Chapter 34 34
Scarlett's POV
Madison's smile was vicious. "Good. Now we can all watch you lose."
Dr. Westbrook cleared his throat. The room gradually went quiet. All attention turned to him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention please."
The conversations stopped completely. Even the background music seemed to fade.
Dr. Westbrook smiled at the crowd. "Thank you all for allowing us to interrupt your celebration. I promise we'll be brief."
He gestured to his colleagues. "I'm Dr. Richard Westbrook, Executive Director of the National Academic Excellence Foundation. This is Dr. Patricia Reynolds, our Director of Scholar Recognition, and Mr. James Chen, our Research Coordinator."
Polite applause rippled through the room.
Dr. Westbrook continued. "The NAEF has been recognizing exceptional students for over thirty years. Our mission is to identify and celebrate young scholars who demonstrate truly extraordinary academic achievement."
He paused. "Each year, we review thousands of applications and test results from across the country. Out of millions of students nationwide, fewer than fifty receive formal recognition from our foundation."
More murmurs from the crowd. Impressed murmurs.
"This year, we are particularly honored to have discovered an exceptional scholar right here in New York."
Dr. Westbrook's smile widened. "A young woman whose academic performance has exceeded every benchmark we use for evaluation."
Zelda smoothed down her pink gown. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. She looked down at the floor in practiced humility.
She's already preparing for her acceptance speech. This is going to be entertaining.
Dr. Reynolds stepped forward. She held a leather portfolio. "The student we're here to honor today represents everything the NAEF stands for. Excellence. Dedication. Extraordinary potential."
Sal was beaming. He put his hand on Zelda's shoulder. Squeezed it with visible pride.
Viviana was crying. Happy tears. She dabbed at her eyes with a silk handkerchief.
Lorenzo raised his glass slightly. A private toast to his sister.
Even Nico looked pleased. Smug, even.
The Romano family was glowing with reflected glory.
Dr. Westbrook's voice grew more enthusiastic. "This recognition is not just for the student. It's for the entire family. Parents, siblings, extended family who provided support and encouragement. Academic excellence like this doesn't happen in isolation."
He turned to Sal and Viviana. "Mr. and Mrs. Romano, you should be incredibly proud. Raising a scholar of this caliber is a testament to your family values."
Sal nodded. His chest puffed out slightly. "Thank you, Dr. Westbrook. We've always emphasized the importance of education in our family."
Viviana added, "Zelda has worked so hard. She deserves every bit of recognition she receives."
They're already taking credit.
Madison leaned closer to me. Whispered in my ear. "Watch and learn, trailer trash. This is what real achievement looks like."
I said nothing. Just kept my eyes on the stage.
Dr. Westbrook raised his voice slightly. "Today, we're here to recognize a perfect 1600 SAT score."
The room erupted in gasps and applause.
"Oh my God, perfect score!"
"That's incredible!"
"Only point-zero-three percent of students achieve that!"
Dr. Westbrook waited for the noise to die down. "Indeed. A perfect 1600 is extraordinarily rare. In a typical year, only about three hundred students nationwide accomplish this feat out of nearly two million test-takers."
He paused for emphasis. "But what makes this particular achievement even more remarkable is that this young scholar completed the entire three-hour examination in just seventy-five minutes."
The room went silent. Then exploded again.
"Seventy-five minutes? That's impossible!"
"She finished in less than half the time?"
"And still got a perfect score?"
Dr. Reynolds nodded. "The College Board has verified this timing through their digital monitoring systems. The completion time is accurate. And unprecedented in recent testing history."
Mr. Chen added, looking at his tablet. "The statistical probability of completing the SAT in seventy-five minutes with perfect accuracy is so low that our algorithms initially flagged it as an error. That's why the score underwent additional verification."
Madison's grip on my wrist suddenly tightened. Painful.
I glanced at her. Her face had gone slightly pale.
She's starting to figure it out.
Dr. Westbrook continued. "This exceptional performance has generated significant interest from top universities across the country. Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, and Caltech have all reached out personally to recruit this scholar."
The crowd was buzzing now. Everyone talking at once.
Guests were already pulling out their phones. Taking photos of Zelda. Recording videos.
"This is going viral for sure."
"The Romano family just became the most talked-about family in New York."
Dr. Westbrook smiled warmly at the crowd. "So without further delay, I'd like to invite our honored scholar to join us on stage. Miss Romano, would you please come up here?"
The room erupted in thunderous applause.
Cheers. Whistles. Standing ovation.
Sal was clapping hard. His face glowing with pride.
Viviana was crying openly now. Hugging the women standing next to her.
