I come from an old-money family. My grandfather's will was ironclad: whoever gets an Ivy League acceptance letter unlocks 25% of a massive trust fund and a seat on the family board.

Out of four siblings, I was the only one who stood a chance.

Every night, my mother Victoria carefully made me a cup of "organic brain-boosting matcha." My twin sister Chloe and younger brother Mason never got that privilege.

The night before the December SAT—the last chance for Regular Decision Ivy scores—Victoria handed me my green matcha as usual.

The next day, my mind went completely blank during the test. I blacked out.

I missed that application season.

Meanwhile, Chloe—who spent her time at yacht parties and couldn't read an equation—miraculously got an offer from UPenn and sailed right onto the board.

The second year, right before the test, my snobby cousin Brianna reached for my matcha. Victoria slapped her hand away and screamed: "Don't touch Ava's things!"

That exam, I got severe stomach cramps and was rushed to the ER by ambulance.

I had to drop out again. And Brianna—who only cared about designer bags—somehow got into Cornell and took her board seat.

The whole family popped champagne in our Upper East Side penthouse.

I became the laughingstock of Manhattan's elite, having missed two application seasons in a row.

Why did my body crash like clockwork, right at the final, life-changing SAT?

Prepping for the third time, I took no chances.

For three days before the test, I ate only gluten-free detox meals controlled by a private nutritionist.

But the night before the big test, Victoria smiled and brought me that familiar cup of green matcha.

"Drink up while it's hot! It's organic matcha from Erewhon. I added honey and MCT oil."

Victoria held the slightly sweet, green liquid with a perfect smile on her face. "Tomorrow is your last SAT. This will get your brain in peak condition."

I stared at the delicate bone china cup. I swallowed hard.

But for some reason, alarm bells were ringing in my head. Don't drink it.

"I didn't even make any for Mason," Victoria whispered, like it was a precious secret.

Just then, my brother Mason walked past the walk-in closet. He spotted the cup.

I called out to him. "I can't finish this alone. Mason can have some."

Mason froze, his eyes lighting up. "Really? I finally get to try the magic brain juice?"

Slap!

Victoria smacked Mason's hand away hard. Her face instantly darkened.

"Don't touch that!" she snapped. "This is brain fuel for Ava. She's aiming for a 1550 tomorrow! Why do you care? You don't even know basic algebra."

Mason rubbed his red hand and grumbled. "You're so biased, Mom. Who cares if Ava is smart? She's missed two application seasons in a row. She hasn't even touched the trust. Meanwhile, Brianna is on the board, showing off her custom G-Wagon every day."

"Shut up!" Victoria's voice was absolute and commanding. "Go back to your room!"

Mason stomped off. He threw one last comment over his shoulder: "Whatever. That matcha looks gross anyway. Doesn't look like it makes anyone smarter."

After he left, Victoria turned back to me.

The anger vanished from her face. She looked gentle and loving again.

"Ignore him." She pushed the cup closer. "Drink it up and go to bed early. You have a big test tomorrow."

I couldn't say no. Not when she looked at me like that.

She had sacrificed so much for this family.

The matcha felt heavy in my hands. A flashback from two years ago hit me.

Back then, Chloe and I were prepping for the exams together.

We ate the exact same things. I only had one extra thing: Mom's special "brain-boosting matcha."

I ended up dizzy and sick during the test.

When I woke up in the hospital, the application season was over.

But Chloe—the girl who spent her days partying on yachts—miraculously scored a 1560. She got into Penn.

Last year was even weirder.

My cousin Brianna wanted a sip of my matcha. Victoria screamed at her, "Don't touch Ava's things!"

Then I got killer stomach cramps during the exam and got rushed to the ER.

And Brianna, who only cared about designer bags, ended up at Cornell.

Two accidents. I had to question this drink.

"Mom, I'll drink it in a bit," I said, trying to sound natural.

"Okay, don't forget." Victoria nodded and went back to the kitchen.

The second she left, I grabbed the cup and rushed to the bathroom. I poured the whole thing down the sink and washed it away with hot water.

If I was right...

At least this time, nothing would go wrong, right?

My alarm jolted me awake at 6 AM.

Today was it. My third and final SAT.

Victoria was setting out breakfast when I walked downstairs.

"Morning, sweetie." A huge smile lit up her face. "I made you a special power breakfast."

Chloe and Mason had plain black coffee and bagels.

But at my spot sat a thick, cloudy glass of juice.

"My special blend!" Victoria said proudly. "I bought the organic veggies at 5 AM. Added spirulina and maca powder too."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Mom, your favoritism is so obvious."

Mason grumbled, "Why does Ava always get special treatment? She bombed two years in a row."

I stared at the orange liquid. My heart raced.

"Mom, I just want coffee today." I reached for Chloe's mug.

Smack!

Victoria stopped me and snatched the mug away.

"No! This juice is good for your test. You have to drink it! Or else you aren't going to the exam!"

The air froze.

Chloe smirked. "Aw, is our smart Ava scared? Rejecting Mom's kindness?"

"Mom, what's actually in this juice? Why do I have to drink it?" I was burning with anger.

Victoria looked instantly hurt. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Never mind. I shouldn't have bothered." Her voice trembled. "I thought you'd appreciate everything I do for you."

