Chapter 4

I didn't dodge.

I let myself fall to the ground.

The sticky liquid splashed all over my face and hair.

Not satisfied, he strode over and kicked me. "Joanne, I told you I'd make sure you can't survive in this school."

He kicked me several more times.

I curled up in pain, but kept provoking him with my words. "Go on, kill me if you dare, Andrew. You're nothing but scum."

Right on cue, the sound of camera shutters clicked rapidly.

Several reporters and citizen journalists rushed in, snapping pictures wildly.

Andrew and his gang of delinquents scattered.

But it didn't matter. My goal was already achieved.

*****

The school bullying incident escalated.

Coming so soon after the suicide attempt, it attracted widespread attention.

The fact that the other person involved was Andrew, the young master of the famous Grant Corporation, sent the story's popularity skyrocketing.

The hashtag "Grant Corporation Heir Bullies Classmate" shot straight to the top of the trending list.

Soon, a series of videos of me being bullied surfaced online.

Andrew slapping me, dumping trash on me, my textbooks and test papers being ripped up, and the teacher punishing and insulting me...

Crucially, all this happened within view of the school's security cameras.

The incident quickly drew the attention of the education authorities.

Andrew's parents were summoned to the school for a meeting.

The reporters and citizen journalists, lying in wait, swarmed them. All kinds of questions were asked.

"Andrew, why did you bully your classmate?"

"How did she offend you?"

"Mr. Grant, what is your view on your son's actions driving a student to attempt suicide?"

"Did you never teach your son that hitting women is despicable?"

Andrew's dad looked absolutely livid.

He backhanded Andrew across the face so hard it drew blood.

Guess violence really ran in their family.

According to the novel's setting, Andrew suffered domestic abuse from his father growing up, which warped his personality.

Later, he would meet the soft, sweet, sunshine-like Sophie and would be "healed."

Only around Sophie could he control his temper.

Andrew's mother looked pained but didn't dare intervene, just pleading with red-rimmed eyes, "Honey, not here in front of everyone."

Mr. Grant snarled, "He's made me a laughingstock. Grant Corp's stock is plummeting because of this."

"What kind of useless trash did I raise?" He looked like he was about to hit Andrew again.

Right then, Sophie rushed forward, threw her arms around Andrew, and took the blow meant for him.

Andrew stared at her, shocked.

Sophie looked up, her face pale and weak, eyes brimming with tears. "Mr. Grant, please don't hit Andrew.

"This is all my fault. If he hadn't been standing up for me, he wouldn't have gone after Joanne."

Then, she turned and bowed to me. "Joanne, I'm sorry. If you're still angry, hit me, yell at me. Just don't take it out on Andrew. He was just trying to protect me. What did he do wrong?"

What a saint.

I laughed inwardly.

I looked at her. "Sophie, you're my cousin. I'm the one who got beaten up. Why are you all heartbroken for him?"

She was stunned for a moment, then flusteredly explained, "I... I do feel bad for you too! But why did you have to make such a huge deal out of this?

"By doing this, you're hurting the school, our family, and the Grant family. It helps no one."

So hypocritical.

I smiled. "Sophie, you said he was 'standing up for you.' How, exactly, did I hurt you? And what did you tell him that made him so angry he felt he needed to 'stand up for you'?"

Sophie put on her signature hurt expression again. "I... I didn't say much. Don't misunderstand. It was about the scholarship. Andrew felt you were targeting me."

I opened a video on my phone. "But in this video, you said something different. You were crying so pitifully in his arms, saying I've always bullied you."

I opened another video, this one of her crying to Ryan.

Then a third video, where she was crying to other boys in the class.

Andrew stared at Sophie, shocked.

Sophie panicked. "Andrew, it's not... it's not true."

I gave a bitter smile. "I wish it weren't true.

"You're my own cousin. You've lived with my family since you were ten.

"My parents treat you like their own daughter, better than they treat me.

"You got my bedroom. I sleep on the living room couch.

"Oh, and there's another empty room in the house. But because you wanted a practice space, they turned it into a dance studio for you.

"My mom would rather give you a dance studio than give her own daughter a proper room."

I smiled and pulled up the home surveillance footage. "Your closet is full of designer clothes. I'm only fit for cheap, off-brand stuff.

"Anyone seeing this would think I'm the orphan and you're the biological daughter, right?"

Faced with this evidence, Sophie just looked utterly innocent. "Auntie gave me all these things. I never asked for them.

"Auntie just pities me. That's why she's a little nicer to me. I didn't know you'd be so angry about it."

I sighed. "Yes, you lost your parents, so my parents are desperately trying to make it up to you.

"I get first place, you fail. You cry, and they blame me for scoring too high, for making you feel bad.

"I want to join the advanced competition class. But because you can't go, they won't let me.

"You cry, and they cut my allowance, let me go hungry.

"But tell me, where have I ever wronged you? Do I deserve all this?"

Sophie started crying again. "I didn't know any of that. Auntie never told me.

"Wah... Joanne, I never meant to compete with you."

Right. She never meant to compete, because she never needed to.

A few tears from her, and people would willingly fight her battles for her.

Like Andrew. Seeing her cry, he immediately forgot the setting and shoved me hard.