Chapter 340

The vice-chancellor’s sudden shift caught Olivia off guard. For a second, her heart skipped. What was going on? Why was he staring at her like that? Did Charlotte change her mind and decide to join The Cabinda University after all?
“Olivia
“I’m here.” Olivia lifted her chin, her confidence never wavering. She was second at Vanguard High, among the top students in the country. With her grades, every university was supposed to want her.
The vice-chancellor looked through her stack of awards and certificates, his face unreadable. A few heavy seconds went by before he finally spoke, his voice low and serious.
“I’ve recently learned that last month, you entered an international piano competition and were caught plagiarizing your score in front of everyone.”
The words hung in the air. Every teacher and student turned to stare at Olivia, eyes wide with shock.
Olivia froze. She never thought anyone would bring that up again. She’d worked so hard to bury it and now, suddenly, it was right back in the spotlight. She had no idea what to say, just stood there, completely lost.
Back when it happened, she thought Charlotte would use it to show off, maybe brag a little. But surprisingly, all the talk about “Echo” was pushed down, and every bit of news about Charlotte online disappeared. Hardly anyone knew Echo even went to Vanguard High, so the whole thing eventually faded away.
She’d gotten a warning from the school and figured that was the end of it. She never dreamed…
“Olivia, your academic record is impressive, but I’m sorry. You don’t meet the admission requirements for The Cabinda University.”
The vice-chancellor didn’t even hesitate. He crossed Olivia’s name off the list right in front of everyone. Someone willing to cheat at an international competition must have a problem with integrity.
“Sir Olivia’s face went pale. Her mind spun with panic. She was one of the top students in the country, and now The Cabinda University had rejected her.
The other universities that had been interested in Olivia quickly backed away after seeing the vice-chancellor’s decision. If The Cabinda University wouldn’t take her, what made them think they should?
“I’m sorry, but you’re not the kind of candidate we’re looking for either.” The representative from Horizon Institute of Engineering shook his head.
“Honestly, Olivia told us she’s only interested in finance, so Harmony Normal University isn’t the right place for her,” another added, trying to sound polite.
“We’re sorry.”
“Maybe consider some other schools.”
Apex Polytechnic University and Solace University of Medicine both turned her down too.
In just a few minutes, Olivia went
from being the most promising student in the room to being rejected by five of the top universities, the rest of the students just stared, completely floored by how fast everything had changed.
How could Charlotte be so exceptional, while Olivia…
Jim gave her a look of pity and disappointment. “Olivia, you should go now,” he said quietly.
Olivia’s lips trembled as she tried
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to explain, to find any way to fix this, but the reply was sharp and final. “Your early admission has been canceled by all these universities. You can try again with the regular entrance exams. For now, please leave so we can continue?”
With Charlotte and Shirley both out of the running and Olivia rejected, that meant three more spots had just opened up for everyone else. The energy in the room shifted.
“Sir Olivia tried one more time, her voice cracking, but when she saw the smirks and whispers from her classmates, she couldn’t take
Tears Streamed down her fanet
as
she ran out of the hall, feeling like.
the whole world was watching her fall.