Sheldon didn't seem to get how bad this was. He laughed and waved at the group. "Ms. Tyson, check out everyone's tattoos. Aren't they awesome?"

The classmates eagerly lifted their arms, showing off the dark ink sprawled across their skin.

Ms. Tyson stumbled back, pointing at them. "You idiots! Do you even know what you've done? No decent college is ever going to take you now!"

The students froze for a moment, staring at one another in shock.

Sensing that something was wrong, Winnie hurriedly whispered to them, "Ms. Tyson is just trying to scare us. I bet Cassandra ran to complain again."

Everyone suddenly had that look that said, "Now I get it."

"If it wasn't her, then who? She probably blew everything way out of proportion to Ms. Tyson. That's why we're getting yelled at. Everyone knows Cassandra is her class rep."

"Ms. Tyson is just super conservative. It's all Cassandra twisting things, saying that having a tattoo will keep us out of the top majors."

In an instant, they exchanged knowing looks with one another.

Winnie sauntered up and hooked her arm around Ms. Tyson's. "Ms. Tyson, don't worry. These aren't real tattoos—they're just stickers."

Ms. Tyson hesitated. "Is that so?"

"Of course. We are all good kids. How could we possibly get real tattoos?"

"Yep, Ms. Tyson. Don't stress. Half the class scored 1350. You'll hear soon enough when we all get into top colleges."

With everyone speaking up like that, Ms. Tyson no longer had a single worry.

When she walked away to take a phone call, the classmates immediately turned their resentful gazes on me.

I instinctively took two steps back, but Sheldon grabbed a fistful of my hair and snarled, "Cassandra, was it you who snitched? Did you exaggerate everything to Ms. Tyson and almost get all of us scolded?"

I clutched at his hand, begging him to let go, but Sheldon shoved me hard to the ground. "Cassandra, you are just too jealous of everyone else."

I shook my head and struggled, trying to make them understand I hadn't told Ms. Tyson anything.

They refused to believe me. A classmate's muddy shoe pressed down on my hand, and pain shot up my arm. I winced and tried to pull away, but it only made them press harder.

"Cassandra would never admit she snitched!" someone spat. "She deserves a lesson."

"She's been asking for it for ages. She's always picking on Winnie."

Their crooked smiles made my heart sink.

Just as things were getting out of hand, Ms. Tyson ran back, shouting, "Class, stop messing around! You can all head home now."

Only then did they back off and walk away. Tears fell silently to the floor as I slumped into the corner. I brushed them away, digging my nails into my skin as I reminded myself to hold on. Soon, they wouldn't be able to laugh anymore.

Winnie came back, holding her wrist up in front of my face. Sheldon's name was freshly tattooed there.

She grinned smugly. "Cassandra, you look like such a loser right now. Sheldon's mine. Don't even dream of taking him. I'm sticking with him for life. He even tattooed my name on his wrist. We are meant for each other."

I kept my head bowed, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction.

Sheldon was from a blended family. His stepfather, William Foster, had promised that if Sheldon didn't get into college this year, he wouldn't fund a repeat year. He would have to start working in a factory.

Winnie had no idea. She didn't know that Sheldon had spent three days and nights begging at his stepfather's door just to earn this chance. After seeing his SAT scores, he had arrogantly applied to only Astraeus University.

If he ever realized that following her lead and getting a tattoo had cost him his chance, I wondered what he would do.

I looked up at Winnie as she walked away. She still had no idea what was coming for her.

The next day, Sheldon and the rest of the class were notified to return to school for a routine physical exam. It didn't take long, and soon, everyone had their reports in hand.

The moment the reports were distributed, the classmates all turned to stare at me in unison.

They mocked me openly. "After we bring these reports home, we can just wait for our acceptance letters. Not everyone gets that chance after missing the SAT."

"I can't believe Cassandra still had the nerve to show up for the physical. We all know she isn't getting into college anyway."

I cleared my throat and looked at them with an amused expression. "What makes you so sure I can't get into college?"

