In the crowded halls of Oakridge High, there was a boy named Liam who always stood out—but not in the way he wished. Thick glasses slipping down his nose, books clutched tightly to his chest, and a backpack weighed down with dreams, Liam was the “nerd” everyone teased. While others spent afternoons at the mall or playing video games, Liam found his happiness solving complex math problems, building robots from scrap, and coding small games. His classmates often laughed at him, calling him names and leaving him out of their weekend plans. “Lighten up, nerd,” they said. “Life’s not all…

From a very young age, Mia believed that hard work always led to fair rewards. She grew up thinking that if she studied hard, treated people kindly, and followed the rules, life would treat her justly in return.But reality, as it turned out, had a different lesson in store. The First Blow Mia was a brilliant student in college, topping every class, volunteering for every project, and staying up countless nights polishing her work. She dreamed of landing a prestigious internship at one of the top companies in her city.She believed she had earned it. Yet, when the list came…