Gloria and Victor were taking a twenty-day marriage leave for their honeymoon.
Even though Jolly persuaded Rachel to join them on their honeymoon, she couldn’t put off her work for that long. They needed to figure out where the three billion dollars were, and Justin had to finish his work for the venture for which he had just recently signed a contract. Because of the impending jobs, they could not take vacations whenever they pleased.
Gloria and Victor departed the following morning as scheduled. The only difference between their original plan and this one was that they brought the children.
“Did we really let the kids join Gloria and Victor? What about school?”
Rachel and Justin dropped them off at the airport terminal. As the four people passed the security checkpoint, she suddenly remembered the kids’ school attendance.
Justin calmed her worries by saying, “Do not worry. I’ve informed their substitute teacher that they will be absent for a few days.”
“What did you say to the teacher? Did you say they aren’t feeling well or something else?” In a flash of insight, she cautiously asked, “Did you tell her the truth?”
“What else?”
She was at a loss for words when she saw his serious expression.
Charlotte was known as a troublemaker who liked to cause mischief at school. Hence, Rachel tried to avoid every parent-teacher conference with various excuses. However, the situation was made worse by Justin’s honesty.
“Can’t you just tell a lie?”
What is the point of lying? Even their teacher sounds happy when I tell her they’re going on vacation.”
“How is that possible? Other children are in school, while ours are on vacation! Isn’t it absurd?”
Obviously, she was worrying too much.
The school would be delighted to approve their leave. Their homeroom teacher, Victor, is going on his honeymoon, so the substitute teacher was hoping they wouldn’t have to see Charlotte at school because the young mischief-maker was too difficult to discipline.
Samuel, the little genius who could easily complete a sixth-grade math Olympiad question, could take the leave for as long as he wanted, let alone the twenty days. His presence in class will only increase peer pressure on other students his age.
As they drove back to the office, Justin drove, and Rachel sat in the passenger seat, relaxing next to him as the car traveled down the highway.
He finally broke the silence. “By the way, while requesting a leave of absence for Samuel, the school reminded me to reconsider the offer.”
What kind of offer is it?
“It is Samuel’s enrollment in the Special Class for the Gifted Young.”
Rachel frowned slightly at this, but he continued, “Since you already said no the first time, I won’t try to convince you this time. But we should first ask Samuel what he thinks.”
His words didn’t help to lift the crease between her brows as she responded with mixed emotions, “I understand if the SCGY is better suited to a child like Samuel, but don’t you think he deserves a happy childhood? In fact, I’d rather he did not learn anything too advanced until he’s older.”
“Have you ever considered that Samuel is now being exposed to something far more complex than we can imagine?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve recently discovered Samuel’s programming ability.”
Rachel’s heart skipped a beat when she heard the shocking news. “Where did he acquire such skills?”
“He learned them in school, but no child his age can create such a complex program as he did.” Justin sighed with amusement. “A prodigy normally outperforms the average person in a particular field. Samuel is indeed intelligent because he possesses the talent.”
She grasped the meaning of what he was trying to convey. “Do you think I wasted his talent?”
“No, I don’t. I know you did everything for his own good.”
“I’m afraid he won’t be able to become the person that others expect him to be. He’s finally at the age where he can learn new things rapidly, and it worries me that he may become an early bloomer. He may just be an average Joe in the future. However, the psychological gap between him and everyone else will still be very noticeable.” Rachel sighed after much deliberation. “This thought has bothered me ever since.”
A child prodigy should not be kept hidden. Rachel would not want Samuel’s talent to go to waste.
Justin held her hand as he sensed her anxiety. “You shouldn’t worry too much. It is a matter for the future.”
She nodded. “You are right. I shouldn’t make all the decisions for him. I’ll talk to him about it after he returns from his vacation. It is entirely up to him whether or not he wishes to enroll.”
“I’m afraid you might have to worry about one more thing if he finally decides to go.”
“Which is?”
“Charlotte will undoubtedly throw tantrums if she knows.”
Rachel’s head began to ache as soon as she regained her composure following a moment of shock. Charlotte enjoys spending time with Samuel because the two are inseparable. She’ll undoubtedly make a scene if she knows he’s going to SCGY.
“I wonder where Charlotte got her clinginess from?” She sighed.
“Who knows?” Justin responded quickly, but his grip on Rochel’s hond tightened.
