Some of them had used their phones to look up the test questions. Some had sent them to friends and family. Some, after the exam, even bragged about how lucky they were to have saved the questions.
All of it was proof.
Proof they’d participated in the cheating scandal.
Sure, they were technically “forced” to receive the questions. But the decision to search for the answers? That part was fully on them.
They benefited from it–so now they’d have to face the consequences.
The principal wrapped up the investigation quickly. He personally posted a formal statement on the school’s website.
The announcement included three main points:
First, it publicly cleared Jean’s name. She had not taken part in any cheating or question–leaking. The messages in the class group chat were the result of a hacked account.
Second, it identified the real culprit: Sunny from Class 3. He had stolen the exam questions, sold them on a secondhand website, and then used Jean’s Facebook account to leak them to the class.
Third, it called out the rest of Class 3. After seeing the leaked questions, they didn’t report them to the school. Instead, many had looked up answers on their own. That, the school said, was no different from cheating.
Finally, the principal stated that within two days, the school would announce formal disciplinary action for everyone involved.
The moment the announcement went live, Stellarford Academy practically exploded.
The school website nearly crashed from the flood of traffic.
No one had seen it coming. What everyone had thought was a cut–and–dry cheating scandal had just flipped upside down.
Jean didn’t cheat?
The school forum lit up instantly, the front page taken over by new threads.
“How the hell did this flip around? I’m shocked.”
“Wait, so we blamed Jean for nothing?”
“Is the principal serious with that statement?”
“I read it three times to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.”
“I know Sunny! He’s a decent guy. I can’t believe he’d do something like this.”
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