Orphan To Unbreakable Queen - Chapter 143: Chapter 143

Maybe it was the pressure from Aubree, but Carmen did really well in her art exams. She had talent all along, and this time she performed beyond expectations. Carmen could have easily gotten into Rithol Art School on her own merit—if she had not stirred up so much trouble before.
But unfortunately, she had already been blacklisted by Rithol Art School.
Ever since Carmen made a solemn vow to Ronald, she had been working tirelessly—from the moment she left the hospital right up until the SAT.
Looking back on the SAT, Carmen thought confidently, 'My scores are definitely Rithol Art School material.'
Upon hearing the news, Alice was overjoyed. She rushed back from abroad overnight, feeling she finally had something to boast about.
Alice said with a proud smile, "Aubree doesn't know what's good for her—she switched to academic subjects for a whole year. Even if she used to get good grades, there's no way she could've scored higher than you, Carmen.
"If you really put your mind to it, Carmen, not even 10 Aubrees could hold a candle to you. I even asked around—your scores put you easily in the top 100 among all art students in Rithol City."
Bryan and Ronald could not care less about how Carmen did on her SAT. At most, Ronald would ask to be sure she could get into Rithol City's art school. Even if not Rithol Art School, the cutoff scores at Rithol Academy nearby were no less competitive.
Trevor smirked as he listened to Alice and Ronald Wilson taking turns praising Carmen. He thought, 'Did Mom and Daxton really forget that Aubree not only won the International Mathematics Competition, but that Carmen even got her award by plagiarizing Aubree's artwork for the contest?
How could Carmen ever measure up to Aubree?'
But Trevor did not say anything to ruin the moment. Deep down, though, he still hoped that Carmen could outshine Aubree.
Carmen pursed her lips with a faint smile. "I was wrong before. I was too impatient—terrified you'd think I wasn't as good as Aubree and would abandon me..." She lowered her eyes, her gaze turning somber. "I did things I shouldn't have, even brought trouble to our family. But now I've thought it through—Mom will always be my mom, and my brothers, too. I don't need to be afraid anymore; I just need to keep moving forward, knowing you'll always be my unwavering support!"
Alice and Daxton had always believed Aubree was in the wrong. In their eyes, letting Carmen suffer such humiliation only proved once again that Aubree did not know how to value the goodwill she had been shown.
Carmen's sudden confession and self-blame moved them deeply.
'Clearly, it's our failure to give her enough security that made Carmen feel so anxious and scared,' they thought.
"Once your SAT results are out, Carmen, I will throw you the grandest celebration!" Alice declared proudly. Before she even returned home, Alice had already boasted to her circle of friends that Carmen would surely make a name for herself in Rithol City with her outstanding scores.
She thought to herself, 'I'll make sure Aubree sees this—leaving the Wilson family will be the biggest regret of her life!'
Everyone who heard the news showered the Wilson family with praise, marveling at how well they raised their children. Their four sons had always been exceptional—each more outstanding than the last—so everyone thought it must be in their genes. But to their surprise, even their adopted daughter, Carmen, turned out to be truly remarkable.
"If you ask me, Carmen's been smart since she was a kid," someone remarked.
"Alice, you really are blessed. Having four sons who are the cream of the crop is impressive enough, but even your adopted daughter is miles ahead of everyone else's," another chimed in.
"Carmen really is outstanding," echoed someone else.
Alice was practically glowing from all the compliments Carmen was getting. 'That's my daughter, after all—of course, she's exceptional!' she thought.
The SAT results were released soon after.
Carmen held her breath as she typed her ID with trembling fingers into the webpage. In an instant, her scores popped up.
She had scored 1200 on the SAT, accompanied by an impressive 300 on her art exam.
With these results, she was undoubtedly among the top art students in Rithol City. Forget the top 100—she was easily in the top 50!
Even the usually indifferent Trevor could not help but look twice. 'If she had this kind of talent all along, why bother with those stunts before?' he thought. 'Guess you never really know your potential until you're pushed.'
