IT WAS EARLY afternoon when the dri

IT WAS EARLY afternoon when the driver Margot had hired rolled through the iron-gated entrance, from which hung a discreet white wooden shingle with the name MALDEN ACADEMY written in black script. A serpentine asphalt drive bordered by majestic pines led to the heart of the campus. Designed to evoke a colonial village, the ivy-covered buildings were set around a large open green. In the center of the manicured expanse rose a flag that waved gently in the autumn breeze. The school’s campus quietly screamed class and money and the promise of a glorious future for the students who passed through its wrought-iron gates. Nicole’s green eyes must have gleamed with satisfaction at the prospect of her daughter enrolled in a place like this.
Poor Nicole. Margot hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. She could only imagine her stepmother’s terror at being a helpless passenger, unable to fight for her life as the plane lost altitude and hurtled into the choppy waters of the Chesapeake.
Her death was too awful to contemplate. It didn’t matter that there’d been no love lost between them—only buckets of rank bitterness and jealousy. Margot wouldn’t have wished such a horrible and premature end on anyone.
The driver pulled up in front of a large brick building. For a second, Margot gazed at the wide bluestone steps leading up to the entrance, the limestone lintel with EDWARDS HALL engraved in block letters, and then the smaller bronze plaque on which read the single word Admissions. When she’d last telephoned Richard, her brother-in-law had said Jade would be waiting here in the headmaster’s office.
She drew a deep breath. She wasn’t looking forward to this particular reunion. Any normal sibling affection Margot might have felt for her half-sister had been poisoned by Nicole’s relentless campaign to drive a wedge between Margot and Jordan and their father. From the day Nicole gazed into RJ’s eyes and pronounced the words “I do” in front of God, the minister, and the whole of Warburg, Virginia, she quickly shed all pretense of having any interest in her two young stepdaughters. When Jade came along barely nine months to the wedding day, Nicole, possessed by an us-versus-them mentality, hadn’t hesitated to conscript her own child into the battle of wills being waged at Rosewood.
Eight years of distance and perspective allowed Margot to see that Jade was blameless. To hold a grudge against a mere kid was too petty for words. But the knowledge did little to ease Margot’s tension.
“I’ll only be a few minutes,” she told the driver before opening the car door and stepping out into the crisp autumn air. She mounted the shallow steps determined to put aside the deep-seated resentment she felt toward her cosseted younger half-sister, who’d never had to beg, scream, or yell for her father’s affection.
A secretary with a buttercup-yellow headband that matched her cardigan showed her into the headmaster’s office. The office was large and decorated in the spirit of Norman-Rockwell-meets-John-Harvard: framed portraits, papered walls, and a solid mahogany desk in front of a large bay window. There was a fireplace and a pair of burgundy-upholstered wingback chairs.
Jade was sitting in one of them.
At Margot’s entrance, she sprang to her feet. Margot saw tears shimmering in her green eyes, eyes so huge they all but swallowed up her pale face. The shock of seeing those eyes—Nicole’s eyes—was almost as disorienting as the fact that Jade had grown so tall.
Get a grip. Of course Jade’s grown. And she always had Nicole’s green eyes, she reminded herself impatiently as she crossed the room and embraced her half-sister. That Jade’s body felt as stiff as her own came as no surprise. After all, they were practically strangers.
She stepped back and tried to smile. “Hi. You okay?”
Jade nodded jerkily, but then had to blot the tears that spilled down her cheeks with a crumpled Kleenex.
Margot’s heart welled with pity. “I’m really sorry about your mother.”
“Thanks,” she said in a voice thick with tears.
Margot was searching for what to say next when the door opened and a middle-aged man dressed in crisply pressed khakis and a navy blazer entered. He approached with his hand thrust out.
“Ms. Radcliffe? I’m Thomas Selby, the head of Maiden Academy.”
She shook his hand. “Hello.”
“On behalf of our school, please allow me to extend our condolences to your family.”
With a polite smile, she extricated her hand from his. He seemed to have forgotten he was holding it. “Thank you, that’s very kind.”
“A terrible tragedy. I only had the pleasure of meeting Jade’s parents a few times, but even from those brief encounters I could tell they were devoted to her. Absolutely devoted.” He cleared his throat. “When I spoke with your brother-in-law earlier this morning, he informed me that your father was taken to Jefferson Hospital. An excellent place. One of our alumni, Andrew Marston, was chief of staff there. Although he’s retired now, I’m sure your father will receive the finest medical attention.”
“We hope so.” Dad was strong. If anyone could survive this kind of accident, it was he. Please, God.
“It’s fortunate your brother-in-law was able to reach me and inform me that you were coming for Jade, Ms. Radcliffe,” he continued. “You see, at Maiden, we’re very concerned about our students’ security and your parents didn’t include you on the emergency contact form. Indeed, we had no idea Jade had such a famous relative.” He smiled over his bow tie, his eyes bright with curiosity behind his tortoise-shell glasses.
