The Beauty and the Brain

Chapter 50



Chapter 50

Chapter 50 Cheating Leads to Expulsion

“Carly? What are you doing?” Marie asked her.

“Marie, stop pretending to be so innocent!” Carly exclaimed loudly.

As soon as these words were spoken, the onlookers were astonished. Could this really be Marie?

Everyone didn’t have time to pay attention to Carly’s emotions, as they all gathered around Marie,

talking animatedly and excitedly.

“Marie, you’ve changed so much, I didn’t even recognize you!”

“Yeah, yeah, she suddenly turned into a deity!”

“Can you share how you lost weight? I really want to be like you!”

“After our university entrance exam, there’s a prom. Do you want to sign up for it, Marie?”

Everyone was talking around Marie, completely ignoring Carly’s presence.

Carly was so furious that she wished she could tear Marie’s face apart and splash water on

everyone’s heads!

Are they crazy?

Isn’t Marie just thinner now?

She should still be that inconspicuous Marie, always staying silent in the corner, highlighting Carly’s

radiance.

Carly is the school beauty!

Carly walked up to the podium with ease and affectionately put her arm around Marie, saying, “That’s

right, Marie, after the university entrance exam, we have prom. I’ve already signed up for a violin

performance. You should sign up too.”

Marie chuckled inwardly, knowing full well that she couldn’t play the violin, and there was no way Carly

didn’t know that.

“No, I’ll just watch from the sidelines,” Marie said, maintaining a smile on her face.

“Oh, that’s right, Marie can’t play the violin. How about the piano? No? Marie, what can you perform?

I’ll help you sign up.” Carly said mockingly as she looked at her.

These wealthy young people have all received the best education since childhood, and each of them

possesses some degree of talent or skill.

Carly just wanted to remind everyone that the deity you all adore is nothing but a useless person who

can’t do anything, merely a castaway from the Spence family!

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Marie smiled and said, “No need, I want to focus on preparing for the university entrance exam

first.”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone around fell silent. Carly couldn’t help but let out a

chuckle.

Everyone knows that Marie from Class 1 is a bit of a fool, always coming in last in her grades.

Moreover, Carly is one year younger than Marie. The reason they are in the same class is because

Marie had to repeat a grade due to her poor academic performance.

Carly’s grades have consistently ranked within the top five in Class 1.

Marie has indeed slimmed down and become more attractive, but could her intelligence really

improve just because she lost weight?

To everyone, her saying that she wants to focus on preparing for the university entrance exam is

just a joke.

No matter how much she prepares, she just can’t seem to get into college.

It’s just that because she is now beautiful and kind, no one mocks her, but not a single person truly

believes in her from the heart.

This is just her excuse for not going to prom, and it’s a pretty lame one at that.

The class bell rang promptly, and the teacher walked in to begin the lesson. Upon noticing Marie in the

corner of the last row, they remained silent.

In the teacher’s view, the most important thing is the university entrance exam; whether she is

beautiful or not doesn’t matter.

On this day, Carly didn’t bother her anymore, so she had a peaceful time at school.

As Marie passed by the drama club in the afternoon, she saw a group of students rehearsing.

Surprisingly, Carly was also among them.

Logically speaking, Carly is in 11th grade and about to take the SAT, so she shouldn’t be participating

in rehearsals.

Marie walked over and found a junior student by the stage. She asked, “What performance are you

guys rehearsing?”

As the junior student looked up, he saw a bright and beautiful face and immediately said, rehearsing

the play The Nutcracker to perform at the senior students‘ prom.”

“We’re

“Is that Carly in the formal dress on stage?” Marie asked, pointing.

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“Yeah, Carly is beautiful and the school’s top beauty. This time she’s playing the princess,” the boy

said.

“But isn’t she preparing for the university entrance exam? How does she still have time for

rehearsals?” Marie asked.

The boy looked around to make sure no one was listening and whispered, “She’s not here to

rehearse, she’s here to play the princess. Originally, Sasha was supposed to play the princess, but

Carly insisted on taking the role and pushed Sasha into a supporting role. Anyway, the president of

the drama club always takes her side, so we have no choice but to follow her lead.”

Marie understood clearly, so that’s how it was.

Carly really doesn’t miss any opportunity to steal the spotlight, huh.

