Chapter 1016

What on earth was going on with Juniper?

Hearing the deafening cheers around her, Sheryl looked up toward the track.

She saw Juniper's legs moving like a blur, her speed increasing by the second.

Not only did she overtake the runners in front of her, but she also widened the gap, leaving them completely in the dust.

"Ahhh-"

Amidst the roar of the crowd, Juniper steadily crossed the finish line.

"Juniper won!"

The pre-med students stood there in stunned silence, staring at the scene in absolute disbelief.

She had been so far behind, and she had wasted so much time stopping mid-race. How was it possible for her to have such an insane burst of energy at the very end?

It only took her a few minutes to clear the last two kilometers!

And after she finished...

She wasn't panting like a dying dog like the rest of the runners. She looked completely unbothered. The moment she crossed the line, she stopped her face wasn't red, and she wasn't even breathing heavily.

"She's a literal monster," someone muttered, providing the most accurate assessment of the situation.

"Sheryl..."

"Shut up, I'm not blind," Sheryl snapped, having seen it all perfectly. A knot of pure malice twisted in her chest.

So what if she won?

Sheryl knew all along that she was going to win, but she put on a show of being in last place just to get their hopes up and humiliate them.

"I didn't expect Juniper to be so amazing at long-distance running," a passing P.E. professor praised in awe. "With that kind of stamina and speed, she could have finished way earlier. Looks like she was just playing along with the rest of the pack."

She didn't show off too early, saving the others from utter embarrassment, yet still comfortably secured the gold medal.

"She definitely has the genetics of a pro athlete," the professor nudged his colleague. "Should we go talk to Tucker and see if she wants to minor in sports science? With a little training, this girl could easily make the national team."

"What do you think, Sheryl?" one of the professors asked her.

The other professor suddenly choked on his words, quickly adding, "It's fine, it's fine."

The unspoken implication was clear.

*It doesn't matter what you think.*

The two professors kept chatting as they walked away, completely oblivious to the fact that they were talking about Sheryl's arch-nemesis right to her face.

Sheryl clutched her own gold medal, her expression so cold it could freeze water.

Her pre-med classmates and fair-weather friends instantly caught the vibe and started comforting her They claimed Juniper just got lucky, that the second and third place runners were just exceptionally weak, and that Juniper was only the best of a terrible bunch. They assured Sheryl that if they had raced head-to-head, Juniper would have definitely lost.

While they were busy making excuses, Juniper had already collected her prize and was

strolling toward them, swinging the gold medal from its ribbon,

"Let's go." Sheryl had no desire to look at her and tried to veer off toward the stairs.

But Hattie stepped right into her path, blocking her way.

"What's your problem?" one of Sheryl's minions immediately stepped up and yelled.

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"Why are you barking?" Hattie, naturally blunt and bold, shot back flawlessly. "You guys were talking plenty of trash about our Goddess a minute ago, but now that we're face to face, you're suddenly mute?"

"Exactly," the class president took the lead, speaking without holding back. "Didn't you tell us to 'act tough' again?"

"You want to see what a long-distance gold medal looks like?"

The pre-med students choked on their words, too embarrassed to speak.

"What's so special about winning a running race?" Sheryl crossed her arms over her chest. "At best, you get called 'all brawn and no brains.""

"True." Hattie flashed a brilliant smile and nodded toward Juniper. "But our Goddess

is the definition of having both brains and brawn."

"As for some other people, well... that's highly debatable."

"After all, not all of us have a rich daddy who can buy us a spot in an exchange

program abroad, right?"

"What did you just say?"

Hit right where it hurt, Sheryl flew into a violent rage. She pointed a trembling finger

at Hattie, advancing aggressively. "Say that again, I dare you!"