LOGINA week later, I went back to school.The moment I walked into the classroom, everyone suddenly went quiet.I instinctively looked down at my uniform. "Do I have something on me?"The class president stood up. "Alice, I'm sorry."Then a second student stood up, followed by a third. One by one, the people who had joined in attacking me on the school forum apologized.Some admitted they shouldn't have believed the rumors without any proof. Others apologized for making fun of my grades.Someone even handed me a freshly printed set of the vocabulary flashcards that had been torn up.I didn't say, "It's okay." But I didn't hold it against them either."Thanks." I took the cards and went back to studying.Hannah's seat was empty.Later, I heard that she was no longer eligible for the scholarship, had faced disciplinary action at school, and had been transferred to another class.No one kicked her out because she was poor. And no one erased what she'd done just because she was a top
On the fourth day of my hospital stay, Hannah showed up.She stood outside my room, her eyes swollen from crying. "Alice, I want to talk to you."Francis scoffed. "Talk about what? You came up with a better way to push someone?"I chased him out. As soon as the door closed, Hannah started crying."I admit it. I was jealous of you at first. Your grades were terrible, but you had everything handed to you. I had to work my butt off to stay at the top of the class, while you didn't even have to try because your family had everything lined up for you."I looked at her. "And? So you think I owe you?"She froze.I continued, "If you wanted the scholarship, you could earn it with your grades. If you thought the rules were unfair, you could take it up with the principal. What gave you the right to slander me just because you thought my life was easier than yours?"Her tears came faster. "But if you hadn't reported the ID card thing, the whole school wouldn't be calling me a thief, and I
The moment Hannah dropped to her knees, the auditorium fell silent again.She cried, "My family is really poor. I can only afford to go to this school because of my scholarship. I can't get suspended or expelled."I stared at her.Suddenly, I remembered what she'd said when she was bullied shortly after transferring here. "So what if you're rich?"Back then, everyone saw her as someone who wasn't afraid to stand up for herself.Now she kept bringing up how poor she was, as if struggling financially meant she should be forgiven for anything she did wrong.Before I could say anything, Dad spoke up. "Your family's financial situation is something the school considers when awarding scholarships. It is not an excuse for slandering and bullying my daughter."Hannah's face lost all color.Jamie shouted in panic. "Kevin, she's just a student!"Dad looked at him calmly. "And Alice isn't?"Jamie was struck dumb.The school board announced that all the incidents would be investigated a
When the rooftop footage hit the screen, Hannah's face drained of color.In the video, she reached out to me through her tears. When I got close, she suddenly grabbed my wrist, used her body to block everyone's view, and shoved me hard toward the edge.She hadn't expected me to dodge, so she lost her balance and went over the edge herself.Everyone started whispering."So she wasn't trying to apologize. She was trying to push Alice off the roof!""No wonder she screamed like that when she fell.""She never wanted to die. She was just trying to get sympathy by pretending to jump!"Tears welled up in Hannah's eyes. "No! I was terrified. I just lost my balance—""You don't shove someone like that when you lose your balance," I cut her off, staring at her. "Hannah, your legs seem to have a mind of their own when it suits you."A few people around us couldn't help laughing.Hannah bit her lip, then suddenly turned to Jamie. "Jamie, you believe me, right?"Jamie hesitated for a se
The next day, the school held an emergency investigation meeting.I still couldn't leave the hospital, so Caleb set up the TV in my room and connected me to the meeting remotely.The security footage from the old swimming pool started playing.In the video, I clearly told Jamie twice, "I can't swim." Yet, he blocked the door and wouldn't let me leave. In the end, he shoved me into the pool from behind.The camera captured everything. I struggled desperately after I fell into the water, while Jamie stood on the deck watching for a good ten seconds. It wasn't until I had completely disappeared beneath the water that he finally panicked.When the video ended, the meeting room fell completely silent.Tim shot to his feet. "Jamie was just messing around! He didn't know Alice couldn't swim."Evan let out a cold laugh. "She told him twice. Mr. Murphy, selective hearing is a medical condition. I suggest making an appointment with my brother."Daniel kept a straight face. "I don't treat
When I woke up, I was lying on a hospital bed.Daniel was sitting beside me. The second he saw my eyes open, he adjusted my oxygen tube. "Don't talk. You swallowed a lot of water."I blinked in confusion and, of course, my first question was, "How are things at school?""You're in the hospital, and you're still worried about school," Francis snapped as he stormed out. But Caleb handed me his phone. "Alice, you need to see this. The whole school is going crazy."On the screen was footage of what happened at school right after I passed out.Mr. Clark scanned the score sheet, his expression filled with confusion.Jamie lost his patience. "What place did she come in?"Mr. Clark cleared his throat and announced, "Alice Thompson came in 26,814th in the National Language Competition."Jamie was stunned. "What does that mean?"Mr. Matt Olsen, the teacher coordinating the competition, chimed in, "There were exactly 26,814 contestants."The room erupted in chatter."So Alice came in