Moreover, from what she knew, there was a scene in The Nutcracker where the female lead

performed a ballet dance, but Carly had no experience in ballet at all.

Carly sat on the stage, perched upon a European–style couch that had been prepared as a prop.

Dressed in a European court gown, she truly resembled a princess.

However, Carly’s expression was bossy as she ordered her classmates around, telling them to do this

and that, and move the props back and forth.

When it came to the dancing segment, Carly simply said, “I don’t think ballet is that great. Let’s switch

to playing the violin instead. I’m sure I can dazzle everyone!”

Several boys immediately chimed in, “Let’s change it to the violin. Who doesn’t know that our school

beauty plays the violin so well? The performance will definitely be amazing.”

A girl nearby let out a soft “heh” sound, neither too loud nor too quiet.

Carly furrowed her brow and looked at her, “Sasha, is there something you’re unhappy about?”

Marie turned her head and saw that this was Sasha, the one who had her role taken away.

It is said that they are a core member of the drama club, with such an excellent memory that they

can memorize their lines just by reading the script once.

She was also dressed in European court attire, wearing a golden wig, revealing a delicate oval face.

She lifted her skirt, stood on her tiptoes, and stretched out her arms like an elegant swan, twirling

gracefully in a few beautiful circles before coming to a steady stand.

Sasha pursed her lips and said, “See? This is called ballet. It’s the first time I’ve heard of the princess

in The Nutcracker playing the violin. What’s next, Cinderella playing the piano?”

Marie suddenly burst into laughter, finding Sasha’s words quite amusing.

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Carly’s face turned red with anger, “You’re just unhappy that I got the lead role, so you’re here to

mock me!!

A few boys also gathered around and said, “That’s right, Sasha. The club president has already agreed

to have Carly play the lead role, so stop nitpicking. Besides, as long as she performs well, what’s the

problem with her playing the violin?”

Everyone was talking to Carly, who looked at Sasha smugly. Sasha shrugged and said, “I won’t nitpick.

I wish you all a successful performance. Please tell the club president that I’m quitting the

drama club.”

Sasha jumped off the stage and turned back to say, “Do you really think her performance was good?

Which princess behaves like a shrew, cursing in the streets like that?“.

Carly stomped her foot angrily, “Sasha!”

Sasha didn’t even look back as she entered the backstage area, casually pulling Marie along with

her.

Sasha stared at her, “What were you laughing at just now?”

Marie laughed again, “Seeing Carly get deflated makes me so happy.”

Sasha looked her up and down and said, “So you’re the transformed Marie, the new school beauty

who’s been the talk of the town today? Aren’t you Carly’s sister?”

Marie shook her head, “Can someone who’s at odds with me really be considered a sister?”

Sasha laughed as she untied the support from her skirt, teasing, “I’m glad you’re not like Carly. She’s

such a delicate troublemaker, always causing a fuss. Are you two really sisters?”

Marie was taken aback and said, “You know, we really don’t have the same mother!”

Sasha paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. She pulled off her skirt support and then. yanked

off her wig. It was only then that Marie saw Sasha was actually a short–haired girl.

After removing her thick stage makeup, her eyebrows and eyes exuded a heroic spirit, and her

smile was charmingly innocent and adorable.

Sasha went in to change into her school uniform, then came out and asked her, “School’s over, shall

we go?”

Marie nodded, and Sasha walked over, linking arms with her. Together, they picked up their backpacks

and headed out.

Marie is a slow–to–warm–up kind of person. Her long career as an assassin has made her accustomed

to solitude and vigilance. However, meeting Sasha today changed things, as her

personality was simply too likable.

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Sasha has a cheerful personality and finds Marie interesting, so she wants to be friends with her. Along

the way, she chatters non–stop, eager to connect.

“Don’t you regret impulsively quitting the drama club?” Marie asked her.

“I joined the drama club just to satisfy my craving for acting, but these people don’t know anything. It’s

no fun being with them,” Sasha said.

“Do you enjoy acting?” Marie asked with interest.

“Yeah, I want to be a star, earn more money to support my mom,” Sasha said with a smile.

During their conversation, Marie learned that Sasha came from a single–parent family, and she and her

mother relied on each other for support.

