Chapter 39 The Fall of Naomi
After all, aside from the <bst </b>monthly exam, Eliza’s performance had always been inconsistent.
“Teacher. what about Naomi?” Zayden suddenly asked, realizing her name was nowhere among the award recipients.
Not even once.
At the mention of Naomi, the homeroom teacher sighed<b>, </b>clearly frustrated. “She failed the exam.
Zayden froze.
“Naomi? Failed? That can’t be right. There must be <b>a </b>mistake.”
Naomi had always had good grades. Even if herst exam wasn’t great, failing outright seemed impossible.
“I haven’t received the original test paper yet, but I do have a photo of it.”
The teacher then pulled <b>up </b>a photo of the test and <b>handed </b>it to <b>Zayden</b><b>. </b>“See for yourself. Also, please tell Naomi toe to Jmy office. I need to speak with her.”
Zayden nced at the photo.
Most of the paper was <b>nk</b>. Therge problems in the back hadn’t even been touched.
Suddenly, a memory surfaced: Naomi’s practice book. It had beenpletely nk too.
She’d exined it by saying she <b>had </b>already finished a whole workbook and <b>was </b>using the new one just for review.
At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it.
But now if she’d really done that much work, why had he never once seen her solve a single problem?
Eliza, on the other hand.
Zayden fell into deep thought
He left the office silently, but not before casting a long nce at Eliza.
From the dark, conflicted look in his eyes, Eliza could tell: Zaydeh was <b>starting </b>to suspect Naomi.
But to her, that didn’t matter anymore.
<b>She </b>turned and walked away.
Naomi, it’s your <b>turn </b><b>to </b>exin all those tests I took for you.
<b>ss </b>1.
Zayden stood at <b>the </b>door.
<b>Naomi </b>lit up when she saw <b>him </b>and rushed over <b>to </b><b>ask </b>why he’d gone to the office, but Zayden spoke <b>first</b>.
“The mathpetition results are <b>out</b>. <b>Want </b>to know your <b>score</b>?”
Her smile froze.
“Sixty–three,” he said tly. “I didn’t expect this from you.”
Naomi paled. “<b>Zayden</b>, I…”
“You <b>didn’t </b><b>take </b>thest few monthly exams yourself, did you?”
Zayden’s eyes were <b>cold</b>, his voice even colder.
It was impossible for anyone’s performance to drop this drastically in just one month.
It didn’t add up.
And he remembered how, on the way to the mathpetition, Naomi had boasted she was sure she’d win <b>an </b>award.
She’d been so confident.
Yet she failed
Even a teacher would get suspicious, let alone him.
“I.. I just didn’t go to the prep ss, so I wasn’t familiar with the test format…”
“And thest monthly exam<b>?</b>”
Zayden pressed on. “You barely passed, and that test was <b>way </b>easier than the ones before. How did you even manage that?”
Naomi’s expression grew more panicked by the second.
Or… were you letting Eliza take your exams this whole time?”
Zayden didn’t want to believe it.
He couldn’t imagine that sweet, kind Naomi would ever use her sister like that.
“Zayden, it’s not what you think! Let me exin-!”
“I don’t want to hear it. <b>Save </b>your exnation for the teacher.”
Naomi felt her legs weaken.
Zayden didn’t say another <b>word</b>. He just turned and walked back to his seat.
The rest of the ss didn’t know what had happened–until a student appeared at the door.
“Naomi, the homeroom teacher wants to see you in the office.”
Naomi stood frozen in ce.
Zayden didn’t speak up for her. He simply kept his head down, quietly working on his assignments.
With no other choice, Naomi dragged herself to the office.
By the end of the day, the whole school had heard: Naomi <b>hadn’t </b>ced in the mathpetition.
Even worse—she had failed the test.
And by ss I’s strict merit–based policy, Naomi’s <b>score </b><b>would </b>need to be <b>reassessed</b>.
If she <b>couldn’t </b>meet the standard, she’d be kicked out of ss 1.
“My daughter? Failing? <b>That’s </b>impossible!”
Evelyn hade storming into the office after receiving the teacher’s call.
No matter how the homeroom teacher tried to exin it, Evelyn refused to believe that Naomi had failed the city–level mathpetition.
After all, Naomi had always been raised with strict tutoring and private lessons. Her grades had always been solid.
Never in her life had she failed anything.