Chapter 31
“Dad, go easy on me!” Theodore didn’t dodge and took the bit from Tobias‘ cane head–on.
Tobias poked at Theodore’s damp shirt that was clinging to his waist. “Can’t you have a little dignity? You’re a disgrace! Are you possessed by something?
“You… You… Why… Why are you even trying to seduce her?
“Shh! Keep your voice down!” Theodore quickly hushed him.
“Oh, right, I should be quieter. Because this is such an honorable thing to be overheard?” Tobias scoffed, feeling like his old face was about to lose all credibility.
Theodore, however, smirked as he said, “If someone hears, how am I supposed to keep seducing her?”
Tobias rolled his eyes so hard he nearly passed out from sheer exasperation.
Elara found a few comic books for Bambi and borrowed some paper and colored pencils from a housekeeper. Bambi was incredibly focused and could sit quietly for hours reading and drawing.
Once she was settled, Elara approached Tobias‘ students. “Hello, Dr. Snapp asked me to complete one of his worksheets ”
A male student glanced at her, then at five year–old Bambi, and asked, “Are you a student at Capitol University?”
“I graduated from Hawke University,” Elara replied.
“A grad student?” he asked, still doubtful. “Or are you in a PhD program?”
Elara smiled. “I didn’t continue my studies after earning my bachelor’s.”
Several students seated around the long wooden table perked up as they eavesdropped on the conversation.
The student handing her the worksheet hesitated before saying, “Then you probably won’t be able to solve this. Dr. Snapp’s worksheet requires at least a second–year graduate level to complete.”
The guy with black–rimmed glasses scoffed under his breath. “A bachelor’s graduate doing an Olympiad math worksheet?”
“She even has a kid that old. She doesn’t seem like someone who’s been immersed in mathematics for years, another added.
Someone nudged the guy’s elbow and whispered, “But she solved the problem Dr. Snapp wrote on the whiteboard. We spent a week on it, and our entire solution was torn apart by Dr. Snapp…!
Black–rimmed glasses guy frowned at Elara, full of skepticism. “That must’ve been dumb luck, like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead rat.”
Elara ignored the background noise and took the worksheet finding a quiet spot to work.
Tobias Olympiad math worksheets allowed students to use online resources and mathematical programs as aids. He even permitted them to post problems online to seek help.
But even with that advantage, very few people could actually solve them.
Elara placed her phone aside and scanned through all the problems first. She picked out the ones she was
s most
confident in and began tackling them.
As soon as she started, she found herself fully immersed. It had been a long time since she’d felt this way- completely absorbed in problem–solving
The knowledge she had once learned, long buried in the depths of her mind, wasn’t gone. It resurfaced in a sharp and clear manner.
She even felt as if her brain had been washed clean by a fresh stream, making her thought process smoother and more precise.
After solving the problems she was most skilled at, Elara lifted her head and caught sight of Theodore sitting with Bambi, drawing with her.
She was somewhat dazed for a moment.
This was the scene she had once longed for in her marriage the image she had dreamed of. But Harvey had rarely, if ever, spent time with their child.
As Elara lost herself in thought, a student beside her curiously glanced at her worksheet.
“You! You’ve solved this many already?”
His exclamation startled the others.
“No way! It’s only been an hour, and she’s already finished half?”
“She must be making stuff up! That’s impossible!”
Several students gathered around her in disbelief.
“Just because you filled the page doesn’t mean you solved anything. Watching you write on Dr. Snapp’s Olympiad worksheet feels like watching some random person online claim they’ve solved Goldbach’s conjecture.” The guy with black–rimmed glasses couldn’t stand it anymore.
Having Elara work on the same worksheet as them–doctoral students at Capitol University–was an insult to their intelligence,
Unable to tolerate it, he snatched the worksheet from her hands, ready to tear her work apart with criticism.
