Episode 3 - Acceptance Letter

Narrator Pov

The morning sun filtered gently through the cottony clouds, casting a soft golden hue across the rooftops of a quiet little town tucked in the heart of New Zealand. The town of Eldhollow — though small and often forgotten by the fast pace of the world — held a charm of its own. The scent of dew still clung to the grass, birds chirped harmoniously atop the trees, and a soft breeze danced playfully through the narrow lanes.

Nestled at the edge of this peaceful town, a modest orphanage named Maple Grove Home stood with its ivy-draped walls and worn wooden gates. Inside one of its sunlit classrooms, chalk gently scraped across the blackboard as a girl in her late teens explained a math problem with grace and clarity.

Her name was Stella Williams.

With porcelain-fair skin, soft pink lips, and striking light green eyes that mirrored spring meadows, Stella’s beauty was effortless, yet never flaunted. She wore her long black hair in a simple ponytail, a few strands falling softly across her delicate features. She had an elegance about her — calm, yet confident, and when she smiled, it was the kind that made the room feel warmer.

"Alright, now who wants to give this one a try?" she asked, turning from the board with a gentle expression.

A small hand shot up enthusiastically from the front row. “Me, Miss Stella!”

A boy no older than ten stood up and began explaining, his voice full of certainty, but his answer, unfortunately, wasn't quite right. A ripple of laughter spread across the classroom as the others couldn’t help but giggle at his mistake.

Stella’s smile faded as she raised her voice slightly — not in anger, but with calm authority. "That’s enough, everyone."

The room fell silent instantly.

“Making mistakes is not something to laugh at,” she said, stepping forward, her voice steady. “We come here to learn, not to be perfect. Do you know what's braver than getting something right? Trying, even when you’re not sure of the answer.”

The little boy’s eyes lit up with a shy smile, and Stella gently patted his head before returning to the board.

The laughter faded into quiet admiration.

Stella Pov

"My name is Stella Williams " she glances out the window for a brief moment.For the last three years, Stella had been volunteering at Maple Grove Home as a part-time teacher. The orphanage, limited in funding, couldn’t afford fully staffed educators, and Stella — moved by the joy of giving and the innocence in those young eyes — offered her time without asking for anything in return. The place felt like a second home to her. Amidst the laughter, scribbled chalkboards, and scraped-kneed mischief, she found a certain peace here  a kind of stillness that calmed the chaos of her own life.

Narrator Pov

As the bell rang for the mid-morning break, the children scrambled outside, giggling and calling out to one another.

Stella remained behind, clearing the board absentmindedly before taking a seat at the small teacher’s desk in the corner. She flipped open her old laptop, its hinges squeaking faintly, and instinctively checked her email — something she did out of habit, never really expecting anything new.

But this time... her eyes widened.

One subject line stood out starkly from the rest, bold and unmistakable.

“Congratulations! Royal Academy Admissions – Acceptance Offer”

Her breath caught in her throat.Stella’s trembling fingers clicked the email open. Her eyes darted across the glowing screen, and her breath caught in her throat as she began to read.

"Dear Miss Stella Williams,

We were deeply impressed by your academic excellence, personal statement, and unwavering dedication toward the field of medical sciences.

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into Stanford University as a full-time undergraduate student for the upcoming academic year.

In light of your exceptional performance and financial background, we are offering you a 90% merit-based scholarship to support your education and living expenses.

We look forward to welcoming you on campus soon.

Warm regards,

Office of Admissions

Stanford University

Stella stared at the screen in stunned silence. Her lips parted slightly, heart thudding. She blinked rapidly and leaned back in her chair.

"No way," she whispered.

She pinched her forearm — once, twice.

Still real.

Then came the words — shaky, but filled with joy.

"I did it. I finally did it..."

Tears welled up in her green eyes, spilling down her cheeks.

"After so many failures... all those nights studying, all the rejection letters, all the doubts... I actually did it."

She buried her face in her hands and began to cry — the quiet, overwhelmed kind of crying that only comes when a dream finally steps out of the shadows.

Her reaction wasn’t surprising. After all, getting into Stanford University was nothing short of a miracle for students like Stella. To most, it was just a dream  the kind only visited in sleep.

Ranked among the most prestigious institutions in the world, Stanford was synonymous with excellence. It offered elite programs in engineering, medicine, science, and literature. Graduates were known to walk straight into some of the world’s best opportunities. But with such prestige came an overwhelming price tag — one that most middle-class families couldn’t dream to afford.

That’s why Stella’s acceptance, paired with a near-full scholarship, was nothing short of extraordinary.

She had applied for a Medical Sciences major — a path she’d been committed to ever since childhood. The reason behind her ambition was deeply personal. Years ago, she had lost her grandfather — not because of disease, but because their family couldn’t reach the hospital in time. That helplessness had planted a dream in her young heart: to one day open a hospital in her hometown — a place that would offer affordable care for the poor and vulnerable.

Being accepted into Stanford wasn’t the end of that dream. It was just the beginning.

And sitting there in the quiet orphanage classroom, with her old laptop humming faintly beside her and sunlight spilling through the dusty windows, Stella Williams smiled through her tears.

She was one step closer to changing the world.

...Episode Ends...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***