friends had been keeping things clean for her.

The three of them started chatting, and the topic turned to careers. Their junior year was nearly over, and it was time to start thinking about the future.

Simone Quincy tore open a bag of chips and passed it around. "The actuary exam is so damn hard," she lamented. "I’m pretty sure I bombed it again. At this rate, I’m going to graduate with no certifications to my name."

"’Same here," Autumn Underwood added, looking troubled. "I’ve got a bad feeling about this last one."

Since Holly Winslow had already decided to become a teacher, she wasn’t taking any of these exams. "The results aren’t even out yet," she said, trying to console them. "Don’t be so pessimistic. You still have a whole year left."

"If I fail again, I’m going to tear all my hair out from the stress. Why on earth did I major in math? I must have had a brain fart."

Simone Quincy dramatically pushed her bangs back for them to inspect, and Holly Winslow and Autumn Underwood burst out laughing.

Then Simone Quincy turned to Holly Winslow. "Holly, are you serious about going back to your hometown to teach?"

She felt it was a shame. A top student from Branton University like Holly had such bright prospects; returning to a small town to teach seemed like a waste of her talent.

With her brains, she could easily get into grad school, get a PhD, and end up as a university professor.

But Holly had no intention of applying to grad school.

’What a pity.’

But Holly Winslow didn’t see it as a shame at all. She knew exactly what she wanted. More than a high-paying career, she wanted to teach.

She wanted to dedicate herself to guiding children who, like her past self, had lost their way.

’Not everyone was as lucky as she was. Not everyone got a second chance.’

She nodded. "It’s more or less the same wherever you are. The pay is lower in a small town, but so is the cost of living."

"That’s true," Simone said. "Still, I want to put down roots in a big city." Simone Quincy was the most ambitious one in the dorm.

"If I wasn’t so afraid of my mom nagging me to get married, I’d want to go home, too," Autumn Underwood said, a hint of frustrated annoyance in her voice.

Her family was from a rural area, and her parents held some rather traditional beliefs—namely, that a woman’s duty was to get married and have children as soon as she came of age.

She heaved a long sigh. "The older you get, the more you have to worry about. When I was a kid, all I wanted was to be a grown-up. Now that I am one, all I want is to be a kid again."

Simone Quincy pointed to herself. "Autumn, just do what I did. Tell your mom you’re into women."

"The last time I told my mom I was into women, she was so pissed she didn’t call me for two weeks. Then, a few days ago, she caved and said, ’Simone, Mom won’t pressure you. Just... take your time finding a boyfriend.’"

Holly Winslow didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Simone, you’re really something else."

Simone Quincy explained, "My mom’s trying to set me up with her coworker’s son. Apparently, he’s a new TA here at Branton. But I’ve scoped out every TA in our college, and trust me, none of them are hot."

She continued, her tone light and teasing, "So, how could I possibly agree? I mean, I might not be a peerless beauty like Holly, but I’m cute, right? A girl-next-door type. My boyfriend has to be handsome. That’s a requirement."

"How can you be so sure he’s ugly?" Autumn Underwood joked. "It’s not like you’ve seen every TA in the entire university. Maybe this guy your mom picked is the one handsome exception."

Simone Quincy shook her head without hesitation, popping a chip in her mouth. "More like he’s probably balding."

Holly Winslow and Autumn Underwood laughed so hard they could barely breathe.

After they had chatted for over an hour, Holly Winslow finally headed downstairs. She pulled out her phone to call Mortimer Quincy. He told her he was in the TA office, so she made her way over and waited for him by the door.

Before long, Mortimer Quincy emerged with another, fairly young man. The man wasn’t strikingly handsome, but he carried himself with a scholarly elegance that spoke of a refined upbringing.

’He was exactly the kind of man mothers-in-law adored.’

Mortimer Quincy beckoned her over. When she reached them, he made the introductions. "This is TA Chapman. TA Chapman, this is my wife, Holly Winslow."

Holly Winslow greeted him politely, "Hello, TA Chapman."

Shawn Chapman replied with a gentle, "Hello."

Then, he turned to Mortimer Quincy and said, "Don’t forget to save some wedding candy for me."

Mortimer Quincy nodded.

After he had walked away, Holly Winslow asked Mortimer Quincy curiously, "When did your college get a new TA? How come I never heard about it?"