Chapter 5

Belle stepped back, eyes filled with tears. "You showed up to him looking like that. If that's not trying to seduce him, then what is?"

Her fans jumped in to back her up and started yelling at me.

"Ramona, have you no shame? Everyone knows Belle likes Winton. What are you trying to pull by throwing yourself at him like that?"

"What? Are you trying to be like your mom—having a secret baby and then forcing her way into the Morton family?"

"Oh, gross! Like mother, like daughter."

Belle stood behind them, covering her face like she was crying—but I caught the smug little smile underneath.

I stepped up and slapped the two who just spoke—twice each.

Then I shoved them aside and gave Belle two hard slaps of her own. "My parents took you in and raised you, and you just stand there while they get trashed like that, huh?"

Then I turned to the rest of them. "You really want to know what happened, right? Fine, I'll spell it out.

"Yesterday, Belle confessed to Winton and got rejected. She flipped out and pushed him into the lake, trying to kill him. I just happened to be nearby and pulled him out. That's the whole story."

Belle's face turned ghost-white. She kept her head down, too scared to say anything.

She knew if she tried to stop me now, it'd only make her look guilty.

"Ramona," she started sobbing, "I know Dad's ignored you for years, and maybe you hate me for taking the love you think should've been yours.

"But no matter how much you hate me, you can't go around accusing me of something like that. None of us chose how we were born. Can't you just leave me alone?"

The other students started shooting me dirty looks.

I laughed. "I hate you, huh? You're just the adopted kid. What's there to hate?"

Belle's hands started shaking. "Ramona, how could you say that?"

People around us immediately jumped to her defense.

"Ramona's totally lost it. She said Belle's adopted, huh? What a joke."

"Yeah. Everyone knows Ramona is the illegitimate one in the Willis family."

"Belle's just too nice. That's why Ramona thinks she can walk all over Belle."

"Ramona, are you picking on Belle again?" Elbert stormed in from outside, like he couldn't wait to shove me like before.

I stepped back and kicked him in the gut. Then I grabbed a chair nearby and chucked it straight at him.

The whole class gasped, thinking I'd finally snapped.

But I just meant to do it. I wanted to beat the crap out of him.

Elbert was Belle's most obedient lapdog, and he'd bullied me a lot.

Before I came back in time, I never fought back. I thought my parents didn't care about me, so if I stood up for myself, no one would back me up—I'd just get crushed even worse.

But now? Things were different.

Still, the chair didn't hit Elbert.

I frowned at Winton, who had stepped in and blocked it. "Why the hell are you helping him?"

Winton looked upset. He walked up and pulled me behind him. "If he gets hurt, you're the one who'll get in trouble."

Then he looked at the other students and told the truth, "After school yesterday, Belle confessed to me, and I turned her down. She got mad and pushed me into Swanlight Lake. Ramona's the one who saved me."

Belle's face turned ghost-white. She bit her lip. Her hands were shaking—she was clearly rattled.

But she pulled herself together fast and looked at Winton with sad, watery eyes. "Winton, why are you backing Ramona's lie? I didn't even see you after school yesterday."

Then she turned to me, her expression hurt. "Ramona, was this all your doing? I know you've liked Winton ever since your first day here. Did you plan all this? Hurt him just so you could turn around and save him and make him fall for you, right?"

She shrank back a little, eyes red. "Dad once said your mom did the same thing to him before."

Whispers started rippling through the classroom.

"So Ramona's mom pulled the same trick on Belle's dad, huh?"

"Ugh, these homewreckers are really shameless."

"That's seriously messed up."

"Winton, don't fall for her act!"

Winton rolled his eyes and snapped at them, "Shut up. I'm not an idiot—I know exactly who confessed to me. The one who pushed me into Swanlight Lake last night was Belle!"

Belle's eyes were red as she gave him a crushed look. "Winton, the whole school knows I have a crush on you. Even if I really did confess and you turned me down, why would I ever want to hurt you?

"I'm going to inherit the Willis family. Why would I throw all that away just over a guy?"

The students started nodding in agreement.

"She's right. Belle comes from money."

"The Willis family's the richest in town. No way she'd risk her future over some poor guy like Winton."

"Belle's loaded. After she graduates, she can get any guy she wants. Even if she got rejected, she wouldn't obsess over just one guy."

"Plus, she's got that hot childhood sweetheart, right? Isn't he the heir to that super-powerful family overseas? Winton doesn't even compare!"

"Man, I'm so jealous Belle has someone like that watching out for her."

Winton and I looked at each other, both a little stunned.

The heir to our country's most powerful family abroad? That was Winton.