Chapter 4The Firebrand Scholar: Trading the Scaffold for the Summit

I went to Class 1 first to move my books and supplies to Class 11.

Brooke Sutton stood with her arms crossed, leaning against a desk at the back, looking at me smugly.

She was surrounded by a circle of admirers, the center of attention.

Before she could speak, someone next to her started attacking me.

"Well, well, look who it is! Isn't this our scholarship star? What happened?"

"I heard the scholarship star only scored three hundred points. Kicked out to the loser class!"

"A failure like this dares to challenge Brooke? She should look in the mirror and see her low-life poverty!"

I looked at each of the speakers.

One beautiful girl sitting next to Brooke lifted her chin arrogantly. "What are you looking at? Look again, and I'll gouge your eyes out, peasant."

She meant it. She was totally capable of it.

This was Cassidy Stone, the sister of Brooke's fiancé.

Thanks to Brooke’s instigation, she had bullied the original Skylar relentlessly at school.

She was arrogant and cruel.

When the original Skylar told the Suttons, they always told her to look inward, never bothering Cassidy.

That was because Cassidy’s father was a big deal.

The Suttons depended on the Stones.

Since Brooke was favored by the Stones, she was naturally the Suttons' darling.

In contrast, the original Skylar, the biological daughter, was disposable trash.

I knew Cassidy's biggest obsession was her grades.

She had been the top student for two consecutive years.

Any student who had surpassed her mysteriously ended up dropping out.

"I'm taking your first place."

Cassidy froze, then burst into roaring laughter.

"Oh my God, the three-hundred-point loser wants my top spot? I'm so scared!"

Everyone around her laughed too.

No one took my words seriously.

I didn't argue. The results would be the best counter-attack.

Amidst the laughter, I walked out of the Rocket Class.

Ahead was the battlefield that belonged to me.