The popular girl partied all day, juggling several guys, yet she was always ranked number one. I, on the other hand, was the eternal runner-up. Everyone adored her, but I remained cold and indifferent toward her. What she didn't know was that I could hear her inner voice. [What’s the point of studying so hard? I’m the main character. Getting into Harvard is my pre-written plotline. You’re just destined to fail your finals and become my loyal little sidekick.] Is that so? I will always believe that 100% hard work makes you invincible. 1 During the long break, I was hunched over my desk, furiously doing practice problems. Meanwhile, Bella Crawford’s desk in front of me was surrounded by people. The girls chattered excitedly: "Omg, Bella, your new necklace is gorgeous. Preston gave it to you, right? I'm so jealous. You have top grades, you're so pretty, and you have a boyfriend who adores you." Bella giggled coyly, "If you guys really like it, I'll gift you all something similar next time. One for everyone~" The crowd cheered, disrupting my train of thought. Frustrated, I tossed my pen down. The clatter of the pen caught their attention and sparked dissatisfaction. Someone muttered, "Still studying during break? So try-hard, yet she's still the eternal runner-up." I looked up. Before I could say anything, Bella stepped in to play the peacemaker. "Maya, they didn't mean it. Don't take it to heart. You'll definitely catch up to me on the next test." I slept at 1 AM and woke up at 5 AM every day, burning the midnight oil with endless practice tests, yet I could never beat Bella. Her words deflated my momentum. "Mhm," I replied flatly. Perhaps my reaction wasn't enthusiastic enough. I clearly saw a flash of disdain and pity in her eyes. But it was fleeting. She had already turned back around, accepting the girls' flattery once more. "Bella, you're just too humble. No matter how hard she tries, she'll always be beneath you." "Right? Look at her acting all superior just because she studies." "What's the point of good grades if you have no social skills?" Amidst the crowd's gossiping, I suddenly heard another, mocking voice. [Yeah, what’s the point of studying so hard? I’m the main character. Getting into Harvard is my pre-written plotline. You’re just destined to fail your college placements and become my loyal little sidekick.] That was undeniably Bella's voice. 2 I stared intensely at the back of the girl sitting in front of me, but she clearly hadn't opened her mouth. Was I getting so jealous of being the runner-up that I was hallucinating? I forced myself to adjust my mindset and dove back into my sea of practice questions. No matter what, hard work is never wrong. At dinnertime, Bella came over to invite me to the cafeteria again. She invited me every single day, showing me an unusual amount of warmth, which made everyone else exceptionally jealous. After all, she was the school's "It Girl." Even the trust fund slacker who always hung around her had warned me not to push my luck and waste Bella's goodwill. I declined as usual. Aside from the fact that Bella always rolled with an entourage and ordered a ridiculous, wasteful spread of food... With the final state exams approaching, I had compressed my time to the absolute limit. If I wasn't hungry, I'd just skip dinner and stay in the classroom. Unexpectedly, she showed some concern: "Don't work yourself to death. Studying isn't just about brute force, it's about talent too. You need to learn to be flexible~" She winked at me, turned, and walked away. Right after she turned around, I heard that voice again. [Just wait until you fail your finals, then you'll realize how incredibly benevolent my concern for you is right now. When the time comes, you'll be thanking me like a dog just for tossing you a job.] This wasn't an illusion. It wasn't an auditory hallucination. It was definitively a voice coming from Bella! I froze in my seat, my fingernails unconsciously digging into my palms. No wonder she never studied yet effortlessly scored first place. No wonder everyone was involuntarily drawn to her. So, in this world, true fairness really didn't exist. 3 Evening study hall ended, and the sky was pitch black. Outside the classroom, Preston Vance, the trust fund slacker, was waiting for Bella to finish class. "Hurry up, babe. I booked a VIP booth at the club for your birthday tonight. I've got a surprise." Bella replied sweetly, "I know, I know." As she walked past me, she shot me a breezy glance. That sarcastic voice chimed in again: [Hilarious, still reading. Tonight your mom is going to end up hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning. Starting tomorrow, your proud head will be lowered forever. When that happens, you'll be endlessly grateful when I toss a few pennies your way.] I snapped my head up and glared at her, my eyes terrifying. She quickly looked away and sauntered off toward Preston as if nothing happened. I didn't even grab my backpack. I sprinted out of the classroom, shoving past Preston. Curses echoed behind me, but I didn't care. A walk that usually took fifteen minutes took me barely seven as I ran all the way home. Inside, my exhausted mother was hunched over, preparing a late-night snack for me. Seeing me standing at the door panting, she teased gently: "What's the rush, sweetie? You're home early today. I just finished making you some food." I walked straight into the kitchen and checked the stove. Sure enough, the gas valve hadn't been shut off properly. I violently twisted the valve shut, my eyes red as I yelled, "The gas wasn't turned off! