Chapter 4: The Fall Before the Reveal

The exam day arrived soon enough.

Right before we entered the exam hall, Holly kept reminding me, saying, "Dakota, guess the ones you don't know, but you have to make sure the ones you do know are 100 percent correct!"

I nodded, and only then did she walk in with a satisfied tilt of her chin.

When the written test ended, my paper was filled from top to bottom.

As soon as I walked out of the hall, Holly and her little clique were already waiting for me.

She looked at me like I was a joke. "This exam was ridiculously easy. I could've gotten full marks with my eyes closed! Dakota, you might've worked hard, but you're still going down this time."

I quirked a brow. "We'll see. It's not decided yet."

Holly was still operating on the notion that I was still completely in the dark about her schemes. So, she covered her mouth and giggled. "Dakota, there's nothing wrong with admitting I'm better than you.

"It doesn't matter what you think because you'll have to accept that fact when the results come out!"

Her followers didn't hesitate to jeer at me, too.

"Dakota, Holly was born for this. Someone like you, who can only grind your way through exams, could never compare!"

"You're just a hardworking bookworm at best. At worst, you're Icarus."

"Do you really think you can compete with Holly for a spot at the Criminal Investigation Department? Dream on!"

I ignored their mockery and quietly turned to leave.

All they got was the view of my trembling shoulders; they thought I had broken down in tears.

In truth, I was trying my best not to cackle at their expense. The smugger Holly was now, the harder she would fall when the results came out.

…

On the day the results were released, Holly organized a gathering, loudly inviting the entire class and our mentor to witness her "moment of glory." Of course, I wasn't about to miss out on the action. After all, the show wouldn't be nearly as entertaining without me there.

Holly started taking veiled jabs at me almost immediately after I took a seat. Joy.

"Dakota, you've always worked so hard. If you pass, that'd be wonderful…" She paused deliberately before continuing with a meaningful tone, "But if you don't… wouldn't that be humiliating?"

Her followers burst into peals of laughter immediately, not caring in the slightest that our mentor was present.

"Dakota, this isn't like your usual school quizzes. You can't cut corners here. No tricks will help you on a forensic certification exam!"

"And this time, Holly isn't holding back. She's going to crush you!"

"I can't wait to see you lose it! Hahaha!"

They took turns mocking me as if this were primo entertainment.

I remained unfazed. "Ever heard the saying, 'Pride comes before a fall?'"

Alas, they didn't take me seriously at all, assuming I was just putting on a brave front.

Holly even put on a show of comforting me. "Dakota, don't be too upset. Hard work means nothing in the face of real talent. Try not to take it too hard. Sometimes, people just have to accept their fate, don't you think?"

I simply smiled as I didn't want to waste my breath arguing with someone like her. If anything, I was far more interested in seeing who would truly break down once the results were revealed.

Ten seconds before we were supposed to check the results, Holly insisted I go first. She was barely able to hide her excitement as she blurted, "Dakota, you go ahead. Let everyone see how the top student in our class performed this time!"

Yet, she entered my exam number right in front of everyone without even waiting for my consent. Oh, the absolute gall.

Still, my irritation was soothed the very next second when she froze and let out a sharp cry of dismay.