The Virginity Pact

8 - path of success

There's plenty of upside to being the spawn of the fabulously wealthy. But the downside? Super successful parents expect nothing less from their offspring. And when it comes to college, that means the Ivys. It's more than just getting into college, it's setting a course for the rest of your life. And for those few who aren't legacies, the pressures are no less. When parents have sacrificed for their children's futures, what kid would want to let them down?

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"This is it, Lydia. This is why we've sent you to Lockwood; for opportunities like this."

Lydia sits at the dining room table on the opposite side of her parents, who stand looking down at her with solemnity in their voice and expressions. She was glad her sister had gone back to Princeton, and the stress of cotillion was over, but now she had her parents on her back about Ivy week.

And like everything else--it had to be perfect.

"Our family has been attending ivy's for generations. Don't be the one to break that streak," her dad says.

"My grades are perfect. My sat scores are amazing. I'm in STEM club and on debate team. I have everything under control," Lydia says defensively.

She wasn't one to be put under anyone's thumb, not even her parents. How could they accuse her of potentially not matching their college success when she always did everything perfectly?

Actually, she knew exactly why. And it always came back to Ainsley.

Lydia always felt like her parents favored her sister Melanie--which they always denied--and Lydia always saw everything as a competition.

So if she wanted to beat Melanie for her parents approval, she'd have to attend not just any Ivy League like her sister, but the former school of their parents--Yale.

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"Holden, I swear to God if you ruin this week--"

"God, I get it," Holden groans. "You're stressing me out and Tyler is annoying as fuck. I've heard this speech like every day the last 4 years of my life. Ivy week is important, I understand."

Holden wasn't just stressed about Ivy week, he was stressed about his father and his uncle putting so much pressure on him. He was stressed about Tyler watching him, just waiting for him to screw up. He was stressed about Harper, who clearly wanted nothing to do with him anymore. Why did he even care about Harper anyway?

"No, Holden, I don't think you understand. You don't take anything seriously. Your grades are average, your attitude is too relaxed. The only thing you have going for is your last name," Vincent says harshly.

"I'm actually on the lacrosse team, in case you forgot. Which wouldn't be hard to imagine, considering you've been to about 3 games in the last 4 years," Holden spits coldly, with resentment towards his father for disregarding the only thing he's ever really cared about.

Vincent frowns deeply.

"You know very well that I am busy running a business," he grumbles.

Holden nods with a scoff. "Yeah. Yeah, I know."

"A successful business, that you may not be running in the future if you don't get it together," Vincent adds and Holden's squinted eyes quickly snap to Vincent's serious ones.
"You may be my son, but you're certainly no business man."

Holden's jaw clenches. "Yes, I am."

"Then show me, dammit!" Vincent roars, his fist slamming down on his desk. Like the scared little boy his father occasionally made him feel like, Holden jumps.