Carmen had not expected to score so high on the SAT—she cried out in excitement. Daxton immediately swept her into a hug and exclaimed, "Carmen, you're incredible!"
Alice's face flushed with excitement. "And that's with Carmen only putting in effort toward the end. If she'd taken it seriously from the start, she might've been this year's top art student!"
Alice wasted no time spreading the good news to her social circle, expecting nothing but admiration and envy. But things did not go quite as she had imagined.
"Alice, this is your daughter, Aubree, right?"
The person on the other end sent over a news link. Alice did not even have to open it—the headline alone was enough to sting her eyes.
"One-Year Stunning Comeback: Rithol High School prodigy Aubree Miller scores 1570 on the SAT and ranks 3rd in Rithol City's STEM standings."
Aubree was not valedictorian, but that headline drew more attention than the article about the actual valedictorian.
Aubree's name was already well-known in Rithol City. At just 18, Aubree had launched her own business and, in just one year, built a fortune worth tens of millions—a staggering feat.
With a near-perfect SAT score, Aubree had added another remarkable achievement to her record. Considering she had only switched to full-time academics a year ago, even a score of 1200 would have been commendable.
Not only did Alice see the news on her phone, but the same notification popped up on Carmen's computer screen.
The once joyous atmosphere evaporated in an instant, plunging the entire room into stunned silence.
Carmen could not believe her eyes—third in the entire state! Aubree was not even the top scorer, yet she shone brighter than the one who was! 'Aubree only studied for a year—how on earth did she do this?' Carmen thought in disbelief.
Her expression grew tense as she hurriedly clicked open the article. "Maybe it's just someone with the same name," she murmured, clinging to that last bit of hope.
As Carmen scrolled further down, her expression turned cold the moment she saw the photo—Aubree standing outside the exam hall, radiant and carefree, beaming as she held a bouquet of flowers.
Suddenly, more breaking news alerts popped up.
"Shocking! The third-highest scorer is also the only high schooler in history to place in the International Mathematics Competition!"
"From arts to academics in just one year—Aubree Miller's stunning comeback!"
"Perfect scores in Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology—her only weakness, Odionlandian, kept her from the valedictorian title."
"The third-place's perfect-score essay, A Fleeting Dream of a Lifetime, has been released. Experts praised it as a haunting glimpse into the soul of someone reborn from despair."
The four of them stood in the room, stunned into silence as they read the news. They could not believe their eyes—this was really Aubree!
'Had she started with academic subjects from the very beginning, just how astonishing would her achievements have been?' they thought.
Even though Aubree ranked third, the valedictorian was only two points ahead of her. And to think she had only been studying for a year—yet in that same year, she also founded Bree Technology!
Gone were the days when Bree Technology had to beg for funding. The company now had a firm foothold in Rithol City's digital media industry—and even nationwide. Plenty of people were lining up, throwing money Aubree's way just for a chance to work with her.
Aubree was an extraordinary individual—so remarkable that she seemed almost otherworldly.
"Aubree... Having that kind of score?" Even Daxton was visibly shocked. He had always been an exceptional student himself, but back then, his SAT results had only placed him in the top five in the entire state. He was the top achiever in the family, yet here was Aubree, who had only studied for a single year, effortlessly outshining him.
Trevor looked away awkwardly. 'Is Aubree really that capable?' he wondered.
Alice's eyes widened in shock—she could not bring herself to accept that Aubree had actually achieved such outstanding SAT results.
Carmen clenched her fists tightly, digging her nails into her palms to resist the urge to smash her laptop. "Aubree... She actually scored that high?" she said.
Beneath Carmen's envious facade, she was seething—she longed to rip Aubree apart. 'I already have such a high score, yet Aubree still manages to steal my thunder!' Carmen fumed inwardly.
Alice's phone started ringing off the hook—everyone was calling to confirm if the third-place prodigy who had only studied for a year was really from their family.