Marco Yuzon is attending a book signing event for his new book, The Gifted. He begins by reading a few chapters of the book. Zoe Tuazon is a mixed race, rich, overweight, aggressive, and intelligent girl who goes to a school for an entrance exam with the unattractive Aica Tabayoyong and their parents. Both of the students are highly gifted but are not admitted to the school. Instead, they get enrolled at a more prestigious school. One day, during religion class, Zoe ruins her reputation when she questions the story of creation and discusses the merits of the big bang theory. The next day, Aica ruins her name when she soils herself during a music lesson. The two outcasts become close friends and start causing trouble at school by poisoning students and a teacher and by setting a booby trap for the religion teacher. The entire school develops a fear of the two. Now in high school, Zoe and Aica vie for the valedictory honors. Zoe's mother convinces her to find Aica's weakness to prevent Aica achieving this. A new student, Mark Ferrer , a stereotypical jock, arrives at the school, and Aica immediately falls in love with him prompting Zoe to proceed with her destructive plan. Zoe meets up with Mark and convinces him to pretend to fall in love with Aica. In exchange Zoe does his homework and helps him cheat on quizzes. While he is not attracted to Aica, Mark forces himself to date her. Mark and Zoe's arrangement continues. After high school, Aica majors in Mathematics at the Ateneo de Manila University while Zoe goes to Princeton to study Neuroscience. Both girls graduate with summa cum laude honors at their university. Before returning to the Philippines, Zoe and Aica undergo extensive plastic surgery to become more attractive. Both start a career in modelling and again become rivals. Zoe bumps into Mark who has graduated from a university in the U.S. Still furious with Aica, Zoe plots revenge and shows everybody the animated video version of Aica soiling herself pants during grade school. Aica follows Zoe to her house and, as Aica enters, a booby trap almost kills her. After Zoe's several attempts of killing Aica backfire, Zoe finally gives up after Aica almost drowns her. The two make up, but Zoe reveals it was just an act and points a gun at Aica. Aica runs for her life only to bump into Mark who shields her from the gun shot, wounding his face. Mark is admitted to the hospital while Aica asks Zoe to apologize. At first, she shows no remorse, but upon seeing of a picture of Mark wounded, she realizes her mistake. Aica and Mark get married the day that Zoe plans to leave the country. She sets a trap in the couple's hotel room which leads to a picture of young Zoe and Aica. Zoe has left the couple a letter apologizing for the things she had done which marks the end of the Marco's book. After the book signing, Marco Yuzon leaves the bookstore. A girl slams a copy of his book on his windshield; she turns out to be Aica. Zoe is with her, but the two have remained unattractive and overweight. The two, whose real names are Mica and Joey, are very angry at Marco who was their classmate in grade school and high school. Marco has always been envious of the girls' successes and is bitter for always placing third behind two girls. The novel is his way expressing his anger. The girls tell Marco they want him to sign their book with his blood and started to beat him up.
