Natalie scoffed when she saw the comment. ‘Shermaine? She could never compare to my son,’ she thought with disdain.

Her boy had always been first in every exam since childhood and was already studying university-level material.

He could have gone straight to Basterel University–he’d even received offers from top foreign universities. But because of that bet with Janice, he turned them all down and insisted on taking the SAT.

Meanwhile, Jameson was already preparing for Jason’s official homecoming party: the hotel was booked, the media invited, and even the guest invitations had been printed.

Meanwhile, Ruth was playing cards with her high-society friends.

“Mrs. Jean,” one of the ladies asked casually while playing her cards, “aren’t you going to do something about your husband’s affair?”

“Last time he pushed me down the stairs–I nearly died! How could I dare meddle in his affairs with other women now?” she said with a bitter laugh.

For her, life and money mattered most. As long as she could keep her social standing and reputation, she couldn’t care less about the rest.

“Has Jameson really been that cruel to you?” one of the ladies asked.

“You bet.”

“My husband told me Jameson might be bringing that illegitimate son into the family.”

Ruth scoffed, “He’s in such a rush to throw that homecoming party–but has he even checked if that illegitimate son of his is capable of becoming this year’s top scorer in science?”

The ladies chatted idly while playing their cards.

It was well past midnight when Ruth finally had her driver pick her up.

As the car drove out of the estate, a figure suddenly darted from the shadows, blocking its path.

The driver slammed on the brakes.

Suddenly, someone began hammering violently on the car window.

Ruth jolted awake in fright. When she glanced outside, her face instantly drained of color. “What are you waiting for?” she shouted urgently. “Drive! Now!”

At her shout, the driver snapped out of his daze, floored the accelerator, and sped away. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Why did that strange man call Ruth sis?”

As the car sped away, Zack stood rooted to the spot, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

He and his mother had been hiding in the mountains for months, terrified that Shermaine would track them down and uncover the shocking truth: the woman now known as Ruth wasn’t her real mother at all.

Her birth mother had fallen off a cliff into the sea years ago and vanished without a trace.

The woman now known as Ruth was, in fact, none other than his real sister–Madeline Guston.

Years ago, the real Ruth had already cracked cloning technology. She kept her research secret, but her sister discovered it and forced the scientist to perform a neural brain transplant–copying her mind into a cloned body, thus achieving resurrection.

This was nothing short of a true wonder of the world.

After much effort, he finally made it to the capital to warn his sister about Shermaine, but instead of being grateful, she recoiled from him in sheer terror, as if she’d seen a ghost.

June 8th–the final two exams. Time slipped away like sand through fingers.

In a blink, the last test was nearing its end, signaling the end of this year’s SAT.

Outside the exam hall, a sea of people had gathered. But for the students, finally done with their tests, it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted–they could finally breathe easy.

Joshua was still the one who came to pick her up. He checked his watch–the marriage office would close in just half an hour. But he’d already called ahead, so even if they arrived a little late, the staff would still be waiting for them.

As they headed to the City Hall, Shermaine changed into a crisp white blouse for the occasion and pulled her hair back into a neat ponytail, wanting to look her best for this special moment.

The marriage registration process was straightforward, taking barely ten minutes. What was more, the staff had stayed past closing time just to wait for them.

Shermaine looked at him with a teasing smile and asked, “So, you didn’t prepare a prenup?”

Joshua chuckled, “Why would we need that?”

Shermaine teased with a playful smirk, “Just saying, if we ever split up, you’d stand to lose a lot.”

“There’s no ‘what if’ with us. We’re not splitting up–this is forever. I won’t let you down, and you’ll never want to leave me.”

As it happened, Shermaine hadn’t prepared that prenup either. Hearing his words, she picked up the pen and decisively signed her name without hesitation.

Without hesitation, Joshua followed suit, signing his name with equal certainty.

From start to finish, Shermaine never really felt like a married woman. But the moment that marriage certificate landed in her hands, her mood subtly shifted–she could hardly believe it: at just twenty, she was now married to thirty-one-year-old Joshua.

Crowds of newlyweds came and went at the entrance of the City Hall, where flowers bloomed in full glory. Overhead, the clouds looked as if they’d stolen a sip of wine, drunken into a crimson sunset.

Joshua longed to pull her into his arms and kiss her right then, but with Shermaine just finishing her SAT, they needed to keep a low profile.

Once in the car, he leaned in, resting his forehead against hers, his eyes brimming with tenderness. Smiling, he kissed her lightly and murmured, “Sheary, now that you’re with me, there’s no escaping me for the rest of your life.”

He would cherish her with all his heart, for all their days to come.