Chapter 4

On the first district mock exam, I took first place.

Out of a total score of 1600 on the SAT mock prep, I got 1590.

The only ten points I lost were on the essay, because my handwriting was too messy. I had been rushing to finish so I could write essay papers for lazy rich college kids online. I needed quick cash.

The moment the report card was posted on the bulletin board, the whole school went wild.

Lily had placed tenth. The crowd that usually showered her with compliments fell quiet, and her face turned paper-white.

But I didn't expect that when I got home, instead of congratulations, a trial was waiting for me.

Arthur slammed my report card onto the coffee table.

"You cheated! This is utterly embarrassing!"

"The Vance family might be wealthy, but we do not tolerate academic fraud!"

"You barely passed your classes in that trashy public school, and suddenly you're first in the district? Do you think I'm an idiot?"

Eleanor chimed in from the side. "Lily has had Ivy League tutors since she was a child to get tenth place. A wild girl like you? How could you possibly beat her?"

How?

Because I used to collect cardboard boxes in the slums just to exchange them for old textbooks.

Because I hand-copied entire library workbooks to save money on prep materials.

Because I wanted to live.

I stood in the center of the living room. My head was throbbing violently. The tumor was probably pressing against my nerves again.

I felt a warm trickle of blood starting to leave my nose. I sniffed hard, forcing it back.

"I didn't cheat."

My voice was hoarse, and I had to fight to keep it from trembling.

"If you don't have proof, this is slander."

Lily walked over with red eyes and grabbed Arthur’s hand.

"Dad, don't blame Hazel. Maybe... maybe she just wanted to prove herself to us too badly."

"Hazel, just go to the principal and admit it. We won't be mad at you."

The scent of her fake pity was sickening.

I let out a cold laugh. "You want proof?"

"The National Math Olympiad is next week. St. Jude's has two spots."

"They were supposed to go to Lily and Ethan Knight."

"I want one of those spots."

Arthur looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. "You want to go to the Olympiad? Is that a place for someone like you?"

"What if I win the gold medal?"

I looked him dead in the eye, my gaze burning.

Arthur sneered. "If you win the gold medal, I will give you one million dollars!"

"But if you lose, you pack your bags and get the hell out of the Vance family. Never show your face here again!"

"Deal."

I agreed instantly.

As I turned to go to my room, I heard Eleanor whispering behind me, "She is insane. Lily, sweetie, ignore her. Focus on your preparation. Don't let her ruin your focus."

The second I shut my bedroom door, I couldn't hold it in anymore. I rushed to the bathroom and threw up blood.

Staring at the crimson liquid in the sink, I turned on the faucet to wash it away.

One million dollars.

That was enough for the best minimally invasive surgery and the most advanced targeted drugs.

I was putting my life on this bet.

The next day at school, I went straight to the academic dean to demand my spot.

The dean looked troubled. "Hazel, even though you got the highest score on the mock exam, the Olympiad is a completely different level of difficulty..."

"Just let her take a test."

A cool, calm voice came from the doorway.

It was Ethan Knight.

The legend of St. Jude's Academy, the guy who had held the number-one spot for years, and the future son-in-law the Vance family wanted for Lily.

He leaned against the doorframe, twirling a pen in his fingers, watching me with an unreadable expression.

"This is last year's national final paper. If you can finish it in an hour and get a passing grade, I’ll give you my spot."

The dean gasped. "Ethan, don't play around!"

I looked at Ethan.

He was incredibly handsome, but his eyes were too sharp, as if he could see right through my decaying body.

"I don't need you to give me anything."

I walked over and snatched the test paper from his hand.

"We will take it together."

"Whoever gets the higher score gets the spot."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Fine."

For the next hour, the dean’s office became the center of attention for the entire school.

Lily and her friends crowded outside the window, waiting to watch me humiliate myself.

At the forty-minute mark, I put down my pen.

"Done."

Two minutes later, Ethan also put his pen down.

The dean’s hands shook as he graded the papers.

"Ethan... ninety-eight percent."

Outside, Lily let out a sigh of relief, a smile starting to form on her face.

"Hazel... one hundred percent."

"A perfect score?!"

The dean’s voice cracked.

I stood up, but because I got up too fast, my vision went black for a second.

I gripped the edge of the desk to steady myself and looked at Ethan.

"Thanks."

Ethan stared at me for a moment, then reached into his pocket and handed me a chocolate bar.

"Low blood sugar?"

I didn't take it.

"Can't afford to pay you back. I don't take charity."

Ethan’s hand paused, then he slipped the chocolate directly into my blazer pocket.

"It's payment for the shortcut you used on the final question."

I felt the warmth of the chocolate through my pocket.

Since it was a trade, I’d keep it.

After all, I really needed the energy right now.