Chapter 3

This time around, I would study hard and live a different life!

Lily refused to let me off so easily, though. Early the next morning, my classmates started giving me strange looks.

It turned out that my chat history with Lily had been shared on the school forum, cut up and twisted out of context. What was supposed to be a private talk between best friends now looked like it was dripping with hormones.

She'd been good at this in our past lives, and she was now running the same play again. It was still impossible to guard against it.

"Hannah looks so pure and innocent. Who would've known that she had such an open mind?"

"I heard she doesn't just have a boyfriend—she also has several sugar daddies outside of school! You think I've got a chance with her?"

"Her grades tanked in the last monthly exam. This proves what caused it!"

A user named YorkInTheMist commented, "I'll tell you a secret, but don't spread it around. Hannah isn't pure anymore."

That was Vincent's account. No doubt his beloved, Lily, had told him to post it. It made the other commenters explode with excitement.

"Whoa, this is so much to take in. Why do I feel like I don't get that?"

"This is too spicy! Hannah Linden is okay with anyone, huh?"

"You just exposed yourself, Vincent. Try not to be too sad."

The thread never got taken down. Later, even the teachers started looking at me funny. Every time Lily passed by, she would lift her chin at me, looking as smug as ever.

Still, I knew the only thing I could do was study.

There were only a few days left until the second mock exam. I shut everything out and locked myself in a world of practice tests.

…

The second mock exam arrived on schedule. I felt good about my language paper in the morning and answered quickly.

But halfway through math in the afternoon, the head of student discipline, Ms. Johnson, suddenly burst into the exam room.

She marched straight to me, looking furious. "Hannah Linden, someone reported you for cheating!"

I stared back at her, feeling baffled. "I didn't, Ms. Johnson."

"Are you sure? Someone saw you bring a cheat sheet into the exam room!"

All the eyes around me snapped into focus. Some were shocked, but most of them were gloating. I caught the smile on Lily's face and got a bad feeling about this.

Ms. Johnson was known for being thorough. She took me out of the room and searched me from head to toe, more professional than even the airport security.

A crumpled scrap of paper slipped from my shirt pocket. It was covered in math formulas written in tiny handwriting.

"You've been caught red-handed, Hannah. What do you have to say for yourself?"

I denied the accusation with everything I had, but every explanation sounded weak at that moment.

"Cheating on exams is a serious violation. Be glad this isn't the actual college entrance exams, or you could be looking at more severe punishment! Of course, cheating on the second mock exam isn't a small matter, either. Prepare to face disciplinary action!"

Ms. Johnson made me stand outside the classroom while she made several calls.

I was panicking, but I had no idea how to defend myself. I couldn't even remember when that paper could've been planted on me.

Ms. Bolton arrived first, looking incredulous. Even though I'd messed up in the last exam, she still believed I was a good student.

"Ms. Johnson, Hannah has always worked hard in my class. Is there any chance this is a misunderstanding?"

But with the cheat sheet as ironclad evidence, even she had nothing else to say.

The exam ended just then. Minutes later, Lily and a couple of other students walked out, carrying my backpack.

"Ms. Johnson, we just found a bunch of cheat sheets in Hannah's bag. There's one for every subject!"

The teachers took them and examined them carefully.

Ms. Bolton gave me a long, grave look and sighed. "I'm very disappointed in you."

The students filing out of the other exam rooms saw this and started whispering.

"I never would've thought Hannah was like that. Maybe all her grades from before were from cheating."

"Cheating is a huge deal. Do you think she'll get expelled?"

"No way… If she is, she can't sit for the college entrance exams anymore!"

More and more people stopped to watch the drama play out. Ms. Johnson dispersed them immediately and took me straight to the principal's office.