The Test Score Above My Head

The day the SATs ended, my parents took my sister on a fancy graduation trip. They didn't even remember I existed. Honestly, it was a relief. With them gone, I could finally move in silence.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I'd memorized. The line clicked open. "Uncle," I said, not wasting a second. "I solved the problem you gave me."

The man on the other end practically exploded with excitement. "Jenny, you've just saved the entire research institute! You have no idea what this breakthrough means!"

He came to pick me up himself, driving me straight to his lab. For the next month, we worked side-by-side, tearing through complex equations. He only let me go on the morning the scores were released, sending a car to drop me at the "celebration" banquet.

I walked into the hotel ballroom and spotted my parents and sister immediately, fresh off their vacation, holding court in the center of a fawning crowd.

"Robert, your daughters are incredible!"

"A partnership with the Reid Group is a golden opportunity!"

But let's be real. No one gave a damn about our SAT scores. They were here because Grandma had declared that whichever granddaughter got into the better university would inherit her entire stake in the Reid Group.

Grandma was the majority shareholder. Today was the day the next CEO would be chosen, and every vulture in the room had come to see who to suck up to.

I took a deep breath and walked straight to Grandma.

She took my hand, her smile warm and knowing. "Are you ready, Jenny?"

I nodded. "I am, Grandma. I won't let you down."

She was the only one in this family who ever saw me as more than a disappointment. In my last life, after my spectacular failure, even her warmth had turned to ice. She died of a heart attack three days after they shipped me off to that factory.

I wouldn't let that happen again.

"Jenny, why are you lying to Grandma?"

My sister materialized at my side, her voice dripping with fake concern. "You spent the whole month before the exam partying at a bar. How could you possibly have done well?" She turned to the crowd, playing the victim. "You're just taking advantage of her trust."

Patricia whipped out the photos of me in the bar and showed them to everyone.

My father's disgust landed squarely on me. "If I were you, I wouldn't even have the guts to show my face here today!

"Patricia is estimating a 1550. You won't even score 1000. After today, the Reid Group will be hers. You'll be spending the rest of your life begging her for scraps!

"A worthless freeloader, and you have the nerve to stand there and look smug!"

Several business partners jumped in on cue.

"I saw Jenny at that club—flanked by male escorts, living it up."

"With that kind of character, she can't possibly compete with Patricia."

"Of course not! A 1550 puts Patricia in the 99th percentile!"

"Patricia is the complete package. The company will flourish under her."

I let out a cold laugh that cut through their flattery. "The scores aren't even out yet, and you're already polishing the brass on a sinking ship. Be careful you're betting on the wrong horse."

"How dare you speak to us like that? No grades and no manners!"

"Someone should get that girl's head examined."

"Still dreaming? If partying got you into the top universities, no one would bother studying!"

The laughter swelled around me.

My dad, smug, tossed the keys to his brand-new Porsche onto a nearby table. "Fine. If you get into a better university than Patricia, the car is yours."

I sneered. "A car? I thought you were a big shot. If you're so confident in Patricia, then bet the family estate."

My parents hesitated, but the crowd just laughed harder.

"Do you even understand what a 1550 means? That's the 99th percentile!"

"No way in hell she'll beat 1550! It's a safe bet!"

I widened my eyes, playing the fool. "Then what are you afraid of, Dad? Go on. Put it all on the line. Let me see it."

He hesitated again.

My mother stepped in. "What are you afraid of? She definitely won't get into a better university than Patricia."

My sister nodded confidently. "Dad, trust me."

Finally reassured, my father tallied up all the assets and announced before everyone, "Whichever of my daughters gets into the better university will receive everything—together with my mother's shares!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the College Board website went live.

My sister stepped forward, like a queen claiming her throne. "Let me check mine first," she said, oozing assurance. "Let's see how close my estimate was."

Calmly, she typed in her login information.

A moment later, her score flashed up on the giant screen for everyone to see.