Carmen’s circle in class couldn’t stop gushing, talking over each other in awestruck tones. One of them said, “Carmen is simply the big deal at Rithol Art School. She quietly made it to the state-level finals. I heard the bar is set really high this year; even the top students at the prestigious high school next door all got eliminated.”
A classmate sneered, “Just wait till Carmen wins the award. Rithol Art School will realize what a huge mistake they made, taming her for Aubree’s screw-up. Serves them right.”
Another said, “If Carmen was the award, the whole school would be singing her praises!”
Someone else said, “School-wide praise? That’s thinking too small. Soon enough, Carmen’s story will probably make it on TV news.”
They felt that the Wilson family sure got lucky. All four sons were outstanding in their own right, while their only biological daughter brought shame to the family name. But at least their adopted daughter was making them proud.
Everyone got their own destiny. Some people were just born luckier than others, and there was no use being envious. Aubree was born into the Wilson family but never got to enjoy its privileges, while Carmen somehow ended up with all the good fortune.
Carmen covered her mouth with a giggle, “If you keep praising me like this, I might get so nervous my hands will shake during the competition, and it’ll be all your fault!”
Carmen’s playful scolding only made her classmates adore her even more.
“Carmen, you’re seriously amazing!” a classmate exclaimed. “You’re already top of the class, and even though the teacher said you could take the day off, you just can’t even relax for a moment; you still came in for half a day!”
Carmen maintained a humble facade, but her eyes gleamed with smug confidence. She’d spent weeks meticulously copying a painting Aubree had left at home. She thought, “I’m definitely winning at the finals. Maybe even the gold!”
Out of the corner of her eye, Carmen noticed Alvin glancing her way from the back seat. Her ears flushed pink. If I win the award, would he finally notice me more! she wondered.
Carmen thought smugly, "I know Alvin better than anyone. He only got into art because his late mother was an artist. If my painting skills are truly exceptional, he’s bound to notice me."
Carmen smoothed her hair and walked up to Alvin with a bright smile. “Alvin, my birthday’s coming up. Would you like to come to my party? If you’re free, we could also talk about painting.”
Graceful and poised, her radiant, confident smile could win over even a stranger, especially with the added prestige of being the Wilson family’s heiress.
Carmen was absolutely certain Alvin wouldn’t turn her down.
She thought, "My original plan was to let Alvin realize how great I am and come to me on his own… but…"
“That bitch Aubree, when did she hook up with Alvin? So what if she’s good at gaming? As long as I control the Wilson name she’ll never surpass me."
She’d deliberately come to school for just this short while before the competition, all so Alvin would notice her, and she could seize the chance to invite him to her birthday party.
“Get lost.” Alvin didn’t even bother to look up. His words shattered all of Carmen’s fantasies.
Carmen’s smile froze on her face, her eyes widening in disbelief. “How could Alvin humiliate me like this in public?” she thought, her cheeks burning.
Carmen’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. One of her classmates immediately jumped to her defense, exclaiming, “Alvin, how could you treat Carmen like that?”
Alvin said coldly, “You get lost, too!”
The classmate was about to say something more, but Carmen, worried that Alvin might think less of her, quickly pulled them back. Forcing a smile, she said, “It’s fine, I was being presumptuous. My competition is about to start, so I have to go now. Don’t forget, you’re all invited to my birthday party at my place later.”
She forced a brave smile, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, a sight that tugged at everyone’s heartstrings.
As she turned away, her eyes burned with resentment and jealousy. “There’s only one reason Alvin would treat me like this. It has to be because of Aubree!” she seethed inwardly.
She thought, "It doesn’t matter. Once I win the award, Alvin will come around."
Carmen was heading to the finals, and both Daxton and Alice, who were free at home, came to see her off.
“Don’t overthink it, Carmen, no matter what happens, you’ll always be the best in Mom’s eyes,” Alice said softly, giving her daughter’s hand an encouraging squeeze.
Daxton had already made discreet arrangements. “Just paint as you normally would, Carmen,” he said gently. “I will make sure you get whatever you want.”
