Chapter 2
Three college guys rounded the corner and rushed over as soon as they heard Sophia's voice.
They shouted, "Who the hell are you? Why are you hitting her?"
"Let go of Sophia. If you've got the guts, come at us instead!"
"We wouldn't even lay a finger on Sophia, and you actually dared to hit her?"
One of the guys threw a punch at me.
Just a poser, can't fight for real.
The next second, I had him flat on the ground with my foot on him.
He scrambled back to his friends, and together they pulled Sophia behind them, one of them clutching his phone.
"I've called the cops. If you're so tough, don't even think about running!" one of them shouted.
"Run?" I grinned. "Why would I run? I was already going to take her to the police station myself."
"Humph. Talking big, aren't you? Which school do you go to?" one of them sneered.
I didn't bother answering.
Sophia chimed in with her sweet voice, "My cousin got expelled in her sophomore year for getting into fights."
The three guys looked me up and down, and then burst out laughing.
"So you couldn't even finish college? That's hilarious. This is a top university, not some dump where you can cause trouble," one of them scoffed.
I let out a cold chuckle and didn't bother to say anything more.
But Sophia just gave a mysterious little smile.
She said, "You guys have no idea. She actually went to a police academy. Then, out of nowhere, she got in trouble for breaking the rules and just..."
My voice was icy as I snapped, "You want another beating?"
I lunged forward, sent one of her so-called protectors sprawling with a kick, then grabbed Sophia by the collar and glared right into her eyes.
Sophia's lips were already swollen from my slap. Seeing my fierce glare, she swallowed hard and didn't dare say another word.
Her so-called protectors didn't dare step forward; they just shouted warnings from a safe distance.
"The cops are here. Let go of Sophia!" they yelled.
I ignored them and whispered in Sophia's ear, "If you dare tell anyone about those things, you're dead."
Like how a good student like me suddenly got into a fight with my roommate for no reason.
The school expelled me in no time.
Anyone who knew the drill could easily guess where I ended up after getting kicked out.
When we got to the police station, the three guys who'd been playing hero suddenly changed their attitudes.
They started acting tough.
They said, "Just look at us. We're all beaten up. And look at Sophia. Her face is ruined."
"Settle? No way. I want her thrown in jail."
"If she's gonna pay, it's not gonna be less than 300 grand. That's the only way this ends."
Sophia sat there in silence, her eyes red from crying.
Her white dress was dirty at the hem, and her skin looked so pale and fragile, like she might break at any moment.
The officer, Mr. Lucas, let out a sigh and looked at me.
"Miss, you hit someone right out on the street, and we've got all the evidence. You're gonna have to be responsible for this," he said.
The three guys started smirking triumphantly, acting like they'd already won.
I kept a straight face. "Sir, I'd like to speak with you alone."
After a short while, Mr. Lucas walked into the mediation room, making some notes on the paperwork.
"None of you are seriously hurt, and this lady has admitted her mistake. Just pay some compensation and let's wrap this up," he said.
The three guys immediately jumped up.
They yelled, "Not seriously hurt? Admitting her mistake? Seriously?"
"You're bouncing around like nothing happened, and you call that seriously injured?" Mr. Lucas scoffed.
He slammed his hand down on the table.
He said, "You guys were the ones in the wrong for filming her without permission. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't even consider letting you off easily.
"The report says you're all fine. You're college students. Quit acting like a bunch of drama queens."
The guys still weren't ready to give up.
They said, "Come on, you-"
"Alright. That's it, then," Sophia cut them off. She wiped her teary eyes, looking like she was holding back all her pain.
"I'm fine," she murmured.
The guys were all flustered, but Mr. Lucas knocked on the table to break the tension, pulled out his phone, and asked, "Who should I transfer the money to?"
Sophia was taken aback. "Wait, why are you the one paying, sir?"
Mr. Lucas said, "Doesn't matter who pays. Just hurry up, we've got other cases to handle."
They all just gawked at him, totally speechless.
Once everyone had left, I shot Mr. Lucas a quick smile.
"Thanks for helping me out today, sir. I'll return the favor if I ever get the chance," I said.
Mr. Lucas looked at me.
He said, "Don't worry about the money, Ms. Collins. If you ever need anything, just reach out. We'll back you up all the way.
"And be careful out there, Ms. Collins."
I was an undercover agent, living in the shadow of a terrorist organization leader.
That night, I returned to his place as usual, handed my coat to one of his men, and was ushered into the bedroom.
Victor turned to look at me, his eyes unreadable.
"I saw an interesting video today. I think you'll find it interesting," he said.
He pulled me into his arms and handed me his phone.
When I saw that familiar face, my heart skipped a beat.
It was a sympathy-baiting video from an account named Sophie.
In the video, she had fake bruises all over her face, her voice all choked up as she revealed her "injuries" to everyone.
I could tell at a glance that most of those wounds were just makeup.
But her emotions were so intense. She was on the verge of tears, voice trembling, acting like she was holding back so much pain. She looked so delicate and pitiful that it almost made people want to protect her.
Her performance was so moving that it was impossible not to feel for her.
"Why did my parents have to leave me so early? Why do kids without parents always get bullied?" she sobbed.
Her sobs sent the video soaring past 1.3 million likes.