From His Wife to His Uncle's Wife novel Chapter 140

Eleanor took Jared to Brookstone High that weekend. The admissions counselor, probably because Mr. Sidler had given them a heads-up, was extra welcoming and polite. They even arranged for Jared to take a placement test right then and there.

Eleanor waited outside, checking her phone and glancing at the door every so often. When Jared came out, the counselor didn’t waste any time. He told Eleanor Jared had passed and was accepted on the spot. The test was just English, math, and science, and Jared only missed ten points in total. To Brookstone, that made him a star student, so they wanted him in their advanced class.

The only catch was the tuition. Private school wasn’t cheap, and Brookstone was mostly a boarding school. Still, Eleanor asked if Jared could be a day student and got her way. The only downside was the distance. It would take about half an hour each way to get to school every day.

Later, Eleanor called her mom. “Mom, we got Jared all set up at Brookstone today. He’ll start as a freshman. Depending on how he does, he might be able to skip ahead later.”

Jared had actually hoped to jump straight into the senior class, but they weren’t taking new students. The teachers suggested he spend half a semester with the first-years. If he did well, he could move up to sophomore in the spring.

Juliana was delighted. She finally felt like her daughter had done something big for Jared.

“That’s great. But the school’s so far. I should look for a place to rent nearby,” she said.

Eleanor agreed that renting a place made sense, but since she’d already paid the tuition, she figured Juliana could handle the rent herself.

Juliana expected her daughter to volunteer to help with the rent. But Eleanor just sat there, taking a slow sip of water, not saying a word.

Juliana tried again. “You know, my pension is less than four thousand a month. That barely covers a decent apartment.”

Juliana’s good mood vanished. All she could think about was how sharp and calculating her daughter had become. When had Eleanor gotten so hard to handle?

“Mom, I’ve got things to do. Make sure you get in touch with a moving company soon,” Eleanor said, getting up to leave. Before she stepped out, she shot Jared a playful wink.

Jared almost burst out laughing. “Bye, Eleanor,” he called out, his voice bright.

Once Eleanor left, Juliana started muttering to herself. “Eleanor’s gotten so stingy. I told her not to get divorced. The second she does, she turns into a penny pincher. That’s a terrible way to live.”