Chapter 40 The Tape That Shattered Everything

Evelyn couldn’t ept the blow,

“There’s no mistake in the results,” the homeroom teacher said calmly. “Naomi did, in fact, fail the exam. As a result, we bhave /bto reassess whether she’s qualified to stay in ss One.”

Then the teacher nced at Naomi beside Evelyn and continued, “Also, we’ve found irregrities in Naomi’s two previous monthly exams. Upon reviewing the test papers, we discovered that the handwriting on Naomi’s and Eliza’s answer sheets had been swapped. Afterparing the handwriting carefully, it’s clear that the two switched papers, leading to reversed

scoresb. /b

She paused before finishing in a gentler tone. “The school bhas /bzero tolerance for proxy testing. We haven’t publicized this matter, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Isn’t bthat /bright, bNaomi/bb?/b”

Though the homeroom teacher’s voice was calm. her words cut blike /bice,

Naomi kept her head down, lips tightly pressed together. She didn’t dare look up.

She had never imagined this would be exposed in front of her parents–and by the teacher herself.

“Naomi, is what the teacher said true?” Evelyn’s voice softenedb, /bprotective. “Don’t worry, honey. I’m here for you. If anyone is ndering you, I’ll fight for you!”

Outside the office, Eliza hesitated at the door, not wanting to interrupt while delivering some graded papers.

Evelyn’s bias toward Naomi had been clear her whole life, Eliza had always known

bBut /bknowing it in your heart and watching it unfold in person were two different bthings/b.

“Teacher, here are the graded test papers from study period,” Eliza said, cing them neatly on the subject teacher’s desk.

The math teacher wanted to say something to Eliza, but Evelyn spotted her immediately and snapped, “It’s you! You’re her sister–how could you fail to protect her?!”

She lunged forward and grabbed Eliza’s arm.

“bMa’am/b!” the homeroom teacher bstood /bup, her face going pale.

This wasn’t the first time Evelyn had raised her hand to Eliza–in front of staff, no less.

Eliza was still a minor, yes, but nearly an adult. Evelyn’s behavior showed no regard for dignity or boundaries.

“I always bknew /bbthere /bbwas /bsomething wrong with you,” Evelyn seethed. “It’s bad enough you transferred to ss Six and fell in with those delinquents–but now you’ve dragged your sister down with you! Was it your idea to switch the papers, huh?! What kind of twisted sister are you, Eliza?! You’re going to ruin Naomi’s future!”

Her nails dug into Eliza’s arm, pinching hard.

“Mom! Don’t me Eliza! This wasn’t her fault, it was mine…” Naomi said softly, lowering her head in pretend guilt.

But instead of calming down, Evelyn became even more furious.

“You see?! Your sister still defends you despite everything! She always forgives you, band /bbthis /bbis /bhow you repay her?”

Eliza stared at Naomi, watching bas /bshe bonce /bagain tried to dump all the me onto her.

This time, she didn’t stay silent.

“How is it my fault Naomi turned bout /bthis way? She was the one who begged me to bswap /btests. She threatened to cry if 1 didn’t. What else could I do!”

The entire room went silent.

Even Evelyn’s expression changed.

b1/2 /b

But now, on the brink of senior year, she had suddenly failed.

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Chapter 40 The Tape That Shattered Everything

Evelyn couldn’t ept the blow.

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“There’s no mistake in the results,” the homeroom teacher said calmly. “Naomi did, in fact, fail the exam. As a result, we have. to reassess whether she’s qualified to stay in ss One.”

Then the teacher nced at Naomi beside Evelyn and continued, “Also, we’ve found irregrities in Naomi’s two previous monthly exams. Upon reviewing the test papers, we discovered that the handwriting on Naomi’s and Eliza’s answer sheets: had been swapped. Afterparing the handwriting carefully, it’s clear that the two switched papers, leading to reversed

scores

She paused before finishing in a gentler tone. “The school has zero tolerance for proxy testing. We bhaven’t /bpublicized this matter, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Isn’t that right. Naomi?”

Though the homeroom teacher’s voice was calm, her words cut like ice.

Naomi kept her head down, lips tightly pressed together. She didn’t dare look up.

