While holding the mail she has been waiting for months to open, Molly's hands are trembling. She scans the faces of her companions. They had all been waiting for this very moment. Molly cautiously opens the envelope, "I'll go first. Her mouth drops as she reads the letter, and she can feel her heartbeat in her stomach.
She was unable to believe it. Excitedly, she yells, but then she remembers something: what about her father?
He Made A Mistake
Molly has known she wants to make her dad, Clive, proud for as long as she can remember. It was occasionally challenging for her to grow up in a one-parent home, but she wouldn't have had it any other way. She pledged to take good care of her dad and the house they shared forever.
But then a day arrived when Clive gave Molly a unique promise. He probably shouldn't have made that commitment.
A Reward
Anyone who has taken GCSEs knows how terrifying the process can be. The pressure is excessive for 15- and 16-year-olds. For this reason, Clive made his daughter an offer: if she received an A*, he would give her £100.
Even though Clive intended that promise as a joke, he had no idea how quickly his actions would backfire.
Hard Work
So, as Molly's last year of school quickly passed, she demonstrated her commitment to achieving the greatest grades possible by studying for a number of hours every single night. Even her weekends were devoted to revision so she could brush up on her knowledge before the tests.
Molly may be educated and knowledgeable, but not even she could have predicted what would happen next.
It Was Time
Molly checks her phone at 6:40 a.m. She's finally going to get her scores today! She sighs and then jumps into the shower. Molly was eager to set her mind at ease after waiting for months and months, scanning social media, and rearranging her clothing.
But when she enters her school to pick up her results, she feels a wave of worry come over her.
A Scary Moment
In her throat, Molly can feel her heartbeat as she waits for her name to be called. She exhales after wiping the sweat from her forehead. She thinks to herself, "I feel like I'm carrying the weight of the entire planet."
But the sound of her name being shouted out quickly dispels any bad feelings she may be having. She stands up and walks over to receive her envelope.
Good News
"No way!" Molly shouts loudly. She had just opened and carefully reviewed her results envelope. She was astonished to learn that she received an A* in each of her 14 classes! Molly never in a million years imagined this would truly happen after working so hard!
However, Molly then observes a teacher standing across the room. He approaches Molly and gives her a harsh expression. What was the issue?
Good Job
In actuality, the teacher had come over to tell Molly some more wonderful news. "The schools have never seen results like yours! Congrats, Molly!" The teacher grins as he addresses her. Molly smirks to herself as the two are held. What about her pals, though?
She had entirely neglected to inquire about their performance!
Joy
Amazingly, her buddies all got excellent grades as well! None of them managed to do what Molly did, but some managed to score a few A*s and a few A's. "I'll see you tonight about eight, maybe?" Molly calls out to her friends as they are all returning home. They respond with a cry of "Definitely!" and a laugh.
Molly leaves the building beaming with pride and joy. The only person who would be proud of her, she knew, needed to know - her father.
Uneasy
"Good job, Molly!" As Molly informs him her results, Clive yells into the phone. He is really proud of his young daughter because, despite all that she has been through, she has persevered and won his admiration. But as his not-so-little girl giggles on the other end of the line, Clive starts to feel uneasy.
Would his daughter want him to keep the promise he made? After all, Molly was owed from her father a nice and kind £1400.
A Running Joke
Despite the promise he gave Molly, Molly knew that money wasn’t her main focus and motivation to do well in the exams.
Just like her dad, Molly saw the promise he made as a joke at first, and as time went on and the date of the exam grew closer and closer, the pledge quickly became a running joke in the entire family.
A Strange Envelope
As soon as Molly got home from her results day she walked into the living room to find her dad standing with a massive smile plastered on his face. “Congrats daring,” he says before squeezing her tight. Then suddenly, he pulls away before getting out a blank envelope from his back pocket.
The father and daughter look at each other and pause. “Go on,” Clive says, “open it.”
Thousands Of Questions
As Molly opens the envelope she can feel her dad's eyes burning into her as thousands of questions run through her mind. What was inside the envelope? Was it the money? She finds a piece of paper inside the envelope and stops cold when she sees what it is.
It was a blank cheque. Molly looks and her dad and bursts into laughter. It was a joke of course. With the whole family knowing about the promise Clive made, Clive felt this would keep the joke going. But their family wouldn’t be the only ones with an opinion.
Going Viral
Since the results day in August, Molly and Clive’s story got picked up in a local newspaper. The daughter and daughter themselves immediately went viral sparking a lively online debate.
Some of the comments applauded Molly and her father, while others were incredibly feisty, with users not afraid to state their opinions.
Opinions Of Others
The majority of people claimed that Clive had every right to reward his daughter, with some stating that, “money is an incentive. Just like anything in life – you know you have to work hard if you can see a great goal ahead.” However, these feelings weren’t reciprocated by other users, with one claiming, “parents should motivate through showing their kids what they can achieve for themselves and others.”
Despite the criticism, little did Clive know he wasn’t the only one rewarding his daughter.