Moreover, she was wholeheartedly devoted to acting, having studied numerous roles and even worked

as an extra on many film sets.

Just now, on stage, she had practiced that ballet dance for two months, only for Carly to snatch the

role away from her.

Marie asked her, “Do you want to enter the entertainment industry? Let me support you.”

“You? Alright, bring the contract, I’ll sign it now,” Sasha said.

This straightforward agreement surprised Marie: “Aren’t you afraid I’ll sell you out? Why are you so

eager to sign the contract?”

Sasha laughed, “You, a young lady from the Spence family, how much could you sell me for? But

seriously, do you really have a way to promote me?”

Marie frowned, “If I can’t hold onto it, I might as well sell it.”

Sasha chased after her, and the two of them playfully fought all the way to the school gate. The

Spence family’s driver was already waiting. Marie pulled Sasha into the car and asked her, “Where do

you live? We’ll drop you off first.”

Sasha gave the address, and Marie instructed the driver to take them there, dropping Sasha off first.

Upon reaching the entrance of the residential area, Sasha invited Marie to come in, but Marie

declined, “Maybe another day. You should go back and have dinner.”

The two people exchanged phone numbers and returned to their respective homes.

Perhaps it was because Marie fell ill last time, and Asher was furious, that Carly had been quiet for a

long time and hadn’t come to bother her again.

A month later, the first mock exam before the university entrance exam arrived.

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Before class today, Ms. Garcia hurried into the classroom and said, “Marie, can you come with me

for a moment?”

Marie stood up and walked out of the classroom, following Ms. Garcia to the principal’s office. Then

she asked, “Ms. Garcia, what’s going on?”

Ms. Garcia glanced at her and asked, “Maric, did you write this exam yourself?”

Marie laughed, “Ms. Garcia suspects me of cheating?”

Ms. Garcia looked disappointed and said, “Marie, you’ve been at the bottom of the class for so long,

and I haven’t said anything. How could you cheat? Do you know that cheating can get you expelled?”

Marie’s face suddenly turned cold, “Ms. Garcia, on what grounds are you accusing me of cheating

without any evidence?”

“Do we even need evidence? Your grades have been at the bottom for three years, and now suddenly

you’re the top student in the entire school? You must have cheated!” Ms. Garcia said, stomping her foot

in anger.

Marie raised her eyebrows, “The top student in the entire school?”

Her skill level is quite high, isn’t it?

The head teacher and the principal were both present, calming Ms. Garcia down. They said, “Marie,

this is a very serious matter. If you cannot prove that you earned this grade on your own, we will have

to treat it as cheating.”

Marie nodded, “I can prove it, I can do it again. Aren’t our mock exams divided into A and B

versions? Give me a different set, and I’ll do it right now.”

Ms. Garcia glanced at the principal, who nodded in agreement. The director of instruction immediately

fetched another set of exam papers. Marie found an empty desk and sat down to take

the test.

Just to test her, he brought over a single math paper.

Marie’s problem–solving speed was comparable to that of a computer. When she was trained as an

assassin and spy by the Rodger Group, they required her to learn eight languages, decipher various

codes, and memorize numbers at a glance. All of these skills honed her unique memory abilities.

And these math problems, compared to the training I received in my previous life, are simply a piece of

cake.

In just half an hour, Marie put down her pen and said, “Done.”

Ms. Garcia folded her exam papers, checking each question one by one, but her face grew redder and

redder.

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Finally, in disbelief, they looked at Marie and asked, “How could this be possible?”

Marie laughed and said, “Ms. Garcia, if you were to inquire about the gossip among the wealthy

families, you’d know that my stepmother drugged me, almost turning me into a fool. But now I’ve been

cured, so I’m not foolish anymore.”

Ms. Garcia said, embarrassed, “How can you say you’re not silly? This is simply genius, you know?”

Marie said, “If you all, Ms. Garcia, have no more doubts about my grades, I’ll head back to the

classroom. If you still suspect me of cheating, I’m ready to take a test at any time.”

Ms. Garcia waved her hand, signaling that she could go back now.

After Marie left, Ms. Garcia jumped up with joy, hugged the head teacher’s shoulders, and boasted.

loudly, “Did you see that? Did you see that? My student! A genius!”

