Chapter 4

I slowly looked up, pretending to be utterly confused.

"Principal White, are you asking the wrong person? I'm currently a 'suspected plagiarist.' If I hand over my data, what if I get accused of stealing it again?"

He paused, his voice turning stiff. "This is about solving a real-school crisis. Don't let your emotions get the best of you."

I spread my hands. "It's not that I don't want to help. The Dean's office confiscated all my research journals and hard drives yesterday under the guise of 'investigation.' You should ask them."

His face froze, his eyes burning with anger. "Are you doing this on purpose?"

I looked at him calmly. "Principal White, I am currently suspended. According to school policy, I am barred from participating in any academic affairs. You should let Chloe handle this."

Principal White looked extremely embarrassed, but he forced himself to stay patient.

"How about this? You give her the data, and we'll let this whole thing slide. I will reinstate your award eligibility."

I looked up at him. "Principal White, you know those samples took me three months, traveling to five different spots across the Bay Area, to collect."

He was silent for a moment, then murmured, "I know. But Chloe has the Vance Group backing her. What do you have?"

I smiled. "Principal White, shouldn't you ask the winner of the Best Capstone Project? Her project was so brilliant, surely she collected her own data."

His face flushed a deep crimson, struggling to keep his temper in check.

"Elena, it was just some school drama. Are you really taking it this seriously?"

My smile remained, but it turned ice-cold.

"So revoking my award and taking away my fifty-thousand-dollar grant was just 'school drama'?"

"And labeling a project I wrote line-by-line as plagiarism was also just 'school drama'?"

Every word I said felt like a physical slap to his face.

His face turned from red to white, then to a dark purple.

He stood there in silence. I knew he was fighting with his own pride—after all, apologizing to a student didn't fit his prestigious principal persona.

Just then, Chloe ran over, looking ecstatic.

"Principal White! My dad just agreed to increase his donation to the school's endowment!"

A victorious grin instantly broke across Principal White's face. "That is outstanding! Chloe, you are truly a blessing to this school. With the Vance Group backing us, who cares about those review board skeptics?"

He turned to me, glaring with absolute malice.

"Elena, you are officially expelled. Go to the administration building and sign your withdrawal papers right now!"

I nodded calmly. "Fine. But I expect the school to pay out my contract compensation according to the enrollment agreement."

He lost his mind and yelled, "Compensation? You have caused immense damage to this school's reputation! Just wait until our lawyers sue you!"

Chloe sneered, "Elena, I will make sure you are blacklisted from every school in California!"

I smiled faintly. "I'll be waiting."

I quietly packed my backpack and walked out of the school I had dedicated a year of my life to.

I had poured all my time and energy into this place. I didn't rely on my family background; I used my own brain to put this school on the academic map.

And in return, I was expelled. My heart felt like it had been sliced by an icicle—cold and bleeding.

A few classmates came out to see me off, offering quiet words of comfort.

Lily said with tears in her eyes, "Elena, you're so smart. You'll do amazing wherever you go. Don't listen to Chloe. You're going to get into a much better school."

I smiled and said nothing. Chloe didn't have the power to stop me.

Once I stepped off school grounds, my phone rang. It was my mom.

"Elena, honey, I just landed. I'm scheduled to sign the endowment agreement at your school next week. How are things?"

I kept my voice flat. "Mom, I've been expelled."

Silence on the other end. "Why?"

"Chloe Miller says she's Dad's daughter—the sole heiress of the Vance Group. Principal White believed her."

The phone was silent for five long seconds.

Then, my mom’s voice came through, cold and deep as an abyss. "I see. I'll see you next week."

I hung up and let out a soft laugh.

Don't worry, everyone. The show is about to start.

When I showed up at the annual scholarship banquet, everyone from my former school was shocked.

Especially Principal White and Chloe, whose eyes practically shot daggers at me.