As I expected, Nina's shortcut didn't help at all.

In the bus, the students were no longer noisy. Uneasiness could be seen on everyone's face.

Every time the number on the electronic watch jumped, their faces turned a shade paler.

"Are we really not going to make it?"

A classmate, Jason Wesley, asked the driver desperately, but all he got was the driver's contemptuous snort.

If these students hadn't stubbornly insisted on delaying their departure by 15 minutes, they wouldn't be in this situation.

When the bus arrived at the exam venue, the exam venue had been sealed off and no longer allowed any candidates to enter.

Brock got out of the car with a pale face.

"There's no way," he remarked in disbelief upon seeing the cordon.

Jason wanted to break through the cordon, but was stopped by the police.

"The SAT has already started. No one is allowed to enter the exam venue without permission."

The other students also got off the bus. Some of them were shaking in fear.

As Brock said, missing the exam could ruin their entire life.

I looked at them with a cold smirk, a trace of schadenfreude flashing in my eyes.

Weren't you guys willing to risk your future for Nina?

Why are you crying and screaming now?

Brock suddenly said, "Don't worry, everyone. We were late because of a valid reason. We can explain the situation to the teacher in charge. They'll arrange for us to take a make-up exam."

All the students suddenly lit up, like drowning people grabbing at a lifeline. They shouted, asking to see the teacher in charge.

The school principal approached with a group of teachers, looking livid.

Seeing the principal's expression, for some reason, Brock had a bad premonition.

"Delaying the departure by 15 minutes on purpose, what exactly are you people thinking? Don't even think you can sit for a make-up exam. You should be grateful I'm not banning you guys from taking the exam for 3 years!"

After the principal had finished speaking, some of the parents who were waiting outside the exam venue in the rain also pointed fingers at the latecomers.

"How can you be late for such an important exam? Aren't you being too irresponsible?"

"If you were my son, I would beat you to death!"

The parents' words made everyone even more desperate.

Jason grabbed Brock's collar and roared, "You said Cassie was lying because she was jealous. You told us there's no need to worry and we have to wait for Nina. Why can't we enter the exam venue now?"

The others also turned to Brock with angry faces.

Brock seemed to be drained of energy. He lowered his head, looking regretful.

Nina choked up and said with a sad face, "That road was never busy. Why would it be blocked without warning on the day we're running late?"

She sounded like she was blaming herself, but she was actually leading them to a certain conclusion.

Suddenly, Brock looked up at me and said with bloodshot eyes, "Cassie, did you do this? Is it because you're jealous of Nina and want to make her miss the exam?! You failed to do that back at school, so you asked your dad to send people to block the road! You're so vicious! You ruined all of our futures because of jealousy!"

What an absurd accusation.

In order to help Nina shirk responsibility, Brock actually came up with such a ridiculous excuse.

"I didn't do anything…"

I started to explain, but he grabbed my hair and dragged me to the bus.

When the principal saw this, he wanted to stop Brock, but Brock shouted loudly with bloodshot eyes, "I saw her send a message to her father with my own eyes. She ruined the futures of all the students in our class. Are you sure you want to protect such a vicious student, principal?"

The other students surrounded me without saying a word and stared at the principal and the teachers coldly, expressing their attitude with their actions.

Nina looked at me with a pitiful expression and said, "Cassie, I know you don't like me, but even if you want to take revenge on me, you shouldn't involve our classmates."

Brock slammed me against the bus.

Bang!

My head bled.

I heard Brock's angry voice say, "Cassie, you made everyone miss the exam. Even though you're my girlfriend, I'll make you pay."

He slammed me against the bus again and again. The excruciating pain felt worse than death.

But I knew I couldn't give in.

The reason why Brock was trying so hard to slander me was to exonerate Nina.

After all, everyone missed the exam because they were waiting for Nina.

I shouted desperately, "It was you who delayed the departure time. Missing the exam has nothing to do with me."

Brock gritted his teeth.

"You still wouldn't admit it."

Meanwhile, Nina pointed her phone's camera at me.

"Chat, this is the girl. Because she's jealous of me, she made our entire class miss the SAT."

I looked up and saw the triumph in Nina's eyes.

At this point, Nina had decided to stop acting.

The SAT was a hot topic online, and Nina's accusation attracted more than 100,000 people to her live stream. The comments were full of angry curses.

"Poor Nina. I'll subscribe to show my support. I'll support you from now on no matter what you choose to do!"

"That girl is evil. For her own selfish reasons, she ruined the future of all her classmates."

"Which school is this? Whose daughter is this? Tell me the address, I'll go over right now and make her suffer."

Jason lunged at me and questioned me loudly, "It's the SAT! How can you be so cruel?"

Although the other students didn't lunge at me, their eyes told me that they wanted to tear me apart.

In just a few minutes, 300,000 viewers poured into Nina's stream. Most of them cursed at me and said that I should die. They even cursed at my dad.

Nina's expression became more and more triumphant, but she made sure the audience couldn't see her face.

She seemed to be sure that I would not be able to turn the tables.

"You vicious scum! You should just die."

Just as Brock was about to slam my head on the bus again, a loud shout came from the crowd.

"Stop!"

My dad pushed through the crowd with a group of bodyguards and ran over.

Seeing the blood on my forehead, my dad hugged me, looking pained.

"Why are you beating my daughter?"

Jason said in a hoarse voice, "Cassie made us miss the SAT! She deserves to die!"

"Nonsense!"

My dad raised his phone and shouted loudly, "The real culprit who made you miss the SAT is Nina Holiday. I have surveillance footage as proof!"