Both Arthur and Ashley had similar academic abilities when it came to the SAT. In the past, Arthur had worried that Ashley wouldn’t be able to keep up, so he had intentionally held back, keeping his grades in the upper-middle range of his class. But now, as soon as they saw their scores, Ashley exploded with excitement. She jumped up, wrapped her arms around Arthur, and kissed him hard. "Hahaha! Arthur, we did it! We got in! We actually made it! And you—you’re ranked first in the entire country! First place! Oh my god!" She hugged him so tightly, overwhelmed with happiness—not just for herself, but for Arthur too. And she had her own reason to celebrate. While her score wasn’t as high as Arthur’s, she had still placed third in the entire country! Third in the entire country! She had always been a strong student, but never had she imagined achieving something like this. Arthur broke into a genuine smile, pulling Ashley into a tight embrace. "Ashley, you did amazing!" Ashley laughed, but before she knew it, tears began streaming down her face. She hadn’t talked about it much, but Arthur had seen it—she had been carrying this worry the whole time. Now, as she cried and laughed at the same time, her heart felt like it was bursting with happiness. Arthur was a little surprised by his own score too. Maybe dying once had given me a deeper perspective on things. Some celebrated. Others felt disappointment. John and Zac were still in the hospital, anxiously staring at their phones. When they saw Zac’s score, they couldn’t help but feel a wave of frustration. To Zac, grades were never that important. He wasn’t worried about his future—he had money, connections, and options. Whether he got into a top university or not, his life would still be comfortable. Besides, even if he didn’t score well, he could always find another way to get into that prestigious school. But what truly caught them off guard—what really shook them—was Arthur’s score. Arthur had ranked first in the entire country. It seemed impossible. Zac had known Arthur’s grades had improved significantly over the past two years, but first place nationwide? That was the entire country! Arthur’s score was better than anything Zac himself had ever achieved. On South High’s official website, Arthur and Ashley’s names were featured front and center, displayed in bold red letters to mark the achievement. To most, it was a celebration. But to John and Zac, it was an eyesore. Zac’s expression twisted with anger. "Arthur! That worthless nobody—how the hell did he do this?" He had spent over a decade locked in rivalry with Arthur. But now, Arthur had completely turned the tables. Not only had he become the chairman of Cloudia Corporation, but he had also ranked first in the entire nation on the SAT. Meanwhile, South High’s group chat had completely erupted. The principal, Jacob was so excited that he kept repeating the announcement, unable to contain his joy. First place in the entire country! This was a historic moment—never before in South High’s history had a student ranked first in the nation. And it wasn’t just one student—two! Arthur had secured first place, and Ashley had earned third! With results like these, Jacob had enough bragging rights to last a lifetime. Not only was this a first for South High, but it was also the biggest academic achievement in Jacob’s entire career as a principal. Ever since he had taken over South High two years ago, Arthur’s grades had skyrocketed, and Ashley had improved significantly as well. Naturally, people started comparing his leadership to that of the previous principal. This only made his contributions shine even brighter. In the exclusive chat group for school principals, the flood of congratulations nearly crashed the chat. Jacob was grinning so widely that his wrinkles deepened. His appreciation for Arthur and Ashley had only grown. But he didn’t stop there—he made sure every homeroom teacher spread the news in their class group chats so that every student and parent at South High could witness this unbelievable achievement! Naturally, this included the class group chat that both Arthur and Zac were part of. John and Zac stared at the endless stream of congratulatory messages flooding the chat, their jaws clenched so tightly it felt like their teeth might break. Their homeroom teacher, Ruby, was the happiest of all. Normally serious and reserved, she completely let loose, filling the chat with an unusually long string of celebratory words. Raelynn, Julie, and their sister were also in the group. Originally, they had joined because of Zac. But now, the person they felt the most pride in… was Arthur. Their emotions were conflicted, but at the same time, they couldn’t help but feel genuinely happy for him. Especially Raelynn. First place in the entire nation. Arthur was the top SAT scorer in the country. And she—she was his mother. His biological mother. She never would have imagined that Arthur would achieve something this incredible.