From that day on, the whole class teamed up to freeze me out. I didn't have the time or energy to care about their childish games, though.

I only had one clear goal—to do whatever it took to make sure my family lived a good life.

Soon, the results for our first monthly exam came out. I ranked first in the entire grade, scoring over 10 points higher than the student in second place, Eugene. Meanwhile, Nancy was dead last. Her score wasn't even on par with an average student from a regular class.

In an instant, the way everyone looked at me completely changed.

"Nadia is insane. She actually scored 10 points higher than Eugene!"

"How is she so good? Didn't Nancy say she only got into the honors class through connections?"

"There's no way you can fake exam results, though, right? This score has to be real."

Nancy glared at me, her eyes full of venom. "Don't think I don't know what you did, Nadia. You must've pulled some dirty trick again! So what if you're first? You'll still be stuck working for me. I'll trample you under my feet for the rest of my life!"

[Ugh, what's with Nadia's luck? How did she get first place again?]

[It's fine, it's fine. Nancy just had an off day this time. She'll definitely beat Nadia on the next exam!]

[Man, Nancy did so badly this time. Her parents are definitely gonna beat her again when she gets home. I feel so bad for her.]

I didn't have time to waste on Nancy because the other classmates had already surrounded me.

"Nadia, you're amazing. Your solution for this problem is even more concise and creative than the teacher's."

"How did you figure this one out? Can you teach me?"

"I've got some high-end milk here, Nadia. Here, have a bottle."

I didn't hold a grudge about how they'd acted before. After all, these kids all came from rich or powerful families. For me, they were potential stepping stones and useful connections.

Seeing this, Nancy was so furious that I could almost hear her teeth grinding.

…

After I got home, Stephen and Linda were so excited when they saw that I'd come in first that they teared up.

Linda pulled me into her arms, her voice choked. "I'm so proud of you, my darling! I'm preparing a feast tonight. I'll cook your favorite dish!"

Stephen grinned and asked, "Nadia, what do you want as a reward? I'll buy it for you. Whatever it is, I'll make it happen."

I smiled and shook my head. "I don't want anything. I just want you both to stay by my side and be okay."

After dinner, I chatted with them for a bit before getting ready for bed. Just as I was about to close my eyes, the barrage of comments in front of me started up again, all full of pity.

[Poor Nancy is so miserable. Her parents beat her so badly!]

[Hang in there, Nancy. Your parents are doing it for your own good. You just messed up this time; you'll do better on the next exam!]

[Poor thing. She already has a broken leg, yet her parents are forcing her to stay awake and study because her hands aren't injured. You can do this, okay? We're here with you!]

This was the affluent, wealthy family Nancy was so desperate to join. Was she satisfied now?

The next day, Nancy showed up on crutches, wearing a mask and sunglasses. It looked like her face had been beaten so badly that she couldn't show it in public.

After school, Eugene stopped me the second I stepped out of the classroom. He said calmly, "I looked at your test paper. Your way of solving the problems is different from ours. I know your family's poor, so I'll pay you by the hour if you come to my place and study with me."

I didn't act shy about it and said bluntly, "Sure. Two million dollars for the semester."

Eugene froze for a second, then let out a short laugh. "Do you even know how much two million is? You've got some nerve, asking for that much right off the bat."

I gave him a sideways glance and turned to leave.

He immediately stepped in front of me again. "Fine. Give me your bank account details."

I nodded and headed straight for his family's car. "Let's go. We'll start today. I won't take advantage of you."

The comments instantly exploded.

[Nancy, where are you? Nadia is about to steal Eugene from you!]

[Why would he go to Nadia in the first place? She's totally scamming him. She's got no real skills at all!]

[Nadia's obviously doing it on purpose. She just wants to steal Nancy's guy. She's disgusting!]

Right then, Nancy rushed over and grabbed Eugene's arm. "Eugene, how can you take Nadia back to your house? We're the ones who should be studying together! Her grades are fake!"

He shook her off, looking annoyed. "You came in dead last. What makes you think you're qualified to study with me?"

Nancy already had a broken leg from the beating her parents had given her. At his words, she was so furious that she could barely stay standing. Still, all she could do was watch as I got into the Lloyd family's car and rode off.

When we sat down at his desk to start studying, Eugene transferred two million dollars to me.

I wasn't stingy about my knowledge at all. I laid everything I knew out for him.

A few hours later, Eugene was singing my praises. "You're honestly the smartest person I've ever met, Nadia. You can come over all throughout high school if you want. The price is your call!"

I smiled and nodded. With that kind of money, of course I wasn't going to say no.

We studied until 9:00 pm. I was just about to head home when the comments started coming through in a panicked frenzy.

[Help! Someone, help her! Nancy's about to get beaten to death!]

[This is all Nadia's fault. Nancy's parents are mad at her because she can't get close to Eugene and his family. They think she's useless and want to beat her to death so they can adopt Nadia instead! They're monsters!]

[Eugene, go next door right now! Nancy's literally down to her last breath!]