To fulfill the original host's final wish, the moment I transmigrated into this novel, I was immediately hit with the female lead's emotional blackmail. "Maya, I'm begging you, please give the valedictorian spot to me! This spot means nothing to you!" "But I'm different! This valedictorian spot is my only chance to turn my life around!" The female lead stood on the roof of the school building, her eyes brimming with tears. She seemed to be pouring her heart out, but her words were subtly accusing me of stealing the valedictorian spot that supposedly belonged to her. My homeroom teacher, who had always had it out for me, ignored the situation and forcefully demanded that I surrender the spot. The cameras were focused on my incredibly calm face. Watching this self-directed melodrama unfold, amidst the urging and accusations of the crowd, I slowly spoke up: "Sure, if you want it, I'll give it to you!" 01 "W-What did you say?" Standing on the roof, Chloe seemed uncertain. A flicker of shock crossed her face, which had been prepped for a full-blown hysterical breakdown. Seeing her act so easily turned on and off, I couldn't help but find it funny, but I still spoke loudly and clearly: "I said, if you want this valedictorian spot, I'll give it to you!" Now, not only was Chloe stunned, but so were the principal, the teachers, and the students watching the spectacle. Everyone knew how incredibly difficult it was to get the valedictorian spot. Every year, students fought tooth and nail for it. It wasn't something you could easily snatch away just by throwing a tantrum. Whoever gave it away would be an absolute idiot! But I really did give it away. "Are you telling the truth?!" Chloe was still standing near the edge of the roof, but her voice now carried a hint of hesitation. According to her plan, I wasn't supposed to agree so quickly. I was supposed to be publicly condemned under her emotional blackmail, and only then would I reluctantly surrender the spot. After all, in the original novel, the host was cyberbullied relentlessly precisely because she refused to back down! But me? My whole brand is doing the unexpected! "What else can I do? You're threatening me with suicide. Could I really just let you die?" I worked up some emotion, and my eyes instantly turned red the moment I spoke. The first step in countering emotional blackmail is, naturally, to retreat in order to advance, to use softness to conquer hardness! I spoke earnestly: "We're classmates. Is there anything we can't discuss privately? Threatening suicide like this, besides giving the school a bad reputation, is irresponsible to your own life." "Have you thought about your parents? You're their only daughter. How can you face them after doing this?" "I know you're on financial aid and things are hard at home, but that's exactly why you can't joke around with your life!" "With so many classmates here as witnesses, I'm giving you the valedictorian spot. Please stop this and come down!" My voice choked with emotion, my eyes growing redder with every word. Every step I took back, every earnest word I spoke, almost immediately shifted the narrative that was previously against me. "Maya, are you really willing to give up the valedictorian spot?" The principal, who had just been urging me to agree, suddenly seemed hesitant. "I can't just watch her do something stupid." I sighed, my eyes red, looking wronged yet helpless: "Even though you promised me, Principal, that as long as I won gold at the Nationals, the only valedictorian spot would be mine." "I don't know why this happened, or why Chloe is acting like this. But if she wasn't desperate, she probably wouldn't be causing such a scene." I lowered my head and wiped my tears. My words even carried a hint of manipulative innocence. Retreating to advance, showing vulnerability to the opponent and everyone else, and using manipulative language to frame myself as the helpless victim—I wanted to see if Chloe still had the gall to accept the valedictorian spot I was personally handing over! The principal looked at me with a hint of admiration. Only the homeroom teacher, Mr. Davis, looked at me with suspicion. He lowered his voice and said to me: "Are you serious? Don't play games with me now!" "And now you're blaming Chloe? If you had given up the spot earlier, none of this would have happened!" "I think you're just selfish! Playing the victim while getting exactly what you want!" Damn it! What the hell is this?! My fists are itching! I looked at Mr. Davis, his eyes full of disgust, my own eyes turning icy. Remembering the unfair treatment the original host suffered because of him in the novel, anger flared within me. Without hesitation, I raised my voice: "Mr. Davis, how can you say that about me!" Because he had deliberately lowered his voice, the people around us hadn't heard what he just said. In the original novel, the host always endured