Part 1After Being Exploited And Mocked For My Project, My Academician Father Had Enough

After the hard-won UK Government Scholarship was given to the Headmaster’s daughter, my tutor called me in for a chat. “Let Lily Brown take charge of your project from now on; you can assist her.”

I was both angry and amused. Not only had they taken my scholarship, but now they wanted to steal my project outcomes too?

I flatly refused.

The tutor scoffed, “Once you enter the real world, you’ll see that these kinds of unspoken rules are everywhere!”

The project outcomes had caught the attention of a national expert group, leading to the appointment of a professor to our university.

The school sent Lily Brown to meet him, and the professor frowned.

“Isn’t your daughter the head of this project?”

Recently, the recipients of the highly competitive UK Government Scholarship were announced.

Everyone in the department believed that I was the obvious choice for this year’s scholarship, and I thought so too.

This wasn’t blind confidence; I genuinely stood out among the competitors.

My academic performance spoke for itself. I had won first place in last year’s Student Start-up Competition and English Speaking Competition, had received national-level honours five times, and had even published a paper in a scientific journal last year.

Thus, it was almost an unspoken agreement among everyone that I would be the scholarship winner.

My flatmates had even booked a restaurant early on to celebrate my success.

Everything was set; all I needed was the final confirmation.

Little did I know, instead of a celebratory breeze, a bucket of cold water was about to be thrown over me.

“I can’t believe some people can be so shameless! Popping champagne before the results, thinking they’re something special.”

“Exactly! She’s like a clown, truly embarrassing for our department.”

“Not to mention, our Lily was so understated and collected while winning the scholarship.”

“Shh, keep it down; you don’t want her to hear you.”

“Am I supposed to be scared she’ll hear me? She’s already made a fool of herself.”

I tuned them out, expressionless as I walked into the lecture theatre.

The previously noisy room fell silent in an instant. Everyone stopped what they were doing, all eyes fixed on me.

I casually lifted my eyelids and scanned the crowd, finally resting my gaze on Chloe Smith, the one who claimed she wasn’t afraid of me. The moment our eyes met, her bravado faltered, and she quickly looked down, unable to maintain eye contact.

Jessica noticed and smirked; she was known for her fiery temper.

“Speak up! Cat got your tongue?”

The students glanced at each other, like frightened birds scattering, leaving only Chloe with her head hung low, like an ostrich.

“I’ve never seen someone so brazen, stealing from others and acting righteous about it.”

“Exactly! I’ve never encountered someone so shameless. Who doesn’t know Lily only got the scholarship because of her father?”

“Right? I’ve never seen such a devoted lapdog either.”

My three flatmates chimed in, and Chloe’s face turned a mix of blue and white.

A few people nearby chuckled.

Chloe lifted her head, indignation etched on her face. “You…”

“What’s that?” I shot her a sideways glance.

She faltered, words caught in her throat, unable to decide whether to speak or stay silent, her frustration causing her to stomp her feet.

After lunch, my tutor summoned me to his office.

“Sophie, I know you’re a clever girl. For the past two years, you’ve consistently ranked at the top, winning numerous awards and bringing great honour to the school.”

He started by flattering me, placing a metaphorical crown upon my head before shifting the topic.

“But the scholarship isn’t just based on grades; there’s also your school conduct. Now, as for Lily Brown…”

“Oh, you mean Lily Brown, the Headmaster’s daughter?” I interjected.