Chapter 2

From three years ago until now, I'd saved every single penny. Combined with the money from my part-time jobs—tutoring, handing out flyers—plus scholarships, grants, and competition prize money, all in all, I'd saved up a pretty decent amount.

It was no surprise the Harpers didn't know about my savings. They never cared. The school treated me as an orphan, and since I got good grades, they made sure I got all the financial aid available.

Even though Charlotte was in the same grade, we went to different schools. It was no wonder she had no idea about my academic performance.

That money wasn't enough to study abroad, but it was plenty to get out of here and start over.

I hadn't left yet mostly because I hardly ever came home anyway. I barely saw them.

I lived on campus and stayed at school whenever I could, even on weekends. I only came back when they called and I couldn't get out of it.

Take today for example, Candice called, so here I was.

I thought it was something important, but it turned out she just wanted to show off that Charlotte made it into the top fifty at her school.

What she didn't know was, I was recently contacted by a top 5 university abroad. They knew my situation and were offering me a full scholarship—tuition and housing fees waived. I only needed to cover living expenses.

Only my homeroom teacher and the school administrators knew about this. They understood I was essentially an orphan with no one to consult, so they'd left the decision entirely to me.

My homeroom teacher thought I should go. The principal thought I should go.

After thinking it over, I decided to accept the offer.

But the principal hoped I'd still take the SAT this year. They're counting on me to snag the top score. Putting that on the school's promotional materials would be the ultimate advertising.

If I pulled it off, I'd score a fat cash prize, plus job offers and sponsorships from big-name companies. I could really use that money.

Honestly, the school had always had my back, so I didn't even think twice before saying yes.

Since I'd already been accepted early, it didn't matter whether I studied or not. Most of the time, I was just going through the motions in class.

Whenever the teacher hit a wall with a tough problem, they'd let me take over and explain it. My classmates always joked that my life was like I had some kind of cheat code.

I honestly felt like I had a cheat code myself. If only I didn't have such a crappy family situation, life would be perfect.

If I'd known my real parents were this awful, I never would've come back. I was hell-bent on showing everyone I could thrive without them.

Recently, I picked up a tutoring job, all thanks to the principal.

He knew I was broke and always looked out for me.

This time, he patted my shoulder and said seriously, "Jane, don't miss out on this one. That family's got money to burn. If you help their kid's grades go up, they'll be quite generous with you."

He gestured with his hands, emphasizing his point.

I thanked him, left school, and followed the map he gave me straight into a fancy gated community.

But right at the entrance, I saw Ethan standing not far away, glaring at me coldly, as if I were doing something illegal.

Sometimes their attitude still stung, but honestly, I'd long since stopped letting their opinions get to me.

The security guard didn't recognize me and wouldn't let me in. I made a call, spoke a few words, then handed the phone to the guard. After hearing the person on the other end, he let me pass.

I found the address, went up, and knocked on the door.

A really good-looking guy answered. He was tall, over six feet. I had to look up to see his face clearly.

"Hi, I'm the tutor," I said.

"Come on in," he replied.

He was the one I'd be tutoring. His name was Ryan Stone.

I took out the practice tests I'd prepared, wanting to assess his level first. But Ryan had already pulled out his phone and opened his game.

I was lost for words.

I sat there for ten minutes, waiting for him to finish his match, before I finally held the test out to him again.

Ryan impatiently pushed my hand away. "You can just sit here all afternoon and get paid. Easy money, right? Why bother me?"

He had a point. But that money wouldn't feel right. Besides, I was counting on that huge bonus the principal mentioned.

So, I didn't give up. I saw him start another game, split-pushing and taking towers left and right, ending the match in just a few minutes.

I pulled out my own phone and held it out to him. "Add me. Let's play together."

Ryan glanced at me, snorted, but added me.

"If you can carry me, I'll leave you alone today. If you can't, you sit down and do this test properly," I said.

Ryan looked like he'd swallowed a fly. He smirked coldly and agreed.

He figured even the worst player could just coast.

But when he saw my Bronze III rank, he went silent.