it, thinking it was better to avoid trouble, believing that if she just put up with it, it would pass. But I'm different! "Mr. Davis, the principal gave me this valedictorian spot. It's not just something you can give away on a whim!" "If you were in my shoes, would you willingly give away a spot you worked so hard for?" "I only gave it up to save Chloe's life. How can you say I'm playing the victim while getting what I want?!" I deliberately raised my voice so everyone present could hear me. At this moment, all eyes were on Mr. Davis and me. Even the principal turned to look at us. And I seized the moment. I let the tears flow freely, acting completely emotionally shattered. I covered my face and started sobbing: "Waaaah—Was I wrong to work so hard for this valedictorian spot? Why is everyone forcing me? If this is how it is, why did you give it to me in the first place?!" "I've already decided to give it to her, why are you still criticizing me? I know you've never liked me, Mr. Davis. If that's the case, I'll just transfer schools!" "As long as I transfer, the spot can legitimately go to Chloe, and no one will be put in a difficult position!" I squatted on the ground, crying uncontrollably. Everyone looked at me with sympathy. Some teachers had already started gathering around to comfort me. But Mr. Davis stood there with a livid face, yelling at me as if his brain had shrunk: "Maya, if you have the guts, then transfer!" "Don't think you can threaten the school just because you have good grades! Let's see which school would take an orphan who can't even afford tuition!" "Do you think you could have gotten into the Nationals without the school giving you the opportunity? Stop acting like you're so great!" The principal had taken a phone call earlier and wandered off somewhere. Otherwise, Mr. Davis wouldn't have dared to be so arrogant in front of him. Plus, as the head of the grade and the homeroom teacher of the school's advanced class, no other teacher usually dared to cross him. He belittled me to nothingness, just as he did to the original host. It seemed that no matter how many achievements I had, or how good my grades were, in his eyes, I would always be useless. And his hatred for the original host didn't come from nowhere. During a class, the host pointed out an error in his calculation and steps for a problem. Feeling humiliated, Mr. Davis flew into a rage, brutally berating the host in front of the entire class. But that was only the surface. The host was a genius. If she weren't an orphan, her talent might have gotten her into an early college program, exposing her to a world others could never reach. Mr. Davis realized this more than anyone. But as a teacher, he didn't feel sorry for her; instead, he was jealous. Jealous that she possessed a talent he didn't, and that she would reach heights he could never touch. His internal imbalance twisted him. He constantly suppressed her, belittled her efforts, and mocked her background, all in an attempt to drag her down into the dirt so she would never rise! Disgusting! How does someone like him deserve to be a teacher?! Chloe had already been brought down from the roof by the dean. Hearing Mr. Davis belittle me, her face was full of smugness. So what if my grades were better? As long as Mr. Davis disliked me, I would always be beneath her! Mr. Davis looked at me with a sneer: "I think you might as well drop out. With your family background, even if you get into college, you won't be able to afford it!" "You're better off entering the workforce early so you don't starve later!" "Transfer? Hah! Let's see which blind school would take you!" 02 "I'll take her!" As soon as Mr. Davis finished speaking, a booming voice echoed from nearby. The sneer on his face instantly morphed into shock. This was undeniably a public slap in the face! The onlookers felt that this scene was far more interesting than Chloe's suicide threat. Following the voice, they saw a middle-aged man in his forties, hands clasped behind his back, leading a group of people swiftly toward us. The principal, walking beside him, looked as if he wanted to burn a hole through Mr. Davis with his glare—who knows how much of Mr. Davis's rant he had overheard. "Are you—" Mr. Davis frowned at the bald man, seeming to recognize him. Just as he was about to ask, the man didn't even spare him a glance. He walked right past him, grabbed my hand without hesitation, and said excitedly: "Maya! As soon as I got your text, our teachers and I rushed over here without stopping!" "I'm so thrilled! Absolutely thrilled! You finally figured it out!" The man held my hand tightly, looking at me as if I were a giant, glittering nugget of gold, his eyes sparkling. "Don't worry, the offer is exactly the same as I promised before. If you come to our school, Lincoln High, not only will your tuition be fully covered, but the school will also give you a $2,000 