Chapter 6

"You changed the scholarship rules," Antonia said, her voice cutting through the room like a blade. She stepped forward and slammed the printout onto Portia’s sleek mahogany desk.

"Sign the endorsement, Portia. I earned my grades. My family’s life depends on this scholarship, and I won't let your petty games ruin it."

Portia slowly set her drink down, a dangerous, toxic smile spreading across her face. She picked up the paper, eyeing the blank signature line at the bottom.

"You're right. I did change the rules. Because in this university, I am the rule," Portia whispered, leaning forward. She tapped her manicured nails against the desk.

"You want my signature? Fine. But power isn't free, Antonia. You don't have money, so you'll have to pay with something else."

Portia stood up, circling Antonia like a predator cornering its prey. "I'll sign your endorsement under one condition. For the rest of the semester, you will be my personal, on-call errand girl. You will carry my bags, do my homework, clean up my messes, and stand by my side like a loyal shadow. And the moment you complain, fail a task, or show that defiant look in your eyes, I tear this paper up, and your scholarship vanishes forever."

The room went dead silent. It was a toxic, humiliating deal designed to completely crush Antonia's dignity and force her to bow to the campus royalty.

Antonia felt her blood boil, but as the image of her hardworking family flashed in her mind, she knew she was trapped between her pride and her survival.

Antonia stared at the blank signature line, her heart hammering against her ribs. Every ounce of her dignity screamed at her to throw the paper back in Portia’s face and walk away.

But as the image of her mother’s tired eyes and her family's mountain of bills flashed in her mind, the anger faded into a cold, calculating calm. Her pride was a luxury she couldn't afford right now. Her family’s survival was worth far more than her ego.

"Fine," Antonia said, her voice steady and chillingly quiet. She looked straight into Portia's triumphant eyes. "I accept your condition. Sign the paper."

Portia smirked, entirely satisfied that she had finally forced the proud scholar to bow. With a dramatic flourish, she scrawled her signature on the endorsement line and tossed the paper across the desk.

"Good girl. Pack my things. We have a class in five minutes, and I don't like carrying my own heavy designer bags."

As Antonia reached down to pick up Portia's luxury tote, a sharp, clear realization washed over her. Portia thought she had won. Portia thought she had successfully broken Antonia and turned her into an obedient servant.

But Portia was wrong.

Antonia’s determination flared stronger than ever before. She wasn't backing down; she was digging in. She would make Portia see that you cannot shatter a steel wall.

Soon enough, the sheer frustration of trying to break an unbreakable spirit would drive the campus tyrant mad.

Antonia quietly vowed to herself that in the long run, the one who would ultimately surrender to this crazy game was Portia herself.