She bhad /bnever imagined this would be exposed in front of her parents–and by the teacher herself.

“Naomib, /bbis /bwhat the teacher said true!” Evelyn’s voice softened, protective. “Don’t worry, honey. I’m here for you. If anyone is ndering you. I’ll fight for you!”

Outside the office, Eliza hesitated at the door, not wanting to interrupt while delivering some graded papers.

Evelyn’s bias toward Naomi had been clear her whole life. Eliza had balways /bknown.

But knowing it in byour /bheart and watching it unfold in person were two different things

“Teacher, here are the graded test papers from study period,” Eliza said, cing them neatly on the subject teacher’s desk.

The math teacher wanted to say something to Eliza, but Evelyn spotted her immediately and snapped, “It’s you! You’re her sister–how could you fail to protect her?!”

She lunged forward and grabbed Eliza’s arm.

“bMa’am/b!” the homeroom teacher stood up, her face going pale.

bThis /bwasn’t the first time Evelyn had raised her hand to Eliza–in front of staff, no less.

bEliza /bwas still a minor, yes, but nearly an adult. Evelyn’s bbehavior /bshowed no regard for dignity or boundaries.

“I always knew there was something wrong with you,” Evelyn seethed. “It’s bad enough you transferred to ss Six and fell in with those delinquents–but now you’ve dragged your sister down with you! Was it your idea to switch the papers, huh?! What bkind /bof twisted sister are you, Eliza?! You’re going to ruin Naomi’s future!”

Her nails dug into Eliza’s arm, pinching bhard/b.

“bMom/b! Don’t me Eliza! This wasn’t her fault, it was mine…” Naomi said softly, lowering her head in pretend guilt.

But instead of calming bdown/b, Evelyn became even more furious.

b“/bbYou /bsee?! bYour /bsister still defends byou /bdespite everything! She always bforgives /byou, and this is how byou /brepay bher/b?”

Eliza stared bat /bbNaomi/b, watching as she bonce /bbagain /btried to dump all the bme /bonto her.

This time, she didn’t bstay /bsilent.

“How is it my fault Naomi turned bout /bthis way? She was the one who bbegged /bbme /bto swap tests. She threatened to cry if

didn’t. What else could I do?”

The entire room went silent.

Even bEvelyn’s /bexpression changed.

ΠΙ

Chapter 40 The Tape That Shattered Everything.

Naomi’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Eliza had… sold her out?!

“Eliza! You–T

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“And besides.” Eliza cut her off coldly, “we’re not family anymore. You wanted to sever ties, remember? So if anyone should

be questioned, it should be your daughter. bAnd /bMs. Evelyn–bwhat /bright do you have toy a hand on me!”

She turned to Evelyn, voice icy. “If you don’t believe meb, /bask Naomi. bAsk /bher if what I said is true.”

That Ms. Evelyn bnded /blike a p.

Once upon a time, even when mistreated, Eliza still respectfully called her “Mom.”

But now

She’d called her Ms. Evelyn.

Evelyn’s face twisted.

“Mom, it’s my fault… My grades were slipping, and Eliza bonly /bhelped because she felt bad for me. It’s not her fault…”

Naomi’s voice was pitiful–but her words wereced with suggestion, implying that Eliza had encouraged the cheating out of pity

Eliza said nothing.

Instead, she pulled out her phone–and pressed y.

A bvoice /brecording yed out in the quiet office:

“But it’s a city–levelpetition. There’s no way to cheat.”

Then then how about this–on the day of the mathpetition, you take the test in my ce, okay?”

“I know you’ve always wanted to enter a city–levelpetition. Math is your strength. Even if you can’t take it officially, you can still go under my name. That way, everyone wins, right?”

Tisen another clip yed.

“Why didn’t byou /bhelp the with the monthly exam like byou /bbsaid/b?”

“Naomi, I was breally /bsick… I had to take time off. Ipletely forgot the exam was that day.”

“bBut /bbyour /bscores dropped way btoo /bmuch. You really need to study. Didn’t you promise you’d bwork /bhard bthis /btime?”

With every sentence, Naomi’s face drained of color.

The evidence was irrefutable.

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