All Chapters of Mom Gave Away My Grad Spot: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

After the assembly, stories about my “deeds” spread like wildfire in Atherton University.“Throwing her weight around.”“Jealous of a poor student.”“Forcing her own mother to abuse her position.”Quinn became everyone’s inspirational little sweetheart, while I was painted as the vicious, spoiled heiress.Louis didn’t even bother pretending anymore.He stopped bringing me breakfast and stopped discussing research data with me. Instead, he devoted all his time and energy to celebrating Quinn securing the graduate-school slot.I came across the photo he posted on his social media. Quinn was holding a cake, while he gazed at her with doting affection.His caption read: [We’ve finally made it through the toughest of times. Congratulations to our small-town scholar.]I scrolled past without a change in expression, then blocked him.That afternoon, I was summoned to the dean’s office.When I pushed open the door, Mom was sitting behind her desk.I thought she might feel at least

Early the next morning, at a secluded meeting point on the outskirts of Atherton, I sat inside a black military SUV and signed my name on the confidentiality agreement.A staff member handed me a metal case."Ms. Collins, according to regulations, you must surrender all personal communication devices before entering the base."From this moment on, your security clearance requires strict non-disclosure. Your project records will be sealed, and your affiliation with the base will remain classified. "Until the project is declassified, your identity in the outside world will not be shown. Are you ready?"I nodded and took out my phone."Can I make one last call?"The staff member nodded.I dialed Mom's number.The phone rang for a long time before she finally answered. Her voice was cold."What is it now? You already gave Quinn the data. What else are you trying to pull?"I looked out at the barren landscape beyond the window, my voice calm."Mom, I'm not going to graduate sch

For the next two weeks, the storm gradually died down, and Atherton University seemed to return to normal.Meanwhile, Quinn took the data I'd left behind and, with Louis's help, pieced together a research paper.The moment the paper was published within the department, it caused a sensation.The sophistication of its data models and the sheer scope of its analytical logic were far beyond what anyone would expect from an undergraduate.Quinn was instantly put on a pedestal, hailed across the entire university as a "prodigy."Louis posted a photo of Quinn’s back as she stood in the lab. His caption read:[Talent always speaks for itself. Without the suppression and bullying from those who abuse their power, you've finally proven your talent to the world.]The comments were filled with praise for Quinn and people tearing me down.[Turns out Leah's SCI papers were only successful before because she was riding on Quinn's coattails!][Exactly. The moment Leah left, Quinn produced a

Three days later, at the Atherton International Convention Center, the final defense for the National Young Scientist Award was packed to capacity.Seated in the audience were not only top scholars from leading universities, but also senior officials from the state’s Department of Education.Mom sat in the front row, carrying herself with effortless poise as she smiled and accepted the compliments from those around her.Onstage, Quinn held a presentation clicker and spoke confidently as she walked everyone through the data on the giant screen.“...In conclusion, this data model not only solves the current energy-consumption problem, but also provides an entirely new theoretical foundation for future cutting-edge fields. That concludes my defense. Thank you.”Quinn gave a slight bow, and a wave of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.Yet the chief expert seated at the center of the judges’ panel didn’t clap. Professor Fowler adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and stared

Quinn and Louis stared at me, wide-eyed, as if they were seeing a ghost.Mom looked even more stunned.“Leah?!”As usual, she immediately put on her authoritative airs and pointed at me, scolding, “Have you lost your mind? Do you think you can sit there?!“Do you even know what kind of occasion this is? You show up dressed like that, pretending to be some big shot?“Get down here right now! Stop embarrassing me!”The conference room fell completely silent.With an impassive expression, I did not even bother to lift my eyes to them.Before I could say a word, the two security officers standing behind me shot them a cold glare.“Enough!”They stepped forward, one on each side, grabbed Mom by the shoulders, and forced her back into her chair.The university president was scared out of his wits. He pointed straight at Mom and screamed, “Sylvia Shaw! Are you completely blind?!“This is Ms. Collins, sent here by the nation’s highest security authority! She is a senior official at