Chapter 36

Elysia felt a warm glow. Her cousin Logan, a source of comfort she’d never known in the Rosewood family, was leaving. Though saddened by his departure, she maintained a bright demeanor. "Don't worry! No one can push me around," she said, smiling.

Logan grinned, playfully nudging her. "Right! If there's one thing you and I have in common, it's that we never let a grudge go!"

Elysia raised an eyebrow. Is he really complimenting me? she wondered.

The next morning, Emma woke early. The monthly exam results were being posted—a moment she'd eagerly anticipated. The prospect of Elysia's humiliation fueled her smugness.

They arrived at school together, parting ways after exiting the car. Emma watched Elysia walk away, her brow furrowing. She's not going to the bulletin board. Is she too scared to see how badly she did? How naive! Does she think if she doesn't look, it won't be real? Impossible!

Emma was certain Elysia's abysmal scores would expose her "shady deals," revealing her as a fraud. No one, she believed, could defend her then.

But Emma's plan backfired. After a long search, she couldn't find Elysia's name among the bottom ranks. Where could she be? Why isn't her name at the back?

Before she could search again, someone exclaimed, "Justin's not first place?!"

A rush ensued. Students crowded to see the top scorer: Elysia. Justin, the six-year reigning champion, was second. Elysia, the student rumored to have gained admission through connections, was first.

Emma stood stunned. Pushing through the crowd, she initially suspected a mistake. But Elysia's name remained at the top, widening Emma's eyes in disbelief and anger. Why? Why Elysia! No, this can't be true, she thought, her heart sinking. She checked repeatedly, the result unchanging. Was everything Elysia said true?

At the Liberal Arts board, students were puzzled. The top spot belonged to a STEM student—Elysia—from Class 6. How'd a STEM student ace our Liberal Arts exam? And from Class 6, no less. Class 6 is one thing, but first place? You gotta be kidding me!

The name seemed familiar. They remembered rumors of her transferring to Class 1 and then being dismissed. How could someone dismissed still achieve top marks?

"Hey, who's the top dog in your STEM classes?" a Liberal Arts student asked a STEM student.

"Elysia," the STEM student replied.

"Same here," the Liberal Arts student added.

The STEM student raced to the Liberal Arts board, exclaiming, "Dude! She's killing it in both Liberal Arts and STEM exams! You all gotta take a look at this!"

The other STEM students, speechless, gathered around.

Emma couldn't believe it. Elysia nailed first in both STEM and Liberal Arts exams? Seriously? How is this even possible?

Most Class 1 students, secure in their grades, ignored the rankings. Those near the bottom were concerned about dismissal. Thus, most remained unaware of the upheaval.

"Justin, you wanna scope out the rankings?" Bianca asked, intently watching him. She usually disregarded rankings, but this was different. She wanted Justin to see Elysia's placement. She assumed he'd dismiss Elysia as insignificant.

"I'm not going," Justin replied, engrossed in his book.

Leon teased, "Bianca, does Justin really need to check? He always stays at the top." Another student agreed.

"You guys are missing the point," Bianca said. "She used to be in our class."

Justin looked up, showing interest. Bianca's heart clenched. Why does he get that look when I mention Elysia? Could it be he's into her? No way! He's untouchable. Why would he be into a nobody like Elysia? Does she even deserve him?

A student rushed in, shouting, "This is bad, Justin! You came in second this time!"

Everyone was shocked. "What did you just say?" a student asked.

"Justin got second place!" the student repeated.

The realization hit them. Second place? Justin, the top student, got second? How could this be? Who's first?

Robert, hoping for first place, was quickly disappointed.

"It's Elysia! She's first!"

Robert's joy vanished. Everyone was speechless. Their shock was immeasurable. Elysia, who slept during exams, had won.

Bianca's face fell. She wished she'd misheard. But the student continued, "And it's not just first in all STEM classes. She's also at the top of the Liberal Arts classes!"