The cloying scent of expensive perfume clung to her clothes, a sharp contrast to the sour air in the house.
My dad, overhearing, poked his head in. His expression shifted as soon as the word "thesis" came up.
"Oh, aren’t there extra points for that?" he asked, his tone suddenly cautious. "Savannah, don’t push yourself too hard. Just graduating is enough. It isn’t meant for us. Someone else deserves it."
The "someone else" he meant? No question, it was Scott. My grip tightened on my phone as my hand started to tremble.
Mom and Dad exchanged a quick look and disappeared into their room.
I followed quietly, pressing my ear to the door.
Through the thin wood, I caught Dad’s voice. "Scott needs that scholarship. If he’s going to take over the company, his resume has to look good. She’ll understand. The extra points are for him."
"But the paper is on Savannah's phone. How do you plan to pull that off?" Mom asked, hesitant.
"Her phone is ancient," Dad said, brushing it off like it was nothing. "Tell her to get a new one, back it up and send it to Scott."
"Isn’t that a bit much?" Mom asked again, her voice quieter this time.