Chapter 3
I frowned slightly in annoyance.
I gave a weak nod, putting on an act. "I'll give it a try."
Gripping the bed, I managed to stand, letting out a groan. The moment the nurse walked in, I put on a show and collapsed in perfect timing.
The nurse snapped, "What do you think you're doing, letting her stand up? Are you a doctor? If something goes wrong, are you going to take responsibility?"
Elena uneasily licked her lips. "No, I just thought—"
The nurse's face darkened. "Are you a doctor?
"If you're not, then shut up and stop bossing people around."
After the nurse hooked me up to an IV, Elena's face darkened. She probably felt I made her lose face.
Her tone got a lot tougher.
She said, "The test results aren't back yet, but I know you're fine. So stop pretending.
"Some guys climb over the wall from the second floor all the time, and they're totally fine. Why are you putting on an act?
"I'm not wasting any more words on you. Sign this waiver, write a five-thousand-word reflection essay, and apologize to your dorm rep.
"If you don't, don't blame me when I mark you down. Think carefully before you refuse."
Juliet stood off to the side, smirking with satisfaction.
Elena was Juliet's aunt, and Juliet totally bossed everyone around in the dorm thanks to that family tie.
Those who obeyed Juliet not only got high marks but also had smooth sailing everywhere.
If one didn't, Elena would make sure they got in trouble.
That was why Harley and Kaylee were always sucking up to Juliet. And as for me, I kept my head down and played the bread, letting myself get pushed around more times than I could count.
I cleared my throat softly.
I fished my phone out from under the blanket and looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes.
I asked, "Ms. Parker, could you maybe spell that out a bit more for me?
"I just jumped off the building, so my head's still spinning. My memory's not exactly reliable right now."
When Elena saw the recording time on my phone, 3 minutes and 38 seconds, her face turned an awkward shade. She was silent for almost half a minute.
When Elena finally spoke again, her voice was so sweet it could've melted butter.
She said, "Oh, Freya, don't take it so seriously. I'm just worried about you.
"I care about all my students equally, you know. I'm just looking out for you guys.
"If there's any problem, we can talk it out. Juliet, even if you're the dorm rep, you can't be so bossy. Go ahead and apologize to Freya properly."
Juliet was happily enjoying her apple when she almost choked.
She looked at Elena like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Aunt Elena, you want me to apologize to her?"
Elena shot her a glare, clearly panicked. "How many times have I told you not to call me that in front of people? Just say sorry already."
With Elena breathing down her neck, Juliet not only apologized to me, but she also had to stick around and wait on me hand and foot.
She was clearly not happy about it.
When I said I wanted some water, Juliet deliberately brought me a cup of hot water, flashing a mischievous grin as she claimed she had even bought ice cubes.
She said it was ice-cold and insisted I take a big gulp.
Pretending to be moved, I picked up the cup, and in my "excitement," I accidentally spilled it all over her arm.
Juliet let out a scream, her arm turning red and swollen.
She started yelling at me in front of everyone, accusing me of trying to kill her.
I put on my most innocent face. "You said it was cold water. How was I supposed to know? Were you trying to burn me on purpose?"
Juliet looked all aggrieved but had nothing to say.
Seeing her like that, I felt a rush of satisfaction inside.
She deserved it.
This was just the beginning.
I posted the whole story on my social media, spicing it up for effect.
My law and media buddies flooded my comments with advice on how to get compensation and force an apology.
Then I posted all those tips from my friends on my feed too.
When Juliet saw all those comments, she panicked and tried to butter me up with a sweet smile.
She said, "Come on, why are you making such a big deal out of this? We're close, aren't we?
"We've known each other for so long. Let's not turn this into a mess, okay?"