Why Only Ask Me!

The tremendous pressure almost made Phoebe unable to breathe.

Flustered, she said angrily, "Do my problem-solving ideas have anything to do with this competition? And why did you only ask me?!"

Claire raised her eyebrows and smiled contemptuously under the mask. "Yes, it does because this is an additional test. Besides, who said I would only ask you?"

Her gaze swept across the classroom, and she slowly said, "Everyone, tell me about your ideas behind solving the math problem."

With that, looking at Phoebe again, Claire tilted her head. "If you don't want to be the first one, we can do it by following the order of the examinees' numbers."

Phoebe froze as if being struck by lightning.

She had thought that with the stolen answer, she would definitely win the preliminary round.

She had never expected… something like this would happen!

It wouldn't be difficult for the students to tell their own problem-solving thinking.

Caught off guard by the extra test and facing the four examiners, however, they were a little nervous.

In the classroom, Phoebe clenched her hands, her palms were in cold sweat. Her whole body trembled uncontrollably, and she had the irrational urge to flee.

What should she do?

Her brain was blank.

The additional test went smoothly.

Soon, it was Phoebe's turn.

She stood up holding the corner of the table, her legs soft.

In the classroom, countless pairs of eyes were staring at her.

"I… my thinking is just like what's on the test paper… That's what I think…" She blabbered incoherently, trying to muddle through.

Garrett knocked on the table. "Young lady, please make it clear."

Phoebe racked her brains but was still unable to work out anything. She gritted her teeth and simply gave up.

"I don't have any problem-solving ideas!"

Garrett gave a light chuckle. "Very good, then tell me, where did you copy the answer from?"

"No!" Phoebe not only denied it outright, but also said righteously, "I didn't copy it. I wrote it myself!"

Under the mask, Claire raised the corner of her lips and gave a cold smile.

Garrett snapped. "Then how come you can't explain your problem-solving idea? Did you write it in a dream?"

Phoebe was speechless.

Everyone was stunned.

"Yes, if she worked out the answer herself, why can't she share her problem-solving ideas?"

"The invigilation is so strict. How did she copy the answer?"

"Thanks to the extra test, the plagiarist got caught!"

Phoebe's face grew paler and her body was teetering as she listened to other students' discussion.

She grew up under the doting and care of everyone around her, and had never been pointed at like this before.

Garrett said again, "Young lady, I'm sorry, you didn't pass the preliminary round."

These words pierced Phoebe's heart like needles.

She couldn't accept such a result!

Phoebe shook her head, weeping. "Teacher, I swear I didn't plagiarize. Can you give me another chance…"

Adam said solemnly. "Get out. Please don't waste other students' time!"

No! She couldn't just leave like this!

Several bodyguards suddenly rushed in and surrounded Phoebe, ready to throw her out if she still refused to leave.

Pale-faced with fright, Phoebe Smith was driven out under public glare.

Utterly discomfited, she wished she could find a crack in the ground to hide in.

When she walked to the door, she looked back resentfully, only to see the vice president Mansi was looking at her. Even through the sunglasses, she seemed to be able to feel a pair of deep, dark eyes staring at her, which sent a chill down her spine.

She left the examination venue, where the sun was shining brightly.

But Phoebe's nose was sour, tears gushed out of her eyes. She buried her face in her hands and wailed.

Before the competition, she had talked big that she would come back with the trophy.

Now with this result, how should she explain to her mother, and what would her classmates think of her?

Thinking of this, Phoebe felt suffocated and just wanted to die.

——

"They arranged an additional test temporarily. I was too nervous…" Phoebe fell into Ada's arms, crying heartbreakingly, and her tears were falling like broken beads. "Mom, you know I'm always timid, and they were so unkind… I was so scared…"