Reborn to Burn Them All novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A story about an underdog becoming the top STEM student would create way more hype than another top student doing well.

Howard feigned deep thought. “I suppose that’s true. None of us in the family ever expected Sophia to do so well.”

The reporter turned to Heather, and Howard introduced her as his mom.

“Mrs. Chandler, how do you feel right now knowing your daughter has become the top scorer among STEM students?” the reporter asked.

Heather recalled the fierce look on Sophia’s face when Sophia had threatened her. She felt a strong urge to reveal Sophia’s true colors to the reporter, but she held back. Her smile looked totally forced.

“Honestly, I’m shocked, but also very excited,” she said. “This kid has never needed much guidance from us growing up. To put it nicely, she’s independent. Bluntly? She’s just a total rebel.

“She’s super quiet and barely talks. Some months, she wouldn’t even say ‘Mom‘ or ‘Dad‘. She never shared anything with us, not even about taking

the SAT.

“We tried to help, but she thought we were just nagging. Eventually, we just backed off, figuring she’d grow up and get it someday.”

The reporters caught the edge in her voice. Something felt weird, but they figured she was just humble–bragging. After all, which parent wouldn’t be thrilled if their kid became the top scorer among STEM students?

Abruptly, Howard asked, “Will your interview be broadcast?”

The reporters were momentarily stunned. “Of course. We even have a livestream running here.”

Howard flashed a smile–thinking he looked charming. “Hey, if any of my

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Chapter 13

fans are watching, help me spread the word. Sophia totally wants everyone to know she topped the STEM rankings.”

The reporters went dead silent, totally confused.

Finally, a reporter spoke up. “Mrs. Chandler, which college would you like Sophia to attend?”

Without hesitation, Heather replied, “Halinston University. My oldest daughter’s there, and she topped the STEM rankings two years back.”

As she spoke, her face lit up with pride and joy—a stark contrast to her indifferent demeanor when discussing Sophia earlier.

The reporters were left speechless.

Meanwhile, the livestream blew up with comments.

[Why does this feel so strange? If I were the top scorer among STEM students, my mom would be hugging me tight and crying tears of joy.]

[If I scored that high, my parents would lose their minds. They’d spam Instagram, telling everyone–and I mean EVERYONE–about it.]

[When she talked about Sophia, she looked totally grossed out. But when it came to her other daughter, she couldn’t be more proud. Both of them are top scorers among STEM students, so why the big difference?]

[Didn’t you hear what Howard just said? Sophia was a total underachiever and a troublemaker when she was younger. Who would’ve thought she’d turn things around like this?]

[Exactly! Good grades don’t make Sophia a good person. When her own family can’t stand her, something’s definitely wrong.]

[I thought Heather was just humblebragging. But Sophia did really well on her own–she’s definitely got her own mind and some serious personality.]

[Howard is so handsome! This is his natural look, isn’t it? And his mom

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Chapter 13

looks so young and classy. No wonder she has such a good–looking son like Howard.]

[Oh my gosh, check out this place! Howard’s living large. Look at that mansion, and they’ve got servants. Howard is really a rich kid.]

Regular viewers went quiet, watching those strange comments flooded the livestream.

*****

Howard and Heather’s words during the livestream quickly went viral, hitting the trending lists on all major platforms.

The headlines read: [Howard’s Sister Tops STEM Rankings], [Howard Trashes His Own Sister’s Grades], [From Slacker to Superstar], [Underdog’s Crazy Academic Comeback], and [Meet the Rebel Genius].

With Howard’s star power combined with Sophia’s impressive

achievement, the topic quickly surged into the top 10 trending discussions

online.

*****