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My tragic fate culminated in a difficult labor. Trey refused a C–section, resulting in both my baby and me dying.
On my deathbed, I called Ivy endlessly, but she claimed she was too busy. The moment I passed, she showed up.
At my funeral, people shook their heads, saying, “How did such a bright girl end up like
this?”
Ivy put on a show of grief. “Hazel was so smart but wasted her potential. Her downfall was her own fault. Unlike me, I worked hard and changed my fate through perseverance.”
Once everyone left, Ivy gloated over her victory.
Turns out, Ivy had always been jealous of me. As a child, I was the center of our parents attention. Her envy consumed her. She manipulated my trust and orchestrated my
downfall.
This time, I wouldn’t fall for her tricks.
I wrote “I will get into Harvard–MIT” in bold letters and taped it above my desk.
Opening my freshman–year textbooks, I started from the first page. By 3 a.m., I’d finished two books, every concept burned into my memory.
I caught two hours of sleep before heading to school at dawn. By the time my classmates arrived, I’d already memorized both volumes of freshman English vocabulary.
“Hazel Bright’s actually studying? That’s a first!”
“Only six months until the SATs. Even if she tries, the best she can hope for is community
college.”
“With her grades? A state school’s out of reach. She’ll end up in some overpriced private college at best.”
I ignored the chatter. My scores would do the talking.
о
J
21:27 Mon, Nov 25
32%
♡ fo
I caught two hours of sleep before heading to school at dawn. By the time my classmates arrived, I’d already memorized both volumes of freshman English vocabulary.
“Hazel Bright’s actually studying? That’s a first!”
“Only six months until the SATS. Even if she tries, the best she can hope for is community college.”
“With her grades? A state school’s out of reach. She’ll end up in some overpriced private college at best.”
I ignored the chatter. My scores would do the talking.
Ivy showed up late as usual, barely beating the bell.
“Hazel, why didn’t you wake me up this morning?” she complained.
“I’ll be at school by 5 a.m. from now on. Set your own alarm if you want to join me.”
Ivy looked puzzled. “Why would you get here so early? You don’t even study.”
From behind me, Ethan Carrington chimed in. “Your sister’s been up since dawn
memorizing vocab. She’s already gone through two books. Something’s seriously up with
her.”
Ivy froze, then exploded, “Hazel, we’re just here to get a degree. After we graduate, we’ll
both head to Midland Assembly Plant. I’ve heard top workers make good money there-
over $3,000 a month!”
I pulled out my phone and played the video I’d recorded.
“If the assembly plant’s so great, why are you sneaking in late–night study sessions?”
Ivy’s face went pale.
Ethan grabbed my phone and barked, “Ivy Bright! No wonder you always ditch our games midway. You’ve been secretly studying all this time!”
21:27 Mon, Nov 25
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“All that effort, and you still only scored 400 points? Guess your brain’s not built for this.”
Ivy flushed with rage. She opened her notebook and tried memorizing vocab, but after
ten repetitions, she still couldn’t get it.
After school, I still went with the rich kids to the Cyber Zone Lounge. I wasn’t about to cut ties with them. Someday, they’d be valuable connections.
In my past life, Ivy snatched up all the relationships I’d worked so hard to cultivate. This time, that wasn’t happening.
