Chapter 10
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"Students, today marks a historic moment!" he announced proudly. "Representatives from the USA Mathematical Olympiad Committee have honored us with their presence!"
He draped his arm around Victoria's shoulders: "They've come to honor our gold medalist! Victoria has always been an exceptional Alpha, inheriting the Blackwood family's superior intellect. As her father, I'm not surprised by her achievement!"
The lead committee representative walked onto the stage and shook hands with the principal: "Indeed, Principal Blackwood, congratulations on your school producing an IMO gold medalist."
The principal beamed even wider: "You see! I've cultivated Victoria's mathematical genius since childhood, sparing no expense. Today's achievement is the culmination of years of dedicated parenting!"
The committee representative cleared his throat awkwardly: "However, Principal, I should clarify. The gold medal winner is actually Lily Thompson."
The auditorium went dead silent.
The principal's smile froze: "What? There must be some mistake. Victoria... what award did Victoria receive?"
The representative checked his papers carefully: "I'm afraid there is no Victoria Blackwood on our list of medalists at all."
In that moment, I rose from my seat and walked toward the stage, every eye in the room following me.
"Sir, I'm Lily Thompson."
Seeing me, the committee representative's face lit up: "Lily, congratulations! You've not only won the IMO gold medal, but you've been selected for the Ivy League Joint Training Program. Harvard, MIT, and Stanford have all offered you full scholarships."
The audience erupted in excited chatter while the principal and Victoria stood frozen, faces white as sheets.
The representative handed me the gleaming trophy: "Would you like to say a few words to inspire your classmates?"
I stepped to center stage, facing the entire school community:
"I grew up in a tiny town in Oregon. It's only because of my mother's incredible sacrifice that I'm standing here today. I've been fortunate, yes, but our society is still riddled with prejudice against Betas."
"We're told that Alphas are born for greatness, while Betas are destined to remain second-class citizens forever."
"But to every Beta student who's been made to feel inferior: tune out the noise. Grab every opportunity. Work harder than you thought possible."
"One day, you'll stand on stages like this one, shattering prejudice with your achievements and breaking through every artificial barrier they put in your way!"
The auditorium exploded with applause that seemed to go on forever. Many Beta students were openly crying as they clapped until their hands hurt.
Meanwhile, Principal Blackwood, Victoria, and the teachers who had tormented me slipped quietly out the back doors.
