Broken Genius: Caged By Expectations

Mrs. Alison was quite shocked, and the panic was visible in her eyes. She gradually approached her class, and her students quietly followed.

The principal stepped into the classroom, taking a few steps before finally setting his eyes on Derek.

"Derek, is that your name, boy?" he asked in his usual serious tone.

"Yes, sir," Derek replied calmly, looking up with respect but no fear. He only knew this was the principal because of a school magazine he had come across in the library.

"Where is your classmate? And you need to take your books seriously. If you don't, I'll get rid of you. You're nothing more than a business project," the principal said coldly.

He was known for his harsh words and for comparing students to business ventures. But this time, he clearly meant it.

Everyone had just arrived at the door in time to hear those last words.They was a tense atmosphere immediately those words came to they hearing

He calmly walked out of the classroom.

"Miss Alison, I need to see you in my office immediately," he added as he made his way to his office.

Miss Alison followed without hesitation. Everyone was left in shock, especially Derek.

The weight of those words was hard to process. For a moment, silence fell over the class as all eyes turned to Derek with disappointment.

The general assumption now was that Derek wasn't smart. If the principal didn't control the situation, Derek would surely be expelled.

But that was far from the truth.

Grace pushed through the crowd and walked up to Derek with a satisfied smile.

Finally, he ruined himself, she thought, laughing inwardly.

Just as she was about to speak, a voice came from the crowd.

"Grace," the voice said, cold and intimidating.

She turned and saw Michael. Her heart skipped, there was history between them she preferred not to revisit.

"Don't do this. Don't do what you're about to," Michael said calmly, though his tone made it clear he was serious.

Grace clenched her fists, her face pale. She had wanted to take advantage of Derek's situation, but she knew better than to go against Michael.

Tossing her hair back angrily, she walked away.

Michael looked at his classmates, still standing at the doorway, and stepped aside to let them in.

Derek, still shaken by the principal's words, looked at Michael.

"Thanks for helping me avoid that drama," he said with a small chuckle.

Michael gave a simple nod. But deep down, he had his own selfish reasons for stepping in.

Meanwhile, Miss Alison hurried after the principal. Her heart was racing. She wasn't just scared, she knew this wasn't about Derek doing poorly in class. Because he didn't.

As they neared his office, she slowed her pace, creating a gap so he could go in first. She waited a second before knocking.

"Who is there? Come in," he said, already busy sorting through stacks of paperwork on his desk. He didn't even look up.

She stepped in quietly.

"Sir, you sent for me," she said respectfully, eyes on him.

"Yes, that's right. Have a seat," he replied, still buried in paperwork. He rarely visited the school, so his desk was always flooded whenever he came.

It took him a while to sort through the mess. Then he finally turned to face her.

"I called you here to talk about something serious," he said, pausing so she could take in his words.

She simply nodded.

He then handed her a flyer and leaned back in his chair as she read.

Her eyes lit up. "Ten million dollars?" she said aloud, reading through the material. He smiled selfishly as he rocked his chair from side to side.

When she finished reading, she quickly handed the flyer back. It was about a major competition being hosted in Western London, sponsored by a rising industry. The cash prize alone was staggering.

She was stunned. It had been a long time since she'd seen such a large prize for an educational competition.

"The projected profit is around 85 million dollars," he added, pulling her from her thoughts.

She was still shocked. Everyone knew the school had been set up as a business venture, and this was just another step in that direction.

She looked at the flyer again.

"Eighty-five million? One million in cash prize? This will be the biggest competition we've ever participated in as a school," she said, her cheeks turning red.

The scale of the project wasn't what scared her, it was the fact that she might be the one responsible for handling it.

It wasn't that she feared responsibility. It was that the man in front of her didn't tolerate failure. To him, second place was no better than losing completely. Her job could be on the line.

His smile widened as he adjusted in his seat and rested his hands on the desk.

"This will be one of the biggest educational competitions ever, just like America's Got Talent or the World Memory Championships," he explained.

"We're launching the Continental Math and English Championships."

He paused to make sure she was still following.

"It's going to be incredible. The first world-level math championship with a budget like this."

Silence fell. They both knew what this meant.

Finally, he spoke again.

"And you already know what your role will be in all this."

He stared at her firmly.

"That's where you come in."