monthly living stipend! Room and board are entirely on us; all you have to do is focus on the SATs!" "Furthermore, if you guarantee you'll score in the top 50 in the state, the school will give you an extra $10,000 scholarship. Top 20 gets $15,000, top 10 gets $20,000! And if you become the state valedictorian, we double it!" "What do you say?" "Sounds good." Under his expectant gaze, I nodded without hesitation. After all, from the moment I texted him, I had no intention of staying at this school! "Are you... Principal Carter of Lincoln High?" Mr. Davis swallowed hard, staring in utter shock at the scene unfolding before him, which was practically making his blood pressure spike. What did he just see? The principal of the top high school in the city not only publicly humiliated him but was also excitedly holding my hand, inviting me to transfer! And from the looks of it, Principal Carter had tried to poach me more than once privately. "Yeah, what do you want?" Hearing Mr. Davis, Principal Carter, who had just been so warm to me, instantly changed his expression, his voice dripping with annoyance. He didn't even glance at Mr. Davis. Instead, he turned to Principal Miller, whose face was green, and mocked: "Miller, this is the kind of teacher you have at your school? Publicly belittling and insulting students? Where are his professional ethics? Eaten by a dog? Your school actually dares to employ someone like this!" After saying that, he immediately turned back to me, his face full of smiles: "But our school is different!" "Rest assured, Maya, I guarantee our teachers are absolutely student-centered and respectful. A situation like this—lacking professional ethics and moral boundaries—will absolutely, definitely never happen!" "Right, Ms. Wright?!" "Yes, yes, yes!" The female teacher behind him, having been called upon, stepped forward immediately without hesitation, gripping my hand tightly with a gentle smile: "Maya, it's so good to finally meet you! Let me introduce myself, I'm the homeroom teacher for the advanced class at Lincoln High." "I've heard so much about you, and I finally get to meet you today! Don't worry, my senior class is a very united and warm family. You will definitely feel at home there." What kind of pyramid scheme pitch is this! Looking at her gentle and sincere expression, I suppressed the twitch at the corner of my mouth and nodded at her. "I'll be in your care, Ms. Wright." Hearing this, the group of Lincoln High teachers who had come to poach me looked so happy they were ready to jump. "Let's go, let's go! We're going to process your transfer paperwork right now! Which class are you in? I'll have a teacher pack your things for you!" Principal Carter's face crinkled into a massive smile. Ignoring Principal Miller's dark expression, he pulled me toward the administration office. Now, not only was Mr. Davis dumbfounded, but Chloe was stunned, and all the watching teachers and students were completely floored! Who could have imagined things would turn out like this! Chloe stood there, looking like she was about to shatter. She only wanted to force me to give up the valedictorian spot. Who would have thought I would get poached by the top high school in the city! Mr. Davis was even more bewildered. He probably never imagined I had connections with the principal of Lincoln High, and it seemed they had tried to poach me multiple times! In the original novel, the host caught the eye of the Lincoln High principal long before moving from the state competition to the nationals. She repeatedly rejected his invitations out of gratitude to her current school, which had made an exception to admit her and waived her tuition. She remembered the school's kindness and kept backing down. But when faced with Chloe's scheming, emotional blackmail, cyberbullying, and public condemnation, the school abandoned her without hesitation. Her endurance and suffering gained her nothing, ultimately costing her her life! But in the face of injustice and emotional blackmail, enduring is an endless sea of suffering, and resisting is like throwing eggs at a rock—neither is the action of a wise person. Clearly, the original host didn't realize this. Because if she had, she would have understood that her skills and grades were her greatest leverage. She didn't need to endure, nor did she need to fight. She just needed to be ruthless! There's always someone who appreciates her achievements and values her hard work. If this place doesn't want me, another place will! Be ruthless, jump ship, and use your own abilities to deliver a resounding slap to the faces of everyone who ever bullied you! 03 "Maya, are you sure you want to transfer to another school during such a critical period?" "Even though Lincoln High is a top school, you've lived and studied here at Washington High for two years. Moving to a new environment will inevitably affect you!" "I promise