Chapter 3The Outcast Is Actually The Boss

The silence that followed was absolute. You could have heard a pin drop on the marble floor.

Serena managed a tight, brittle laugh. "You... you certainly have a sense of humor."

Parker just laughed openly. "A 1590? Do you even know what you're saying? You’re delusional. What, did you dream that while you were milking cows?"

Victoria chose that moment to come downstairs, draped in a cashmere shawl. "I told you she’s been corrupted by that life. Lying through her teeth the moment she opens her mouth. It’s embarrassing. Why can’t you learn from your sister? This is how a lady behaves."

I looked at Victoria. The disdain in her eyes was no longer hidden. I smiled inwardly. It was only my second day back, and they were already done pretending. Now that the medical records were swapped, they figured I was no longer a threat.

I walked past Victoria, heading back upstairs.

"To be a lady of the house, you actually have to be a daughter of the house, don't you?" I said over my shoulder. "I’ve never heard of an orphan from a dumpster being called a 'lady.' As for my scores... the official results come out in a week. We’ll see who’s lying then, won't we?"

For the next week, Parker was a permanent fixture at the Montgomery house. He and Serena took every opportunity to needle me, and Victoria was always there to back them up.

But they didn't realize who they were dealing with. I wasn't just a brawler; I had a tongue like a razor. Every time they tried to corner me, they ended up leaving the room frustrated and red-faced. They were the perfect entertainment for a boring week.

On the day the results were released, the whole family was gathered. Even Harrison stayed home from the office.

When the clock struck the hour, Harrison reached for the laptop to check Serena’s scores, but Serena caught his hand.

"Dad, check June’s first," she said, her eyes gleaming with a malice she couldn't quite hide. "If she really got a 1590, we should celebrate her success, shouldn't we?"

I didn't argue. I pulled out my phone, logged into the portal, and typed in my ID. A second later, I turned the screen toward them.

Reading: 790. Math: 800. Total: 1590.

The living room went silent. They stared at the screen as if it were a bomb about to go off.

I pulled the phone back with a sigh of mock disappointment. "A 1590? I guess I’m getting rusty. I really thought I’d hit the 1600. Lucky guess on the estimate, I suppose."

I looked at them. "What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. I thought we were celebrating?"

Serena’s "fragile" act finally cracked. She let out a sharp, ugly shriek. "That’s impossible!" She lunged forward and snatched the phone from my hand. "You forged this! You’re a hillbilly from a town that probably doesn't even have electricity! How could you possibly get this score?"

Victoria rushed to her side, pulling her into a protective embrace. "It’s okay, Serena. It’s fake. It has to be fake. Don't get upset." She looked at me, her face contorted with rage. "I did my research. That village you’re from? It’s a dead end. They don't even have a proper high school. You’ve never stepped foot in a real classroom. You’re a fraud."

Harrison finally found his voice. "June, it’s alright. We don't expect you to be a genius, but we won't tolerate liars in this house. You’re our flesh and blood; we wouldn't have looked down on you for being uneducated. Why did you feel the need to invent this?"

"Look at how much you’ve upset your sister," Harrison continued. "Apologize to her, right now."

Before he could finish, his phone rang. He glanced at the ID and froze.

"It’s... it’s the Dean of Admissions from Harvard?"

At the same moment, Victoria’s phone buzzed.

"Stanford?" she whispered, staring at the screen. "They’re asking for... The Boss?"