Seeing her like that softened me instantly. Guilt washed over me.

She was my mother. Why would she hurt me?

She did so much for this test.

Bought organic food herself.

She even secretly donated a million dollars to the prep school hosting the exam, just to get me a dead-silent, private VIP testing room...

And here I was, doubting her.

But today was make-or-break. I couldn't risk anything.

I grabbed an unopened bottle of water from the fridge.

"I'm sorry, Mom, but I'll just stick to water today."

She didn't push it. I got in the car and headed to the test center.

The test was at an elite Upper East Side prep school.

Thanks to the massive donation, I bypassed the crowded lecture halls. They took me straight to a plush VIP room.

"You must be Miss Ava?" The proctor was a middle-aged guy in gold-rimmed glasses. He was freakishly polite. "Please, take a seat. We'll begin shortly."

The first two sections went perfectly. I felt great.

This time was truly different.

But soon, a wave of dizziness hit me.

Just a little at first, but it got worse fast.

The algebra equations on the page started twisting. The black letters crawled like bugs.

My heart pounded out of my chest. Cold sweat soaked my shirt.

I pinched my thigh hard to stay awake.

It didn't work.

My vision blurred. A high-pitched ringing pierced my ears.

"I... I don't feel well..." I choked out.

The room spun. Everything faded to black. The last thing I saw was the proctor's cold stare.

When I opened my eyes, I was in my own bed.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains, but it didn't look like morning light.

I struggled to sit up. My legs felt like jelly.

"Mom!" I screamed with all my might.

Victoria walked in with a bowl of oatmeal.

"Sweetie, you're finally awake." She looked so worried.

"What time is it? What about the test? I need to go back!" I panicked.

Victoria just sighed. "You've been asleep for three days. The College Board portal is closed. You missed the Regular Decision deadline."

I froze. What did she mean, closed?

Victoria set down the oatmeal and helped me back into bed.

"I told you your health was poor. I told you to get some nutrition, but you didn't listen. You fainted from low blood sugar. The proctor called us, and I brought you home."

The dizziness almost knocked me over again, but the tears were already falling.

"The juice. The matcha. What the hell is in the stuff you give me!" I choked out. "Why do I crash every single time at the final exam? This is the third time!"

Victoria looked shocked. "Ava, do you think there's something wrong with the drinks I make you?"

"Isn't there?!"

I sobbed, staring right at her. "You only give me those special drinks right before big tests. Why?"

Before Victoria could answer, Chloe shoved the door open.

"Enough, Ava!" she snapped. "Why are you taking your failure out on Mom? Can't you see how much she does for you?"

Mason popped in behind her, looking disgusted. "Yeah. You've been drinking that stuff for years. Why does it only happen during big tests? Maybe you just have test anxiety."

I froze.

Mason was right.

I drank Mom's matcha and juice all the time and never had an issue. I only passed out on SAT days.

But this time... this time I didn't touch anything at home.

So why did I still black out at the test center?

I racked my brain, trying to remember every detail of that morning.

"Sweetie, you must be exhausted." Victoria's voice pulled me back.

She handed me a fresh cup of matcha, looking heartbroken. "You haven't eaten in three days. Drink this first to settle your stomach."

Seeing that familiar green drink, my alarms went off again.

But her eyes were so genuine. So full of love.

Maybe... maybe I really was overthinking it.

I took the cup and downed the matcha right in front of her.

Rich, slightly sweet. It tasted totally normal.

"That's my good girl." Victoria smiled warmly. "Get some rest. Mom is going to cook for you."

But the second they left, I sprinted to the bathroom.

I shoved my fingers down my throat and forced it all back up.

Weirdly, there was no strange smell. Just regular matcha.

I collected the vomit and sent it overnight to Mount Sinai's lab for testing.

Even though I didn't drink it on test day, what if the buildup in my system caused the blackout?

If the drink was clean, then I really just wasn't meant to get that trust fund.

I would give up and accept my fate as a loser.

On SAT score release day, the whole family gathered at the mansion. Even Brianna drove down from Connecticut.

She started mocking me the second she walked in. "Aw, is our genius Ava taking another gap year? What is this, the third time?"

Victoria just smiled and patted my back. "It's okay. There's always next time."

I bit my lip and logged into my College Board account.

The screen made my blood run cold:

"Status: Score canceled due to rule violation."

The family crowded around. They burst out laughing when they saw it.

They used to envy me so much; now I was just a joke.

Just then, Mason frantically refreshed his page.

Suddenly, he jumped up. "Oh my god! I got a 1580!"

What?

The living room went dead silent, then erupted in deafening cheers.

"A 1580?" Victoria hugged him tightly. "That's almost perfect!"

"Harvard is a lock!" Chloe screamed. "And the 25% trust!"

Brianna clapped. "Mason, you're amazing! Who says our family doesn't have geniuses?"

I sat frozen in the corner, watching this total joke.

Mason? The guy who couldn't memorize a single math formula?

The guy who drove sports cars to clubs and didn't even know how many sections the SAT had?

He got a 1580?

While they were busy celebrating, my phone buzzed.

My heart raced. I slipped out to the balcony and answered.

"Hello, Miss Ava. Your lab results are ready. When can you pick them up?"