Veronica's POV
Pain shot up my face as it swelled instantly, the sting making me hiss through my teeth.
“Damn it! Even my parents never hit me!”
I lifted my hand, ready to slap her back, but someone grabbed my wrist midair.
It was Frederick Reese.
He flung my hand away in disgust, his brows furrowed.
“Elodie, that’s enough! You’ve gone too far,” he scolded. “Do you even realize how important a girl’s reputation is? What will people think of Renee after this?”
The cruelty on Renee’s face vanished in an instant, replaced by trembling lips and teary eyes as she threw herself into his arms.
“Frederick, if you hadn’t come, Elodie would’ve bullied me to death,” she whimpered.
And that was all I needed to know, he was that guy, the one my blind little sister used to date.
I’d already dug into their history. Frederick had been two-timing, dating my sister while fooling around with Renee on the side. He loved watching two women fight over him like he was some prize. And now he wanted to lecture me about “reputation”?
Funny how he’d stayed silent when people spread lies about my sister.
I yanked my arm free and, without thinking, slapped him hard across the face. “Reputation, my ass.”
The sound cracked through the room. Frederick staggered back, clutching his cheek in disbelief.
Before he could say a word, I started firing off rumors like bullets. “You’re such a scumbag! You swore you only loved me, and the next second you’re sleeping with Renee! That baby she aborted, wasn’t it yours?”
His eyes went wide. “What nonsense are you talking about? We’re just friends!”
“Oh, really? ‘Just friends’ who bring you underwear in the middle of the night? ‘Just friends’ who you call 'baby' while sending hotel payments to Renee? You even used my membership card to book your room. Have some shame, both of you!”
The words poured out before I could stop myself.
The students watching were stunned.
“Holy crap! This is insane.”
“I knew something was off between them! Guess the real girlfriend just exposed it all.”
With every whisper around the room, Frederick and Renee’s faces grew paler.
I was just getting started, but before I could continue, the professor walked in and tapped the lectern.
“Class is starting. Quiet down.”
He then cleared his throat and looked around. “Renee, from the journalism department, your last piece was impressive. We’ve submitted it to the provincial competition. Keep up the good work.”
Renee’s rage melted into smug satisfaction. She stood gracefully and smiled. “Thank you, Professor. I’ll do my best.”
But my eyes narrowed as I looked at the essay he projected on the screen.
“Professor,” I said evenly, “there must be a mistake. I was the one who wrote that article.”
Every gaze that had been admiring her turned to me in surprise, and the classroom buzzed again.
But the professor’s expression darkened. Clearly, he hadn’t expected me to confront him in front of everyone. He spoke in a cold, practiced tone. “For competition entries, the first requirement is a good reputation. After all your incidents, you’d only hurt the school’s name. Renee is an excellent student. She’s the better choice.”
He said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I tilted my head, smiling slyly. “Tell me, Professor. Is it really because of her ‘good image,’ or did she pay you off?”
“Or maybe,” I added, feigning confusion, “you're her sugar daddy, that's why all the good things land in her lap.”
I sighed dramatically and put on my most innocent look.
