Chapter 2582


    But at a high school that seemed to have adopted the “boot camp” approach from its neighboring


    institutes, the days seemed long and the pressure was intense for Mara. Students were squeezed from


    dawn till dusk, hardly getting a moment to breathe, let alone rx.


    Mara had once worked hard, determined to prove herself and earn a spot at that prestigious school like


    Victoria.


    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    But such ambitions felt like distant memories now.


    Victoria couldn’t miss the hint of resentment in her sister’s voice. She yfully ruffled Mara’s hair, “Just


    buckle down and, ace your SATs. We’ll be on the same college campus in the future. Our school’s choir


    competition has had a long tradition. Winners even get topete at nationals, so it’s a big deal for


    us.”


    Mara had always been granted free rein with Victoria’s smartphone, and she took the opportunity to


    scroll through and see what a well-rounded private high school was like.


    However, she hadn’t expected to see the very boy who had offered herfort the other day standing


    in the center of the back row of the choir photo.


    “Ah-”


    Victoria was busy applying her nightly face cream, turning at the scream from her sister. “What’s the


    matter? Did someone send me a prank video or something?”


    “Is the choir all made up of people from your ss?”


    Victoria nodded, “Of course. Wepete as a ss. Lots of heartthrobs, right? And even more


    beauties.”


    “Yeah, no shortage of those,” Mara muttered, a sense of dread creeping into her heart. She knew just


    how beautiful her sister was, not to mention the other attractive girls in her ss.


    If that boy spent his days surrounded by such beauties, would he even notice an ordinary girl like her?


    Why did fate have to be so cruel, bringing this boy into her life only to ce him in her sister’s ss?


    Why? Hadn’t the universe ever thought to throw her a bone?


    Mara clenched her teeth, her back to Victoria, who couldn’t see the dark expression shadowing her


    face.


    “Who’s the guy in the center of thest row?”


    Victoria’sughter was light and carefree, “You’ve noticed him too, huh? He’s been voted ‘Mr. Popr’


    ever since he set foot in the school. And he’s held onto that title until now.


    Quite the looker, isn’t he? Girls line up from our ssroom door all the way to the stairwell just to catch


    a glimpse of him.”


    Victoria turned to smile at Mara, who couldn’t mirror the gesture. “What do you mean? Are you secretly


    dating? Are you two together?”


    Mistaking her sister’s concern for curiosity, Victoria shook her head, “Not even. I wouldn’t dream of


    dating at such a crucial time in my life. We just work together on some schoolmittees, so we talk


    more often.”


    Mara’s world quaked once again.


    Victoria’s words struck like a bolt from the blue, shattering Mara’s illusions. She couldn’t absorb another


    word Victoria said. Her world had crumbled into ruins in a second.


    Why was fate so cruel to her? The boy had been ced before her only to be taken away. He was


    supposed to be hers; she had met him first!


    “Mara, are you listening to me?”


    After finishing her skincare routine, Victoria called to her sister several times, but Mara seemed lost in a


    daze, oblivious to the sound of her voice.