Boris went pale. He was at my side in two steps, grabbing my arm.

"Stella, have you lost your mind?"

"Sit down—now. People are already calling you delusional. You want the whole room talking?"

"Get off me!"

I wrenched free of his hand.

The doubt inside me kept growing.

Nothing.

The inside of the desk was clean. Completely empty.

But she wouldn't lie to me.

I checked again, refusing to give up.

The mocking behind me grew louder.

Then.

My fingers grazed the inner wall of the desk and caught on an unnatural ridge.

I held my breath. A false compartment.

Something was inside.

If I'd missed that detail, if I hadn't found it—

My life would have been over.

My heart hammered so hard I could barely keep my hands from shaking.

I straightened slowly and raised my right hand.

"Teacher—reporting. There's something inside my desk."

My voice wasn't loud, but it landed like a stone dropped into still water.

The exam room went dead silent.

Every head turned toward me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Boris's face draining of color.

My fingertips were still trembling.

Not from fear.

Because all of it was real.

He had actually gambled with my future—staked my entire life on it.

If the exam had started and they'd found it afterward—

Not just a voided score. Ten years of work, burned to ash.

I'd have carried that stain for the rest of my life.

And all of it, every last bit of it, was for Karen Summers.

"Everyone stay exactly where you are! Nobody move!"

It was too big. Within minutes, police flooded the hallway. Uniforms pushed through the door, and the whole building locked down around us. They moved everyone to a backup exam room.

Karen stared at me, her eyes burning with resentment and venom.

"Stella Fox! You bitch! Don't think this means you've won!"

I didn't make a scene. I didn't confront them openly.

They were in the dark. I was exposed. No point tipping my hand.

Finally, the message I'd been waiting for arrived.

"Miss Fox, we're en route. This is a priority matter—please keep your phone on and stay reachable."

But strangely, the woman in the mirror still hadn't appeared.

My heart climbed back into my throat.

Before I could think about it—

I felt the stares around me shift, fingers pointing, whispers sharpening.

"That's her, right? Never would've guessed. Top of her class, my ass."

"Tsk tsk. Shameless. Acting all pure and innocent this whole time."

"You never really know a person."

That was when Karen appeared, clinging to Boris's arm, head tilted, a sweet little smile on her face as she walked right up to me.

"Big Sis Stella, what a small world. I just never would've guessed you were this kind of person."

I had no interest in playing along. I started to walk past her.

Then she pulled out her phone and shoved the screen in my face.

Every image was from that night. Me backed into a corner, pinned there, unable to fight back—every humiliating second of it.

Blood roared straight to my skull.

My whole body shook with a rage I couldn't contain.

"Boris Gilbert!"

I stared straight at him, unblinking, shaking.

He was the only one who knew about that night.

Both my parents were officers. Years ago, someone with a grudge had come after them and hunted me down.

They found me and trapped me in an alley.

That night, Boris came crashing in. He was covered in blood, put himself between me and them, and dragged me out alive.

And then I understood.

Why the version of me in the mirror had been willing to help him cheat.

Why she'd compromised, step by step, until there was nothing left of her.

Because Boris had a free pass with me. He always had. One that could never be questioned.

I never once imagined that the person who saved me back then—

Would be the one to destroy me.

The video was everywhere.

Clipped at both ends, plastered with filthy captions, it had been hacked into something that painted me as a shameless slut.

"God, she has no shame."

"Total slut. Disgusting."

"Someone like her doesn't deserve to take the national college entrance exam. Kick her out before she corrupts the whole university."

Karen watched me with open satisfaction, her voice dripping with fake sympathy.

"Oh, Big Sis Stella, Boris and I both believe you, of course. But everyone's talking, and with conduct like yours… what school would even want you now?"

My eyes were bloodshot. I clenched my teeth and smiled coldly.

"Whether anyone wants me or not isn't for you to say. The authorities will judge that for themselves."

I pulled out my phone to call the police.

Boris snatched it away, frowning.

"Stella, what's done is done. Nothing you do now will change that. I told you I'd marry you, and I will. I don't hold any of this against you."

"Besides, Karen didn't do it on purpose. She never thought it would blow up this big. Don't hold it against her—and there's certainly no need to call the police. The way things stand, you can't go to college anymore. Just give it up."

"You've always had great grades. Wait for this to die down, take a gap year, retake the exam next time. I'll set the record straight for you then."

He reached for my shoulder as he spoke.

"Get off me!"

I shoved him away hard, the disgust I'd been holding back finally breaking loose.

"Don't touch me. You make me sick."

I'd dodged every open attack and every hidden blade they'd thrown at me. This was the one I never saw coming.

Boris's face went rigid.

"Stella, calm down. Stop making a scene. No school is going to take you looking like this."

"He's right, Big Sis Stella. Everyone's avoiding you already. Who would accept a student with conduct like yours?"

Karen looked me up and down with open contempt.

"Who says? We will!"

A booming voice exploded from behind me.

I spun around.

The National Justice Academy had arrived—and right behind them, an imposing contingent from the law enforcement and judicial authorities.

The lead official swept his gaze across the room and spoke.

"This exam site is flagged for a major violation. Scene is sealed—nobody leaves!"