Chapter 1

The day of the exam, just before we entered the testing center, Samuel Ashley accidentally dropped his pencil in the middle of the road.

A passerby hurried past and stepped right on it. The barrel cracked open, making it unusable.

Sweat beaded across Samuel's forehead. There were only a few minutes left before the doors closed, and there wasn't enough time to buy another one.

Without a second thought, I shoved the brand-new pencil that Jayla West had just handed me into his palm and took the ruined one from him.

"I brought an extra. Go ahead and use this."

Samuel let out a long breath of relief. "Thanks. Dinner's on me after the exam."

Then he turned and hurried into the testing center without another glance.

The truth was, I didn't have a spare.

I had no choice but to pull out the bent lead, pinch the fragile stick between my fingers, and carefully mark every answer.

By the end of the exam, my palms were smeared black with graphite. Sweat had soaked my hands, but somehow I managed to finish every answer on the sheet.

After the exam, I waited outside the school gates from dusk until the streetlights came on, but Samuel never showed up.

I only learned later, from overhearing classmates, that the moment he walked out of the testing center, he'd gone straight to the diner with Jayla to celebrate. He'd completely forgotten he'd promised to have dinner with me.

Watching him defend her now so matter-of-factly, it was obvious he'd also forgotten that we'd swapped pencils before the exam.

Something suddenly came back to me.

Earlier that semester, Jayla had collected class funds to buy everyone's exam supplies. She claimed she was placing a bulk order for the class, yet the expense for the pencils had always been suspiciously vague. She kept saying she'd gotten them through a friend, but no matter who asked, she could never produce a receipt or proof of purchase.

I'd thought something felt off back then, but I just hadn't wanted to embarrass her in front of everyone.

However, I knew better than anyone that the defective pencil had never been in my possession. I'd put it into Samuel's hand myself before we entered the testing center.

When I didn't respond, Samuel's face darkened. His voice grew sharper with impatience. "What more do you want? It was just one exam. Do you really have to keep sulking?"

I couldn't help laughing at how shamelessly he'd twisted the truth.

"Just one exam? College applications are due. This was my last shot. If Jayla hadn't cut corners and bought defective pencils, none of this would've happened."

"Can you stop being so aggressive?" Samuel frowned. "Jayla worked so hard, running around for the whole class. She didn't do it on purpose. You were just unlucky enough to get the bad pencil. Just chalk it up to bad luck."

The classmates around us immediately began murmuring in agreement.

"The class president didn't mean for this to happen."

"Exactly. She worked so hard for everyone. Nobody wanted this. There's no point making such a big deal out of it."

I looked Samuel straight in the eye. "If this had happened to you, would you still be so quick to let it go?"

He let out a contemptuous laugh. "What else would I do? Keep going after an innocent person like you are?"

I let out a silent, bitter laugh.

'Fine. We'll see if you still feel that way once you find out that you turned in a blank exam paper.'

The argument grew louder and louder until Mr. Daniel Sanford finally noticed the commotion and hurried over.

"What's going on? This is supposed to be a celebration. Why are you all arguing?"

The moment she saw him, Jayla's eyes immediately filled with tears. She stepped forward, choking back a sob.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sanford. This is all my fault. One of the pencils I bought for the class was defective. The marks disappear after a few hours, and that's why Ellie Harris's answer sheets came back completely blank..."

She wiped away her tears, looking equal parts guilty and innocent.

Instead of getting angry, Mr. Sanford gently patted her shoulder. "This isn't your fault. You were only trying to help the class. Which store did you buy the pencils from? I'll contact them about compensation."

At his words, Jayla's expression tightened for a split second. She shook her head nervously before timidly pulling a few coins from her pocket.

"Please don't go after the store. The owner has a family to support. This was my mistake. I'll compensate Ellie myself."

The surrounding classmates immediately broke into praise.

"Jayla is way too kind."

"Seriously. Even now, she's still thinking about someone else. She's such a good person."

Holding the coins carefully in both hands, Jayla reached toward me.

Then, just as she was about to place them in my palm, she suddenly loosened her grip. The coins clattered onto the floor, scattering in every direction.