The officers ended up putting me in the squad car themselves and driving me straight to the exam hall.

"Thank you, officers."

I stepped out, thanked them, and turned to my mother.

"Mom, I'm going in."

A long line had already formed at the entrance.

My gaze swept the crowd and stopped at one corner.

Landon Henson.

Eighteen-year-old Landon.

He was wearing a white T-shirt, holding a bottle of water in one hand and a box of sweet bean pastry in the other, smiling at me.

That smile was clean and warm—a completely different creature from the man who would corner a woman against a wall ten years from now.

He walked up to me, still smiling, his voice gentle.

"Dora, have you eaten? I made you some sweet bean pastry. At least have a bite—you'll crush it today."

I didn't reach for it.

I just stared at him.

"No thanks. The college entrance exam is too important. I'm not eating anything handed to me by a stranger."

I stepped past him and walked away.

The smile on Landon's face froze solid.

"A stranger?"

He frowned and followed after me. "Dora, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly being so… distant?"

He looked genuinely confused.

Because before the exam, we'd made a promise: once we got into the same university, we'd be together.

I'd always believed it was mutual. That we both felt the same way.

I never imagined I was just a pawn in his hand.

A stepping stone to help Leonora Pruitt get everything she wanted.

I didn't even spare him a glance. I lengthened my stride toward the exam hall, trying to shake him off as fast as I could.

"Dora, my stomach— it hurts, all of a sudden!"

Landon clutched his stomach, his face twisted in pain, and grabbed my arm.

"I can't take it. Can you… take me to the hospital?"

I stopped. Turned around and looked at him.

His face was pale and drawn, and he really did look like someone in the grip of some sudden attack.

I almost laughed.

So the car crash didn't work. Time for Plan B, is that it?

I said nothing.

A flicker of guilt passed through Landon's eyes, but he kept up the agonized act.

"Dora, please. I'm begging you. It's one test—if it doesn't work out, we can just retake next year together."

"I think— it's the hereditary thing, the one that runs in my family. If I don't get to a hospital soon, I could actually die here…"

I smiled, cold, and pointed toward the staff at the entrance.

"If you need help, go ask them. Why are you coming to me? I'm a student about to sit an exam."