Chapter 10
The results came out weeks later.
I had scored the highest in the country. The top scorer in the national exams.
I wasn’t surprised, but Mrs. Smith and Adrian were ecstatic.
“When the university letter arrives,” Mrs. Smith said with rare warmth, “we’ll celebrate with a family trip abroad.”
“But I still have classes to attend,” I murmured automatically.
Adrian frowned. “Sophia, you’re wound too tight. You need to relax.”
Mrs. Smith agreed. “Even if you fail, the Smiths will always have your back. You don’t need to carry everything alone.”
Her words pierced me more than she realized.
Since being reborn, I had pushed myself mercilessly, desperate to prove my worth. The fear of
being abandoned again had driven me to exhaustion.
But looking at the two of them–their steady, reassuring gazes–I finally allowed myself to
breathe.
“All right,” I whispered.
When the day came, we headed to the airport together.
But fate wasn’t finished with me yet.
At the airport, we bumped into the Walkers.
Their faces were grim. Mr. and Mrs. Walker’s expressions were dark with humiliation, Ethan’s
features stiff, and Lily trailed behind them, sulking.
Mrs. Smith arched a brow, her lips curving slightly. “Ah. I heard Lily was caught cheating on her entrance exams. Scores revoked. No wonder the Walkers are rushing to send her overseas before the gossip spreads too far.”
My eyes widened. Cheating?
Lily?
Chapter 10
58.82%
W
WebNovel
Enter a world of power and adventure! Cultivation Online awaits you–start reading now!
4.3 FREE
Google Play
OPEN
I shook my head in disbelief. She could have coasted on a cushy overseas degree with no effort. Why risk everything for such a foolish gamble?
But then again, Lily had always believed the world owed her.
I let the thought go. It wasn’t my problem anymore.
As we approached the gate, I felt someone’s eyes on me.
I turned and caught Ethan staring. His gaze flickered with something unreadable, something
tangled.
“Congratulations,” he said stiffly. “Valedictorian.”
“Thank you.
My voice was cool, detached. I turned away.
He stood frozen for a moment, then stepped forward quickly. “Sophia-‘
But Lily’s hand clamped onto his arm, her voice sharp, desperate. “Ethan, she doesn’t even want to
talk to you!”
“Let go.”
He tried to shake her off, but she clung tighter, her face twisting with jealousy and panic.
“You regret it, don’t you? You regret throwing her away. But you chose me first! You can’t just change your mind now!”
Her shrill voice rang through the terminal, drawing stares. Ethan froze, guilt flashing across his
face.
I didn’t look back.
With my boarding pass in hand, I walked through the gate alongside Mrs. Smith and Adrian.
A new chapter of my life awaited.
“Hawaii,” Adrian said quietly beside me, as if savoring the word.
I smiled, letting the sound of it wash over me.
Hawaii. Here we come.
Chapter 10
