Rebirth: A Second chance at life-Chapter 64: Taking the exam.

Yesterday, she had received a call. A very specific call from the secretary of none other than Mr. Alexander Brown. The instructions were clear: Don’t let Aurora take the exam.

Miss Williams had been more than happy to comply. She didn’t want to waste time on someone she believed would fail anyway.

Now, with the principal clearly ignoring any subtle warnings, she would be forced to go along with it. But her pride wasn’t going to sit quietly.

Fine, she thought bitterly. Let her take the test. I’ll shove her blank paper in the principal’s face when she fails.

A twisted sense of satisfaction bloomed in her chest. And perhaps, when the board saw her handling of the situation—and Aurora’s failure—they might consider her for promotion.

Maybe even the principal’s chair, if the old man retired. It wasn’t an impossible dream. She was respected, experienced, and had her share of supporters.

With that fantasy fueling her confidence, she smiled stiffly and nodded.

"Very well, Principal Harris," she said with false sweetness. "If that’s your decision, I’ll go prepare the room."

As she left, Aurora arrived just outside the office, her knock polite and calm.

"Come in," Harris called.

Aurora stepped inside, her presence instantly shifting the energy in the room. She wasn’t dressed like a teenager.

She wasn’t walking like one either. There was elegance in her every move, a quiet confidence that didn’t need to be spoken aloud.

"Good morning, Principal Harris," she said with a gentle smile.

"Miss Aurora," he greeted, trying to read her. "Is there something you need before your test?"

"No, I’m here to take the test now. May I?" Aurora’s voice was calm as she looked directly at the old man seated in front of her.

She had overheard the conversation between Raya and Principal Harris earlier, and she had sensed it clearly—yesterday, even Mr. Harris had thought of her just like everyone else did.

A nobody. A waste of time. But today... today, he was giving her a chance.

He studied her for a moment. Her eyes were no longer dull. No longer afraid. Whatever happened in the years she’d been gone had changed her.

The girl was gone. What stood before him was someone entirely new.

Looking at her calm and steady gaze—though her eyes clearly held doubt, as if silently asking what had changed in him—Principal Harris exhaled softly.

He murmured, almost to himself, "Everyone deserves a chance. It’s not that I trust you blindly... but sometimes, offering a chance is the right thing to do."

Aurora nodded.

Outside the room, Miss Williams stood waiting, arms crossed, already thinking of how to make Aurora’s day miserable.

But something deep in her gut twisted with unease. That girl—no, that woman—had not walked into the office like someone who planned to fail.

And that unsettled her more than she was willing to admit.

Aurora stepped out of the principal’s office, her face calm and composed.

The corridor outside was quiet, her footsteps echoing slightly on the polished floor as she followed Raya, who was walking ahead with stiff shoulders and an obvious air of displeasure.

Once they were far from the principal’s door, Raya suddenly stopped and turned to face her.

Though she was slightly taken aback by the quiet confidence in Aurora’s expression and the way she carried herself, Raya quickly masked her surprise with disdain.

"Stop this little act," Raya sneered, eyes narrowed. "Just go back to your slums and live the life you came from.

Don’t come here trying to dirty our school’s name and waste our time and resources. We all know what you’re capable of—which is absolutely nothing.

Principal Harris might be confused because of his old age, but not me. Who do you think you’re fooling?"

Aurora’s eyes narrowed slightly, her voice low and dangerous. "Have you finished?"

The sharpness in her tone sliced through the air like a blade, and Raya instinctively took a step back.

Her mouth, which had just been spewing venom, suddenly clamped shut. A strange chill ran down her spine, and she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of fear under Aurora’s piercing gaze.

Why do her eyes feel so intimidating? Raya thought, trying to brush off the unease. No, it must be my imagination.

"If you’re done, then take me to the examination room," Aurora said flatly.

Raya scoffed and turned without another word, leading Aurora to the designated exam hall with an unwilling glare.

The room was already prepared, with a single table placed at the front and four thick sets of papers stacked on the desk. Science, Mathematics, Language, and Logical Reasoning. The timer was set for three hours.

Without hesitation, Aurora walked to the seat, pulled out the chair, and sat down.

She glanced at the clock, then at the exam sheets, and began reading through them one by one.

Minutes later, she started writing. Her hand moved swiftly across the paper, her posture relaxed, her eyes sharp and focused.

She didn’t even look up once.

An hour later, she stood up and walked to the front of the room.

The examiner—a middle-aged man who had been eyeing her with thinly veiled annoyance since the beginning—watched in disbelief as she handed over all four answer sheets.

He scoffed, not bothering to hide his disdain.

Who does she think she is? he thought bitterly.

Showing off like that, as if she’s some genius. How dare someone like her—someone who couldn’t even get through high school—try to qualify for the SATs?

He shook his head and muttered under his breath, then turned away without even a word of acknowledgment.

Aurora, unaffected, simply walked out of the room.

After she left the room, gossip quickly spread across the campus. Some students mocked, "Look at the so-called topper who failed every test until now, thinking she can take the SATs directly!"

Another sneered, "She couldn’t even figure out the school’s test properly, and yet she was so confident she’d ace it.

Hahaha, what a show-off!" Laughter echoed in the hallways, and soon the school forum was flooded with harsh comments and cruel jokes about Aurora once again.

As she passed a group of students who were giggling while staring at their phones, one of them deliberately whispered loud enough, "She thinks she’s smart now just because Principal Harris gave her a shot.

Wait till the results come out. She’ll be gone like dust in the wind."

Aurora stopped.

She turned her head slightly and gave them a small smile—one that didn’t reach her eyes.

"I don’t need to prove anything to people who don’t even know how to think beyond what they’re fed," she said calmly. "But thanks for keeping me relevant. It’s always nice to know how obsessed you all are."

With that, she walked away.

Unbothered.