Decline the admission
1210 Words
The bell above the restaurant door jingled as Lina pushed it open.
“Mama! You won’t believe what happened on Cedar Lane. There was this guy on a motorcycle, he almost—”
Her words died in her throat.
Victor sat at the small table near the counter, arms folded across his chest, his expression dark and unreadable.
Beside him sat her mother, Rosa.
The inhaler was already in Rosa’s hand.
Her eyes met Lina’s—and the sadness in them made Lina’s stomach twist.
The adrenaline from the ride drained out of her all at once.
“Good afternoon, sir,” Lina said quietly.
Victor didn’t return the greeting.
Instead, he slapped a sheet of paper onto the table—hard enough to rattle the salt shaker.
“What the hell is the meaning of this?”
Lina frowned and stepped closer.
She picked up the paper.
Her heart dropped. It was the admission letter.
Silverstone University.
Her hands trembled slightly.
“I—I was going to tell you,” she said quickly. “I just found out yesterday and—”
“You think you’re too good for this place now?” Victor cut in sharply.
Lina blinked. “No, sir, that’s not—”
“How many damn times have I told you school is not meant for you?” he barked.
His voice filled the restaurant.
“You’re supposed to stay here. Help your mother. Do something useful for once.”
“But this is Silverstone,” Lina said, trying to steady her voice. “It’s one of the best schools in the state—and I got a scholarship—”
“Nothing is free,” Victor snapped.
He leaned forward slightly, eyes locking onto hers.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
The air tightened.
“Decline the admission,” he said.
Lina’s breath caught. “Sir…?”
“You heard me.” His voice grew colder.
“As long as you’re living under my roof, you do exactly what I say. Now decline it.”
Something in Lina snapped—quietly, but completely.
Her fingers tightened around the paper. “I can’t.”
It came out quieter than she meant, but it held.
The room went still.
Victor’s expression darkened. “What did you say?”
Lina swallowed, her pulse racing, but she didn’t look away this time.
“I can’t.”
“Honey,” Rosa said softly.
Both of them turned.
Rosa had placed a gentle hand on Victor’s arm.
“Let’s talk about this calmly,” she said
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Victor snapped.
“She earned that admission,” Rosa said. “It’s a scholarship.”
“And who’s going to help you run this place?” Victor shot back. “Or are we suddenly rich enough to hire staff?”
Rosa inhaled sharply.
Her chest rose unevenly.
Lina’s stomach dropped. Not again.
Rosa reached for her inhaler, taking a quick breath before trying again.
“Victor… please.”
Lina stood frozen beside the table, watching them.
Her mother rarely argued with him. But today she was trying.
“For once,” Rosa continued, her voice gentler now, “let Lina try something bigger.”
Victor let out a humorless laugh.
“Bigger than what? This?” he gestured around the restaurant.
“That’s not what I meant,” Rosa said quickly. “Her father would have wanted this.”
The air in the restaurant went cold.
Victor’s jaw tightened.
“Her father,” he repeated, his voice dropping. “Always him.”
Rosa flinched but didn’t back down.
“He believed in her,” she said quietly.
“He’s gone,” Victor snapped. “I’m here. And I say no.”
Rosa flinched—but held her ground.
Victor stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.
“Belief doesn’t pay bills,” he said. “Dreams don’t feed this family.”
Rosa coughed suddenly, pressing a hand to her chest as she struggled to steady her breathing.
Lina rushed to her side. “Mama—”
“I’m fine,” Rosa whispered, though she clearly wasn’t.
She took another breath from the inhaler.
Victor barely looked at her.
“We’re college graduates too,” he continued bitterly. “Look where that got us.”
Rosa managed a small, tired smile.“ Everyone’s path is different.”
She reached for his hand.
“Who knows,” she said with a hopeful smile, “Lina might be our breakthrough.”
Victor’s fists tightened.
He stared at Rosa, then at Lina.
The silence stretched painfully.
Finally, he grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair.
“If she goes,” he said coldly, “don’t expect me to pay a dime.”
He turned toward the door.
Then paused. His gaze slid to Lina—slow, deliberate, lingering a second too long.
“Stay away from rich boys,” he said, voice low. “Girls like you don’t end well in places like that.”
A chill ran down Lina’s spine.
The bell above the door jingled as he stormed out.
The air in the restaurant seemed to drop a few degrees.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then Rosa slowly sank back into her chair, breathing unevenly.
Lina knelt beside her instantly.
“Mama…”
Rosa took another breath from the inhaler, then gave her a small, reassuring smile.
“It’s okay, mi amor.”
Tears slipped down Lina’s cheeks.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Rosa brushed a strand of hair from Lina’s face.
“You deserve this.”
Lina leaned into her, holding on for a moment longer than usual.
“I don’t think he’ll ever forgive me,” she murmured.
Rosa chuckled softly. “He will.”
But Lina wasn’t so sure.
After a moment, Rosa patted her hand.
“After today’s sales, I’ll call Emily. We’ll get you something nice for school.”
Lina blinked. “I don’t need—”
“Yes, you do,” Rosa said with a small smile. “You’re not going there looking like you just came from the kitchen.”
A small laugh broke through Lina’s tears.
“Okay.”
Then Rosa tilted her head thoughtfully.
“Now… what were you saying when you came in?”
Lina froze.
Right.
The bike. The almost crash.
The way her heart had jumped for reasons that had nothing to do with fear.
Lina bit her lip.
Rosa watched her curiously.
“What happened, Lina?”
Lina hesitated.
“It’s… a long story,” she said.
Rosa smiled. “Then tell me while we prep. We’ve got time.”
Lina nodded, wiping her cheeks.
But her thoughts weren’t in the kitchen anymore.
They were still on the street.
On a black motorcycle.
On a boy with a voice that hadn’t sounded like a question.
Delivery girl.
Lina frowned at the memory.
Yeah… we’d see about that.
Her gaze dropped to the admission letter still clutched in her hand.
Victor might think the decision was already made.
He was wrong.
Lina tightened her grip on the edge of the table, her jaw setting with quiet determination.
She wasn’t giving up Silverstone.
Not for him. Not for fear.
Not anymore.
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