The narrator, Mira, shares her story of overcoming bullying and adversity. She grew up in a poor household with her sister Nancy, who has cataplexy, a condition that causes her to faint when stressed or angry. At school, Mira faces bullying from a wealthy and spoiled classmate, Lexi, who constantly tries to belittle and intimidate her.
However, Mira's life changes when she discovers a valuable painting that a wealthy client had discarded, which turns out to be an original work by a famous artist. The painting is sold at an auction for $2 million, making Mira and her family rich.
With their newfound wealth, Mira's confidence grows, and she starts to stand up to Lexi. Mira wins the student council elections, and Lexi's behavior becomes increasingly erratic. Eventually, Lexi's family loses their wealth, and Lexi is left to face the consequences of her actions.
In a surprising turn of events, Mira shows kindness to Lexi when she's being bullied by their classmates, and Lexi leaves town with her family. Mira is offered a scholarship to a university, but she declines, citing her loss of respect for the institution due to its willingness to accept bribes. The story concludes with Mira graduating high school with honors and heading to her dream university.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The narrator's name is Mira, and she was born 15 years after her sister Nancy.
2. Nancy has a condition called cataplexy, which causes her to faint when she's really angry or stressed.
3. Mira's mom worked as a maid, and they were poor.
4. Nancy got a job as a teacher at a private school, and Mira was able to attend for free.
5. Mira encountered a bully named Lexi at school, who made her life miserable.
6. Lexi's parents were big donors to the school, which made it difficult for anyone to stand up to her.
7. Nancy lost her job at the school due to an incident involving Lexi.
8. Mira found a tutor's job to support her family.
9. She received a painting from one of her clients, which turned out to be an original by a famous artist.
10. Mira and Nancy sold the painting at an auction for $2 million.
11. With the money, they moved into a better apartment and spoiled themselves a little.
12. Mira became more popular at school, and Lexi became jealous.
13. Lexi's behavior became more erratic and violent, leading to a confrontation with Mira and the principal.
14. Lexi's parents tried to buy her way into a university scholarship, but Mira exposed their plan.
15. Lexi's family lost their wealth due to a market crash.
16. Lexi returned to school, but was bullied by her classmates.
17. Mira stood up for Lexi, despite their past conflicts.
18. Lexi and her parents left town, and Mira received a call from the university dean offering her the scholarship again.
19. Mira declined the scholarship, citing a loss of respect for the university due to their willingness to accept bribes.
20. Mira graduated high school with honors and went on to attend her dream university.