Chapter 216

Andrew was shocked. A visiting professor at Harrod University? That was seriously impressive!

Andrew’s eyes widened in surprise before turning to look at Kylie. He wanted to say something, but his English wasn’t good enough to manage.

Clyde’s language skills were better. He could speak Ustranasion, but his pronunciation was so terrible that he couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth.

Kylie lifted her chin slightly, offering him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it. You can speak Wallingtonian with me. I understand it perfectly.”

Janice wasn’t happy about this at all. She’d specifically told Andrew that if Clyde wanted to study abroad, he should talk to Shermaine about it. But Andrew didn’t listen to her. And now, at Shermaine’s graduation party of all places, here he was asking someone else for advice.

“I can recommend some well-known universities in Moranta,” Kylie said. “And if you need one, I’d be happy to write you a letter of recommendation.”

“That would be amazing, Kylie. Thank you so much,” Andrew replied.

“Don’t mention it,” Kylie said with a smile.

Shermaine had to admit that while the schools Kylie recommended in Moranta were technically elite institutions, they were just expensive diploma mills.

The tuition was sky-high, but the education quality was mediocre. Students went there to coast through and get a piece of paper, not to learn anything meaningful.

“As your cousin, I think you should consider repeating the year,” Shermaine spoke up. She figured if he genuinely wanted to study abroad, he could always take language proficiency exams and apply to a top-tier university then.

It was clear Shermaine was throwing shade at Kylie’s recommendations. She was basically saying those schools Kylie picked were nothing special.

Clyde had been avoiding Shermaine ever since Wendelyn died. He used to look down on her and had talked plenty of trash about her behind her back.

But in the end, Wendelyn turned out to be the problem, while Shermaine had proven herself to be surprisingly accomplished and impressive.

He’d wanted to ask Shermaine for advice, but given their history, he felt too awkward about it. So when she spoke up like this, he was caught off guard.

Scratching his head nervously, he asked, “My SAT scores aren’t great though. You really think I could do better if I tried again?”

“If you put in the effort, anything’s possible,” Shermaine replied simply.

The truth was, Clyde had been too caught up in gaming and chasing girls to focus on his studies. His grades had tanked while everyone around him, all his relatives and friends, had managed to score well on their SATs.

After a moment’s thought, Clyde said, “Let me think about it.” Then, a bit stiffly, he added, “Thanks for the advice, Sheary. I appreciate it.”

“No problem.”

Sarah felt Shermaine’s timing was terrible. It seemed disrespectful to both her and Kylie. “You should think carefully,” Sarah warned Clyde. “Kylie’s recommendation letters aren’t easy to come by.” Her implication was clear that it was a one-shot deal.

“What if you fail the test again?” Andrew pressed. “You’d be wasting another year. Kylie offered to write you a recommendation letter, and you turned it down? Look, I make enough to pay for your college.”

With his annual dividends hitting seven figures and his stock investments doing well, paying for Clyde’s education was hardly a concern.

In his mind, nothing Shermaine could offer would beat a recommendation from a Harrod University professor.

Kylie let out a smile. She wasn’t worried about being rejected–her recommendation letters were hot commodities back home. People had offered millions of dollars for them.

“If you ace the SAT next year and still want to study abroad, I can get you recommendation letters from top universities,” Shermaine claimed. She could help him prep for the language exams and get him into any elite school he wanted.

Everyone caught that she’d said top universities.

Clyde’s eyes lit up instantly.

Andrew froze. Was Shermaine serious about those top universities’ connections?

Sarah laughed. “Shermaine, recommendation letters need to come from someone with real authority. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Kylie is a visiting professor at Harrod University–her letters carry serious weight. So tell me, who exactly would write these letters for him?”

Shermaine stayed calm and matter-of-fact. “My recommendations work pretty well.” She remembered one wealthy businessman who’d offered five million dollars for a single letter for his son. She’d turned him down–the kid was hopeless.

Sarah rolled her eyes, clearly not buying it.

“Shermaine, you’re quite the joker,” Kylie said smoothly.

Shermaine looked up. “Who’s joking?”