Chapter 33
The moment Everardâs gaze met his, Calvert, stiff as a board, handed him the phone âBoss, I just remembered, our shop hasnât restocked in two weeks. I check it out?
With that, he bolted out the door
Everard faltered his expression momentarily when he read the message, a flicker of surprise crossing his deep eyes. But he quickly regained his composure, tapping his fingers on the desk out of . His stern features softened. After a moment, he let out a low chuckle
Cordelia seemed so sweet and sensible, but it turned out
Not adding him on social media, she must be protesting against the curse about love or dieâ
Cordelia hadnât accepted Everardâs friend request but hadnât declined it either What if she angered him and ended up with a heartache?
She wasnât a puppet to be toyed with but had to find a way out of this.
That night, she went to bed early after her nightly routine.
The next day, all the students gathered on the first floor before boarding a coach to the test center
Upon arrival, Latham Cordelia over and whispered, âThis test is unofficial, and there are no limits on the knowledge points. As long as you get the answers right, itâs all .â
Cordeliaâs eyes lit up at his .
Her less than stellar performances in the Math Club were due to her inevitable use of college knowledge to solve problems. After , why take the long road when thereâs a shortcut?
The Galaxy Math Whiz Competition didnât mind that, which a relief!
Her eyes sparkling, she nodded in agreement.
Once Cordelia and the other students entered the test center, Zack, who had brought the students from Greenmeadow High School, sidled up to Latham, grinning. âLatham, I heard your student Cordelia stayed in the Presidential Suite last night!â
Latham blinked in surprise. âDid she?â
Zack coughed, unable to resist adding, âYuna said sheâs a goldâdigger. After entering the room, Cordelia started bossing her around and even upgraded her room before sending Yuna packing. These days, if kids have money, they only seek pleasure. Iâve never seen her in any competition before. How could she do well?â
Students usually started competition classes in high school and had at least one competition under their belts by their sophomore year.
For instance, Hanley got secondâplace provincial prize as a sophomore. Although he didnât advance to the National League, his teachers had high hopes for him this year.
Latham didnât know the full story but he defended his student without hesitation. âZack, we canât just listen to one side when it comes to this matter. I donât agree with your comment. Is being wealthy a sin now? If you donât seek pleasure, why donât you stay in a cheap motel?â
Zack was at a loss for words, pointing at Latham and scolding, âLook at you, always talking about money. Whereâs the dignity of being a teacher? Latham, we canât prioritize money over everythingâ¦â
Feeling the conversation was ridiculous, Latham walked away.
After all, Cordelia didnât stay with their schoolâs group, so why should he stand there and be lectured by Zack?
The G
Galaxy Math Whiz Competition, like the advanced math tests, was split into two parts.
The first round was an 80âminute test consisting of multipleâchoice and openâended questions. There were
13:13
quite a few questions to answer.
The second round lasted 150 minutes and featured only four challenging openâended questions,
After the first round, the students stretched their legs and chatted excitedly before heading into the second
exam.
The atmosphere of the second round was much more serious and quiet, with the only sound being the scribbling of peas on paper.
The four long questions were tough, and the competition questions were a bit advanced.
At the end of the test, the students were mostly downcast.
âThis yearâs questions were insanely hard, werenât they?â
âYeah, I had no clue about those last two big questions. Iâm not even sure about the first one.â
Amid such discussions, Cordelia approached Latham, who was asking Hanley, their star student, âHow did it go?â
Hanley pursed his lips, a slight frown on his face, âGot two of them right, but Iâm not sure about the third and fourth questions.â
Latham nodded, âThatâs not bad. I hear this year was particularly tough! And getting two right should secure you a top prize.â
After asking a few more students, Latham turned to Cordelia. âHow about you?â
Cordelia thought for a moment before answering, âI finished them all.â
Lathamâs face broke into a smile, âGood, everyone on the bus. Lunch is on me today.â
Once they were on the bus, Yuna snickered, âShe thinks filling the whole paper gets a perfect score? Thatâs
crazy.â
She pointed at Cordeliaâs back to the person next to her, âSee her? The one who stayed in the Presidential Suite for the exam, as if she needed the whole world to know sheâs rich. People like that canât do wellâ¦â
A few students from Greenmeadow High School nodded in agreement, their expressions scornful.
Zack snorted in disdain, âGreenmeadowâs competition team still relies on our school. Enough talk, letâs
s head
back!â
Latham had planned to let the group explore in the afternoon before heading back the next day.
But Cordelia had no interest in shopping. She told Latham she would return to the hotel, where Lornaâs car was already waiting, and she went straight home.
As August drew to a close and September approached, the students of Greenmeadow International School were about to start a new school year,
Nearly ten days had passed since the Galaxy Math Whiz Competition, and the results were about to be announced.
The schoolâs online forum abuzz.
âWaiting online for someoneâs scores!â
âYou canât cheat in the Galaxy Math Whiz Competition, so these will show the real deal.
âHave you heard the latest? Word is that Cordelia flashed her cash on exam day and managed to tick off Yuna
from Greenmeadow High School next door. Now, Yuna said money comes from your parents but grades are ail yours. Yuna is determined to slap back with her report card!
âThis is gonna be a good scene!
13 13
It was a Tuesday morning. 10 AM sharp, when the test scores were set to drop online.
Before heading to school, Lorna kept reassuring her, âItâs all good, kiddo, no matter what the scores are, donât sweat it, Lia!â
Cordelia just nodded, âUhâhuh.â
But as soon as they got in the car, Lorna pulled out a scribbled piece of paper with the exam registration number on it. She caught sight of Sanderson heading out and did a doubleâtake, âWhere are you off to?
Sanderson replied, âWork, of course!â
Lorna grabbed his arm, âWork? Hang on a second, letâs check the scores at ten, then can go.â
Hearing this, Sanderson turned back and changed his shoes, âAlright, Iâll wait with you. But letâs get one thing straight. You canât ace a marathon without training, and Lia hasnât had any proper coaching. So donât pin your hopes too high.â
Lorna let a sigh, âItâs such a shame, you know? Sheâs so bright. If only we hadnât lost her, if she grown up with ⦠just think how amazing sheâd be by now, sight