5. The police insisted my parents come to the station. I shook my head, explaining they were both working out of town and couldn’t make it back. I noticed the looks on Tiffany’s father’s and the principal’s faces shift, clearly to something more calculating. A child whose parents worked elsewhere—wouldn't she be easy to manipulate? I called my butler, concisely explaining the situation. Then I took off my ruined coat and said to the police, “They’ll have to compensate me for this coat, won’t they?” The officer looked at the bubble tea-soaked coat, nodding. “Absolutely.” “Who spilled the drink on her coat?” the officer asked. Tiffany’s smug expression faltered, her lips trembling. No one spoke up. I simply pointed directly at Tiffany. Tiffany’s father frowned. “It’s just a coat. We’ll pay for it.” He pulled out his wallet, counted a few banknotes, slapped them on the table, and pushed them towards me with an air of condescension. Tiffany mumbled a few times, but didn’t dare speak out. I looked at Tiffany’s father with a faint, amused smile, then pulled out my purchase receipt and handed it to him. His arrogant expression instantly vanished. He stared, eyes wide, at the receipt. “Four… four thousand…” My voice was flat and cold. “Four thousand eight hundred. I bought it last month. No depreciation.” Just then, my butler arrived, accompanied by a solicitor. “If compensation is refused, we will proceed with legal action.” Tiffany’s father, being a local councilman, could certainly afford five thousand. He gritted his teeth. “We’ll pay!” Then he turned and slapped Tiffany hard across the face. I collected the money with a satisfied smile, looking at Tiffany, who was now reeling from the slap. Tiffany dared not speak. She clutched her swollen cheek, all her fury transferring to me. As we walked out of the police station, she pointed at me, her voice trembling with hatred. “You wait!” I met her gaze expressionlessly. Tiffany’s eyes flickered, but she defiantly held my stare. “Alright,” I said. “I’ll wait.” 6. Back at school, the principal called both Tiffany and me into his office. He began with a perfunctory scolding of Tiffany, then spun around to chastise me. “Were you hurt? No, you weren’t! So why didn’t you seek help from the school immediately?” “The school’s teachers would have protected you! Why insist on taking it to the police station? How will others view our school now? What if our enrollment rates are affected next year?” At that moment, the principal’s phone rang. He answered it, his voice immediately becoming obsequious. “Yes, yes, absolutely! You can count on me!” “Don’t worry, sir! I’ll handle everything.” After hanging up, the principal reverted to his stern demeanor. Only this time, he was much gentler with Tiffany and went to great lengths to criticize me. He lectured, “Tiffany merely wanted to have a heart-to-heart with you, a friendly chat. But you insulted her, which made her angry and led her to throw the bubble tea. That’s perfectly natural, completely understandable!” “And you, not only did you show no appreciation, but you verbally abused Tiffany. You even called the police, blowing a small incident out of proportion, causing the school to lose face because of you!” “I’m telling you, you must call your parents here today! And you will apologize to Tiffany in front of the entire school!” I had watched the principal with an impassive face throughout, but at this, I burst into laughter, almost hysterically. That call must have been from Tiffany’s father. Oh, a father in office, who doesn't have one? I nodded. “Alright, I’ll call my father right now.” I pulled out my phone and, right in front of them, called Mr. Sterling-Hayes. My father answered cheerfully at first, asking how I was, telling me Lily was adapting well, and that she hoped I’d come home soon. But his cheerful chatter was abruptly cut short by my tearful voice. I choked out, “Dad, I’ve been bullied.” My father’s garrulous voice fell silent. From childhood, I had always been an undemanding, high-achieving child. Even though a Sterling-Hayes child didn’t need to be. In fact, among my peers in high society, I was always the one leading the pack. My father would never have imagined that I, of all people, would be bullied here. Mr. Sterling-Hayes’s voice was tight with suppressed rage. “Isabelle, it’s alright. Don’t be afraid. We’re coming right away!” “I’ll call the butler first. You just…” Before he finished, I heard an anxious female voice from the other end of the line. It was Lily. Her voice, tear-choked and hoarse, cried, “Dad! Sister must have been bullied by that group too! Please, go save Sister quickly! It’s all my fault for not warning her…” It was then that Mr. Sterling-Hayes realized Lily had also been bullied at this school, and now, the same group was targeting his eldest daughter. The sounds on the other end of the line dissolved into a cacophony. I faintly heard my mother’s voice as well. Not long after, my call ended, and the principal’s phone rang. I watched, bit by bit, as his expression shifted from bewilderment to sheer terror, followed by a torrent of apologies. Tiffany, confused, watched the principal. Only I, dropping the feigned sob, slowly allowed a smile to bloom on my face. 7. Soon after, officials from higher up began to arrive, then even higher authorities… My father, my mother, they all arrived. The principal trembled like