"Our daughter! Our brilliant daughter!"
Zelda stood frozen for just a moment. Her smile flickered. Just for half a second.
Then she smoothed her dress. Took a deep breath. Stepped forward.
She knows. She knows this isn't for her. But she's going to walk up there anyway.
This is going to be absolutely beautiful to watch.
Dr. Westbrook walked toward Zelda. His arms opened wide. "Miss Romano! What an honor to finally meet you in person!"
He extended his hand. Zelda took it. Her hand was shaking slightly but her smile was perfect.
"Thank you so much, Dr. Westbrook," she said. Her voice was soft. Sweet. "This is such an honor. I'm overwhelmed."
"The honor is ours," Dr. Westbrook said warmly. "When we saw your scores, we knew we had to come meet you personally. Students like you are why we do this work."
He guided Zelda toward the stage. Toward the spotlight.
The crowd parted. Creating a path for them.
Zelda walked slowly. Gracefully. Her pink dress swished with each step.
She looked like a princess walking toward her coronation.
Cameras flashed everywhere. Phones recording from every angle.
Zelda reached the small stage area. Stepped up. Stood in the spotlight.
Dr. Westbrook stood beside her. "Ladies and gentlemen, please give another round of applause for this extraordinary young woman."
More applause. Deafening now.
Zelda's eyes were slightly wet. She looked humble. Grateful. Perfectly composed.
Dr. Westbrook handed her a microphone. "Would you like to say a few words?"
Zelda took the microphone. Her hand steadied. She looked out at the crowd.
"Thank you all so much for being here tonight," she began. Her voice was clear. Confident. "I'm so grateful to my family for their unwavering support. To my mother and father who always believed in me. To my brothers who pushed me to be better."
She paused. Her voice got softer. More emotional.
"I know I've been incredibly fortunate. I had access to tutors, to resources, to opportunities that many students don't have. I promise to use this recognition to make everyone proud. To represent our family and our community with honor."
The crowd ate it up. More applause. More cheers.
"Such grace!"
"Such humility!"
"The Romano family raised her right!"
I watched from the back. Saw Zelda standing in that spotlight. Basking in applause that wasn't meant for her.
She's doing exactly what I expected. Taking credit for someone else's achievement. Just like she's taken credit for everything else in her life.
Dr. Reynolds stepped forward. She opened the leather portfolio she'd been holding. Pulled out an official-looking document.
"Now," she said, her voice clear and professional. "Let me formally read the citation."
The room went completely quiet. Everyone wanted to hear the official announcement.
Dr. Reynolds held up the document. Began reading in a clear, measured voice.
"The National Academic Excellence Foundation is honored to recognize..."
She paused. Read the name carefully.
"Miss Scarlett Romano."
The applause continued for a few seconds. Then started to falter. Confusion spreading through the crowd.
"Scarlett? Did she say Scarlett?"
"Wait, which one is Scarlett?"
Dr. Reynolds didn't notice the confusion. She continued reading.
"Scarlett Romano. For achieving a perfect sixteen hundred on the SAT examination. Math: eight hundred. Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: eight hundred."
The applause stopped completely. Dead silence.
Dr. Reynolds kept reading. "Completed in a record-breaking seventy-five minutes. Currently being recruited by Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, and the California Institute of Technology."
Zelda's smile froze on her face. Literally froze. Her expression went from glowing joy to absolute horror in the space of a heartbeat.
The pink flush in her cheeks drained away. Left her pale. Ghostly white under the spotlight.
She stood there. Under that bright light. While Dr. Reynolds read my achievements.
The crowd erupted in confused murmurs.
"Scarlett Romano? Who is that?"
"There are two Romano daughters?"
"Oh my God, they recognized the wrong person!"
"That's not Zelda's score!"
"Wait, perfect sixteen hundred? Zelda got fourteen ten!"
Viviana's hand flew to her mouth. Her face was white.
Sal stood frozen. His proud smile stuck on his face like a mask. His wine glass tilted in his hand. Red liquid sloshing dangerously close to the rim.
Lorenzo's glass stopped halfway to his mouth. He looked like someone had slapped him.
Nico's mouth fell open.
Mr. Chen was staring at his tablet. Then at Zelda. Then at the tablet again. Then at Dr. Westbrook.
His expression changed. From confusion to alarm.
He walked quickly to Dr. Westbrook. Leaned in close. Whispered something urgent.
He showed Dr. Westbrook his tablet screen.
Dr. Westbrook looked at the screen. Then at Zelda standing frozen in the spotlight. Then he looked out at the crowd.
His eyes scanned the room. Searching.
They landed on me.