Chapter 5

Everyone around was watching, their faces carrying a subtle malice.

Seeing me, they scattered.

I walked over and picked up the things from the floor.

My report card had a huge 'X' drawn across it, with "CHEATER" scrawled underneath.

I carefully smoothed out the report card, holding it to my chest.

The red 'X' couldn't be erased.

Neither could the words.

It's okay.

I don't need to care what they think.

The next day, those boys poured ink and dead rats into my backpack.

Everything was stained black, including the backpack itself.

I went to the homeroom teacher.

She looked at me with a sigh, her eyes filled with pity: "Ethan's family is well-off, and he tends to be a bit boastful."

"He didn't mean it, I'll talk to him."

I returned to the classroom and placed my backpack on the desk.

Someone quietly asked me, "Are you okay?"

Before I could answer, Ethan's voice rang out: "What could an unwanted stray possibly have wrong with her?"

"You guys don't know, do you? Her parents didn't want her, they only liked Lily."

"Someone like her probably fantasizes about becoming a big lawyer and then proving them all wrong, right? What do they call that? Watched too many revenge dramas!"

My hand clutching the backpack strap tightened.

Everyone burst into laughter.

I sat in my seat, legal statutes from the Civil Code flashing through my mind.

From the very first article, I recited it over and over again. It wasn't until the dismissal bell rang that I slowly headed home.

When I got home, it was already dark.

My backpack zipper was stuck; I tried several times but couldn't open it.

I sat on the couch, hugging my backpack, staring blankly.

Marcus happened to come by to bring me dinner.

He'd come two or three times a week, bringing food, bringing fruit.

Sometimes he wouldn't bring anything, just sit on the couch for a bit, watching me do my homework.

He saw the backpack in my arms, and his face changed.

"Who did this?"

I didn't speak. I didn't know if Marcus would help me.

He was good to me, providing for my education, but this kindness had conditions.

Because he thought I was useful.

But if I caused him trouble, what would he do?

I didn't dare to gamble.

"Chloe, listen to me, you're not alone anymore. If someone bullies you, you have to tell me."

"Marcus, do you hit people?"

He paused.

"Yes."

"Do you hit kids?"

He paused again, then a slow smile spread across his lips.

"Hit kids? I absolutely hit kids."

"Marcus, they're only teenagers."

"So what? If they dare to bully you, they'll pay the price."

I thought for a moment, then decided to tell the truth.

"Ethan did it. His dad is on the school board. The teacher said I couldn't afford to offend him."

Marcus stood up, pulled out his phone, and scrolled through a few contacts.

"Mr. Davis," he read aloud. "Owes two million three hundred thousand in merchandise payments. It's been half a year. I was planning to go see him next month."

He put his phone away, looking at me.

"Chloe, what do you want me to do?"

The next day, I didn't go to school.

Not because I was afraid of Ethan.

There was a contract for the company that needed reviewing, and Marcus couldn't handle it, so I had to go help him oversee it.

But Ethan didn't know any of this; he thought I'd been scared off.

During break, he stood at the front of the class, addressing everyone: "That stray isn't here today; he must have been scared away by me."

"Honestly, I despise people who don't know their place. They get one top score and think they're hot stuff."

The whole class laughed along.

A few girls whispered, "You guys shouldn't be like this, she's pretty pathetic."

Ethan got even more excited: "Pathetic? What's pathetic? Her parents don't even want her; it must be because there's something wrong with her. She's just an unwanted stray…"

He didn't finish his sentence before the classroom door was kicked open.

Marcus, wearing a tight T-shirt that showed off his dragon tattoo, stood there.

Behind him, Frank and Leo stood in a line, grinning as they looked into the room.

"Heard someone's been bullying Chloe?"