There was a long pause on the other end of the line, and I could hear my mother’s voice in the background asking a question. “It is Jordan on the phone,” my father replied to her before returning his attention to our conversation.
“Unfortunately, we have a significant conflict that weekend that we simply cannot move,” he stated firmly. My heart sank instantly as I asked him what kind of conflict could possibly be more important than my graduation.
“Kaylee has her high school graduation that same week, and we have several major celebration activities planned for her,” he explained. He added that the timing was just not going to work for them to drive all the way up to Philadelphia for my event.
I gripped my phone much tighter as I pointed out that Kaylee’s graduation was on a Thursday while mine was on Saturday. “You could easily attend both ceremonies if you wanted to be there,” I said with a trembling voice.
“Well, we are also taking Kaylee on a massive shopping spree in Miami that weekend as part of her graduation gift,” he replied defensively. I nearly dropped my phone when he finally delivered the line that would stay with me for the rest of my life.
You will just have to take the city bus to your ceremony because we are currently busy buying your sister a Rolls-Royce,” he said without any shame. I was so stunned by the absurdity of his statement that I could barely find the words to respond to him.
“A Rolls-Royce for an eighteen year old girl who is just finishing high school?” I asked in disbelief. “She has worked very hard in her own way, and she was recently accepted to the University of Miami,” my father defended.
He added that they wanted to properly reward her accomplishment and that I was always the responsible one who could handle things alone. The irony was so thick that I almost wanted to laugh right then and there.
Kaylee had gained admission to her college with a mediocre GPA and a heavy legacy advantage because our father was a donor. Meanwhile, I had graduated at the top of my class and maintained a perfect 4.0 while building a massive company.
“I see how it is,” was all I could manage to say before the call ended. After hanging up, I stood completely frozen on the sidewalk as the city moved around me in a blur.
Maya found me there ten minutes later and immediately recognized the look of devastation on my face. “They are buying her a Rolls-Royce while telling me to take the bus to my own Harvard level graduation,” I whispered.
Maya put her arm around my shoulder and told me that they did not deserve to be there anyway. “We are your real family now, and we will be cheering louder than anyone when you walk across that stage,” she promised.
I decided that I would indeed take the bus to my graduation ceremony just as my father had so cruelly suggested. There was a certain sense of poetic justice to the idea that I wanted to embrace.
I would arrive by public transportation to receive my prestigious diploma and return to my office as a billionaire CEO. Two days before the ceremony, I received an urgent email from the office of the Dean of the business school.
Concerned that there might be some kind of issue with my graduation status, I went to his office immediately. “Miss Casey, thank you for coming in on such short notice during this busy week,” Dean Lawrence greeted me warmly.
He then explained that he had recently received a call from a major business publication regarding a feature story. “You have been named as the youngest self made female billionaire in the technology sector,” he said with a wide smile.
He asked for my permission to briefly recognize this incredible accomplishment during the graduation ceremony. I initially wanted to decline the offer because I valued my privacy, but then I thought about my parents.
I knew they would likely be in the audience now because Kaylee would want to see the spectacle of the event. “That would be acceptable, Dean,” I said after a moment of careful consideration.
Graduation day arrived with a clear blue sky and a gentle breeze that moved through the trees on campus. I stood in front of my mirror and carefully adjusted my cap while smoothing the fabric of my graduation robe.
I kept my original plan and boarded the city bus to travel to the university grounds that morning. The bus was nearly empty, and I sat by the window watching the familiar city streets pass by while reflecting on my journey.
When I finally arrived at the ceremony site, the transformation of the campus was truly stunning to behold. Rows of white chairs lined the grass, and bright banners hung from every historic building in sight.
