Shirley froze when she realized all eyes were on her.

Before she could gather her thoughts, Mr. Lane's voice filled the room.

"For the exchange student spot, we'll move to the next highest score."

The next highest?

Karan's head shot up. She stared at Shirley, shock and regret written on her face. Her mouth opened, but she couldn't get a word out.

If only she hadn't let jealousy push her over the edge... If she hadn't tried to expose Shirley for "cheating"... If she'd never reported anything to Apex in the first place..... Mr. Lane cared about her. Even if she'd messed up, he would have protected her spot.

But she'd wrecked it all herself.

"I now announce that Shirley will be our exchange student."

The words hit Shirley like a wave. For a second, her mind went blank. She never thought this spot would go to her. She'd only entered the competition to push her limits, never expecting to actually win.

A chance to study at Apex? That was better than any jackpot.

As soon as Mr. Lane made his announcement, applause broke out. It started with one person, then more joined in until the whole room was clapping. Shirley looked up, feeling out of place, then saw Charlotte and Andrew in the back row cheering for her.

Suddenly, her nerves faded just a little. It started to feel real.

"As for what happened today..." Mr. Lane's words brought everyone back to the present. He gripped the microphone and turned to Karan, his tired eyes resting on her. "Since this involved me, I'll handle it myself."

Karan was quietly crying now. The rest of the staff and students stayed silent. No one argued. Mr. Lane had always been soft-hearted.

You couldn't deny it-Karan really was talented. No one expected her to go this far.

"This concludes the competition. You're dismissed," Mr. Lane said, then told Karan, "Wait for me in my office."

Karan wiped her tears and hung her head, forcing herself to move even though every step felt heavy. The whispers from the audience washed over her harsh and unkind

She couldn't stand to listen, so she hurried away. But in her rush, she missed a step on the stairs and stumbled.

"Careful."

A pale hand caught her arm just in time, steadying her before she could fall.

Once Karan regained her balance,

she

ky lifted her head. When she

swollen eyes narrowe

red,

who had helped her bel ́s Washlief.

Shirley saw the look and quickly pulled her hand back. She had no intention of

making things worse and decided to leave quietly.

But as she turned, Karan's rough voice called out. "Shirley..."

Shirley stopped, glancing back with guarded eyes.

"If none of this had happened, I still would've won," Karan said, her lips in a bitter half-smile. "You

twisting y

got lucky this time Let's see f your lock lasts."

Shirley hesitated, unsure what to say. Before she could speak, Karan dropped her

gaze and walked right past her, looking defeated and hollow.

Shirley watched her go, lips pressed together, her brow furrowed tight. Without all

the drama, that spot probably would have belonged to Karan.

Such a waste.

Jealousy destroys everything.

***

In the crowd, someone called out softly, "Pandora..."