Chapter 4

"No wonder he's always picking on Lewis, and now he's even causing trouble over the test center arrangements. He's obviously jealous that Cerys and Lewis are so close."

"He's just bitter. Otherwise, why would he keep targeting Lewis?"

"This is the SAT. Even if the Rutledges have money, he can't mess around with the future of our entire class."

The whispers reached my ears one after another, and every word made my chest tighten.

In their eyes, everything was my fault from beginning to end, but if I kept arguing, I'd only end up ruining my own future too.

Without another word, I turned and headed toward the street to hail a cab.

I'd barely taken a step when Lewis cried out behind me, "Finley, don't go! My parents taught me never to owe anyone anything! I have nothing left now. The only thing I can do is give you my old phone!"

A loud crash sounded behind me.

Lewis had smashed his own phone.

...

I turned around.

Lewis was crouched on the ground, staring at the shattered screen while crying so hard he looked ready to pass out.

The students who had already boarded the buses immediately rushed back off.

"Lewis, stop crying. The exam's about to start. You'll affect your score like this."

"Finley, look what you've done to him! Are you happy now?"

Cerys pushed through the crowd. Her entire face was flushed red with anger, the veins at her temples visibly throbbing as she glared at me.

"Finley, I'll remember what you've done to Lewis today for the rest of my life."

I said nothing and just looked at her calmly.

She pulled out her phone and dialed a number right in front of me.

"Dad, I want to cancel my engagement to Finley. He doesn't deserve to marry into our family.

"And one more thing. End every business relationship between the Moores and the Rutledges. I don't want our families having anything to do with each other ever again."

Richard Moore roared from the other end of the line, "Have you lost your mind? What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Dad, I'm perfectly serious. If you don't agree, then I won't take the exam."

Several seconds passed in silence. Then Mr. Moore gave in.

After hanging up, Cerys looked at me coldly.

The surrounding students had fallen silent.

Someone muttered under their breath, "Finley really went too far this time. If the business partnership ends, he's dragging the entire Rutledge family down with him."

"He brought it on himself. Who told him to treat Lewis like that?" A girl stepped forward. "Finley, after making Lewis this upset, don't expect anyone in our class to help you ever again."

"That's right. Whatever happens to you from now on has nothing to do with us."

They spoke with righteous indignation, as though I'd committed some heinous crime.

Every one of them had forgotten how this had started in the first place: Lewis was the one who had mixed up my test center.

I turned to Cerys. "Are you sure?"

She gritted her teeth and replied without hesitation. "I'm sure."

Then I looked at the classmates I'd spent the past three years with. "And all of you?"

"Of course."

"Will you hurry up and leave already? You're the one holding up the entire class. If we do badly in the exam because of you, we won't let it go."

I nodded. "Fine."

I turned and flagged down a cab at the side of the road.

As I got in, I could still hear Lewis's broken sobs and the chorus of classmates comforting him.

Among them, Cerys's voice was the gentlest.

"Don't be scared. After the exam, I'll take you shopping for a new phone tonight."

I closed the door and told the driver, "Eastbrook High School. As fast as you can."

The driver knew it was exam day, so he floored the accelerator, ran several red lights, and refused to take my fare when we arrived.

I sprinted onto campus and spotted Mrs. Williamson standing outside the academic building, frantically talking on the phone.

She was so anxious that she was practically stamping her feet.

"What do you mean both buses went to Westhaven? Who told you to go to Westhaven? Our entire class is testing at Eastbrook High School! Turn around and come back immediately!"

There was no time to greet her.

Holding my breath, I raced toward the exam room and slipped through the doors with less than a minute to spare.

Click.

The doors shut behind me.