After His Cruel Competition, I Became the Tycoon Wife

As soon as Grace fell asleep in our hotel room, I slipped into the bathroom with my phone. My fingers moved swiftly across the screen, typing out a carefully worded message:

"The first phase begins tomorrow. Will you be in position?"

The response came almost immediately from Arthur Davies: "Ready. Northeast entrance, 2 PM. Bring the documentation we discussed."

I deleted our conversation and leaned against the cool tile wall, exhaling slowly. Arthur had been my unexpected ally in this twisted game—a former Harvard admissions officer whose conscience had been stirred by evidence I'd gathered of Lauren's academic fraud. His guidance was invaluable, though he remained unaware of how deeply I understood what was coming.

How could I explain that I'd lived this nightmare before?

The morning of the SAT arrived with a tension that hung in the air like a storm front. Grace was pale but determined as we approached the testing center, her practice books clutched tightly against her chest.

"Remember what we practiced," I whispered, squeezing her shoulder gently.

Her eyes met mine, filled with trust despite her confusion. "I still don't understand why—"

"You will," I promised. "Just follow the plan exactly."

Across the lobby, I spotted Lauren fussing over Mia, straightening her cashmere sweater and whispering last-minute advice. Our eyes met briefly—her gaze cold and triumphant, mine steady and knowing. She had no idea what was coming.

The test proctors called the students forward. I watched Grace disappear into the testing room, my heart hammering against my ribs. Everything hinged on what happened in the next three hours.

I found a quiet corner in the waiting area and pulled out my phone, sending another coded message to Arthur: "The eagle has landed. Confirm surveillance is in place."

"Confirmed," came his terse reply. "All eyes on the prize."

The hours crawled by like decades. Parents milled about anxiously, some making polite conversation, others—like Lauren—making sure everyone knew about their children's academic prowess. I sat quietly, watching the clock, remembering how this had played out before. The humiliation. The accusations. The beginning of our downfall.

Not this time.

When the test concluded, Grace emerged looking calm—perhaps too calm for someone who had just completed one of the most important exams of her academic career. Lauren noticed immediately, her perfectly plucked eyebrows drawing together in suspicion.

"How did it go?" I asked Grace as she approached.

"Exactly as planned," she replied softly.

Two weeks later, the results were announced at a lavish gathering at the Belmont Country Club. Society photographers jostled for position as Daniel took center stage, champagne flute in hand. Lauren stood beside him, resplendent in emerald silk, her smile predatory.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Daniel announced, "the moment we've all been waiting for. The official SAT scores for both Mia and Grace Whitaker."

A hush fell over the crowd. I felt Grace's hand slip into mine, squeezing tightly.

The test administrator stepped forward, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "I'm afraid there's been an unusual situation," he began hesitantly. "Both students received... zeros."

The room erupted in gasps and confused murmurs. Lauren's face contorted in shock.

"That's impossible!" she shrieked, snatching the papers from the administrator's hands. "Mia has been preparing for months with the best tutors money can buy!"

Daniel's face darkened dangerously as he examined the results. "There must be some mistake," he growled.

"No mistake, sir," the administrator replied stiffly. "Both test sheets were submitted completely blank."

Camera flashes exploded around us, capturing the moment of chaos. Lauren's perfectly composed facade crumbled as she whirled to face me, her manicured finger pointing accusingly.

"You!" she hissed, loud enough for the nearest smartphones to capture. "You did something to sabotage this test!"

I met her gaze calmly, the ghost of a smile playing at my lips. "How could I possibly have affected both tests?" I asked innocently. "Perhaps we should move on to the essay portion of our competition."

Lauren's eyes widened with fury as she realized the scene she was creating was being broadcast across social media in real-time. Her public meltdown was exactly what I had anticipated—the first crack in her carefully constructed image.

As cameras continued to flash around us, I caught Arthur's eye across the room. He gave me an imperceptible nod.

Phase one was complete. And Lauren had no idea she'd just played directly into my hands.