4

On the day of the trial, I woke up to dozens of unread messages.

The group chat was already buzzing about the trial.

Before it began, there would be a new student assembly where the instructors would go over the rules.

Someone already at the venue deliberately posted a photo of a chair.

"Spare a thought for the poor chair. A 200-pound porcupine is going to sit on it. Will it hold?"

Cassius immediately replied, "She won't come. Don't worry."

Then Claire chimed in with her fake concern again. "Everyone, promise me you won't laugh at Layla anymore, okay? You'll hurt her feelings."

I was still reading the messages when there was a knock.

Sarah stormed into my house carrying two makeup cases.

"Get up and get ready! I checked. Everyone changes into their trial uniforms after arriving at the academy. Right now, you need to look as gorgeous as possible! Let's make those bastards' jaws drop!"

She pushed me into the chair and said, "I'm making you look amazing today."

Sarah got straight to work.

She curled my hair, then spent ages digging through my closet before choosing a long black dress.

The dress was off-the-shoulder, showing off my neck and shoulders. It hugged my slim waist.

The uneven hem swept the floor on one side and stopped at mid-thigh on the other, leaving one long leg bare.

Sarah let out a dramatic shriek. "That's it."

"What?"

"If I were a man, I'd kidnap you and keep you all to myself!"

She made me laugh.

The phone buzzed. Somebody in the chat had tagged me. "Layla, don't disappoint everyone. We've ordered a big cake just to welcome you."

I opened the video they had posted.

A chocolate cake sat on a table in the assembly hall.

A round pig face had been piped in white frosting, with a message beside it.

"Welcome, 200-Pound Layla."

The video was filled with laughter.

Cassius stood to one side with a hand in his pocket and snorted. "I told you she didn't have the nerve. She never even dared send me a photo. And you expected her to show up in person? What a waste of money on that cake."

Claire let out a soft laugh. "Cassius, don't say that. Everyone bought the cake to cheer Layla on. How could you call that a waste?"

I closed the video and said nothing.

Furious, Sarah grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door.

"Come on! Let's show those bastards what you really look like!"

I laughed and let her drag me out.

By then, my anger over being humiliated was gone.

Now I just wanted to see their faces when I walked through that door.

As soon as I got into the car, a friend request popped up on my phone.

It was Liam.

I accepted it. His message came through almost at once. "I'm sorry. I thought it was a normal partner draw. I didn't expect it to turn into this. No matter what, you got dragged into this because of me. I'm sorry. I'll take responsibility until it's over. Would you like me to pick you up?"

I stared at the apology for a moment.

Liam must have seen the photo of me at 200 pounds in the chat too.

But he hadn't mocked me or looked down on me. He was still willing to apologize and see this through.

I smiled and replied, "It's all right. I'm already on my way. I'll cooperate with you on today's tasks."

"Okay," Liam replied at once. "Just don't push yourself. Leave the rest to me."

Half an hour later, Sarah and I reached the academy.

Sarah had barely gotten out of the car when her mother called. She had left her registration papers at home and had no choice but to go back for them.

Before she left, she squeezed my hand reassuringly.

"Layla, call me if anything happens. I'll get back as fast as I can and stand up for you!"

Then she stopped, looked me up and down, and clicked her tongue. "But looking at you now, I don't think you'll need my help. I'm just mad I'm going to miss the look on their faces when they see you."

I turned and walked toward the entrance.

Two tall werewolf guards could not help staring as I passed.

Even after I had walked away, I could still feel their eyes on my back.

The assembly was in a hall beside the trial ground.

As I approached, I could hear loud laughter even through the heavy wooden doors.

"We agreed to close the betting pool half an hour before the assembly, right? That porcupine really didn't come!"

"What did I tell you? With a build like that, she'd collapse from heatstroke before she even reached the door! Ha!"

"Cassius, those gold coins are as good as ours. Damn, she's rich! She practically handed us the money!"

"Why hasn't Liam shown up? Did the fat chick scare him off?"

Then I heard Cassius. "I already told her privately not to come. Someone like her can fool people with her voice online, but if she showed her face here, everyone would just laugh at her. It was for her own good."

Claire chimed in gently, "I don't think Layla meant to deceive anyone. Maybe she just wanted people to like her that badly."

Everyone immediately started praising Claire again.

I was about to push the door open when a clear, pleasant male voice came from behind me. "Layla?"

I turned.

A very tall male werewolf stood behind me.

He wore a black shirt with the collar slightly open, revealing a hint of pale skin.

He had sharp features, deep-set eyes, and thin lips. He was so handsome he looked like the Moon Goddess had carved him herself.

When he saw me, surprise flashed across his usually calm eyes.

I gave him a slight nod and smiled faintly.

"Liam?"

Inside the hall, somebody had begun counting down aloud. "It's almost seven-thirty! Ten seconds left! Once we hit zero, the betting pool closes and the money is ours!

"Ten! Nine! Eight!"

Liam kept staring at me. His Adam's apple moved as he swallowed.

I turned and put my hand on the cold door handle.

One second before they reached zero, I shoved the door open.