All Chapters of I Stopped Pretending To Be Dumb: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

Jace Griffin’s handsome face was right in front of me, and he leaned closer. His lips were slightly parted.His thoughts kept echoing in my ears.“If I tell her yes and take her out on dates to skip class every day, she will be completely ruined. If it weren’t for Winnie, I wouldn’t bother touching this loser’s hand! Just thinking about it makes me sick.”I tightened my grip on the bouquet of roses. The thorns dug into my fingers.So this ten-year-long childhood friendship was not even worth a single tear from Winnie Langford.Jace was still building up his courage. He was preparing to say that fake “I do.”I looked past his shoulder and saw a stray dog near a trash bin. It was digging through garbage for food. Its fur was dirty, but its tail was still wagging, and its eyes were clear. They were clearer than Jace’s.I turned my wrist. The red roses drew an arc in the air before hitting the trash bin with a loud “thud.”“Nice shot. A three-pointer.”Jace froze. His mouth hung

Chapter 2

When I got home, I gave the dog a bath and blow-dried its fur.It actually looked quite handsome once it was clean. Its golden fur shone. It looked very energetic.I named it “Champion.”My phone kept vibrating on the table. It was all messages from Jace.[Xena, don’t be mad. I spoke badly today.][I know you picked up that dog just to make me angry. Throw it away. It’s dirty.][Want to eat late-night food? I’m downstairs. I brought your favorite snack.]Then a series of bank transfer notifications came in.[Bank transfer received: $500][Bank transfer received: $1,000]The notes all said: My dear Xena, don’t be mad. Use it to buy something nice.I looked at the numbers and raised my eyebrows. I had never accepted his money before. I used to think that our connection couldn't be measured by money. I thought we had a pure childhood friendship.But it looked like I had really been naive.If he wanted to use money to distract me and make me lose focus, then I had no reason to

Chapter 3

The next morning, Champion went to school with me.At the school gate, luxury cars filled the area.Jace leaned against his flashy red Ferrari. He held a neatly packed breakfast in his hand.He saw me, and his eyes lit up. He walked over quickly.“Xena, why didn’t you reply to my messages? Look, I brought you—”Before he finished speaking, Winnie got out of the passenger seat.She wore a school uniform that had faded from washing. Her white shoes were spotless, and her hair was tied in a high ponytail.Her eyes were red. She looked like she had just cried.“Jace, is Xena still mad at me?”She looked at me timidly and held tightly onto Jace’s sleeve.“Yesterday was my fault. I shouldn’t have shown up when she was confessing… I really tried to stay out of sight. I didn’t expect Xena to still see me and get upset…”Jace immediately patted her hand. His eyes were filled with concern.“Don’t talk nonsense. It has nothing to do with you. She is just being unreasonable.”He turne

Chapter 4

The homeroom teacher, Neil Watson, was a very status-conscious man.During morning reading class, he walked into the classroom with a bright smile. He held two application forms in his hand.“Class, quiet down. Regarding the spots for this provincial exam, after discussion by the school leadership…”He looked at Winnie for a moment and gave her a kind, almost fatherly smile.“Winnie has excellent grades and works very hard. Everyone can see that. I vote for her.”The whole class broke into applause.Winnie stood up and bowed with a red face.“Thank you, Mr. Watson. Thank you, everyone. I won’t let you down.”Neil pressed his hand down to calm the class.“As for the second spot…”His eyes scanned the room and finally landed on Jace.“Jace is a bit mischievous, but he is smart and has a lot of potential, so I recommend—”“Mr. Watson!”A clear voice cut him off.I slowly raised my hand and stood up from the back row.“I want to apply too.”The classroom went completely sil

Chapter 5

Jace’s smug expression disappeared instantly.He stared at my phone, as if he had just seen a monster.I did not wait for a reply and hung up.I looked at Jace and watched his face pale. I smiled brightly.“Jace, cherish your last few days as a rich kid.”With that, I hummed a tune and walked away with light steps. I bumped into his shoulder without looking back and moved straight on.I left behind a dead silence, and Jace screaming in his head, “What’s wrong with her? Is she messing with me?!”I went straight to the principal’s office.I pushed the door open. My dad was drinking tea with a few school board members. He looked up and froze for a moment. Then, he smiled until his face was full of wrinkles.“Oh, my dear daughter. Did Jace upset you just now?”I threw my school bag into his arms.“No. I was just messing with a dog. Let’s talk about serious stuff. Dad, I want to transfer classes. I want to go into the first class of the third senior year.”This was the legendary

Chapter 6

Over the next few days, I went into full study mode.Other than eating, sleeping, and walking Champion, I always had a pen in my hand.Jace did not sit around either.When he heard that I had transferred to the elite class and that I had said I was going to take first place, he nearly laughed his head off.He immediately made a post on social media.[Some people will do anything just to get my attention. She even used her connections to get into the elite class, just so she could make a fool of herself. I can’t wait to see her get put in her place.]He attached a photo of Winnie studying in the library. She looked quiet and focused. The whole picture looked peaceful.Winnie left a comment.[Jace, don’t say that about Xena. Maybe she really wants to work hard. Even if... her foundation is a little weak.]Jace replied. [Work hard? She’s dreaming. Don’t worry about her, babe. Just focus on studying. That spot is definitely yours.]I looked at the two of them and felt nothing but

Chapter 7

The highlight of the gala was Jace’s father’s speech on stage.He stood there, glowing with pride, and announced two things.First, Griffin Corp would cover all of Winnie’s university expenses.Second, Jace and Winnie were officially engaged.The audience broke into thunderous applause. Congratulations filled the hall.Jace held Winnie’s hand and stood under the spotlight. He looked at her with deep affection.“Winnie is the purest and hardest-working girl I have ever met. She is not like some other people who were born with a silver spoon but refuse to work hard. Those people are fine with wasting their lives and becoming useless. I believe Winnie and I will have a brighter and better future together.”Winnie was moved to tears. She leaned into his arms.“Jace, thank you. I’ll prove I’m worthy of you through my results.”What a touching and inspirational love story.Had I not known the truth, I might have believed it too.Then suddenly, the big screen lit up.Instead of th

Chapter 8

After the gala incident, Jace and Winnie became a joke across the entire school.Winnie lost all her awards and selection qualifications. Her scholarship was also revoked. Jace was grounded at home by his father. Rumor had it that a golf club was broken over him.As for me, I became the center of attention at school. Some people said I was calculating. Some said I handled everything perfectly.I did not care.I only cared about the upcoming provincial exam.On exam day, I met Winnie at the entrance of the exam hall. She had lost a lot of weight. Her eye sockets were sunken. She looked at me with open hatred.“Xena, don’t get too happy. Even without the recommendation spot, I can still get into Harrington University by my own abilities. When that time comes, I’ll show you who the real winner is.”I looked at her and gave a faint smile.“Sure. I’ll be waiting. Just a friendly reminder. This math paper is very hard. Remember to bring tissues for your tears.”Winnie gave a cold sn

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