Chapter 2The "Country Bumpkin" Strikes Back

Cassie's eyes dropped to my shoes. "What would you know? Some people can wear a crown and still never look like royalty."

She circled me once, her gaze traveling from head to toe as she sized me up.

I couldn't take it anymore. "Cassie, what the hell do you want?"

"What do I want?" Cassie gave a signal, and her followers immediately grabbed me by the hair and pinned me against the wall.

I struggled with all my strength, but I was hopelessly outnumbered.

Cassie laughed as she picked up the exam paper I'd dropped on the floor. "So what if you got the highest score? You're still just a country bumpkin, right?"

She unfolded it in front of everyone and tore it once, then twice, then a third time. The scraps fluttered to the floor and scattered around my feet.

"Now go to the dean and tell him you cheated," she said.

"I didn't!" I shouted.

"If you don't..." She glanced to the side. The girl with the ponytail immediately stepped forward and grabbed the strap of my backpack. "I'll throw all this junk of yours in the trash."

Cassie clapped her hands. "I'll make sure you leave this school with nothing but the clothes on your back."

Fury surged through me. I had earned the number-one ranking after studying so hard that I'd barely slept or eaten. Who was she to dismiss all my hard work with a single sentence?

I fought desperately against their grip. "I told you I didn't cheat! What proof do you have?"

Cassie's smile vanished. She slapped me hard across the right side of my face.

Five red finger marks immediately rose on my skin, and scorching pain spread from my cheek to the base of my ear. The blow snapped my head to the side. My vision went black, and my ears rang.

"Do as I say!" Cassie shook out her hand and calmly rolled her wrist as if she'd done nothing more than swat a mosquito.

She frowned in disgust. "I've seen plenty of trash like you. You think getting good grades means you can stand on the same level as us? You could work your whole life, and the best you could ever hope for is a chance to work for us."

She jabbed a finger against my forehead, her sharp fingernail digging into my skin. "I'll give you one last chance. Go to the dean and tell him you cheated. Otherwise, don't expect to have a good life from now on."

She turned and walked away with her followers crowded around her.

The people in the hallway slowly dispersed. One person deliberately bumped my shoulder as they passed without even looking back.

I crouched down and picked up the scraps of my exam paper.

I knew that if I admitted to cheating, I'd receive a major disciplinary punishment at best. At worst, I'd be expelled.

I had worked so hard to get into such a good school. I wasn't going to give in to her.

…

At dinner that evening, the table was filled with all my favorite dishes.

My mother ladled soup into my bowl and casually asked, "The midterm results are out, right? How did you do?"

My cutlery froze in midair. She pushed the bowl of soup toward me. The hot steam rose against my face and stung my eyes until I wanted to cry.

The dining table fell silent for a moment.

My oldest brother, Zachary Miller, was the first to put down his cutlery. His voice softened. "It's okay, Valerie. You just transferred here, so you're still getting used to everything. It doesn't matter if you didn't do well."

My mother rested a hand on my shoulder and gently patted me. "It's okay, sweetheart. I don't care how well you score. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

My tears fell into the bowl. I hurriedly wiped my eyes with my sleeve.