Chapter 12

Noelle had been trying to comfort herself, telling herself not to care about these things. Xenia could only resort to these tricks, and with Lucas coming to the school, the likely outcome was that her results would be nullified. However, when she heard Cedric ask about her results, she still couldn't help feeling upset. She was about to reply when someone called, "Noelle, Mr. Kramer wants you to go to his office." She bit her lip. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later." After hanging up, Noelle headed straight to Lionel's office. When she walked in, she found that Lucas was also there, and the atmosphere was tense. Lucas said coldly, "Noelle, I never expected that you would cheat just to win. Do you know what this behavior means?" She wasn't surprised. She knew that he wouldn't believe her. Her gaze was sharp as she looked at him. "I didn't cheat." She wouldn't admit to something she hadn't done. "Noelle, the truth is evident, and you're still lying? Based on your usual grades and your behavior at home, your scores can't improve this much. Besides, you have every reason to cheat! Admit your mistake now to avoid the school giving you demerits." Noelle sneered. "Do you have evidence to prove that I cheated?" Lucas stood up furiously. "Noelle, look at what you've become!" Lionel quickly stepped in to stop him because he was about to get physical. "Please calm down." Lucas said to him in frustration, "Sorry, but it's clear that Noelle cheated because of a bet with her family. As discussed earlier, we will get her to write an apology letter and publicly apologize in front of the whole school. So please don't punish her." Lionel sighed. "That works. I hope she can change." After all, it wouldn't be good for Noelle to be punished so close to graduation. Noelle lowered her head, her heart sinking even further. In just a few words, they had decided her fate without believing in her. Lucas bitterly said, "Noelle, you've embarrassed the entire Liddell family. How could we have such a morally corrupt sister? It's embarrassing even to mention your name." "Do you think I want to be your sister?" Noelle's facial features were delicate, and her eyes were dark with a chilling gaze. She didn't care anymore. "Noelle, I dare you to say that again!" Lucas' face was ashen as he glared at her angrily. "Sir, please don't be so fierce. You might scare her." An elderly man entered the room, his kind face showing no signs of anger. Lionel greeted him hurriedly, "Mr. York, what brings you here?" "I heard a student whose sudden improvement is being questioned for cheating. I came to check on the situation," Bruce York explained. Lucas responded impatiently, "Mr. York, there's no need to investigate. Noelle cheated to get those good results. If she won't admit it, just punish her." He was determined to teach her a lesson. He had just begged Lionel for leniency, but if Noelle refused to apologize, he wouldn't help her anymore. After all, she didn't deserve it. Bruce turned to Noelle. "There's a simple way to verify if you cheated. We'll give you a new set of questions to complete under supervision. Will you accept this?" Noelle looked at him. "I accept, but I have one condition. If I pass the test and prove that I didn't cheat, will the people who slandered me apologize publicly?" Lucas sneered. "Fine. Let's see how you perform!" Soon, Lionel handed Noelle a set of questions. "I'll time you." Noelle took a seat and began to work on the paper. The office fell silent as everyone observed her. Lionel was sitting closest to her and watched in surprise as she solved the math problems. This set of questions was much more challenging than the previous exam, yet she solved most of them correctly! Time ticked by. Curious about what was happening in the office, Xenia walked over and saw Noelle working on the test. She instantly had an ominous feeling. She went over to Lucas. "Lucas, what's going on? Is Noelle redoing the test?" Lucas scoffed. "Yes. She refuses to admit to cheating. Let's see if she can back up her claims." Xenia quickly approached Noelle, saying, "Noelle, stop being stubborn. We all believe you. You don't have to force yourself." Noelle didn't respond or acknowledge her. Instead, she focused on the exam. Seeing that she couldn't distract Noelle, Xenia bit her lip and turned to Lucas. "Lucas, Noelle is still angry with me." Lucas was getting frustrated. "Noelle, Xenia is talking to you. Why don't you respond?" Noelle looked up. "I'm doing a test. Can't you see?" He was briefly stunned. "Xenia is giving you an out. You had better take it while you can, or you'll end up embarrassing yourself later!" "Xenia, don't disturb Noelle while she's working on the exam paper," Lionel finally interjected, unable to remain silent. From his perspective, he could see that Noelle completed the test skillfully and confidently, making it increasingly unlikely that she had cheated. Feeling cornered but unwilling to give up, Xenia feigned innocence. "Mr. Kramer, I didn't mean anything by it," she said sweetly, trying to maintain her facade. But deep down, she couldn't stand the idea of Noelle proving her abilities. The thought of Noelle outperforming her was unbearable, a reality she refused to accept or acknowledge. Standing off to the side, Xenia watched closely, her mind a whirlwind of doubt. Could Noelle score well on this test? Still, the recent changes she had noticed in Noelle left her with a nagging sense of unease. For the first time, uncertainty took root in her heart. The test ended. Lionel quickly collected the exam papers and began grading them with the other teachers. Noelle sat still, her mood calm despite seeing Xenia standing beside Lucas. She felt no emotional stirrings anymore. If she didn't care, she wouldn't get hurt. Lionel excitedly spoke up. "The results are in." Xenia's heart was filled with malice as she hoped for poor results. Lucas coldly remarked, "Mr. Kramer, if her results are bad, don't bother mentioning them. It will be too embarrassing." "No," Lionel said. "Noelle did very well! This set of questions was harder than the mock exam, and she performed better than before!" Noelle's heart, which had been heavy, finally eased up. She smiled faintly. On the other hand, Lucas' expression faltered as he took the test paper. The grades were apparent. Noelle had indeed done well. Xenia stood on tiptoe and saw the score, immediately filled with jealousy. She thought that it was impossible for Noelle to become this capable. Bruce smiled kindly. "The truth is clear now. Noelle's improvement was achieved through her hard work." Lionel nodded. "She has been working very hard recently." Lucas' expression changed multiple times. Finally, he put the test paper down, surprised that Noelle hadn't cheated. At that moment, he felt that the Noelle before him was a complete stranger. Bruce cleared his throat. "Now that the truth is out, those who slandered Noelle should apologize." Xenia's face immediately turned awkward.