“If Aubree were still here, with her skills she’d surely have made it to the finals,” Carmen remarked, her tone deceptively wistful.
Carmen’s words instantly froze the air.
Daxton gritted his teeth. He thought, I almost forgot about her; we still haven’t settled the score for her online attacks against Carmen.
Daxton snapped, “Why bring her up? If it weren’t for Aubree, you’d still be at Rithol Art School without a care, getting ready for your SAT and heading to your dream university!”
The more he thought of it, the more infuriated he became. “If it weren’t for that petty, backstabbing brat Aubree, who couldn’t stand to see Carmen succeed and deliberately smeared her, ruining her reputation at Rithol Art School and making her worry about being rejected from college, would she really need to win an award just to boost her credentials?”
Alice’s face darkened with displeasure. “Does she really think she’s hot stuff now? Just started some club and suddenly thinks she’s grown wings!”
She thought, “If I hadn’t been so busy preparing for Carmen’s birthday party, I would’ve taught that girl a lesson already! So what if she has the Turner Group backing her? The Wilson family isn’t some pushover either! Does she really think Bowen would take on the Wilson family for a nobody like her?”
After subtly reminding the Wilson family not to let Aubree off the hook, a glint of triumph flashed in Carmen’s eyes. With feigned innocence, she asked, "Did I say something wrong?"
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart,” Daxton said with an adoring smile. “The competition’s about to start; go on in now!”
After Carmen entered the competition, neither Daxton nor Alice left. Instead, they got back in the car and waited for her there.
Time ticked by slowly. Daxton reviewed the medical records again, his eyes growing weary. Finally, he looked up and gazed out the window.
Today, both the International Mathematics Competition and the Painting Competition were taking place here simultaneously. The math competition ended a bit earlier, so now test-takers were streaming out of the venue, gathering in the square, and waiting for the results.
To prevent any cheating attempts, all the finals were graded and the results announced right there on the spot.
Daxton’s gaze swept across the crowd. Suddenly, his eyes froze as he thought, "Aubree again?"
Daxton nudged his mother and asked, “Mom, is that Aubree? She’s actually here for the math competition?”
Alice followed his gaze, her eyes widening in disbelief. "That really is her? Since when was she capable of something like that?"
He sneered, “She probably just got a lucky break to make it to the finals.” Daxton knew Aubree used to have good grades, but after missing two years of school, he doubted she still had it. Some people really lack self-awareness, signing up for a competition like this. When the results come out and she ends up at the bottom, she won’t just embarrass herself; she’ll drag the family’s reputation through the mud."
Alice nodded in agreement, her voice dripping with disdain. “Thank goodness we adopted Carmen as my daughter. Having that disgrace around a day would probably shave years off my life.”
The two exchanged sneering remarks about Aubree, every word laced with contempt.
While the math competition results were being reviewed, the painting competition was also drawing to a close, with participants starting to file out one after another.
Alice said, “Daxton, hurry! Carmen’s coming out!”
She quickly opened the car door, and the two of them hurried toward Carmen. “Mommy’s precious, you must be exhausted after all that painting! Are you tired? There are drinks and fruit in the car; would you like to have some together!"
“Don’t worry, Carmen. You’ll definitely win; you’re the best,” Daxton said, ruffling her hair affectionately. In stark contrast to the biting sarcasm he’d shown Aubree just moments before, he now showered Carmen with praise without reservation.
He added, “Dad heard you were competing and went out of his way to invite some friends over and book a party hall. We’re all just waiting for you to win so we can celebrate together!”
Alice was beaming with excitement, but neither she nor Daxton noticed that Carmen’s face had gone ghostly pale, her lips drained of color, and she looked utterly absent-minded.
“Mom, Daxton… I can’t win the award,” Carmen choked out, her voice trembling on the verge of tears. Her face was a picture of utter devastation as the memory of what had just happened overwhelmed her. Suddenly, she turned to Daxton, her eyes boring into him with desperate intensity.
Daxton’s heart skipped a beat. “Carmen, what’s wrong? What happened?”