My voice rose, trembling. "Vanessa didn't even break 600, yet you deleted the rule for her. Who exactly benefits from your 'fairness'?"
A glass struck my forehead. Shattered on impact.
Pain radiated through my skull as Richard shot to his feet, face purple with fury.
"You've gotten bold, haven't you!"
Guests scrambled between us, holding us back.
Vanessa's eyes welled with tears. "Sis, please! Don't upset Dad. Just apologize!"
"Look at your sister, then look at yourself!" Richard bellowed. "Vanessa studied for three months. Why shouldn't she be rewarded? Everyone knows she's the orphan of my late comrade. If I don't help her, society will judge the Whitmore family. Why can't you think about the family reputation instead of your own selfish interests?"
"Selfish interests?"
I let out a hollow laugh.
"Dad, I prepared for a year. Who rewarded me?"
Richard froze.
I laughed again, the sound empty. "Dad, did you know that because you blocked me, my boyfriend and I broke up?"
His frown deepened, anger momentarily checked.
"We dated for three years. We planned to introduce our parents the day I got the offer. But he got in, and I didn't. Long-distance we couldn't sustain. We broke up."