Thomas Selby was sorely mistaken if he thought he was going to discover a juicy tidbit of gossip to share at the next faculty meeting, such as the reason why she wasn’t on any family contact list. Hearing that her father hadn’t spoken to her in eight years would certainly enliven the meeting. But after evading paparazzi who hunted with telephoto lenses and media journalists who spied and probed relentlessly in an attempt to uncover her “real life” story, Margot found his bumbling attempt almost laughable. Almost.
She gave a careless shrug. “With the amount of traveling I do as a model, it hardly makes sense to list me as an emergency contact.”
“Of course, I understand completely.”
She glanced at Jade, who hadn’t uttered a word since Selby entered the room, and was surprised by the faint sneer on her half-sister’s pale face. What was that about?
“Are you ready, Jade? Have you got all your things?”
“Yes,” she said and pointed to a small mountain of black nylon in the corner. Margot counted three bulging duffel bags, an equally overstuffed backpack, and a laptop computer case.
“I see Jade’s packed her computer. That’s good. While she’s gone she can e-mail her teachers about her assignments. But I do hope that she’ll be returning as soon as possible. Sophomore year is quite challenging. We’d hate to see her fall behind.”
“I’m not coming back to Maiden. My dad will want me at home,” Jade said.
God, what must it be like to be so assured of a father’s love? Margot thought.
Thomas Selby had stiffened visibly at Jade’s pronouncement. “I hardly believe a decision of this magnitude is yours to make.”
The sneer on Jade’s face grew marked. “Yeah, it is. And you can—”
Worried that Jade might say something she’d later regret, Margot quickly intervened. “As I’m sure you understand, Mr. Selby, Jade is quite distraught. My sister Jordan or I will contact you as soon as we have more information about our father’s condition and a better idea of when Jade will be returning to school.” She glanced at her wristwatch, ignoring the fact that it was still set to Milan time. “I have a car waiting to take us to the airport. Perhaps someone can help us carry these things outside.”

Hasil (Bahasa Indonesia) 1:

ITU sore ketika pengandar Margot telah menyewa meluncur melalui pintu besi-gated masuk, yang menggantung sirap kayu putih yang bijaksana dengan Akademi MALDEN nama yang tertulis dalam hitam. Perjalanan berkelok-kelok aspal berbatasan dengan megah pines dipimpin ke jantung kampus. Dirancang untuk membangkitkan sebuah desa kolonial, gedung tertutup ivy yang diatur di sekitar hijau terbuka besar. Di tengah hamparan terawat naik sebuah bendera yang dikibarkan lembut angin musim gugur. Kampus sekolah diam-diam menjerit kelas dan uang dan janji masa depan yang gemilang bagi siswa yang melewati gerbang besi tempa. Mata hijau Nicole harus memiliki berkilau dengan kepuasan pada prospek putrinya yang terdaftar di tempat seperti ini.Nicole miskin. Margot tidak mampu untuk berhenti berpikir tentang dirinya. Dia hanya bisa membayangkan ibu tiri teror di menjadi seorang penumpang yang tak berdaya, tidak mampu berjuang untuk hidupnya sebagai pesawat kehilangan ketinggian dan hurtled ke perairan berombak Chesapeake.Kematiannya adalah terlalu mengerikan untuk merenungkan. Tidak peduli bahwa telah ada tidak ada kasih yang hilang di antara mereka-hanya ember peringkat kepahitan dan kecemburuan. Margot tidak berharap seperti akhir yang mengerikan dan prematur pada siapa pun.Sopir berhenti di depan gedung batu bata yang besar. Untuk kedua, Margot menatap bluestone berbagai langkah-langkah yang mengarah ke pintu, ambang kapur dengan EDWARDS HALL terukir dalam huruf kapital, dan kemudian plakat perunggu kecil yang membaca penerimaan satu kata. Ketika ia terakhir telah menelepon Richard, ipar dia mengatakan Jade akan menunggu di sini di kantor kepala sekolah.Ia menarik napas dalam-dalam. Dia tidak melihat ke depan untuk reuni tertentu ini. Setiap kasih sayang saudara kandung yang normal yang Margot mungkin merasa untuk saudari tiri nya telah diracuni oleh Nicole kampanye tanpa henti untuk mengemudi baji antara Margot Jordan dan ayah mereka. Dari hari Nicole menatap mata RJ dan diucapkan kata-kata "Aku lakukan" di hadapan Allah, Menteri, dan seluruh Warburg, Virginia, ia dengan cepat melepaskan kepura-puraan semua memiliki minat dalam stepdaughters muda nya dua. Ketika Jade datang sepanjang hampir sembilan bulan untuk hari pernikahan, Nicole, dimiliki oleh mentalitas kita-versus-mereka, tidak ragu-ragu untuk menjadi tentara dirinya sendiri anak ke pertempuran wasiat yang dilancarkan di Rosewood.Delapan tahun jarak dan perspektif diperbolehkan Margot untuk melihat bahwa batu giok tidak bercela. Untuk menyimpan dendam terhadap hanya anak-anak itu terlalu kecil untuk kata-kata. Tetapi pengetahuan tidak sedikit untuk meredakan ketegangan Margot's."Saya hanya akan berada dalam beberapa menit," katanya sopir sebelum membuka pintu mobil dan melangkah keluar ke udara musim gugur renyah. Dia menaiki tangga dangkal bertekad untuk mengesampingkan kebencian yang mendalam dia merasa