A satisfied smile appeared on Marco’s lips, but it only lasted for a fleeting second before he hurled his phone to the ground in anger.
"This is outrageous! It’s completely unfair!"
"You’re at the top of your class—how could they give the reserved postgraduate spot to Valerie?"
"Don’t worry, Elaina! I’ll go talk to the principal right now and demand an explanation!"
I watched him put on yet another performance right in front of me, my heart twisting in agony.
As soon as he stormed out, a nurse entered the room and announced that it was time for my surgery.
She dragged me into a wheelchair. With my pelvis fractured, I had no choice but to rest one leg awkwardly on the armrest.
The moment we entered the hallway, a mob of people swarmed toward us.
Besides the reporters armed with cameras and microphones, there were also many familiar faces from the school.
"Ms. Palmer, reports say you engaged in sexual relations with multiple men, resulting in severe vaginal trauma. As a university student, do you think this behavior is appropriate?"
"Ms. Palmer, you were once ranked first in your class, but now many are questioning whether you used your body to achieve those grades. Do you have anything to say in response?"
"Ms. Palmer, the school has officially revoked your graduate admission due to ‘immoral conduct.’ Are you dissatisfied with this decision?"
Horror flooded through me.
A familiar delinquent from campus smirked at my fear. "Damn, if I had known you were this easy, I would've had my turn sooner—"
Before he could finish his sentence, he reached out and yanked my oversized hospital pants down in one violent motion.
The floodlights of the cameras illuminated my mangled, rotting wounds.
Dark, putrid liquid oozed down my thighs, pooling on the sterile white floor.
"God, that smell! Disgusting!"
"I swear, I’m about to throw up everything I ate three days ago!"
The air was filled with the sound of gagging, but no one stopped recording.
Cameras flashed in every direction, capturing my humiliation from every angle.
I clenched my jaw so hard I thought my teeth might shatter, my body trembling from the unbearable shame.
"Keep filming! This is the perfect example of what happens when a woman doesn’t respect herself!"
"Girls, take this as a warning—don’t be like Ms. Palmer. Otherwise, you’ll end up a broken, filthy whore just like her!"
Every word was like a dagger plunging straight into my heart.
I wanted to run.
But the nurse held me down, keeping me trapped in the wheelchair.
I was their prey, pinned to the execution table, waiting for their judgment.
—
"Get the hell away from her!"
A furious roar cut through the chaos.
Marco charged into the crowd, shielding me with his body.
Colson tore off his jacket and wrapped it around my lower half, his eyes red with rage.
"You sick bastards! All of you!"
With that, the two of them grabbed a fire extinguisher and used it to force the mob back.
The last time they had fought like this was when someone bullied me at school. Without a word, my older brother struck the other person on the head, while my younger brother delivered several harsh kicks.
When our father tried to punish them afterward, Marco had declared, "Anyone who hurts my sister—I’ll never let them off."
And Colson had added, "I’ll protect my sister forever! No one is allowed to hurt her!"
They took a brutal beating that day, nearly ending up in the hospital themselves.
I had been so moved back then.
But now—
Watching the veins bulging in their clenched fists as they raged on my behalf—I felt nothing.
Once the reporters finally left, Marco carefully pulled me into his arms.
"I... I’m sorry, Elaina. I was too late."
Colson spoke softly beside him. "Don’t worry, sis—I swear, I won’t let those videos spread."
Their words were flawless.
Their performances were impeccable.
But I only felt the urge to laugh.
Because, in order to clear the path for Valerie, they had been the ones who orchestrated my downfall—who destroyed my body, my dignity, my future.
