Chapter 3

When I returned to my classroom, Sophie was standing beside my seat.

As soon as I pulled out my chair, she came over and placed a hand on my arm.

“Ava, are you still upset?” Her tone was full of concern. “Ethan was only worried you’d set your goal too high. If you don’t get selected, the disappointment will hurt. That’s why he got mad.”

She paused, then added, “But it’s fine. I talked to him. If you have questions now, you can go ask him.”

She made it sound as if she was generously giving me another chance to go back to Ethan.

Suddenly, I felt tired.

When she first transferred here, I had been hurt that Ethan protected her at every turn.

But now I finally understood.

The Harvard recommendation was supposed to be a fair competition. No one had the right to decide whether I deserved to try.

I looked at her hand on my arm and frowned.

“We’re not that close. Also, I don’t need Ethan anymore.”

Sophie froze, then smiled.

“Stop it, Ava. Everyone knows your level.”

“Besides Ethan, who else would be willing to tutor you? You’re not really counting on Noah Reed, are you?”

She leaned closer and lowered her voice.

“If you keep acting out, Ethan might really stop caring about you.”

“I’m not—”

Before I could finish, Sophie suddenly fell backward and landed on the floor.

She lifted her head, eyes red.

“Ava, I was only trying to help you. Why did you push me?”

The classroom went silent.

Ethan strode over, helped Sophie up, and immediately turned on me.

“Ava Bennett, that’s enough. Tell me, what part of you can compare to Sophie?”

I hated that Ethan always compared me with her.

I was me.

She was her.

We were two different people. Why did one of us always have to be better or worse?

I looked at Ethan and said calmly, “Right. I can’t compare to Sophie. Since you’re so protective of her, keep a good eye on her. Don’t let her get hurt by me again.”

Ethan’s brows pulled together.

“Ava, that’s not what I meant. You can throw your spoiled rich-girl temper at me, but Sophie is different.”

He said it as if I was supposed to accept his favoritism and be grateful that he was still willing to deal with me at all.

I was too tired to argue.

I nodded perfunctorily.

“Yes, yes. You’re right. I understand. Ethan, could you move? You’re blocking my light.”

I walked around them, sat down, and opened my workbook.

Ethan’s expression turned ugly.

Sophie gently tugged his sleeve.

“Ethan, my hand is bleeding.”

“I’ll take you to the nurse.”

After they left, I noticed my workbook had fallen to the floor.

I bent down to pick it up.

There was a large patch of dust on the cover, and a shoe print marked the corner. I wiped it several times with a wet tissue, but the stain would not fully come off.

Mia, my desk mate, leaned over and asked quietly, “Ava, did you push her?”

I shook my head.

“No.”

She frowned, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she swallowed it.

I did not rush out to explain.

I did not go to Ethan to demand justice.

I only placed the workbook on my desk and opened it to the page that had been stepped on. There was a clear shoe print on the paper, with a crease beside it from where Sophie had released it.

I stared at the page for a few seconds.

Then my heart suddenly became calm.

Ethan had already decided I pushed her.

No matter what I said now, he would probably think I was making excuses.

I threw the wet tissue into the trash and picked up my pen again.

Ethan and I were probably only ever going to be like this.