menuju saudari tiri muda nya memanjakan, yang akan pernah harus mengemis, menjerit, atau berteriak kasih sayang ayahnya.Sekretaris dengan ikat buttercup-kuning yang cocok cardigan nya menunjukkan ke kantor kepala sekolah. Kantor ini besar dan didekorasi dengan semangat Norman Rockwell-bertemu-John-Harvard: dibingkai potret, papered dinding, dan sebuah meja mahoni yang solid di depan jendela teluk yang besar. Ada sebuah perapian dan sepasang kursi berlapis Burgundia wingback.Jade sedang duduk di salah satu dari mereka.Di Margot's masuk, dia melompat kakinya. Margot melihat air mata yang berkilauan di matanya hijau, mata yang sangat besar mereka semua tapi ditelan wajahnya pucat. Shock melihat mata-mata Nicole — adalah hampir membingungkan sebagai fakta bahwa batu giok telah tumbuh begitu tinggi.Mendapatkan pegangan. Tentu Jade yang tumbuh. Dan dia selalu memiliki mata hijau Nicole, dia mengingatkan dirinya tak sabar ketika ia menyeberangi kamar dan memeluk saudari tiri nya. Bahwa tubuh Jade merasa seperti kaku seperti dirinya sendiri tidak mengherankan. Setelah semua, mereka adalah praktis orang asing.Dia melangkah mundur dan mencoba untuk tersenyum. "Hai. Anda baik-baik saja?"Jade mengangguk tersentak-sentak, tetapi kemudian harus menghapus air mata yang tumpah pipinya dengan Kleenex kusut.Margot’s heart welled with pity. “I’m really sorry about your mother.”“Thanks,” she said in a voice thick with tears.Margot was searching for what to say next when the door opened and a middle-aged man dressed in crisply pressed khakis and a navy blazer entered. He approached with his hand thrust out.“Ms. Radcliffe? I’m Thomas Selby, the head of Maiden Academy.”She shook his hand. “Hello.”“On behalf of our school, please allow me to extend our condolences to your family.”With a polite smile, she extricated her hand from his. He seemed to have forgotten he was holding it. “Thank you, that’s very kind.”“A terrible tragedy. I only had the pleasure of meeting Jade’s parents a few times, but even from those brief encounters I could tell they were devoted to her. Absolutely devoted.” He cleared his throat. “When I spoke with your brother-in-law earlier this morning, he informed me that your father was taken to Jefferson Hospital. An excellent place. One of our alumni, Andrew Marston, was chief of staff there. Although he’s retired now, I’m sure your father will receive the finest medical attention.”“We hope so.” Dad was strong. If anyone could survive this kind of accident, it was he. Please, God.“It’s fortunate your brother-in-law was able to reach me and inform me that you were coming for Jade, Ms. Radcliffe,” he continued. “You see, at Maiden, we’re very concerned about our students’ security and your parents didn’t include you on the emergency contact form. Indeed, we had no idea Jade had such a famous relative.” He smiled over his bow tie, his eyes bright with curiosity behind his tortoise-shell glasses.Thomas Selby was sorely mistaken if he thought he was going to discover a juicy tidbit of gossip to share at the next faculty meeting, such as the reason why she wasn’t on any family contact list. Hearing that her father hadn’t spoken to her in eight years would certainly enliven the meeting. But after evading paparazzi who hunted with telephoto lenses and media journalists who spied and probed relentlessly in an attempt to uncover her “real life” story, Margot found his bumbling attempt almost laughable. Almost.She gave a careless shrug. “With the amount of traveling I do as a model, it hardly makes sense to list me as an emergency contact.”“Of course, I understand completely.”She glanced at Jade, who hadn’t uttered a word since Selby entered the room, and was surprised by the faint sneer on her half-sister’s pale face. What was that about?“Are you ready, Jade? Have you got all your things?”“Yes,” she said and pointed to a small mountain of black nylon in the corner. Margot counted three bulging duffel bags, an equally overstuffed backpack, and a laptop computer case.“I see Jade’s packed her computer. That’s good. While she’s gone she can e-mail her teachers about her assignments. But I do hope that she’ll be returning as soon as possible. Sophomore year is quite challenging. We’d hate to see her fall behind.”“I’m not coming back to Maiden. My dad will want me at home,” Jade said.God, what must it be like to be so assured of a father’s love? Margot thought.Thomas Selby had stiffened visibly at Jade’s pronouncement. “I hardly believe a decision of this magnitude is yours to make.”The sneer on Jade’s face grew marked. “Yeah, it is. And you can—”Worried that Jade might say something she’d later regret, Margot quickly intervened. “As I’m sure you understand, Mr. Selby, Jade is quite distraught. My sister Jordan or I will contact you as soon as we have more information about our father’s condition and a better idea of when Jade will be returning to school.” She glanced at her wristwatch, ignoring the fact that it was still set to Milan time. “I have a car waiting to take us to the airport. Perhaps someone can help us carry these things outside.”