a leaf. Tiffany’s father stood beside him, head bowed, offering endless apologies. My father, meanwhile, sat in the main chair, slowly sipping his tea. Only my mother and I knew this was the ominous calm before his storm of fury. My father spoke. “My two daughters, both of them, suffered varying degrees of bullying under your care.” “And you swept it all under the rug. If Isabelle hadn’t called me this time, we would have remained completely in the dark.” The group began to apologize profusely, especially the principal and Tiffany’s father, their heads practically scraping the floor. Tiffany stared at her father, dumbfounded, weeping incessantly. She probably never imagined such a day would come when she bullied her classmates. I watched these people with cold eyes. Tiffany’s father, who abused his power, was now facing a greater authority. The principal, ever the opportunist, was now confronted by a higher power. My father, having served in politics for many years, never abused his power lightly. He was a man of unimpeachable integrity, which is why he had risen to such a prominent position. This time, if it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t have acted like this. My father was a senior government official, and my mother was the head of a financial conglomerate. That was why I could resolve this situation so easily. But what about ordinary children in a small town? What about Lily before she was found? What recourse did they have? Amidst the chorus of bowing and scraping apologies, I slowly clenched my fists. The matter was resolved swiftly. The principal was dismissed, the local education authority launched a comprehensive review of the school’s conduct, and Tiffany’s father was fired from his post. Tiffany and her entire bullying clique were expelled. As she packed her things to leave the classroom, I, in front of the entire class, delivered a resounding slap across her face. Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, unsure what had happened. Tiffany merely clutched her face, her head bowed, not daring to look at me, let alone retaliate. I withdrew my hand, my voice glacial. “Tiffany, that slap was for Lily.” Tiffany snapped her head up, her eyes wide with shock. She seemed to recall something, shaking her head vigorously. “No! No! Lily… Lily can’t be your sister…” “She was just…” Tiffany trailed off. Just what? Just a poor student whose parents had died? Just a frail girl who had been bullied by you for two years and couldn’t fight back? Tiffany fled in disarray. I watched her retreating back. Tiffany had repeatedly flaunted her power in front of me, saying, “You wait, I’ll find someone to teach you a lesson.” This time, I whispered silently to myself, You wait, Tiffany. Did you think this was the end? Did you think the torment my sister suffered for so long could simply be erased by your escape? Dream on. 8. My parents were busy; they couldn’t stay away from NYC for too long. Before they left, my father asked if I wanted to return with them. I looked at their worried eyes and smiled, shaking my head. “Just one more month,” I said with a smile. “Don’t worry, Mom and Dad. Give my regards to Andy and Lily. Tell them not to worry about me either.” My mother sighed, patting my shoulder. “I know you’re a strong-willed child, and I probably have an idea why you came here.” “Mom trusts you, but if anything happens, you must tell us.” I nodded, smiling as I watched my parents depart in their private car. After a day of rest back at the cottage, I returned to school as usual. The moment I entered the classroom, I was met with a barrage of stares and questions. “Isabelle, how did you do it? You actually got Tiffany expelled! That’s incredible!” “Are you involved with some gang outside of school? Or did they get expelled because you called the police?” “No, that’s not right. Other people called the police before, but since they were minors, nothing much happened…” The incident was, after all, rather unsavory, and with all the various authorities involved, most students didn’t know how it was truly resolved. They only knew that Tiffany and her group had been expelled, and the school suddenly had a new principal. I shook my head, ignoring their chatter. I simply settled into my seat and resumed working on practice problems. Victoria secretly watched me for a long time before finally gathering the courage to ask, “Isabelle, are you alright…?” I paused, then shook my head, speaking softly. “I’m fine.” She nodded, adjusting her glasses. “Mid-term exams are coming soon. You should really focus on studying.” I couldn’t help but smile, telling her, “You too. Work hard.” Victoria’s face flushed visibly. She gave a little cough, as if to compose herself, then bent her head to her own studies. The first mid-term exam was fast approaching. After a few days of practice tests, I began skipping classes frequently. After my parents’ intervention, the new class teacher and principal discreetly turned a blind eye to my absences. I had a reason for skipping classes. The evening self-study session the day before the mid-term exams, a boy suddenly exclaimed. “Oh my God, do you know what happened to Tiffany?” “Huh? Didn’t she get expelled?” “Yeah… After she got expelled, her life went to hell. I heard someone beat her up, and her dad’s gambling everywhere now, can’t pay his debts. He just married her off to some guy.” “Goodness, to think of how arrogant she used to be… it’s quite a fall, isn’t it?” “What’s there to sigh about? Have you forgotten how many people she bullied? Remember Lily Dawson from our class, she was bullied so badly she got depressed and transferred schools!” “You’re right…” I propped my chin on my hand, my eyes lowered, watching the pen twirl between my fingers, listening quietly to their discussion without speaking. I opened my phone and clicked on the contact named “Lily.” I concisely updated her on their current situation. After a long pause, I received her reply. “Thank you, Sister.” 