2

Laura's index finger was almost poking my nose when the class monitor finally spoke up, "Laura, just drop it!"

That one sentence set off a chain reaction.

Laura's insults got worse, and her friends knocked over my desk, causing the pendant inside to fall and shatter. It was an heirloom from my dad, and I couldn't take it anymore.

I grabbed a chair and swung it at Laura's friends.

"Do you all think I'm a pushover or something?"

With a loud "thud," one of them was hit on the head, and blood started to flow.

"Oh my gosh, there's so much blood! Someone call a teacher!"

I picked up the broken pendant and stuffed it in my pocket.

I punched a few of Laura's friends, one by one.

"Do you all get uncomfortable if I don't hit you? Speak up!"

Laura hid behind the class monitor, trembling.

"And you, Laura? Do you think you can act recklessly just because you're wealthy?"

My attempt at revenge didn't work, and I was taken to the principal's office. Several teachers and school leaders followed.

After all, my fight involved several wealthy girls, and Laura, as the daughter of a prominent family, was present. How could the school not take it seriously?

"Melanie, the school admitted you because of your good grades. Otherwise, do you think you could have entered our school? If you don't focus on your studies and keep causing trouble, we won't hesitate to expel you!"

The headmaster was overweight, and his face turned red as he raised his voice.

He was unattractive, but the more I looked at him, the more familiar he seemed.

"You're still staring at me. Do you think you did nothing wrong? Look at what you've done to them. Apologize, or else we'll have to expel you," the headmaster said.

Laura finally regained her composure and stood there proudly.

"I won't apologize. You can expel me if you want,” I rebutted.

The headmaster was furious, and not even a few sips of tea could calm him down.

I didn't know which one of Laura's friends had called their parents, but a string of parents showed up, including Laura's.

Her parents seemed to dote on her, completely unwilling to hear the truth or distinguish right from wrong.

"Call the police. Since you're unwilling to do anything, a week or two in jail should set you straight," Laura’s mother said.

"Are you Laura's mom? Do you know what she's like at school? She leads her classmates in bullying me just because I took first place in the exams. She spread rumors about me because the boy she likes confessed to me. Do you know what your daughter is like at school?" I said, glaring at Laura's mother.

I didn't know why, but I suddenly had so much to say to her.

However, it only earned me a loud slap, and I chuckled bitterly.

"Fine, since you’re abusing your wealth and power, nothing I say matters. Go ahead, call the police and take me away!"

The police quickly took us into custody, skipping the usual questioning process, and I found myself spending a week in jail for no apparent reason.

My mom finally got the news and rushed over. "Officers, there must be a misunderstanding! My daughter would never hurt anyone. She still has to study, and locking her up like this will affect her studies. The college entrance exams are coming soon!"

"You're aware that your daughter is preparing for the college entrance exams? If you knew that, why did you transfer her to this school?"

"We have evidence. Your daughter assaulted someone at school. You can see for yourself that the parents have come in person, and there's no way to reconcile. We'll have to wait a week."

My mom froze, staring at the thin notebook.

Then, she rushed to me immediately. "Who did you hit? Laura? How dare you hit Laura?"

I frowned. Whether I admitted to hitting her or not, what difference would it make?

"So what? What do you want to say?"

She slapped me twice as if she had gone mad, but I was already numb. Not a single tear could escape my eyes.

"I shouldn’t have given you the chance to go school in the first place! You even hit Laura. You’re not even worthy to touch Laura!"