The sudden entrance of the reporters was so unexpected and fast-paced that the crowd didn’t have ti to react. It wasn’t until they had finished taking a barrage of photos that Zoe finally raised her hand to shield her face, angrily demanding, "Who are you people? What are you doing here?"
"Oh, sorry about that, Miss Murray," one of the reporters quickly explained. "We’re from the Rosemont City TV station. We got reliable information that the top student from Rosemont City High School is holding a graduation party here, so we ca uninvited to cover the story."
"We’re from the national TV station. Could you tell us who the top student is? Would you be willing to do a live interview?"
"I’m Edu Cavin, a YouTuber focused on culture and education. I bet many people here know my channel. Miss Murray, I’d love to do an exclusive interview with you."
"I’m a reporter from Rosemont City Radio and also an alum of Rosemont City High School. I’d love to interview my junior."
"I’m an editor at Rosemont City Evening News..."
As the reporters continued snapping pictures and recording video, they eagerly introduced themselves and asked for interviews with Zoe. A few university representatives also stepped forward, enthusiastically offering her opportunities. The scene was buzzing with excitent. Zoe instantly beca the center of attention, with everyone vying for her ti.
Standing on stage, she waved her hands nervously, clearly flustered. "I-I’m really not that special. You’re all giving too much credit..."
Avery almost couldn’t hold back her laughter, thinking, Zoe is still playing the part! It was obvious these people were arranged by Zoe herself, right down to the timing of their entrance. And yet, she was pretending to be caught off guard. How shaless!
"No need to be so modest, Miss Murray," the reporters insisted. "Scoring so high is definitely sothing to be proud of."
"No, no, no," Zoe quickly interjected. "My classmate Avery has always been the top student in our school. I’ve never beaten her in any exam. She even said just now that she’s sure she scored higher than this ti. You should be interviewing her instead."
Imdiately, all the caras turned toward Avery.
"Miss Carter, what was your score this ti? Could you show us?"
"Don’t exaggerate, Miss Carter. Your teachers and classmates are all here—if you boast and can’t deliver, it’ll only backfire..."
"I find it hard to believe anyone could score higher than Miss Murray."
Avery smiled calmly. "I never boast. Let show you my results right now."
She leisurely entered her login details into the browser. The computer was connected to the large screen at the back of the stage, so her scores would be displayed for everyone.
The room fell silent as everyone focused on the screen, eager to see if she would impress or embarrass herself.
Zoe was also watching Avery closely, a cold, triumphant smile creeping onto her lips. This ti, she was certain she had won and that Avery was destined to fail.
After all, on the afternoon of the final exam, she had arranged for a minor car accident on the only road Avery could take to reach the test center, causing a traffic jam that blocked all vehicles. The only way for Avery to get to the exam venue would have been on foot. But walking there would have ant arriving extrely late, which could have resulted in her getting a zero for the last subject. Even if Avery had sohow managed to arrive just in ti, her ntal state would have been thrown off, making it nearly impossible for her to achieve a high score.
After being overshadowed by Avery for so many years, Zoe finally believed she had her mont of victory in the most crucial exam of all. The thought of finally defeating Avery, avenging her past frustrations, and watching Avery beco a laughingstock in front of everyone filled Zoe with smug satisfaction.
She wasn’t alone in her anticipation. The Murray family, the Murphy family, the Harper siblings—all of them were eagerly waiting for Avery’s downfall.
"It’s up! Avery’s score is out!"
"Let’s see if she really did better than Miss Murray."
The room fell into a dead silence. Everyone was stunned by what they saw on the screen. It took a few seconds before the crowd erupted into shocked exclamations.
"I must be seeing things! What score do you see?"
"No way! This can’t be real. I’ve covered exams for years and have never seen a score like this..."
"Either the system glitched, or Avery sohow faked it—there’s no way she scored that high. This isn’t just the top score in our school—there are only a handful of people in the entire country’s exam history who have done this well..."
"Avery is incredible!"
Wesley and his family jumped to their feet, cheering, hugging, and high-fiving. Their frustration and anger vanished instantly, replaced by pure joy and pride.
Zoe, who had just closed her eyes in anticipation of hearing the crowd mock and ridicule Avery, suddenly snapped them open.
She thought, Higher than mine? Impossible.
She stared at the screen, her eyes wide in disbelief. She blinked hard, rubbed her eyes, and even took a few steps closer to examine the score.
She thought, It really is... 70 points higher than mine?
Zoe’s face went pale as she stood frozen, staring at Avery’s score, wondering if she was trapped in a nightmare.
"How could this be?"
"Smack!" She suddenly slapped herself across the face. The sharp pain stung, bringing tears to her eyes. Trembling, she slowly turned to look at Avery.
Avery smiled calmly, her voice steady and deliberate. "Zoe, do you see it now? This is the gap between us. No matter how hard you try or what tricks you pull, you will never beat ."
On her way to the last exam, Avery had encountered a traffic accident. A dozen cars had collided in a chain reaction, blocking the bridge entirely. The only way to cross was on foot. But the bridge was far from the exam center, and in the scorching afternoon heat, even hailing a cab after crossing the bridge would’ve been difficult.
Under normal circumstances, she would’ve been late for sure. So, holding an umbrella, she ran the entire way, even climbing over a hill in a nearby park to take a shortcut. In the end, she arrived at the exam hall with just one minute to spare.
Zoe probably assud she hadn’t made it to the final exam, which was why she smugly pressured her into attending this party, hoping to see her humiliated.
Of course, Avery had every reason to suspect that the accident was orchestrated by Zoe. But to Avery, such petty sches were child’s play—they couldn’t touch her in the slightest.
Zoe’s face was drained of all color as she stared blankly at Avery. "How... how did you manage to score so high?"
Avery smiled. "You’re too dim to understand, even if I explained it."
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