If he were to bring out a university entrance exam top scorer, wouldn’t a promotion and salary increase

be just a matter of a single sentence?

Moreover, being the top scorer in the university entrance exam for the Spence family, Old Mr. Spence

will surely express his gratitude to him.

Ms. Garcia walked into the classroom with a radiant smile on her face. She cleared her throat and

said, “Students, the results of the mock exam are now available. I will announce the scores, starting

with the top five.”

“Second place, Waylon; third place, Violeta; fourth place, Salem; fifth place, Porter.”

Ms. Garcia finished reading the scores, and Carly clenched her teeth in frustration. Her mood had been

a mess lately due to Marie’s meddling, and Ira wasn’t as enthusiastic towards her as before. On top of

that, the drama club rehearsals had taken up some of her time, and for this exam, she shockingly didn’t

make it into the top five.

There were already girls in the class who couldn’t stand Carly. One of them, who was quite bold,

asked, “Isn’t the school beauty always in the top five? What’s your rank this time?”

Ms. Garcia glanced at the report card and said, “Twelve.”

A few girls were sitting below, giggling to themselves. Forget about being in the top five, Carly

wasn’t even in the top ten.

Carly turned her head and glared fiercely at the girl.

Catching a glimpse of Marie sitting nonchalantly at the back, Carly asked, “Ms. Garcia, what place did

my sister come in?”

The entire class fell silent. They praised Marie for her good looks, but it couldn’t change her poor

academic performance. It was well–known that she would definitely be the last in the class.

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Waylon stood up to ease the tension and said, “Ms. Garcia has only announced the second to fifth

places, hasn’t she? She hasn’t mentioned the first place yet.”

Ms. Garcia cleared her throat and announced, “First place goes to Marie.”

“Who?

Who is the first place?”

“What the heck? I must have heard it wrong!”

“This is quite mysterious, isn’t it?”

The classroom suddenly erupted, and Carly screamed, “No way! There must be a mistake!”

Ms. Garcia glared at her discontentedly and said, “How can you say it’s impossible?”

“She must have cheated!” Carly’s face contorted as she pointed at Marie.

As soon as these words were spoken, many people chimed in as well.

“Yeah, they cheated, right?”

“She must have cheated! If she can get first place, so can I!”

“Every year you barely make it, and now you’re saying you’ll be the top scorer this time? Who would

believe that?”

Everyone was discussing animatedly, and their gazes towards Marie were somewhat disdainful. They

looked down on her for achieving first place through cheating.

Looking at Marie, she sat leisurely by the window in the last row, completely unaffected by the whispers

around her, quietly watching Carly bounce around.

Carly spoke up again, “Marie, cheating can get you expelled. Admit your mistake quickly, and maybe

you can still stay here.”

Marie turned her head, looked at Ms. Garcia, and smiled, “Ms. Garcia, are you going to fire me?”

Ms. Garcia was slightly annoyed, “Marie’s poor performance in the past was due to health issues. As ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

you can see, she’s healthy now, and it’s only natural that her grades have improved. Moreover, just a

moment ago, the principal and the head of the teaching department personally supervised the exam.

Marie scored full marks on her math paper, which is enough to prove that she didn’t engage in any

cheating behavior!”

Carly was so angry that she gritted her teeth, “No way! No way!”

She didn’t even make it into the top ten, yet Marie surprisingly came in first place!

“Does she get first place just because she scored full marks in math? What about her other grades?

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Marie can’t even read a complete sentence in English, how could she possibly rank first?” Carly

questioned again.

Marie stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt, and looked at Carly. She began to speak, “In

this world, there is neither happiness nor misery. All we have are comparisons between different states

of being, nothing more. Only those who have experienced the deepest sorrow can truly understand the

heights of happiness. We must know what it feels like to die, Morrel, so that we can truly appreciate the

joys of living.”

Speaking fluent French, she exuded confidence, elegance, and composure. Then, with a smile, she

looked at Carly and said, “Please translate what I just said.”

Carly was stunned. Marie spoke French fluently and quickly, as if she had grown up in France since

childhood. Her standard spoken language amazed her!

Her French level for the university entrance exam was just enough to pass the test, but it was far from

sufficient for having a normal conversation. So, how could she possibly understand what was being

said!