Sheldon raised an eyebrow and pulled out an exam admission slip, flicking it against my face. "Cassandra, I hid your admission slip. You couldn't even take the exam those two days. At this point, not even a community college would want you."

The second he said that, the class erupted in laughter. Even Winnie let out a snort and leaned sideways against Sheldon.

"Is Cassandra crazy? She didn't even take the exam, and she still had the nerve to show up for the physical?"

"People like her are just obsessed with appearances. She's afraid we'll find out she can't even get into a community college."

"Seriously, if I were her, I would have passed out crying in the bathroom by now."

"Since she's already here, we might as well show her what an Aiviy League acceptance letter actually looks like."

"Exactly. Let's put her in her place today."

I swallowed the tightness in my throat, clenched my fists, and lifted my gaze to Sheldon standing in front of me.

What they didn't know was that I had already been admitted to Emperius University through direct recommendation.

I printed the exam slip out of curiosity, just to experience the SAT once.

Since I kept my cool and smiled, Winnie bit her lip and teased, "Cassandra, it's not too late to apologize and humble yourself. When we graduate and start making money, we might throw some spare change your way."

The others eagerly chimed in.

"That's right. I applied to the Police Academy. If you end up broke and turn into a beggar or a thief, and I arrest you one day, I might even go easy on you."

"I'm going into forensics. If your parents die someday, I can do the autopsy for free."

Their laughter echoed relentlessly in my ears. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and silently counted down in my head.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven…"

When I reached one, a stranger's voice cut through the crowd. "Who's Cassandra?"

Everyone turned to look, and their gaze fell on the Emperius University acceptance letter the man was holding.

The looks on their faces were priceless.

I smiled and said, "That's me."

With a genuine smile, the young man handed me the letter. "Cassandra, you're the only student in the city to get a direct recommendation to Emperius University. You've got an amazing future ahead. Congratulations."

I thanked him sweetly, and suddenly, my classmates' smug expressions completely faltered.

"No way! Cassandra actually got into Emperius University?"

"After all the teasing, she won't hold a grudge when she graduates, will she?"

Sheldon's face looked awful as well. He rushed over and demanded, "Cassandra, why didn't you tell me you were recommended to Emperius University?"

I raised an eyebrow with interest. "Why should I have told you?"

He snapped, "Because I'm your boyfriend!"

I laughed in disbelief. "Sheldon, didn't you say we were over? With Winnie's name written in huge letters on your wrist, how dare you still call me your girlfriend?'"

"You…"

Sheldon clenched his fists tightly.

Winnie quickly held him back and faced the class. "Don't assume Cassandra's future is guaranteed just because she got into Emperius. Some majors there are barely worth anything, and a few even rank below community college programs.

"With what she's capable of, she probably only got into one of those niche majors."

Her words snapped everyone back to attention. Even Sheldon lifted his head, looking at me with disdain as realization dawned on him.

"So that's how it is."

The others grew even more arrogant.

"I knew it. Nobody just goes from zero to hero overnight. Guess she only landed in some obscure program."

"That's still nothing compared to our top programs at elite schools. What's she pretending for?"

I looked at their smug faces and couldn't help finding it ridiculous.

Just then, the principal, Mr. Norman Reed, walked in through the main entrance with Ms. Tyson and several other school administrators.

Everyone immediately straightened up.

"I bet Mr. Reed heard we got into college and into those programs that practically guarantee jobs. That's why he showed up with our acceptance letters."

"Mr. Reed came in person, while she could only get her letter from some unknown guy. How pathetic."

"Exactly. Just wait. She is about to be put in her place."

I glanced at Mr. Reed's dark expression, then at my classmates' ridiculous faces, and couldn't resist smiling at the ridiculous show playing out before me.

Winnie even said eagerly, "Thank you for personally delivering our acceptance letters, Mr. Reed."

The elderly Mr. Reed was so furious he could barely breathe. He bellowed, "Acceptance letters? Not one of you has been accepted anywhere!"