Chapter 1The Valedictorian Spot

To fulfill the original host's final wish, the moment I transmigrated into this novel, I was immediately hit with the female lead's emotional blackmail.

"Maya, I'm begging you, please give the valedictorian spot to me! This spot means nothing to you!"

"But I'm different! This valedictorian spot is my only chance to turn my life around!"

The female lead stood on the roof of the school building, her eyes brimming with tears. She seemed to be pouring her heart out, but her words were subtly accusing me of stealing the valedictorian spot that supposedly belonged to her.

My homeroom teacher, who had always had it out for me, ignored the situation and forcefully demanded that I surrender the spot.

The cameras were focused on my incredibly calm face. Watching this self-directed melodrama unfold, amidst the urging and accusations of the crowd, I slowly spoke up:

"Sure, if you want it, I'll give it to you!"

* * *

"W-What did you say?"

Standing on the roof, Chloe seemed uncertain. A flicker of shock crossed her face, which had been prepped for a full-blown hysterical breakdown.

Seeing her act so easily turned on and off, I couldn't help but find it funny, but I still spoke loudly and clearly:

"I said, if you want this valedictorian spot, I'll give it to you!"

Now, not only was Chloe stunned, but so were the principal, the teachers, and the students watching the spectacle.

Everyone knew how incredibly difficult it was to get the valedictorian spot. Every year, students fought tooth and nail for it. It wasn't something you could easily snatch away just by throwing a tantrum.

Whoever gave it away would be an absolute idiot!

But I really did give it away.

"Are you telling the truth?!"

Chloe was still standing near the edge of the roof, but her voice now carried a hint of hesitation.

According to her plan, I wasn't supposed to agree so quickly. I was supposed to be publicly condemned under her emotional blackmail, and only then would I reluctantly surrender the spot.

After all, in the original novel, the host was cyberbullied relentlessly precisely because she refused to back down!

But me? My whole brand is doing the unexpected!

"What else can I do? You're threatening me with suicide. Could I really just let you die?"

I worked up some emotion, and my eyes instantly turned red the moment I spoke.

The first step in countering emotional blackmail is, naturally, to retreat in order to advance, to use softness to conquer hardness!

I spoke earnestly: "We're classmates. Is there anything we can't discuss privately? Threatening suicide like this, besides giving the school a bad reputation, is irresponsible to your own life."

"Have you thought about your parents? You're their only daughter. How can you face them after doing this?"

"I know you're on financial aid and things are hard at home, but that's exactly why you can't joke around with your life!"

"With so many classmates here as witnesses, I'm giving you the valedictorian spot. Please stop this and come down!"

My voice choked with emotion, my eyes growing redder with every word. Every step I took back, every earnest word I spoke, almost immediately shifted the narrative that was previously against me.

"Maya, are you really willing to give up the valedictorian spot?"

The principal, who had just been urging me to agree, suddenly seemed hesitant.

"I can't just watch her do something stupid."

I sighed, my eyes red, looking wronged yet helpless:

"Even though you promised me, Principal, that as long as I won gold at the Nationals, the only valedictorian spot would be mine."

"I don't know why this happened, or why Chloe is acting like this. But if she wasn't desperate, she probably wouldn't be causing such a scene."

I lowered my head and wiped my tears. My words even carried a hint of manipulative innocence.

Retreating to advance, showing vulnerability to the opponent and everyone else, and using manipulative language to frame myself as the helpless victim—I wanted to see if Chloe still had the gall to accept the valedictorian spot I was personally handing over!

The principal looked at me with a hint of admiration. Only the homeroom teacher, Mr. Davis, looked at me with suspicion. He lowered his voice and said to me:

"Are you serious? Don't play games with me now!"

"And now you're blaming Chloe? If you had given up the spot earlier, none of this would have happened!"

"I think you're just selfish! Playing the victim while getting exactly what you want!"

Damn it! What the hell is this?!

My fists are itching!

I looked at Mr. Davis, his eyes full of disgust, my own eyes turning icy. Remembering the unfair treatment the original host suffered because of him in the novel, anger flared within me.

Without hesitation, I raised my voice:

"Mr. Davis, how can you say that about me!"

Because he had deliberately lowered his voice, the people around us hadn't heard what he just said.

In the original novel, the host always endured it, thinking it was better to avoid trouble, believing that if she just put up with it, it would pass.

But I'm different!

"Mr. Davis, the principal gave me this valedictorian spot. It's not just something you can give away on a whim!"

"If you were in my shoes, would you willingly give away a spot you worked so hard for?"

"I only gave it up to save Chloe's life. How can you say I'm playing the victim while getting what I want?!"

I deliberately raised my voice so everyone present could hear me. At this moment, all eyes were on Mr. Davis and me. Even the principal turned to look at us.

And I seized the moment. I let the tears flow freely, acting completely emotionally shattered. I covered my face and started sobbing:

"Waaaah—Was I wrong to work so hard for this valedictorian spot? Why is everyone forcing me? If this is how it is, why did you give it to me in the first place?!"

"I've already decided to give it to her, why are you still criticizing me? I know you've never liked me, Mr. Davis. If that's the case, I'll just transfer schools!"

"As long as I transfer, the spot can legitimately go to Chloe, and no one will be put in a difficult position!"

I squatted on the ground, crying uncontrollably. Everyone looked at me with sympathy. Some teachers had already started gathering around to comfort me. But Mr. Davis stood there with a livid face, yelling at me as if his brain had shrunk:

"Maya, if you have the guts, then transfer!"

"Don't think you can threaten the school just because you have good grades! Let's see which school would take an orphan who can't even afford tuition!"

"Do you think you could have gotten into the Nationals without the school giving you the opportunity? Stop acting like you're so great!"

The principal had taken a phone call earlier and wandered off somewhere. Otherwise, Mr. Davis wouldn't have dared to be so arrogant in front of him.

Plus, as the head of the grade and the homeroom teacher of the school's advanced class, no other teacher usually dared to cross him.

He belittled me to nothingness, just as he did to the original host. It seemed that no matter how many achievements I had, or how good my grades were, in his eyes, I would always be useless.

And his hatred for the original host didn't come from nowhere. During a class, the host pointed out an error in his calculation and steps for a problem.

Feeling humiliated, Mr. Davis flew into a rage, brutally berating the host in front of the entire class.

But that was only the surface.

The host was a genius. If she weren't an orphan, her talent might have gotten her into an early college program, exposing her to a world others could never reach.

Mr. Davis realized this more than anyone. But as a teacher, he didn't feel sorry for her; instead, he was jealous. Jealous that she possessed a talent he didn't, and that she would reach heights he could never touch.

His internal imbalance twisted him. He constantly suppressed her, belittled her efforts, and mocked her background, all in an attempt to drag her down into the dirt so she would never rise!

Disgusting!

How does someone like him deserve to be a teacher?!

Chloe had already been brought down from the roof by the dean. Hearing Mr. Davis belittle me, her face was full of smugness.

So what if my grades were better? As long as Mr. Davis disliked me, I would always be beneath her!

Mr. Davis looked at me with a sneer:

"I think you might as well drop out. With your family background, even if you get into college, you won't be able to afford it!"

"You're better off entering the workforce early so you don't starve later!"

"Transfer? Hah! Let's see which blind school would take you!"