Chapter 2

I pointed at myself, then at Sophie. "I'm 5'9". She's 5'2".

"I wear a size Large. She wears a size Small.

"So, please explain, how does a jacket my mom supposedly bought for me fit her so perfectly?

"And it's not just the jacket. See those shoes? Balenciaga Triple S sneakers."

I casually picked up a pencil case from her desk. "What 'needy student' uses a hundred-dollar pencil case?"

Then I held up my own worn-out pencil case. "My pencil case, my backpack... they're all her hand-me-downs.

"See? Her initials are even on them."

I laughed at myself bitterly.

My parents were just plot devices too, doting mindlessly on the female lead while neglecting their own daughter.

And how did that end for them?

One died saving Sophie.

The other was killed by the villain to advance the main couple's relationship.

Cannon fodder in this novel existed to sacrifice everything for the protagonists, even their lives.

But I would never do such a thing for her.

I refused to accept this. I planned to fight till the end.

The classroom fell into an eerie silence.

Sophie's face flushed bright red.

She looked toward the school's bad boy, Andrew Grant, sitting in the corner, seeking help.

But Andrew was giving her a cold shoulder these days. He turned his head away, pretending not to see.

Suddenly, she burst into loud sobs. "I don't want any of it. The scholarship, the clothes, the shoes... you can have them all back.

"If I could, I'd trade it all just to have my parents back."

With that, she covered her face, cried dramatically, and ran out of the room.

Andrew, who had just been ignoring her, shot up, came over, and kicked my desk hard.

He gave me a dangerous look. "If you make Sophie cry again, forget the scholarship. I'll make sure you can't even stay in this school."

Then he went after Sophie.

I glanced up at the security camera in the classroom, a slight smile touching my lips.

This wasn't the first time Andrew had bullied me.

Even this novel world had laws.

The homeroom teacher gave me a dirty look, her tone sarcastic. "Some students let jealousy get the better of them. It's not a good look.

"A six-year-old knew how to share. You're seventeen or eighteen and still don't understand basic courtesy?

"All you know is how to fight and compete. It's so unbecoming."

I laughed in disbelief and fired back without holding back. "You talk about courtesy, but why did you throw a tantrum when you didn't get that professional promotion?

"And on Teacher Appreciation Week, when students gave you gifts, I didn't see you 'courteously' refusing any of them."

Her face cycled through shades of red and white. She slammed the lectern hard. "How dare you! How dare you accuse me of taking bribes?

"You... get your parents here right now! A student like you... I can't teach you!"

I smiled at her. "I have proof, you know." I deliberately waved my phone.

Her expression changed drastically. She looked around, then suddenly rushed over, snatching my phone from my hand. "Having a phone during class violates school rules! Confiscated!"

I looked around the room. "Everyone here has a phone. You can't just confiscate mine, can you?"

Many students started secretly hiding their phones.

A few looked back at the teacher defiantly; they were the ones from powerful, wealthy families she couldn't afford to offend.

Cornered and panicking, she lost her head and threw my phone out the classroom window.

She glared at me viciously. "You're so young, yet you already know how to threaten your teacher? Did your parents not teach you to respect your elders?

"Go pick it up yourself."

She probably thought destroying the phone would destroy the evidence.

Little did she know, I was waiting for her to do just that.

I let out a loud wail and ran out of the classroom.

One minute later, I was standing on the school rooftop.

A class was having P.E. below. Someone spotted my precarious figure and yelled, "Someone's going to jump!"

Soon, the school administration and other students were alerted.

A crowd gathered below, and another formed on the rooftop.

The school called the police. The officers tried to talk me down.

The school administrators also promised repeatedly to ensure justice, saying they'd make the teacher compensate me and apologize.

Under all this pressure, the homeroom teacher had no choice but to back down.

"Alright, Joanne, I'm sorry, okay?" she said, clearly frustrated. "I acted impulsively before. I'll buy you a new phone. Just come down, please. Your actions are creating a very bad image for the school, and for yourself."

Her apology was completely insincere.

I pretended to be hysterical, crying loudly. "I don't want a new phone, and I don't want your fake apology!

"Everyone bullies me! Can't I just choose not to live anymore?"

As I spoke, I shuffled another half-step closer to the edge.

It was only the 12th floor, not super high, but I'm scared of heights. My knees were weak, and my head was spinning.

But I had to tough it out.

I needed this to be a big enough scene to get the fairness I wanted.

Seeing me teetering, the police officer immediately scolded the teacher. "Do you even know how to talk? Is that any way to apologize? Are you trying to push this student to her death?"

The school principal also tore into the teacher, finally deciding, "You are suspended, effective immediately. Reflect on your actions."

The teacher was indignant. "All I did was throw her phone! Is it really that serious?"

I started to fight back. "Yes, it is serious! For three years of high school, I've consistently ranked in the top ten and won awards in various competitions. But every time there's an award or recognition. I get passed over.

"You turned a blind eye when I was bullied by classmates. You even encouraged others to isolate me.

"You lied to my parents, telling them I pick fights at school and disrespect teachers.

"Everyone else brings phones, but you only target me.

"What did I ever do to you?"

The teacher was speechless.

She probably couldn't even explain why she targeted me so much.

Because I was the villainess destined to turn evil, and she was just a tool to speed up the process.