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" I rarely spoke to my mother like that. She froze, confused. "Huh? I usually remember. I must have been out of it today. Good thing my girl is so careful." I looked at my mother. Barely forty, yet her hair was already greying. She was wearing a grease-stained apron. A wave of terrifying grief and relief washed over me. I threw my arms around her, swallowing the lump in my throat, and whispered, "Mom, please don't ever forget again." 4 That night, I looked at the photos Bella posted on Instagram. In the photos, she was in a lavish VIP booth, holding a massive bouquet of roses, laughing coyly, looking like the picture of pure innocence. The caption: [Thanks to a certain someone for the birthday surprise~] My mother had been straddling the line between life and death, while she was out partying, completely burden-free. She clearly knew the plot beforehand. She could have saved a life! Bella was just afraid that changing the plot would affect her future path as the "Main Character." A path paved with human lives, yet she accepted it so calmly. Beneath that innocent exterior lay an incredibly venomous soul. I refused to believe that someone with such blatant disregard for human life could have a bright future. I refused to believe that my eighteen years of grueling hard work couldn't beat some so-called "Main Character Halo." I refused to believe that my efforts existed only to serve as her foil. I refuse. I refuse to believe that this is how the world works! A pre-written plot? Then I'll be the one to break it. I'll show you that human will can defy destiny, and that 100% hard work is truly invincible. The next day, as soon as I arrived at the classroom, Bella approached me with red rims around her eyes, looking like she was about to cry. "Maya, I heard your mom was hospitalized for a gas leak yesterday. It must be so serious." I sneered and said, "Huh? Your mom had a gas leak? Is it serious? Is she dead? Do you need me to recommend a good cemetery?" Bella's face flushed red with anger. She gritted her teeth. "I'm talking about your mom!" I pushed my chair back a step. "Why are you cursing people?" Unable to hold back, she yelled, "I said your mom had a gas leak!" I scoffed. "You were crying so hard, I thought it was your mom. Don't worry, my mom is perfectly healthy, my mom is doing great, and my mom is going to live a long, long life!" 5 Seeing me arguing with Bella, our classmates crowded around, ready to blindly accuse me. I immediately plopped down on the floor and wailed loudly, "Everyone, look at this! Bella has such a toxic mouth, cursing my family first thing in the morning. My mom is a single mother, what did she ever do to you? Why would you curse her to die in a gas leak? Are you this cruel because you don't have a mom of your own? Waaaah!" Perhaps because I usually maintained a cold, quiet persona, my sudden outburst left the classmates staring at each other, utterly speechless. Bella stood there, stunned, muttering, "But her mom should have already died from the gas leak..." The room was dead silent, making her murmur exceptionally loud. The classmates looked horrified. "Why is she actually cursing people's families?" "I couldn't tell she was that kind of person normally." "Bella, hurry up and apologize to Maya." Eventually, the commotion brought Mr. Davis, the Dean of Students. In the office, I cried my eyes out. "Mr. Davis, you know my family situation isn't good. My mom raised me all by herself. For her to come up and curse my mom like that... what kind of behavior is this?!" Mr. Davis looked at me with sympathy. He often privately encouraged me to "study hard and change my destiny." He turned to Bella sternly. "You're supposed to be our top student, and you pull a stunt like this? Apologize to Maya right now! And write a thousand-word reflection essay!" Bella looked like she was waking from a dream. "It shouldn't be like this... the plot isn't supposed to go like this..." How was it supposed to go? My mom dying to pave your way? Me giving up my future to become your bag-carrying lackey? Hearing her mutter this, the Dean scolded her even more harshly. Finally, looking utterly aggrieved, Bella reluctantly apologized to me. You feel wronged just by this? Then you better brace yourself for what's coming. 6 The moment I stepped out of the office, I saw Preston glaring at me as if he wanted to murder me. Bella threw herself into his arms, sobbing loudly, acting as if she had suffered the greatest injustice in the world. Preston rushed over, grabbed me by the collar, and spat, "You vicious bitch, apologize to Bella right now!" I slapped his hand away and said coldly, "What am I apologizing for? It's perfectly fine for her to curse someone's parents?" "Bella would never do that! She definitely didn't mean it!" I looked at Preston, amused, and enunciated every word clearly: "Preston, be careful you don't drop dead tomorrow." Then I shrugged my shoulders. "Oops, I didn't mean it either~" Bella cried even louder. Before leaving, I looked back at the two of them and offered my sincere blessing: "You two really are a match made in heaven." For the next few days, Bella continued to play the innocent victim, asking about my well-being daily. When I ignored her, she'd tear up to garner sympathy. "Maya, I really lost my mind that day. Are you still refusing to forgive me?" The classmates around us chimed in, "Yeah, Maya. Bella is being so sincere, do you really have to hold a grudge?" The inner voice I heard wasn't sincere at all. What she was actually saying was: [Why did this damn Maya suddenly deviate from the plot? She's so hard to deal with now, and I still need her brain to help me with my investments later in the story!] I swept a cold gaze over my classmates. More or less, all of them had accepted gifts from Bella. Bella had excellent grades, plus the heir to the Vance Corporation acting as her lapdog. Even at seventeen or eighteen, many had already learned to suck up to the powerful, hoping Bella would become a valuable connection for them in the future. I chuckled lightly. "I guess it's true what they say: take someone's money, and your mouth belongs to them. What a pathetic bunch of future leaders." 