No sooner had Corless left than Amirah beckoned Bettie over. “Come here. I need to ask you something."

“What is it?"

“What was going on with you and Lance back in high school?" Amirah looked at Bettie as though she could see right through Bettie.

Bettie blinked innocently and feigned confusion. “What do you mean?"

"I know you too well. You've always disliked homework. How come you asked for tutoring at that time?"

Bettie grabbed Amirah's arm, trying to deflect. “Back then, I suddenly realized how important studying was. I regretted my past actions and decided it was time to ditch my bad habits."

"Do you really think I'd buy that?" Amirah looked at her daughter, at a loss for words. She had only been pregnant once after Bettie was born but lost the baby at three months when there was no heartbeat detected. Since then, she hadn't been able to get pregnant again. This made her cherish Bettie only even more.

Bettie wasn't fond of studying since she was a kid. Whenever she acted spoiled, Amirah wouldn't push her to hit the books. As Bettie got older, her interest in studying didn't improve.

Amirah felt regret, realizing she should have pushed Bettie harder for the sake of Bettie's future.

Bettie just pouted and looked down, staying silent.

Amirah went on, "Be honest with me. Did you and Lance date back in high school?"

Bettie couldn't deny it any longer. With a guilty smile, she took Amirah's hand and said, "Mom, that was so long ago. Why bring it up now?"

From her response, Amirah knew her suspicion was correct. “At that time, your dad and I wanted you to study overseas, but you refused. Was he the reason?"

“Um... Not exactly. I just didn't want to leave you and go abroad."

"Now that you and Lance are about to marry, can't you be honest with me? What can I possibly do to you now?" Amirah urged.

After a moment, Bettie admitted with a bit of shyness, “We were together in high school. But we split up when he went overseas. And then..."

“He came back for you?"

"Yes."

"Do you still have feelings for him? Do you want to be with him "Yes..."

“I'll always support you. But I worry you might not see through him if he tries to fool you."