Legacy Unveiled: The Hidden Heir

Chapter 22: Fresh page

I jolted awake to find Rudra, my Mom, and Dad standing before me, their arms crossed and expressions filled with annoyance. I rubbed my eyes groggily, realizing I had fallen asleep at my desk. Before I could gather my bearings, Rudra thrust my phone in my face, displaying the letter from the school with all the details for the exam. He was practically seething with anger, and my parents didn't look any happier.

"I am not going to accept this rubbish from you, Kiran," my dad admonished, his tone sharp.

But my mom intervened with a stern look at my dad. "That's my daughter you're talking to," she reprimanded him, silencing him momentarily.

She sat beside me, her expression softer but still filled with concern. "Kiran, let's be transparent now. What's going on?"

I let out a tired sigh, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me. I didn't have the energy to dance around the truth anymore. "I'm going to write an entrance examination for the Sintarian School of Excellence for the Brilliant, and I've been preparing for it for the past month," I admitted bluntly.

Rudra's frustration was palpable as he spoke up. "Why? Isn't this school good enough?" he demanded, his voice tinged with disbelief.

I stood up, my eyes flashing with defiance. "I want the best, Rudra. 'Good' isn't what I'm aiming for. Is that a problem?"

He grabbed my shoulders, his grip tight with agitation. "Yes, it's a problem, Kiran! This school is on the other side of the country! Do you realize that? And it's practically isolated!"

My dad intervened, pulling Rudra back and speaking sharply. "I won't fund you for this."

Anger boiled within me. It seemed that my aspirations to be the best and attend the most prestigious school were considered nonsense by my father and brother. Well, they could say goodbye to the obedient Kiran who listened to their every command like a lapdog. From now on, it was defiance all the way. I was done being ordered around.

I snatched my phone from Rudra's grasp and turned to face my father and Rudra, my gaze steady and my voice icy as I carefully enunciated each syllable. "Well, I never asked for you to fund it, dear father. And Rudra, deal with it. Just like I dealt with no support when I was crying, you can deal with the space I'll leave behind afterward."

I spared a glance at my mom, the only one who seemed unfazed by the tension in the room. "I need this. I need to leave and start fresh somewhere else, or else I'll... go mad," I admitted, the desperation evident in my voice.

Without missing a beat, my mom calmly responded, "Well, if you must, then it shall be done." With that, she took hold of my dad's and Rudra's hands, ushering them out of my room.

As the door closed behind them, I collapsed onto my bed, exhaustion washing over me. With every fiber of my being, I hoped and prayed that I would get into that school. It wasn't just a want – it was a need.

I woke up with just five hours of sleep, feeling like a zombie on a mission. Rushing downstairs, I grabbed breakfast, but just as I reached for the milk, Rudra snatched it away with a smirk. "Hungry, are we?" he teased, holding it just out of reach.

I managed to muster a cold smile, attempting to grab the milk from him, but he kept it just out of my grasp. "Why are you like this? Just let me eat and go. I promise I won't bother you afterward. Please," I pleaded, feeling the pressure of the looming exam weighing heavily on my mind.

With only an hour left until the exam, I wanted nothing more than to eat, shower, and prepare. The test was online, but I had no intention of cheating. After all the cramming I'd done, I didn't need to resort to dishonesty.