you, as long as you don't go to Lincoln High, the valedictorian spot is still yours!" "Or any other conditions, you can name them right now!" Principal Miller gritted his teeth, making his final stand. After all, he knew that with my grades, as long as I performed consistently, I had an 80% chance of becoming the state valedictorian in the upcoming SATs. What school would willingly let a potential state valedictorian slip away to a rival school! I imagine if it weren't for today's fiasco, or if he had been a bit firmer, things wouldn't have escalated to this point! I clearly saw Principal Miller shoot a glare at Mr. Davis. I bet he wanted to rip Mr. Davis's head off and kick it like a soccer ball! Mr. Davis kept his head down. This was the first time I saw a hint of panic on his face, probably because he knew that losing a top student like me would definitely make the principal direct his anger at him. Let alone keeping his position as head of the grade, he'd probably get stripped of his role as the homeroom teacher for the advanced class! So even if it meant throwing away his pride, he had to make me stay. "Maya, earlier... your teacher was just too anxious and misspoke." "I apologize to you. Can you find it in your heart to be the bigger person? For the sake of the school that recognized your potential, please stay." "Not a chance." I shook my head at Mr. Davis without hesitation, saying slowly: "Mr. Davis, you really don't need to bend over backward for me. Because deep down, you know you owe me more than just this one apology." The naked sarcasm in my eyes made Mr. Davis's face instantly darken. But with the principal present, he didn't dare say a word in anger! "Alright, Miller, sign the papers and let her go! You couldn't keep her because of your own issues; own up to your losses." "If you have time to figure out how to keep students, you should instead investigate the ethics of your faculty, so no more students get poisoned." "Of course, if your advanced class has any more students wanting to transfer, Lincoln High is more than happy to welcome them." Principal Carter sounded like he was urging him, but his words were dripping with sarcasm. I can only say, as expected of a top high school principal—he knows exactly how to hit where it hurts! With things escalating to this point, and the rival principal showing up in person, not letting me go was out of the question. No matter how reluctant he was, Principal Miller had to grit his teeth and sign. "Now that's more like it! Don't worry about the little girl not adjusting. I'll make sure she has the best environment to get top scores!" "This prized student you couldn't keep at Washington High, Lincoln High is very happy to accept!" Principal Carter laughed heartily, grabbing the transfer form and trying to lead me away. But just as he stepped out of the office, Mr. Davis called out: "Wait!" Mr. Davis seemed to have remembered something, a sudden look of triumph appearing on his face. "For her to transfer, the school letting her go isn't enough. Her legal guardian must also agree." "Her legal guardian must be present and sign before this transfer is officially valid!" Mr. Davis looked at me with sheer amusement, acting as if he had grabbed my lifeline, completely carried away by his own smugness. "Davis, don't give me that bullshit!" Principal Carter was furious. If they weren't in a school, he'd probably have grabbed Mr. Davis by the collar without hesitation. "Everyone knows Maya is an orphan. Aren't you afraid of getting struck by lightning for saying something like that?!" "Miller, how is a guy like this a teacher? Does Washington High even care?!" Principal Miller shot a glance at Mr. Davis. On one hand, he despised Mr. Davis's actions; on the other, it was clear he really didn't want to lose a top student like me. As long as he could keep a top student, who cares about looking shameless! "Carter, Maya's situation is indeed very special. Our school took a huge risk accepting her back then." "Transferring schools must follow procedure. How about this." Principal Miller cleared his throat: "Why not give us some time? With everything that happened today, Maya's emotions are probably unstable. I'll make time to consult with the Board of Education and come up with a solution. What do you think?" Principal Miller was clearly stalling for time, ideally until college applications opened. Then, even if I wanted to transfer, I'd be out of luck and forced to stay here under their control. Old ginger is definitely spicier! These old geezers are digging deeper and deeper holes! "You!" Principal Carter's cheek twitched with anger, but since he was on their turf and my situation was indeed unique, he could only try to think of another way. "Maya, why don't you head back to class for now? We shouldn't delay your studies!" Principal Miller looked at me with a triumphant smile. He must have thought