Chapter 4: Confessions and Consequences

I stood in the office, chin up, facing a jury of teachers.

“You’ve checked the tapes. You know I didn’t cheat.”

“Of course,” one said. “Ava, we’re just curious—how did you jump two hundred points on the SAT?”

I swallowed, pulse thudding. ‘Fifteen grand. That’s what keeping my scores down all year was worth.’

“Because… I was holding back on purpose.”

Our school had a scholarship—if you boosted your SAT by over two hundred points, you got $15,000. For me, that meant groceries, rent, and a shot at not drowning in debt.

“My family’s struggling. I wanted to help my mom.”

Their faces softened. After a moment, my homeroom teacher came over and squeezed my shoulder.

“Don’t worry. You’re the state’s top scorer in reading and writing—your scholarship will be even bigger.”

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. For once, the teachers looked at me with respect—not pity.