9. I secured the top score in the entire school for the mid-term exams. The entire school erupted in shock. Especially my classmates. Our class was practically at the bottom of the school’s rankings, so for a student from it to suddenly achieve the top score was astonishing. Moreover, I had been frequently skipping classes lately and hadn’t exactly been seen as a diligent student. Students from other classes only knew me as the transfer student who had fought with the school’s delinquents and gotten them all expelled by calling the police. Adding to that, I was in a low-ranking class, and the top students from the advanced classes felt their pride stung. Consequently, rumors that I had cheated to get the top score began to spread like wildfire. Victoria sat beside me, staring at her own report card showing a rank of 236. I could almost see the veins bulging on her forehead. Just as I was about to offer some comfort, Victoria suddenly tore her report card into shreds with a violent rip, then buried her face in her arms on the desk, sobbing uncontrollably. Everyone was startled. Several girls who were close to Victoria quickly gathered around her, trying to console her. They offered tissues, fetched water, bustling about for a while until Victoria finally lifted her head, her eyes swollen and red-rimmed. She glanced at me, then was led away by her friends to the hallway for a heart-to-heart. It wasn't until the bell for the next study session rang that Victoria returned, her eyes still puffy. I looked at her and asked, “Would you like me to go over any of the questions you got wrong?” Victoria snapped her head up, staring at me with a strange expression. Her skin was sallow, and her face was dotted with acne. Yet, her desk was spotless, every book neatly categorized and arranged. I could see that she was genuinely striving to achieve something, which is why I offered. But Victoria shook her head, saying it wasn’t necessary. I understood. I wasn’t particularly keen on being overly helpful; if she declined, that was that. My phone vibrated numerous times in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw a familiar sequence of numbers: thirteen missed calls. My gaze froze on the caller ID. Andy. My non-biological brother, who had watched over me for seventeen years. From childhood, I never feared my parents, nor anyone in my social circle. Only Andy. It could be said that my academic achievements, my courage, and even my personality had all been shaped under his rigorous guidance. And my move to Oakhaven this time had, naturally, been kept a secret from Andy, who was studying abroad. Now, after a month, my secret was clearly out. I took a deep breath, closed my phone, and pretended not to have seen it. Then, I silently prayed Andy wouldn’t storm the school. 10. On Monday, as the top student in the school, I was to deliver a speech at the assembly. I wore my freshly issued school uniform, my hair tied back in a neat ponytail, looking like any other student who belonged to this school. I walked to the high platform. I delivered a formal, practically foolproof speech. The auditorium was utterly silent. Until I finished my last sentence, just before stepping down, a murmur suddenly rose from the audience. “She cheated to get first place!” This single sentence, like a pebble dropped into still water, instantly ignited a torrent of whispers. “Oh, really? Is that true?” “It must be! I heard she never studies in class, and she skips all the time.” “I also saw her being picked up and dropped off by a fancy car! She must be a sugar baby!” “Yeah! I think I saw that too! And her clothes and bags were so expensive! She could only afford them if some old man was paying for her!” “Maybe she’s connected to the street gangs, that’s why she could get Tiffany and them expelled.” “She probably pulled strings to get into our school, and then cheated to get first place. How shameless…” The murmurs grew louder, the words sharper, more biting. Those spreading rumors, those repeating them, those simply enjoying the spectacle, those stirring the pot… thousands of eyes below fixed on me, all waiting for my reaction. They anticipated seeing me embarrassed, angry, sad, or ashamed. I could even clearly see the widening smiles on the faces of some of the more malicious onlookers. However, I disappointed them. I maintained my perfectly polite, detached smile, devoid of any discernible emotion, and walked off the stage. The teachers quickly moved to restore order, and the murmuring slowly faded. But gossip, once ignited, does not simply vanish because teachers tell students to be quiet. On the contrary, after that speech, the rumors about me intensified. They claimed I cheated, that I was a kept woman, that my designer clothes were fake, and so on. Some students from other classes