Chapter 665
Erlinda’s family ain’t exactly rolling in dough. When she got accepted into Skyrim Film Academy, her parents moved
with her from their little town to Greenfield. The family lived in a neighborhood located ten kilometers away from
the Skyrim Film Academy
They’d sold their house back in the small town, and it just so happened Erlinda’s dad, Feynman Frost, found a school
here that would take him. Erlinda’s mom, Jean Frost, started buying local veggies in their hometown and selling
them in Greenfield. They were both kept busy all day, every day.
Erlinda had always been a good kid, always studying hard.
The year she made it into the Skyrim‘ Film Academy, they set off fireworks in the high school yard to celebrate.
Due to Feynman’s strictness, Erlinda had a more introverted personality.
She didn’t have more than five bucks a day to spend. That was the rule her parents set.
But a single contraceptive pill had cost that much money, and when she had added in lunch and the round–trip bus
fare, the money for buying contraceptive pills simply hadn’t been enough.
Now Erlinda was getting home, seeing the light on, and slowly walking inside.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtJean was busy in the kitchen.
Their place was just over thirty square meters, divided into two small rooms, with the rest being the living room,
kitchen, and a bathroom where she could barely turn around.
“Mom, can I have an extra ten bucks?” Erlinda asked carefully from the edge of the kitchen.
Jean was frying up some potatoes and frowned when she heard this.
“What do you need the money for? Didn’t I give you some this morning? You know the girl from upstairs who’s also
in college only carries five bucks a day. I heard the university cafeterias are really cheap, you can get full for five
dollars.”
“Erlinda, you need to understand our difficulties, don’t always compare yourself with others. We can’t afford it. If
you need to compare, compare your studies. We sold our land, our house, everything, just to get you to school and
move us all to Greenfield. You need to be more obedient.”
Erlinda stood there, feeling a deep pain inside. Jean’s words made it impossible for her to raise her head.
“I need the money now, but I’ll get a job and pay you back.”
Nolan was adamant that Erlinda couldn’t work. If he found out, he’d revoke her graduation qualification.
Her scripts were all taken by Nolan. Every one of them was a hit with investors. Three of the recent blockbusters
were her work, but she didn’t get a penny of the profits.
Thinking about her situation, Erlinda started to cry.
Seeing Erlinda cry, Jean got a bit impatient and put down her spatula.
“What are you crying for? Is studying harder than me farming? I have to run back and forth between the town and
Greenfield every day, it’s making my head spin,1 don’t even dare to buy medicine. Your dad doesn’t earn much
either. If you’re asking for ten bucks now, will you ask for fifty or a hundred next time?”
“Mom, I’ll really pay you back.”
Jean turned back to her potatoes, “Your dad will be home in an hour. You need to recite the text I told you to learn
and write a reflection on it. I’ll give you the money later.”
Erlinda dried her tears, sat down slowly in the living room, and put a few books on the table.
Jean insisted Erlinda memorize the college textbooks, even though it wasn’t necessary in college. Jean never went
to college, but she still insisted that Erlinda memorize chapter by chapter.
Erlinda tried to argue with her, to tell her that college wasn’t like high school. No teacher would ask students to
recite the text, the classrooms weren’t even fixed.
But Jean wouldn’t listen. She insisted on her own way of disciplining Erlinda.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAfter trying many times, Erlinda realized Jean was stubborn and actually started memorizing the text.
Only after finishing a thousand–word reflection did Jean give Erlinda the ten dollars.
Erlinda rushed downstairs to a nearby pharmacy to buy a birth control pill.
Because people in the neighborhood liked to gossip, she was worried that the workers there would recognize her,
so she wore a hat when she went out and kept her head down when she bought the pill.
Erlinda looked very thin, a result of long–term malnutrition.
The pharmacy worker looked at her a few times, realized she was a student, and advised her, “If you have any
problems, remember to tell your family.”
Erlinda ran away as soon as she got the pill, to a place where no one could see her, and swallowed it.
She wanted to vomit, but she didn’t dare, worried she would throw up the pill.
After resting downstairs for a while, she went upstairs. Through the door, she heard Jean complaining to Feynman.
“Erlinda’s becoming more and more disobedient. She just asked me for ten dollars. She never had money on her in
high school. Now she’s spending so much every
day, who knows what she’s doing out there. Have you contacted her teacher? Is she comparing herself to others at
school, picking up bad habits?”