Chapter 1

"Emily Lane, you jerk. How could you do something like this to me?" Sophie Quinn shrieked.

Sophie rushed out of the equipment room, her clothes a mess, tears pouring down her cheeks, her delicate shoulders shaking with fear.

She pointed right at me, her gorgeous eyes filled with tears and burning hatred.

The crowd of students exploded, their eyes like daggers, all aimed straight at me.

I stood there, still holding the sketchbook I'd borrowed, my mind completely blank.

"Assault? Sophie, are you out of your mind?" I stared at her, thinking this was ridiculous. "I'm a girl. How could I possibly assault you?"

The whole place went dead silent.

*****

"Don't let her fool you." Sophie's cries suddenly grew louder, her voice laced with desperate, piercing despair. "S-She used tools. I'm so scared."

She was sobbing so hard she could hardly catch her breath, like she'd been through hell, her whole body trembling as if she might collapse at any moment.

The whispers started up again, but this time, everyone was looking at me with pure disgust and contempt.

"Holy crap, a girl can do something like that?"

"That's twisted. You really never know what someone's capable of."

"Emily always seemed so aloof, but who knew she was this nasty?"

My best friend, Grace Grant, pushed her way through the crowd and pulled me behind her, shielding me from the stares. "Sophie, what the hell are you talking about? Em barely knows you. Why are you making up stuff?"

Sophie's best friend, Vera Shaw, immediately stepped forward, catching Sophie as she looked like she might collapse. "Grace, are you blind? Look at Sophie. How could this be fake? Emily, are you really going to deny what you did?"

I stared coldly at the whole farce unfolding before me.

Sophie was the campus queen, the dance department's goddess, and the dream girl every guy fantasized about.

And me? A nobody in the art department. If I had a label, it'd be "the loner."

Except for breathing the same air on campus, Sophie and I never crossed paths. So what was her deal?

Jason Cole, the student council president and Sophie's biggest admirer, pushed his way through the crowd. He took off his jacket and draped it gently over Sophie's trembling shoulders.

"Sophie, don't be afraid. I'm here," he said, his voice soft but steady, carrying a quiet strength that made everyone believe him.

Then he turned to me, his eyes cold and full of disappointment, nothing like the warmth they used to hold. "Emily, I can't believe you're actually like this."

My heart dropped.

Jason was the one who used to hang around outside the art studio, always telling me my paintings had something special. He'd show up at the library with that easy smile and start talking philosophy.

I really thought he was different from the rest of them.

"It wasn't me," I said. My voice was rough, but there was no doubt in it.

"Where's your proof?" Jason frowned, looking at me like I was a lost cause.

"She's the proof," he said, pointing to Sophie, who was crying harder in his arms. "Would a girl really risk her reputation over something like this?"

His words hit hard. Who would ever back me up? I was a nobody, a loner, going head-to-head with the pitiful and fragile campus queen. From the very beginning, I never stood a chance.

"Should we call the cops?" someone shouted from the crowd.

Sophie stiffened and then buried her face in Jason's chest, shaking her head. She cried, "No, please, I don't want this to blow up. How will I ever face anyone again?"

The more she played the victim, the more I came off as the villain. It seemed like I was the one who'd gone too far, who'd done something truly awful.

"Emily, go explain yourself to the dean," Jason said, his voice cold.

My gaze moved from him to Sophie, who had her hands wrapped around his arm. Then I took in the crowd around us. A few faces held sympathy. More than a few looked disgusted. And some were simply watching for the entertainment.

Suddenly, I laughed, passing my sketchbook to Grace and straightening my back, "Alright, let's go. I want to see how you all plan to play out this drama."

To them, my calm looked like unrepentant arrogance.

Grace was on the verge of tears, grabbing my arm. "Em, don't go. This is a trap."

I patted her hand, my eyes icy. "A trap? If I don't go, they'll say I'm guilty for sure. But if I do, I'll expose it myself."

*****

The air in the dean's office was so heavy it felt like I could barely breathe.

Lance Warren, the dean, was in his fifties, with thick glasses and a look that said I was barely worth scraping off his shoe.

"Emily, we've already heard Sophie's side of the story," Lance said, pushing up his glasses, his tone harsh. "Do you still have any excuses to make?"

Excuses? I glanced at Sophie on the couch across from me, with Vera and Jason on either side, still quietly sobbing. How fitting. Couldn't have picked a better word for this circus.

"Mr. Warren, I didn't do it. There's no excuse to make," I said, my voice steady and clear.

Lance slammed his hand on the desk, his voice suddenly booming. "You didn't do it? Then what about the bruises on Sophie? What about the ripped clothes? So many students saw it. Do you really think you can talk your way out of this?"

"Bruises?" I stared right at Sophie. "Why don't we get a doctor to check them out? Let's see if she did it to herself or if someone else did."

Sophie visibly flinched, and her crying stopped cold.

Lance was caught off guard. He clearly didn't expect me to push back like that.

Jason's frown deepened. "Emily, don't cross the line. Sophie's already been hurt enough. Are you really going to insult her like this?"

"Insult her?" I let out a cold laugh. "Jason, do you think whoever cries the loudest gets to be right?

"I'm only stating the facts. A forensic exam is the quickest way to clear my name. What, afraid to find out the truth?"

I stared straight at Sophie. She buried herself in Jason's arms, refusing to look at me.

"Enough," Lance roared again. "Emily, listen up. This school isn't a place for you to mess around. We absolutely won't tolerate students with such a bad attitude and messed-up morals.

"Since you clearly have no remorse, we've talked it over and decided to expel you. Go pack your stuff. Don't think about showing up tomorrow."

His words hit me hard, knocking the breath right out of my lungs.

Grace, who heard everything outside, kicked the door in panic. "Mr. Warren, you can't do this. You're abusing your power. Why aren't you expelling that two-faced Sophie instead?"

Lance ignored her completely, his eyes cold as he looked at me. "You heard me. Get lost."

I stared at Lance's oily mug, caught the smug little smirk flickering on Sophie's lips, and saw Jason wearing that holier-than-thou look on his face.

I rose to my feet, slow and steady.

Everyone expected me to cry, beg for mercy, or fall apart on the spot.

But I didn't.

I only calmly pulled out my phone and dialed a number.

The call connected almost instantly, and a respectful, steady male voice came through the line. "Miss Lane, how may I assist you?"

I put the call on speaker, my voice loud enough to cut through the dead silence in the office.

"Mark," I said, my voice soft but icy, leaving no room for argument. "Patch me through to the Rivergate University's Board of Trustees.

"Tell them Lane Enterprises is pulling all our funding from Rivergate University.

"Reason?"

I lifted my gaze, sweeping it over the three faces in the office that had gone stiff in an instant. "Because this place's so-called education is a complete disaster."