Chapter 61: The Start of the Second Mock Exam
The night before the second mock exam began, Brooke York told Alice Cole about the bet Chloe York had made with her homeroom teacher.
"What? You’re saying Chloe York made a bet with her homeroom teacher? If she scores above fifty on every subject, the teacher has to apologize to her in front of the entire school?"
"That’s right!"
"She can’t possibly think that just because she saved the principal’s son, he’ll cover for her and fake her scores, can she!" Alice Cole’s immediate assumption was that Chloe York had gotten a bit too clever, already knowing how to leverage her status as a lifesaver to make herself look good.
This was exactly the message Brooke York wanted to convey. Seeing Alice Cole say it without any prompting, she mused, ’It seems a real mother and daughter really do think alike.’
"The bet happened first, and the rescue happened later," Miles York couldn’t help but correct Alice Cole.
Brooke York glanced at Miles York, surprised that he actually knew the sequence of the two events.
She had been worried that with Chloe York studying so hard, she might actually manage to score over fifty. That’s why she wanted to plant an idea in Miles York and Alice Cole’s minds first—so that even if Chloe passed, they would be convinced it wasn’t through her own ability, but by getting the principal to help her cheat because she had saved his son.
But she hadn’t expected Miles York to know the order of events. If Chloe York actually scored over fifty, would Miles York’s opinion of her change?
"Even so, Chloe York must have said that in a fit of anger. You know how dumb she is. And this time, she just happened to save the principal’s son. Maybe the principal really will help her cheat."
Miles York shot Alice Cole an impatient look. "This is the second mock exam. It’s meant to predict college entrance exam scores. Do you really think they can just mess around with it?"
He hadn’t dared to disturb Chloe York recently. He had already found out where she lived, but with the second mock exam coming up, he decided it was best not to bother her, lest he affect her performance and she ended up blaming him.
Alice Cole completely ignored Miles York’s rebuke. She took Brooke York’s hand and said earnestly, "Brooke, don’t let these things distract your mind. Stay focused, and aim to take first place in the entire grade on the second mock exam."
"Okay!" Brooke York nodded. She was confident this time. In the first mock exam, she was only five places away from first in the whole grade, and she was number one in her class. This time, she would definitely make it to the top.
If her college entrance exam scores came out and she was number one, then she would be the one all the universities were fighting for, the one all the reporters were scrambling to cover.
As Alice Cole spoke, Miles York’s gaze fell upon Brooke York. He hadn’t said much to her about the time she secretly filmed and framed Chloe York—after all, she was his own daughter. Now, the second mock exam was here. If she became the top scorer in the college entrance exam, it would bring him a great deal of prestige. His company might even be able to rise to a new level thanks to her.
At this thought, Miles York’s tone softened into the gentle cadence of a doting father. "Brooke, make sure you get plenty of rest. Don’t wear yourself out. During the exam, be diligent and double-check your work."
"I know, Dad!" Regarding his advice, she knew exactly what he was thinking. ’He just wants me to get into a good university to make him look good and bring profits to his company.’
「The next day」 Before heading out, Chloe York carefully checked her pens, rulers, and other stationery. She was treating this second mock exam as if it were the actual college entrance exam.
Even though the real exam wouldn’t be held at her school, getting into the right mindset ahead of time would yield the most accurate results. It would also show her where she was still lacking, so she wouldn’t make the same mistakes on the actual exam day.
She arrived at the classroom she’d been assigned to for the second mock exam, the location of which she’d learned the day before. The faces that met her gaze were mostly unfamiliar; only two or three students were from her own class.
The moment she walked in, all eyes simultaneously fell on her. After all, she was a school celebrity. Having her in the same exam room somehow made the otherwise boring hall seem much more interesting.
"Chloe," Stella Winters waved.
As the two students ranked last and second-to-last in their class, they were naturally grouped together, since the exam room assignments were based on the scores from the first mock exam.
She took the seat next to Stella Winters. They were the only two in the back row.
"Well, look at us, the two great generals of the rear guard!" Stella Winters wasn’t the least bit embarrassed; on the contrary, she found it amusing.
Chloe York simply smiled and said nothing. In her own world, she was always in the top-ranked classroom, her seat always rotating among the first few desks in the front row.
’This is the first time I’ve ever been in the last classroom, in the very last seat!’
She took out her pen, student ID card, and ruler, placing them neatly on the desk one by one.
Soon, the bell rang. Two proctors entered, and the classroom fell so silent you couldn’t hear a thing. Everyone waited quietly for the exam papers to be distributed.
It wasn’t just the classroom that was quiet; the entire school was dead silent. There were no first or second-year students today, only the third-years taking the exam.
The moment she received the exam paper, Chloe York began. The first subject was Language Arts. Soon, the only sounds filling the classroom were the SCRITCH-SCRATCH of writing, punctuated by the occasional rustle of a page being turned.
Time passed imperceptibly. The paper, which had been almost completely blank apart from the questions, was quickly filled with dense script.
The proctors walked past her desk a conspicuous number of times.
Just as the bell signaling the end of the exam rang, Chloe York put her pen down, finishing right on the dot.
After the papers were collected, the students had a fifteen-minute break to move around or use the restroom.
"Chloe, I saw you writing nonstop. Did you finish the whole paper?" Stella Winters had only written a little before stopping. Mostly, it was because she hadn’t really paid attention in class, so she’d just watched Chloe write instead—though she couldn’t see any of the answers.
"Pretty much." She had answered basically every question on the test, but there were a few she wasn’t entirely sure she had translated correctly.
But overall, her score definitely wouldn’t be bad. The next exam was English.
To avoid any distractions, Chloe York decided to go to the restroom, but she didn’t expect to run into Brooke York there.
"Brooke, what did you think of this exam? Was it difficult?"
Brooke York finished washing her hands and looked at her reflection in the mirror, her voice tinged with smugness. "I thought it was quite simple. I might lose a point or two on the essay, but the rest was no problem."
After speaking, Brooke York noticed Chloe York had come in and, feigning familiarity, she asked, "Chloe, what did you think? Was the paper difficult for you?"
Ordinarily, the question would have sounded fine, but asking Chloe York carried a deep, sarcastic undertone. After all, who didn’t know about Chloe York’s grades? Asking her if it was difficult was basically asking if she could read ancient scripture.
A few other girls had gathered nearby, and upon hearing Brooke York’s words, they all looked toward Chloe York, eager to hear her answer. After all, she was the one who had bet her homeroom teacher that she would score above fifty on every single subject.