Chapter 116: Congratulations?

Hayley’s POV:

My heart skipped a beat. I had completely forgotten about this. +8 Pearls

Henry seemed to sense my surprise and quickly leaned in to whisper, “Don’t worry if you’re not ready. We’re hosting a birthday party for my brother tonight; you can give him your gift then.”

I nodded. “Got it.”

“Let’s go. I’ll take you to school,” Benjamin said. I quickly followed him, and we sat in silence until we arrived. Just before getting out of the car, I said, “Happy birthday, Benjamin.”

He glanced at me and softly replied, “Thank you. Remember to focus on your studies and pay attention in class.”

I waved goodbye and headed into the school. As I entered the classroom, I immediately noticed the atmosphere was different. My classmates looked at me with a mix of scrutiny, curiosity, and envy.

I sat at my desk, confused, when Trista and Lillian approached me from either side. “Hayley!” They exclaimed in unison, startling me.

“What’s going on?”

Trista smiled and said, “Congratulations!”

Lillian chimed in, “Yeah, congratulations!”

I was utterly bewildered. “Congratulations for what?”

Trista and Lillian exchanged astonished glances and said, “You can’t be serious! You haven’t checked your grades yet?”

“What grades?” I asked. Lillian quickly pulled out her phone. “Hurry and log in with your exam number! The National Math Olympiad results were announced last night at ten, and we thought you’d already checked it.”

It finally clicked for me, and I took out my phone, ready to look it up. Then curiosity struck me, and I asked, “Do you already know?”

Trista and Lillian exchanged knowing smiles and urged, “Just check for yourself. We’ll tell you after you check.”

Under their watchful eyes, I logged into my exam account, and in no time, my score appeared on the screen—it was a perfect score! I glanced at the result, completely astonished that I scored full marks!

Trista and Lillian, already aware of my results, immediately congratulated me. “Congratulations, Hayley! You got a perfect score in the National Math Olympiad! You’re the only one in the country to do so!”

They were all in disbelief. An Omega outperforming them, the Betas, in so many areas! They felt the only way to compete with me was to transform into wolves. +8 Pearls

As we were talking, our math teacher, William, walked in with a smile, immediately glancing in my direction, clearly pleased.

“Everyone, quiet down!” he said, not even realizing that his voice carried a slight tremor.

The entire class turned to him as he took a deep breath. “The results of the National Math Olympiad have been announced. Three students from our class participated, including our new classmates, Trista and Lillian, who both did exceptionally well and are certain to receive awards. But I want to especially acknowledge Hayley, who came in like a dark horse and secured the top position with a perfect score. She is the first student in the history of this national competition to achieve a perfect score.

“How difficult is the Math Olympiad? Anyone who has studied it knows, especially at the national level, where top mathematics professors set the questions. The difficulty is no joke. Yet, despite these challenges, Hayley achieved a perfect score, which truly highlights her strength.”

As he finished speaking, all my classmates looked at me with admiration and envy.

“Hayley, you’re amazing!”

Trista looked at me with admiration, and I remained calm and undisturbed, my heart completely at peace. After all, as an Alpha, I had undergone rigorous training from a young age—whether in sports, combat, or academics. In my life, the concept of losing was nearly nonexistent.

After class, my desk was surrounded by students eager to learn from me. I welcomed their questions and openly shared everything I knew, with no intention of holding back. In an instant, I became the most popular person in the class.

After school, I approached my homeroom teacher to ask for a leave of absence, then set off alone to a nearby mall. What kind of birthday gift would someone like Benjamin appreciate?

After wandering for a bit, I found myself in front of a Hermes boutique. My attention was immediately drawn to a tie, and just as I reached out to grab it, another hand snatched it away first. Hera picked up on a scent that made her uncomfortable and was starting to get agitated. I turned around to find Madeline standing next to me, though I hadn’t noticed her arrive. 764