The answer was clear and straightforward.
“What?”
Karan’s eyes went wide. For a second, she simply couldn’t take it in.
“I already looked over the third-round material ahead of time,” Shirley admitted, her brows drawn together, lips pressed into a thin line. “But honestly, this is as far as I could go. I could only solve the first part. The last step was just beyond me. So, I figured there was no use standing up there wasting everyone’s time when I knew I couldn’t finish.”
There was no point in standing around feeling awkward and exposed when she didn’t have it in her. So she had turned in what she had and walked off.
Karan stared at Shirley, completely stunned. The look on her face was indescribably bad.
Right now, she could only feel regret, mixed with a bitter sense of frustration burning inside her.
“Mr. Lane…”
She clenched her hands so tightly her knuckles hurt. Her eyes were red, and as she looked at Mr. Lane’s cold, unmoving face, she struggled to find her voice. “I’m sorry. I just…”
She couldn’t let someone with connections erase all the years of effort she’d poured into this. Even if it meant disappointing the only person who truly cared about her.
She must have broken his heart by now, right? Could Mr. Lane ever find it in himself to forgive her?
“The results are clear for everyone to see,” Mr. Lane finally spoke, disappointment heavy in his voice as he looked at Karan. “First place goes to Karan. According to the rules, Karan earns the exchange spot at Apex.”
The room went dead silent.
Instead of celebrating her win, the air filled with judgment and cold, mocking glares.
If anyone ever wondered what betrayal looked like, this was it.
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