Chapter 2

That night, when I got back to my dorm, the class group chat was blowing up with messages.

Sharon had sent a long rant, every line dripping with grievance.

"I really don't know how that note ended up in my pocket. As you all know, there's only one guaranteed admission spot, and Cassandra's always done well academically. I've always looked up to her. But today…

"I only meant to help her pick up her pen. I never expected things to turn out like this.

"I don't care that I missed the exam. As long as Cassandra can secure the spot, I'll be at peace. I just hope no one misunderstands me. I really didn't cheat."

The replies below were a mix of sympathy and outrage.

"Don't cry, Sharon. We get it! It's obvious someone's jealous of you and trying to screw you over!"

"It's scary when you think about it. Cassandra seems so quiet normally. Who would have thought that she'd be so evil!"

"She'd frame her own roommate just for the guaranteed spot? Her grades might be good, but her character is trash!"

"Hey, Cassandra, explain yourself! Don't play dead!"

As I watched the messages pop up nonstop, I turned off my phone expressionlessly.

Trying to explain myself to a bunch of idiots who had been blinded by that fake act would only be a waste of time.

If Sharon wanted to play games, then fine. I could just play along.

The next morning, as soon as I stepped into the classroom, I immediately sensed the tension.

The normally noisy classroom went quiet for a few seconds before hushed whispers could be heard. Everyone looked at me with contempt, like they wanted nothing to do with me.

Sharon sat in the front row, her eyes red and puffy, obviously from crying all night.

When she saw me, she shrank back, which immediately made a few guys glare at me.

The harshest look came from Travis Navarro, the school sports representative.

He was Sharon's number-one fanboy, always using his size to back her up and intimidate others.

Travis remarked sarcastically, "Framing others and still showing up to class? Some people really have no shame."

I ignored him and headed straight for my seat.

Just as I was about to sit down, a few lines of comments floated past. "Travis dumped half a bottle of super glue on Cassandra's chair!"

"That's hilarious! Well done! Give that villain a taste of her own medicine!"

"That's industrial-strength glue. Once she sits down, her pants will be ruined. She won't even be able to rip them off. Let's see if she still dares show her face then!"

I paused, glancing at my chair. Sure enough, the surface glistened slightly under the light.

Travis and a few guys were making faces at me, looking like they were waiting for a spectacle. Sharon turned her head too, pretending to read while sneaking glances my way.

Acting like I didn't notice a thing, I calmly sat down.

"She sat down! It's going to get interesting!"

Travis pumped his fist, his face all twitchy with excitement.

But even after a few seconds, I was still sitting there composedly. I even adjusted my posture and pulled out my textbook, like there wasn't anything wrong.

"Wait, what?"

Travis froze, muttering, "Did the glue fail?"

He instinctively reached into his pocket to check if the bottle was actually empty.

The moment his hand went in, a shrill, agonized scream cut through the classroom, making everyone jump.

Travis shot up from his seat. And as if something had grabbed him, his body twisted wildly as he clawed at his pants, trying to rip them off.

"It burns! Oh my god! Help me! My leg!" he screamed while clawing at his upper thigh frantically.

As it turned out, he'd been too careless after pouring the glue. He hadn't tightened the cap before shoving the bottle into his pocket.

And thanks to my constitution that rebounded my misfortune, the glue bottle in his pocket burst.

Half a bottle of industrial-strength glue spilled all over the inside of his thigh and his private parts, instantly fusing fabric and skin.

The agony from the chemical burn was more than most people could take.