7 I didn't expect my words to have such an impact. The next day, as soon as I entered the classroom, I saw a girl returning a gift to Bella. The girl looked down and said, "Bella, thank you for the gift, but I don't think I can accept it." Before Bella could respond, she scurried back to her seat. While some classmates woke up, naturally there were those who continued to act like lapdogs, pinning their hopes on others. They only hated me more. But I didn't care. During break, the girl who returned the gift quietly came over to ask me about a calculus problem. Bella's "talent" could only be used on exams. The plot would always arrange for her to write down the correct answer. But her brain knew absolutely nothing about the actual problem-solving process. So whenever classmates asked her questions, she always found excuses to deflect. I patiently explained the steps to the girl. Before leaving, she looked at me with admiration. "Maya, you're really amazing. Let's work hard together!" I felt genuinely moved. This was the atmosphere our class was supposed to have. Not everyone crowding around Bella, praising her latest designer jewelry. I sighed inwardly and dove back into the sea of test papers. Lately, I had more important things to focus on. I needed to negotiate with the science teachers about joining the Academic Decathlon team. Previously, I hadn't taken official competition prep courses. Many students aiming for that route had prepared early. Someone from a poor background like me couldn't afford it. So I had focused entirely on the standard college admissions exams, fearing that if I failed to secure an early-admissions spot through the competitions, it would tank my regular test scores. But now, since relying solely on the regular exams carried "plot" risks, I decided to play both sides! 8 The moment I joined the advanced prep class, Bella followed right behind me. She was ranked first; joining the honors track was a breeze for her. The second she stepped into the room, I heard her resentful inner voice again: [Why is she suddenly doing the academic competitions? I have to spend so many of my Reward Points to get the answers for these questions. I could have just cruised straight into Harvard. This side character is so annoying.] I curled my lips into a smile. Ah, so you have Reward Points? Let's see what you do when those points run dry. Resources are meant to be utilized. Whenever I got stuck on a complex problem, I went straight to Bella. "Bella, how do you solve this? You're number one, you definitely know how to do it, right~" Hearing her internally agonize as she spent Reward Points to unlock the answers was deeply satisfying. Except, every time she explained a problem, there was always someone else there freeloading off the answer. Our school's physics prodigy, Liam Gallagher. Every time he heard Bella give the answer, he looked at her with admiration. Bella rejoiced internally: [Well, coming to the competition class makes it easier to conquer the Second Male Lead anyway. It's a win.] Oh, I forgot. This was Bella's other side-piece. Except this side-piece was a massive nerd. Every time, he chased after Bella asking her to break down her thought process. Hilarious. What thought process did she have? Eventually, Bella could only awkwardly deflect: "You don't even know how to do something this simple? You should just read the textbook more." 9 Well, perfect. Once Liam realized Bella wouldn't explain things to him, he turned to me for help. In just a few sentences, I could point him in the exact right direction. So, he stopped leeching off Bella and started leeching off me. Watching this, Bella looked like she was ready to grind her teeth to dust. Although I had zero interest in guys, seeing her miserable made me very happy. Perhaps realizing that defeating me through studying was impossible, Bella shifted her focus elsewhere. Preston and his lackeys caused trouble for me multiple times. He threatened me: "If you dare make Bella unhappy again, I'll have the school expel you." The Vance family was incredibly powerful. His dad had donated two buildings to the school, so this wasn't an empty threat. Too bad it didn't work on me. I acted completely arrogant. "Outside of this school, there are plenty of academies fighting to recruit me. I'm tied directly to this school's Ivy League acceptance rates. They need to put my face on the Wall of Honor to advertise their elite education. Do you really think they'd be willing to expel me?" Probably having never heard someone speak so boldly to him, Preston froze. I smirked. "A useless trust fund baby like you, who only knows how to squander family money, could never understand the joy of academic excellence. "So go ahead, guard your inherited assets and secretly pat yourself on the back. Because soon enough, you'll realize that being born with everything is worthless compared to earning it yourself!" Before I left, I waved a recording pen at him, laughing freely.
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