my transfer was officially dead in the water. But... he was overthinking it! "Principal Miller, it really doesn't have to be that complicated." The corners of my mouth curled up into a smile, and right in front of him, I pulled out my phone: "It's just missing a guardian's signature, right? Calling my parents over will only take about ten minutes." "It's no trouble at all!" With that, ignoring their increasingly shocked and horrified expressions, I dialed the number saved as "Dad." He answered almost immediately. After I briefly explained the situation, he didn't hesitate for a second and said he was on his way. Mr. Davis's mouth twitched, his face dark. He was the first to snap out of the shock, a look of disdain appearing on his face: "Maya, you didn't just hire actors to fool us, did you!" I didn't answer, just smiled silently at him. About ten minutes later, a middle-aged man in a suit walked into the office. Seeing the man's face, which bore a striking resemblance to mine, the disdain on Mr. Davis's face instantly turned to panic. Principal Miller literally stood up from his chair. But it wasn't out of shock; it was out of fear. "Mr. Sterling!" Principal Miller looked in disbelief at the man standing beside me, his voice even trembling slightly. But he quickly recovered. "Mr. Sterling... Maya is your—" "My biological daughter!" Mr. Sterling's voice was incredibly authoritative. After all, he was a self-made billionaire who built his empire from scratch; his aura was nothing like that of a normal person. Principal Miller's face went pale, and Mr. Davis's expression was equally unreadable. After all, who didn't know Mr. Sterling? He was the richest man in the city, and not long ago, he had donated money to set up a scholarship at the school. At the time, Mr. Davis had been part of the welcoming committee with the principal. "So, what exactly is going on here?" Mr. Sterling looked at me, his eyes revealing worry and deep affection. And so, in front of everyone, I recounted everything that had just happened, down to the last detail. I also helpfully explained to the group how my family and I had reunited. "I still have to thank the school for giving me the opportunity to participate in the competition. Otherwise, my parents wouldn't have seen the article about me in the newspaper and found me." I smiled sweetly at Principal Miller and Mr. Davis, expressing my gratitude, but the smile didn't reach my eyes. Although the original novel didn't go into detail about this part, the host's memories clearly recorded the entire process of reuniting with her billionaire parents. The reason the host didn't reveal she had reunited with her billionaire parents was because she was used to her previously low-key life. Furthermore, her parents felt immensely guilty for losing her in the first place. They wanted to respect her wishes and didn't want the news to affect her studies. They planned to throw a grand coming-of-age party after she finished the SATs to announce the return of their beloved daughter. Unfortunately, in the original novel, the host never made it to that day. Because of the overwhelming cyberbullying instigated by the female lead, she developed depression and died by suicide, swallowing pills. "So, in a place I couldn't see, this is how your school treated my daughter, is it?" After hearing everything, Mr. Sterling's face turned frighteningly dark. He looked at Mr. Davis as if he wanted to murder him right then and there! He shielded me behind him, slammed his hand hard onto the principal's desk, and, furious to the core, roared: "I, Robert Sterling, owed my daughter for eighteen years! I finally get the chance to find her, and I haven't even had the time to spoil her yet. Where do you get the nerve to say those things to her!" "The Sterling family isn't short on money. Whatever Maya owes the school, I'll pay back every last cent. From now on, my daughter owes you absolutely nothing." "She's Robert Sterling's daughter. She can go wherever she wants. Let's see who dares to stop her!" Hearing this, Principal Carter couldn't help but look thrilled. Seizing the moment, he slid the transfer application toward Mr. Sterling. Watching Mr. Sterling sign it without a second thought, his smile was so wide his face practically bloomed. He patted my shoulder in praise: "Like father, like daughter! You and your dad have the exact same no-nonsense, decisive personality!" "Great! I love it!" Lol! I have to admit, I'm loving this face-slapping moment too! The tables had turned again, bringing joy to some and despair to others. Principal Miller slumped in his chair, looking utterly defeated. He lost a top student and offended Mr. Sterling. Now, the investment they had discussed earlier was surely going down the drain! With a cold snort, Mr. Sterling took my hand and walked out of the principal's office.
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