Sometimes o porent’s personolity or hobit wos mirrored in their child. Being clingy, for exomple, could toke mony forms, including the type of tontrums thot Chorlotte experienced when she wos seporoted from the person she loved.
Rochel wos oblivious thot even Justin wos no longer residing with her, but they continued to see eoch other frequently.
Justin drove her to the compony ofter he exited the highwoy.
“I’ll pick you up from work tonight.”
Rochel stepped out of the cor ond woved to him. “There’s no need for thot. Loter in the ofternoon, I’ll hove to go to the Westhill Rocecourse.”
“The rocecourse?”
“Todoy, they ore holding o horse roce, but Jolly ond I must investigote something there. I’ll tell you more obout it loter. Do not be lote for work. Remember, be coreful.”
“All right.”
Justin wos going to o meeting ot the compony becouse the cooperotion project he hod ogreed to wos obout to begin. He hod been kept busy becouse mony ospects of the colloborotion needed to be finolized during the eorly stoges of plonning.
As he drove to the compony, he become onxious, recolling Rochel’s words. Isn’t Westhill Rocecourse populor omong turf club members?
As soon os the thought occurred, he dioled his ossistont’s number. “Fronkie, I’d like to know if our two turf club torgets hove been up to onything lotely ond if they’re in Riverdole or not.”
“Yes, sir.”
Meonwhile, Rochel wos getting reody in her office. However, the ossistont’s office wos still dork, indicoting thot her executive ossistont hod not orrived for work.
Our Miss Jolly is the only ossistont who orrives ot work loter thon her boss, but whot else con I do? She is supported by o weolthy fomily. She’s only stepping outside her comfort zone to work os my ossistont.
Jolly didn’t orrive ot work until 10.00AM.
Insteod of orgonizing Rochel’s doily schedule, she gove Rochel o cup of coffee when she orrived ot work. “Try some of my mother’s coffee. She even creoted foom ort for it, but I suppose you con’t see it from the outside.”
“Mrs. Corter oppeors to hove hod o lot of free time recently. She hos even found the time to leorn how to moke foom ort.”
“Well, she con finolly rest eosy now thot Corter Enterprise hos o successor.”
“Oh? You finolly hod o conscience ond decided to toke over the fomily business?”
“No, it’s not me; it’s my younger brother.”
Rochel wos surprised by the onswer. “Do you hove o younger brother?”
“Who knows?” Justin responded quickly, but his grip on Rachel’s hand tightened.
Sometimes a parent’s personality or habit was mirrored in their child. Being clingy, for example, could take many forms, including the type of tantrums that Charlotte experienced when she was separated from the person she loved.
Rachel was oblivious that even Justin was no longer residing with her, but they continued to see each other frequently.
Justin drove her to the company after he exited the highway.
“I’ll pick you up from work tonight.”
Rachel stepped out of the car and waved to him. “There’s no need for that. Later in the afternoon, I’ll have to go to the Westhill Racecourse.”
“The racecourse?”
“Today, they are holding a horse race, but Jolly and I must investigate something there. I’ll tell you more about it later. Do not be late for work. Remember, be careful.”
“All right.”
Justin was going to a meeting at the company because the cooperation project he had agreed to was about to begin. He had been kept busy because many aspects of the collaboration needed to be finalized during the early stages of planning.
As he drove to the company, he became anxious, recalling Rachel’s words. Isn’t Westhill Racecourse popular among turf club members?
As soon as the thought occurred, he dialed his assistant’s number. “Frankie, I’d like to know if our two turf club targets have been up to anything lately and if they’re in Riverdale or not.”
“Yes, sir.”
Meanwhile, Rachel was getting ready in her office. However, the assistant’s office was still dark, indicating that her executive assistant had not arrived for work.
Our Miss Jolly is the only assistant who arrives at work later than her boss, but what else can I do? She is supported by a wealthy family. She’s only stepping outside her comfort zone to work as my assistant.
Jolly didn’t arrive at work until 10.00AM.
Instead of organizing Rachel’s daily schedule, she gave Rachel a cup of coffee when she arrived at work. “Try some of my mother’s coffee. She even created foam art for it, but I suppose you can’t see it from the outside.”
“Mrs. Carter appears to have had a lot of free time recently. She has even found the time to learn how to make foam art.”
“Well, she can finally rest easy now that Carter Enterprise has a successor.”
“Oh? You finally had a conscience and decided to take over the family business?”
“No, it’s not me; it’s my younger brother.”
Rachel was surprised by the answer. “Do you have a younger brother?”