Marie smiled again and said, “What I just mentioned is a quote from the classic novel The Count of

Monte Cristo. It means that in this world, there is no such thing as happiness or unhappiness, only the

comparison between one situation and another.”

Only those who have experienced extreme misfortune can truly savor the taste of extreme happiness.

Only those who have resolved to face death can truly understand the joy of being alive.

She looked at Carly and said, “If you can’t translate my French, please don’t question my grades.”

Marie gracefully took her seat, and the entire class erupted in applause.

Not many of them understood what Marie had just said in French, so they were in no position to

question her performance.

Moreover, Marie’s performance just now had won their hearts and convinced them completely!

Carly’s face turned beet red with humiliation, as she hung her head low and clenched her teeth, not

daring to speak.

Ms. Garcia gestured for everyone to be quiet and said, “Since there are no more questions, we’ll end

today’s class meeting. You can all ask Marie for advice on how to improve your grades. Also, since

Marie ranked first in the exam, she can move her seat to the front row.”

Marie stood up and shook her head, saying, “Thank you, Ms. Garcia, but I’m fine sitting here. I’m tall,

so I don’t want to sit in the front and block everyone’s view during the lecture.”

Ms. Garcia nodded in satisfaction and left the classroom.

As soon as Ms. Garcia left, people immediately gathered around Marie’s seat, all talking at once.

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Some people asked her how to lose weight, others asked how to improve their grades, and some even

praised her for being gentle and kind. Class 1 had never been this lively before.

Carly sat alone in her seat, glaring intently at Marie in the crowd. Why? Why did all the glory belong to

her?

And then, she clearly saw Marie’s gaze sweep across the crowd and meet her eyes.

With irony, with mockery, and with an unmistakable aggressiveness.

Marie!

Two months ago, she was a clueless and foolish chubby girl, and everyone laughed at her and ignored

her!

Wherever Carly goes, she is the pride and joy of the heavens, the deity of academic excellence adored

by the entire Las Vegas High School!

So, what about now?

The situation has completely turned around.

Marie had become the deity in everyone’s eyes a top student, gentle and kind, as well as intelligent and

beautiful! These people had no idea how terrifying Marie could be behind the scenes!

Carly felt completely ignored! Whenever Marie was around, everyone’s attention was solely on Marie,

and no one seemed to notice Carly at all!

These classmates are like this, Grandpa and Noel are like this, even Ira is like this too!

She saw Marie make her way through the crowd and head towards the hallway restroom. Quickly, she

stood up and followed her.

The restroom was quiet and peaceful. Carly checked each stall, and there was no one there.

Marie was standing in front of the sink, washing her hands. As she looked up into the mirror, she saw

Carly standing behind her, staring at her with a cold, menacing gaze.

“Carly? What do you want to do by following me to the bathroom?” Marie washed her hands, making

eye contact with her through the mirror.

“Marie, what’s with the act of being gentle and kind? You think I don’t know? The whole Hebert family

incident was your doing, just to ruin my and my mother’s reputation! You’re nothing but a manipulative

and malicious woman!” Carly angrily accused her.

Marie shook her hands, grabbed a tissue to dry them, then turned around with her arms crossed

and laughed, “Yeah, that’s right, I planned it all along. You and your mom were foolish enough to fall for

it. What can I do? Should I let go of the rabbit that’s already in my grasp?”

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“Marie! You have no shame!” Carly angrily rushed over to hit her. “Mat

Marie grabbed Carly’s hand with one hand and her collar with the other, pushing her into a bathroom

stall and pinning her against the wall. With her current strength, handling Carly was a piece of cake.

Marie’s eyes held a cold, mocking smile as she said, “Have you forgotten? I, the cunning and malicious

woman, told you that I would take everything from you – your identity, honor, wealth, and love. I will

take it all. And now, you can’t even handle the very beginning?”

“You… you dare!” Carly retorted with a trembling voice.

Marie loosened her collar, patted her cheek, and laughed, “You think I wouldn’t dare? I’ll say it again:

after I’m done with you, I’ll deal with your mom!”

Then she pushed Carly away, disregarding her weak body as she fell to the ground, and strode out of

the bathroom.

Chapter 50 Cheating Leads to Expulsion


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