even came to peer through our classroom window, openly discussing me in loud whispers. I ignored them, merely frowning and closing the window. Perhaps because they had witnessed my confrontation with Tiffany, my own classmates mostly refrained from open discussion. Victoria even helped me by scolding the students from other classes who were gawking through the window. After she finished scolding them, she turned to look at me, her gaze fixed, seemingly searching for some emotion on my face. I guessed she hoped to see gratitude, perhaps even a hint of sorrow, pain, or shame. Unfortunately, I maintained my composed, almost aloof expression. This seemingly stung Victoria. She met my gaze for two seconds, a flicker of dissatisfaction on her face. She couldn’t help but speak. “Isabelle, don’t you have anything to explain?” I propped my chin on my hand, my voice faint. “Explain what? Explain that the people spreading rumors in the audience were the same ‘friends’ who comforted you and chatted with you in the hallway that day?” Victoria’s composure faltered, then she quickly feigned calmness. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “I… I need to work on my problems.” She avoided my gaze, lowering her head and scribbling aimlessly on her paper. I smiled, a hint of faint mockery in my voice. “Victoria, you look truly pathetic.” This remark seemed to strike a nerve. Victoria’s head snapped up, and she retorted sharply, her voice nearing a shriek, “I am not! If I hadn’t cheated, I worked so much harder than you! Why didn’t I score higher than you?” “You’re just relying on your money! If I had money and was pretty, I’d be much better than you!” “Why do you look down on me?!” Her voice was shrill, almost hoarse. Only when she finished did I speak. “Don’t attribute your misfortunes to me. Did I make you poor? Did I make your grades worse than mine? I’m first, you’re two hundred places behind. Surpass them before you even talk about me.” “I don’t look down on you,” I said with a smile. “I’ve never even truly noticed you.” “You’re not worth it.” Victoria was speechless. She broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. This time, no one came to comfort her. Her crying annoyed me. I turned to ponder how to resolve this situation and return home at the appropriate time. Suddenly, two familiar figures appeared at the classroom door. I froze, instinctively standing up, and called out to the person at the doorway. “Brother.” 11. Andy’s face was grim. It had been years since I’d seen him look so utterly furious, and a shiver of apprehension ran down my spine. Thankfully, Lily, standing behind Andy, came forward, her eyes red-rimmed, and grasped my hand, calling me ‘Sister.’ I couldn’t help but offer her a gentle smile, stroking her hair. At this point, the entire class had recognized Lily, and the room erupted into chaos. “Oh my God, what’s going on?!” “Lily Dawson and Isabelle Sterling-Hayes are sisters?! So Isabelle came here specifically to get revenge for Lily?” “My heavens! This is intense!” “No, wait. Lily used to look so poor. How can she be sisters with Isabelle?” “Who knows! Is it just me, or did anyone else notice that boy? He looks like their brother! He’s so handsome!” Andy took my hand, squeezing my palm in a disciplinary gesture. Then, he swept his gaze around the classroom, and towards the many onlookers in the hallway, raising an eyebrow. “Isabelle’s transfer here was indeed for a specific purpose. Now that her business is largely concluded, she’s here today to bid you all farewell.” “We’re taking her back to NYC.” “I’ve heard all the rumors circulating in the school. Perhaps our family’s chauffeur-driven car appears extravagant to you, but wealthy families also have daughters.” “Isabelle’s academic achievements are well-known in NYC. Her grades, painstakingly cultivated over fifteen years with our family’s substantial investment, have now, in your mouths, become ‘cheating.’” “Should anyone continue to spread baseless rumors, we shall meet in court.” With that, Andy pulled us away. Before leaving, I turned my head to glance at Victoria. She sat at her desk, tears streaming down her face, staring blankly at us as we departed. The rest of the class continued their discussions, gasps, and general pandemonium. But all of that no longer concerned us. 12. Upon returning to NYC. Andy gave me a thorough dressing-down, but then, with a softening heart, he took Lily and me out for a lavish meal. Lily clung to me, so I tutored her daily. She insisted we had to get into the same university. Mr. and Mrs. Sterling-Hayes treated all three of us equally, without a hint of favoritism. Lily became increasingly cheerful and vibrant, a stark contrast to the timid, slender girl she once was. In fact, she even became a little bit plump from my constant feeding. A year later, she successfully gained admission to the same university as me. Together, we embarked on our new university life. Before we left, I asked Lily if she still felt troubled by the past. She shook her head, a genuine smile gracing her lips. “Sister, all those people received their due punishment. And I’ve mostly forgotten about it now. It’s time to embrace a new life.” “And, the most, most, most fortunate thing is that fate made you my sister!” I smiled too, taking her hand as we stepped into the university campus.
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