Chapter 2

A few days later, a test at school completely shattered all my wishful thinking.

Sitting in the exam room, as soon as I got the math paper, I felt dizzy and disoriented.

My head was foggy, my vision blurred.

The solid geometry problems that I could usually solve at a glance now looked like gibberish to me.

My brain felt like it had been filled with lead. Every thought was incredibly difficult.

My hand holding the pen trembled uncontrollably, and cold sweat soaked through my uniform.

That exam, I essentially turned in a blank paper.

When the results came out, the whole class was in an uproar.

My scores were not even enough for a decent state school!

My homeroom teacher, Mr. Lee, called me to his office, his brow furrowed into a knot.

"Summer, what's been going on with you lately? Is something wrong at home? Too much pressure?"

I looked at the glaring numbers on the grade report, my lips trembling, unable to speak for a long time.

That feeling of my brain being forcibly locked up, that sluggishness. It was too real.

This wasn't just pre-exam anxiety.

I'd really been drugged.

When I brought the grade report home, I was met with a storm.

My dad slammed the table so hard the water glasses rattled.

"This is your score? How can you face us!"

My mom sneered from the side, her eyes full of contempt.

"She just can't handle pressure! Looks like she studies hard normally, but fails at critical moments!"

"I've said it before. Just because you want to climb higher doesn't mean you have the brains for it!"

"Tell the truth. Did you cheat on all those tests before?"

Listening to their coordinated accusations, I stood there, chilled to the bone.

The content from that secret forum post surfaced clearly in my mind again.

"Take the opportunity to brainwash her..."

"Tell her she can't handle pressure..."

"Make her feel guilty for life..."

Every word perfectly matched the faces of my parents before me!