A Warm Marriage After Rebirth

It wasn’t long after Shelby Fenton submitted her application that a club member called her in for an interview. In truth, the staff only gave the applications a cursory glance, focusing on the applicant’s major, place of origin, and family’s financial information. But even a quick look took time. To be called in for an interview as quickly as Shelby Fenton was... well, she was a first!

Everyone knew full well that the shorter the interval between submitting one’s application and getting called for an interview, the more powerful that student’s family was. Typically, only the wealthy enjoyed this kind of treatment.

Shelby Fenton shot Seraphina Sterling a smug glance. "You can just wait here. I’m heading in now! Don’t be surprised if you’re still waiting for news after I’ve already been accepted. We submitted our applications at the same time, yet I’m the one being interviewed first. This is the difference our statuses make—a gap you can never hope to close!"

With that, Shelby Fenton lifted her chin, looking for all the world like a proud peacock. Head high and chest out, she strode arrogantly into the interview room.

"Who does she think she is? Acting all high and mighty. We got here first thing in the morning and have been waiting in line this whole time! She hasn’t even been here ten minutes, and she gets to go straight into the interview?"

"You don’t know? Haven’t you heard? There’s a new heiress in our School of Economics and Management. I heard her family owns a bank! Apparently, Fenton Bank in Aethelgard is their family business! She’s on a completely different level than us. Don’t you know the rich have their privileges? We should just wait here quietly."

"An heiress! Fenton Bank! Why is life so unfair? The comparison is just infuriating! We can only blame ourselves for not being born into a better family. It’s just fate!"

...

"I heard that the wealthier a student’s family is, the higher up the person who interviews them. Normal, ordinary people like us just get interviewed by senior club members. Students from moderately wealthy families get interviewed by the vice-directors or directors. The rich second-generation kids are interviewed by the vice president, and as for the scions of prominent families, the president himself interviews them! But basically, those scions are guaranteed to get in. They’re really only screening the regular people like us!"

"So what if they screen us? If we get in, we get in. If not, we’ll just join another club. We’re just here to give it a shot, anyway."

...

Murmurs of resignation rippled through the crowd. There was nothing to be done; the disparity would always breed a sense of injustice. Of course, someone with a background like Shelby Fenton’s would be the object of everyone’s envy, jealousy, and hate. But her life was too far removed from theirs. They couldn’t even begin to imagine that kind of high-society lifestyle. So, the most they could do was feel a pang of envy and complain a little. Beyond that, their hands were tied.

Of course, there were also those with a better attitude who simply chose to ignore the situation. After all, even if they had a problem with it, they couldn’t change the status quo, so what was the use?

Evan Shelton approached at some point. "Even though you’re in the School of Economics and Management and the Stock Trading Club is a very popular choice, you don’t have to join this specific one. The school’s Student Government is a great option too! With your capabilities, you could definitely get in."

"What’s this? Are you worried I won’t get in, Evan?" Seraphina Sterling raised a delicate eyebrow, her brilliant eyes shining with confidence.

Evan Shelton was taken aback. He had overheard Shelby Fenton’s words and had been a little worried about Seraphina, which was why he’d come over to suggest the Student Government. However, seeing her confident expression, he realized his invitation had been unnecessary.

"If it were anyone else, I might be worried. But since it’s you, there shouldn’t be a problem. Still, just a friendly heads-up: the Stock Trading Club is arguably the most unique club on campus. There are some school rules they don’t have to follow. Most of the time, the regulations don’t apply to them at all."