Chapter 2

On Freshman Welcome Ceremony day, the auditorium was packed.

I took a deep breath, my heart filled with a profound stillness.

It was my turn.

I could clearly see Veronica, Brenda, and Tiffany sitting in the first row.

Their gazes were like three sharp daggers, fixed firmly on me.

“Distinguished faculty, staff, and my fellow students…”

I began, my voice clear and steady.

There was none of the nervousness or trembling from my previous life.

A polite ripple of applause swept through the hall.

My speech was about to end. Following the protocol, I bowed in thanks to all the faculty and students.

The moment I straightened up, a figure suddenly darted from the audience.

It was Veronica!

She snatched the microphone from my hand so quickly that no one had time to react.

The entire hall fell silent.

All eyes focused on the stage, on Veronica.

Unlike last time, I didn’t feel a chilling dread. Instead, my heart was pounding wildly.

Not from fear, but from… excitement.

The show, finally, was beginning.

She held the microphone, her voice shrill and tearful.

“Principal! Professors!”

“Please, I beg you, revoke my daughter’s speaking eligibility!”

Her words exploded like a bombshell in the auditorium.

A wave of commotion erupted below the stage.

I stood my ground, watching her performance with detached interest.

“She doesn’t deserve it! She doesn’t deserve to stand here!”

“She’s not at all what you see!”

She cried frantically.

“Her private life is a mess! She got herself pregnant at such a young age!”

“To come to university, she just had an abortion a few days ago!”

“Her body is still so weak; the doctor said she needs bed rest. I’m afraid she’ll collapse on stage if she stands for too long!”

The entire hall fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone’s gaze shifted from Veronica to me.

I saw the Principal’s face turn ashen.

The professors began to murmur amongst themselves, exchanging speculative glances.

“No wonder she looks a bit pale; she just had surgery…”

“I can’t believe it; such a good student, but her private life is so messy.”

Tiffany, meanwhile, rushed to my side, her face full of feigned concern.

“Anya, are you okay? You look so unwell.”

“Quick, let’s go sit down and rest.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it seemed to confirm Veronica's words that I truly was frail.

I shoved her hand away.

I looked at the woman still performing on stage.

My biological mother.

She was still wailing.

“I’m doing all this for her own good! How could a mother harm her own daughter?”

“She’s just too strong-willed, but health is paramount!”

“I was afraid she’d exhaust herself and wouldn’t be able to have children later, so I resorted to such a desperate measure!”

What magnificent maternal love.

To protect her daughter’s health, she didn’t hesitate to ruin her reputation in front of thousands of people.

A dry, humorless laugh escaped my lips.

Veronica turned, looking at me in shock.

“What are you laughing at?”

Step by step, I walked towards her.

I took the microphone back from her hand.

“Mom.”

My voice wasn’t loud, but through the microphone, it clearly resonated throughout the entire auditorium.

“Are you done?”