Chapter 2The Villainess Reborn

I stood up and grabbed him by the collar.

"Who the hell do you think you are, screaming at me? From now on, stay out of my sight. You’re an eyesore."

Mason’s face froze, then he quickly stammered, "Aria, I was just joking."

I stared at him, my voice flat. "I wasn’t. Get lost."

Stanley, sitting nearby, had been enjoying the show. Realizing I was serious, he tugged at my arm. "Princess, come on. Mason didn't mean it."

I smirked and slapped him across the face with my left hand. "Then you can get lost with him."

Stanley touched his cheek in disbelief. "You hit me?"

I met his gaze, and my right hand followed, striking his other cheek. "And? What are you going to do about it?"

Seeing him just stand there like a statue, clutching his face, I rolled my eyes and walked out of the classroom.

"When I get back, I don't want to see either of you."

Did Stanley really think he was any better than Mason? They were both pathetic. One took everything Aria gave him, then led the charge to isolate her. The other had a lifelong crush on her, but let the heroine’s whispers turn him against her, even handing her over to a pervert. If it weren’t for Stanley, the original Aria might not have died on the streets.

If I wasn't worried about derailing the plot too soon, I would have dealt with them long ago.

The fresh air improved my mood considerably.

Before I could even make it down the stairs, a girl's voice called out from behind me.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where Class A is?"

I turned to face her. One look was all it took. This was the heroine, Stella Chad.

Stella clenched her fists, a smile plastered on her face as she asked again. "Hi, I'm a new transfer student, so I'm a little lost. Your pin says Class A. Could you show me the way?"

I couldn't be bothered. I looked away.

A frown creased Stella's brow, and her eyes flashed with anger. "Hey! Did you hear me? We're both students here. You can't just bully me because I'm new, can you? Getting into this school means I'm on the same level as you. Can't you help with something so simple?"

I had to laugh.

"If you're blind, go see a doctor. You just threw a massive accusation at me without a second thought. What, are you right just because you're poor?"

Stella's eyes widened in fury. She stormed over and grabbed my uniform. "What's that supposed to mean? What's wrong with being poor? I got into Northwood on my own merit. How dare you, who rely on your parents for everything, say that to me?"