CHAPTER FOUR

Carolyn’s POV

I should have expected this.

The moment I stepped into the school hallway, I could feel the stares. The whispers. The judgmental looks.

Something had changed.

Tina, walking beside me, froze mid-step as she pulled out her phone. Her face turned pale.

“Carolyn…” she whispered.

I frowned. “What is it?”

She hesitated before turning her phone toward me.

My heart dropped.

On the school’s W******p group chat, a single message from J.J. sat at the top, pinned for everyone to see:

> “We hate Carolyn, the scholarship girl.”

Below it, hundreds of messages had flooded in overnight.

SS2 Cynthia: LMAO, she really thought she belonged here?

SS1 Malik: J.J. says we hate her, so we hate her.

SS3 Sandra: Maybe if she begs, we’ll let her stay.

SS2 Tayo: Who does she think she is?

SS1 Emmanuel: Scholarship kids shouldn’t even be in Covent High.

SS3 Raymond: She slapped J.J.? She must be crazy.

My breath hitched as I scrolled through the comments. It wasn’t just a few students—the entire school was against me.

I clenched my fists. My throat burned, but I refused to cry.

I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

Tina bit her lip. “Carolyn, what do we do? This is bad… really bad.”

I exhaled slowly, forcing my emotions down. “We go to class.”

Tina looked at me like I had lost my mind. “Are you serious? People are literally waiting to humiliate you.”

I straightened my shoulders. “If I run now, I’ll never stop running.”

Tina hesitated but finally nodded. “Okay… but stick close to me.”

Together, we pushed through the hallway, but the second we entered, the whispering turned to open insults.

“Look, it’s the charity case.”

“She actually came to school? I thought she’d hide.”

“J.J. must be so mad at her.”

“I hope she knows what she just started.”

I ignored them, kept my head up, and walked straight to my locker.

Then—something wet splashed onto me.

Ice-cold water.

A gasp escaped my lips as I shivered, my uniform drenched.

Laughter erupted around me.

I turned slowly to see Cynthia, a rich girl from SS2, holding an empty water bottle, smirking.

“Oops,” she said with fake innocence. “My hand slipped.”

More laughter.

My fingers trembled, but I forced myself to stay calm. “Move.”

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. “Or what?”

I clenched my fists. I wanted to slap her so badly. But I knew what would happen if I did.

This was what they wanted—to push me until I snapped.

I took a deep breath and stepped around her.

Cynthia’s smirk widened. “Not so tough now, huh?”

Tina grabbed my wrist. “Carolyn, let’s just go to class.”

I nodded, swallowing my anger.

---

J.J’s POV

I leaned back in my chair, watching the chaos unfold.

From my seat near the back of the classroom, I could see everything.

Carolyn—soaking wet, humiliated, but still refusing to cry.

Interesting.

Most people would have run home in tears by now. But she? She still walked with her head high, pretending the insults didn’t bother her.

Julius sat next to me, looking guilty.

George, who had also just walked in, sat across from me and shook his head. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

I smirked. “She asked for it.”

George scoffed. “J.J., you started this because she slapped you after you kissed her without her consent. You do realize that, right?”

I ignored him.

Julius finally spoke. “J.J., I think it’s enough.”

I turned to him, my expression darkening. “Enough?”

Julius hesitated. “I—I mean, maybe we should stop before my mom finds out.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “Julius, you need to decide which side you’re on.”

Julius fell silent.

George sighed. “I swear, you act like a king punishing a peasant.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That’s exactly what I am.”

George rolled his eyes. “One day, you’ll meet someone who won’t bow to you.”

I glanced back at Carolyn.

Maybe I already have.

---

Carolyn’s POV

Tina and I sat in the classroom, but I could feel the eyes on me.

The whispers.

The glares.

The hatred.

Every time the teacher turned his back, students threw small pieces of paper at me. Some hit my desk, some hit my back, but I ignored them all.

Tina nudged me. “We should tell the teacher.”

I shook my head. “That won’t help.”

I had seen how things worked in this school. Teachers favored the rich kids. J.J.’s family practically owned this place.

No one would stand up for me.

I was alone.

Except for Tina.

J.J. sat at the back, watching me. His arms were crossed, his expression unreadable.

I hated him.

Hated how he smirked, like he was amused by my suffering.

Hated how everyone obeyed him like he was a god.

But most of all, I hated how, even now, part of me found him fascinating.

No. I wasn’t going to let him win.

The teacher kept talking, but I wasn’t listening.

I was planning.

If J.J. wanted to make me public enemy number one, then I had no choice.

I had to fight back.

Not with violence—that’s what he wanted.

Not by crying—that’s what they expected.

I had to be smarter.

I had to show them that I belonged here.

And I would start today.