CHAPTER 006—Scarring Your Face!

CHLOE ♡

The slap burns through my cheek as I stare at Amber.

"Amber!” Anita steps forward, her fists clenched. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Amber turns to her, her gaze menacing. "Shut up, Anita. I'm just teaching girls like her a lesson. She dares to slap Sebastian Ryder. Do you know what that means?"

"Yeah,” someone from the crowd shouts. "She, a scholarship rat, dares to slap Sebastian? THE Sebastian! That's unforgivable!"

“True,” another student mutters. "If we let her get away with it, that means we endorse it.”

"Girls like her need to be taught a lesson.” Another voice chimes in. "A wretched thing like her has no business putting her hands on Sebastian!"

“Yeah!" Chants of support fill the auditorium as the students shout and call for my head. Anita looks frantically among them, too stunned to speak.

“But—" She tries to protest, but Amber shoves her aside, stepping directly in front of me, close enough that those icy blue eyes of hers glare into mine.

"I know you're an arrogant bitch, Chloe, but slapping Sebastian is where you cross the line. Since you refuse to apologize to Sebastian, then be prepared to face the consequences! Maya!"

A girl in a white lab coat, with her hair tied into a tight bun, hurries out from the back of the stage. “Yes, Amber."

“Bring it!"

The girl nods and immediately sprints offstage. I stare at Anita, my eyes wide, but she only shrugs, just as lost as I am.

Meanwhile, Sebastian and his friends simply watch the commotion, their expressions unreadable.

Within minutes, the student returns, but she's not alone. Escorted by her are two other students, struggling to drag in a massive metal cauldron filled with a bubbling, boiling liquid.

The metal scrapes against the stage floor, producing an awful screech that makes my skin crawl. I look at the liquid, then back at Amber. My eyes widen when I notice the sparkle of amusement in her expression.

She— She can't— She can't possibly—

Amber walks over to the students as they settle the cauldron on the stage. She crosses her arms, a satisfied smirk spreading across her face as she peers into the bubbling liquid.

I take two steps back.

Satisfied with whatever the hell she's satisfied with, she turns to Sebastian and smiles even wider.

“You don't need to worry, Sebastian. We'll make sure to teach her a lesson!"

"Yeah!” The crowd erupts in another round of cheers. I stumble back, my heart hammering against my ribs.

No way is she really thinking of doing this. No actual fucking way.

Amber turns to me. “Since you dared to slap Sebastian, scarring a part of your face as payback wouldn't be too harsh, would it?”

She turns to the girls and nods for them to proceed. They immediately move.

Hands grab me from behind, gripping my arms painfully as they drag me towards the cauldron. Anita makes to step forward, but two students from the crowd jump onto the stage and hold her down.

Other students quickly rush to the doors and bolt them shut, crushing the last bit of hope I have of escaping.

“Please!" I cry frantically as they drag me towards the cauldron. “Please stop! I'll do anything. I'll apologize."

My pleas fall on deaf ears as Amber chuckles and steps forward. “Too late, Chloe. Your apology means nothing now.”

"Amber, stop this instant!" Anita shouts amid her struggle against the students holding her back. “This is against the law!"

"The law?” Amber throws her head back and laughs. “Why should I care about the law? My dad is Christopher Hale, the CEO of Hale Group. My mom's the attorney general of the state, and my uncle is the chief justice of the country. If anyone should care about the law—” Her gaze darkens, the smile disappearing from her face as she turns to me. "It should be her."

She takes a step forward, grabbing me by the chin as the smirk reappears on her face. “I'm the law around here, and whatever I say is justice in Northbridge!”

“YESSSS!” The entire auditorium erupts with cheers from students supporting Amber. She lets go of my chin and steps back, spreading both arms wide as she closes her eyes and basks in their approval.

Shock slams through me as I stare at the madness. I know Northbridge is full of psychos, but this? Are they actually planning to go through with this?!

The chants slowly die down, and Amber opens her eyes. "DO IT!” she orders. The girls start dragging me towards the cauldron.

"NO, AMBER, STOP!” Anita cries, but Amber chuckles and waves her hand as if Anita's cries are nothing more than an opera performance and she's simply conducting the music.

Meanwhile, I'm fighting against the students' grip, which is surprisingly strong for a couple of medical students. My shoes scrape against the stage as I struggle to free my arms. Panic rushes through me, and I frantically scan the auditorium for any means of escape when my eyes land on him.

Sebastian Ryder.

He stands with his friends, his arms crossed, his brows narrowed, and his expression unreadable. Behind him, his friends look uncomfortable, as though they know whatever is happening is outrageous—which it actually is—but they make no move to protest. They simply stand there and do… nothing.

I look directly at him, silently willing him to do something. Anything.

He's the reason I'm in this mess, isn't he? Surely, he can't just stand there and watch them do this to me.

But he doesn't move.

Not even an inch.

His silence hits harder than the slap Amber gives me. For one stupid second, I actually think he might step forward. Instead, he remains exactly where he is, watching as though this has nothing to do with him.

That's when the realization hits me. Amber's family is powerful. No one is willing to risk their family's name and connections for a scholarship student like me. I'm really going to end up with a scarred face, all because I slapped a hockey player.

A lonely tear slips down my cheek as the girls finally position me in front of the cauldron. So this is how it's really going to end. This is how I'll spend the rest of my life with a scarred face.

Hot steam rushes against my face as the girls shove the left side of my head closer to the boiling liquid. The heat prickles against my skin, and the sharp, unpleasant smell rising from the cauldron fills my nostrils. The students chant in anticipation, Anita screams behind me, Amber laughs, and the world becomes a terrifying blur.

I'm inches away from getting my face barbecued like a piece of meat. Bubbles burst furiously across the surface as the girls force my head lower. The heat grows unbearable, and I squeeze my eyes shut, already resigned to my fate, already waiting for the inevitable, already—

“Wait."

A voice cuts through the chants, and everyone freezes.

The girls pause mid-motion, leaving my head suspended just inches above the bubbling liquid. Before I can even process what's happening, a strong hand closes around my arm and yanks me backwards. My shoes skid across the stage as the girls lose their grip, and someone spins me around to face my unexpected savior.

Sebastian Ryder.

He stands there, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other still holding my arm. A slow smile spreads across his lips as he looks from me to the cauldron, then back at Amber.

“Why scar a part of her face,” he pauses, his grin widening. "When you can scar her whole face."

My heart skips multiple beats as I stare at him.