Chapter 4

"She'll cling to you like a stray dog."

"Let's go."

Those two lines kept pounding in my head, over and over.

So in his eyes, all these years of my companionship, my care, even my feelings, amounted to nothing more than being like a dog.

So easily, he could nod and follow someone else into indulgence, into trampling the future we were supposed to share.

And I, like an idiot, was still clutching these damn test papers, thinking about how to help him organize his wrong answers, how to salvage his grades.

Ridiculous. Liana, you're fucking ridiculous!

My cheeks felt cold and wet.

I wiped them with my hand and realized I'd been crying without even noticing.

But the tears only fell for a moment before drying up. Inside, the icy sea in my heart didn't stir at all.

All that was left was a cold, bitter hatred and a clarity I'd never felt before.

Clutching the test papers, I slowly made my way back to the classroom.

As I pushed open the back door, a few classmates gave me strange looks, probably guessing why my eyes were wet.

I didn't pay them any attention. I went straight to my seat and threw the test papers onto my desk with a bang.

The loud noise made the people nearby glance over.

I didn't care anymore. I sat down, spread out my physics exam, and picked up my pen.

The pen moved confidently across the paper, making a steady, determined sound.

That final problem, which had seemed impossibly difficult earlier, appeared startlingly clear. Every formula, every step lined up neatly in my mind. I scribbled furiously.

By the time I got home that night, it was almost eleven.

After a quick shower, I sat down at my desk and opened up my notebook of mistakes.

My phone screen lit up. It was Ethan. He sent me a message.

Ethan: [Liana, are you still up? Can you help me sort out the mistakes I made on the recent math mock exam? I'll swing by tomorrow morning to check. Pretty please.]

He added his usual dog sticker, acting all cute.

Back then, when I saw that sticker and got a message like this, it always gave me a little thrill inside.

Every time, I'd think to myself that he still needed me.

He was so lazy, and I was the only one who'd put up with it and fix everything for him.

But now, when I stared at his message, at that stupid sticker, I just felt disgusted. It was like seeing a fly land on a cake.

I picked up my phone, my fingertips cold and numb.

Not a hint of hesitation. Not a trace of anger. With total calm, I typed: [Get lost.]

Then I blocked him and erased him from my contacts. Did it all in one go.

The day the exam results dropped, I was at the market helping Mom run her small produce stall.

For a family like ours, just getting me through high school was already a huge struggle.

Mom worked from dawn to dusk, selling fruits and vegetables until her fingers turned white and shriveled from hours in the water.

When my homeroom teacher called, my hands were still wet.

"Liana! Liana! The results are out! The scores are out!" Mr. Hecox was practically shouting, his voice cracking with excitement. I could feel him grinning through the phone.

He continued, "You did it! You're Number one in the state! A total score of 738! Top Science Student! Liana, you're the best!"

My mind buzzed, ringing with shock.

All the market noise was suddenly shut out, like the world had gone silent.

Number one in the state? 738?

I knew I'd done well. In those last few months, I threw myself into studying like my life depended on it, grinding through practice problems and channeling every bit of frustration, anger, and bitterness into my work.

But being the top scorer in the state? That was something I never even dared to imagine.

"Is... is that for real, Mr. Hecox?" My voice trembled.

Mr. Hecox was rambling, barely able to contain himself. "Absolutely! The admissions office is getting flooded with calls! Maplewood University! Crestview University! They all want you! Liana, you've made our school and our city so proud! Are you at home? The school wants to..."

I replied, "I'm at the market, helping my mom sell at her stall."

There was a brief pause, then Mr. Hecox's voice got even more choked up. "You're such a good kid... Just hang tight, the school's sending someone to pick you up right now! Interviews! There's a lot to take care of!"

After I hung up, I still felt like I was dreaming.

Mom grabbed my arm, her voice urgent. "Liana, what did Mr. Hecox say? How did you do? What was your score?"

I looked into her hopeful, anxious eyes, my nose started to sting, and I tried my best to smile for her.

I said, "Mom, I scored 738. I'm... Number one in the state."

Mom just stood there, completely stunned.

Her mouth dropped open, her eyes growing wider and wider, and then thick, messy tears started streaming down her face.

"Number one... My daughter is number one..." She grabbed me in a tight hug, sobbing like a little kid, her words all jumbled together. "Oh my God... Our Liana... Our Liana's really going places now..."

Everyone at the market turned to stare.

"Dorothy, what happened? Did Liana ace the exam?" someone called out.

"How did she do? You look so happy, Dorothy!" another person chimed in.

Mom wiped her tears, laughing and crying all at once. "Top scorer! My daughter is the top scorer in the whole state!"