Before the SAT exam, my stepmother took my sister to have plastic surgery

She turned her eyes, catching sight of me still standing there, and mocked, "Meryl, you can still change your mind. I can have Mom take you for another round if you want."

Indeed, she never called me "sister." To her, I was only a few minutes older, so she always addressed me by my first name.

With her prominent nose, plump cheeks, and sharp chin, she looked just like Belinda. I waved my hand dismissively. "No need, you two look great. I'm just a background player here. I should get back to my studies."

Amy basked in her self-satisfaction for days, completely neglecting her studies. Instead, she was obsessed with taking selfies from every angle and posting them on social media.

But she seemed to have forgotten something crucial.

On SAT day, she was barred from entering the exam hall.

The reason? The photo on her ID didn't match her, raising suspicions of impersonation.

I sat calmly in the exam room, watching the minutes tick by.

Outside, in the sweltering 89°F heat, Amy was sweating bullets. No matter how much she pleaded, the proctor wouldn't let her in.

Eventually, she broke down, sobbing in front of everyone.

The proctor, startled and fearing a disruption, called the police.

Officers stationed at the school entrance rushed over, verified her ID, and escorted her away from the premises.

As the exam bell rang, I focused my mind entirely on the test in front of me.

The room was silent except for the occasional creak of the ceiling fan.

The first testing went smoothly. When I got home, Amy was lounging on the couch, legs crossed, engrossed in TV.

Her morning meltdown seemed like a distant memory.

Noticing my gaze, she sneered, saying, "What's the point of all this book-learning? Even if you get into college, you're just going to end up working for someone else anyway."

I raised an eyebrow, curious about her grand plans. "So what's your big idea?"

She said with an air of superiority, "Mom says she's going to make me an influencer. I'll just stream all day and won't have to do anything else."

Her tone dripped with a kind of superiority I couldn't quite grasp.

I nodded. "Right, you're probably right. With Belinda's connections, I'm sure you'll make it big as an influencer. I'll be counting on you."

With that, I headed to my room. Amy called after me, "Where are you going?"

I waved her off. "I've got another exam this afternoon. I need to study."

"Such a bookworm."

I ignored her disdain and immersed myself in my studies.

After noon, I found Amy still fast asleep. I knocked on her door and half-heartedly called out for her to come to the test center with me.

"No way! You go by yourself. I'm sleeping in!"

I couldn't believe how easily she was blowing off the SAT under Belinda's spell. Shaking my head in resignation, I went to the exam center alone.

When I emerged from the test, I spotted Amy in a super-short skirt and heavy makeup, waving her arms excitedly.

I thought, "Is she here to pick me up?"

The next moment, Amy darted towards a guy emerging from the exam hall. I followed her gaze and saw it was Oliver. I thought, "When have they gotten together?"

Without any hint of embarrassment, they embraced and kissed right there in front of a crowd of parents and students. It was as if they had no regard for their public audience.

From what I knew, Oliver came from a wealthy family. His SAT was just a formality; his path to studying abroad had already been paved by his family.