Clarissa barely had time to process it before she heard footsteps storming up behind her. A furious voice rang out. “Clarissa! You vicious bitch, did you do this to me?!”

  Clarissa really wasn’t in the mood for this. She pretended not to hear and kept walking. Didn’t even make it two steps before June grabbed her.

  Clarissa sighed and turned. "What do you want?"

  June’s face was twisted with rage. "You still dare to ask? You vicious woman, how could you do this to me?! Do you have any idea how humiliating this is? I lost my scholarships! My financial aid!"

  Clarissa raised an eyebrow. "I did this to you?" She let out a short, sharp laugh. "You think you can lock me in a bathroom, dump sewage on me, and get away with it? But when I report it, I’m the villain?"

  June’s mouth opened, then snapped shut. Then she blurted, "I—I was just standing up for Lyra! You bullied her first! Haven't you done enough to her?!"

  Clarissa rolled her eyes. "Let’s not even get into whether I actually bullied her. What I want to know is… why the hell are you so involved? Is this even your problem?" She took a step closer. "You’re using ‘justice’ as an excuse to be a bully. And you think that makes you righteous?"

  June faltered. Her face turned red, hands clenched at her sides.

  Clarissa wasn’t surprised. Honestly, she hadn’t expected things to go this smoothly.

  When she’d read the book before, she’d loved June’s protective streak—how she stood up for Lyra with unwavering loyalty. But now It wasn’t noble. It wasn’t heroic. It was just fucking infuriating.

  "June, even if I'm not a lady of the Lancaster family anymore, I am not someone you can mess with."

  Clarissa’s voice was steady—not loud, not soft—but sharp enough that every onlooker could hear it loud and clear.

  Despite being slightly shorter than June, her presence completely overshadowed the other girl.

  In that moment, everyone watching came to the same realization—Clarissa was still Clarissa. She might have been knocked down, but she was far from defeated. And if anyone thought she was easy prey now, they were in for a rude awakening.

  Satisfied that her message had been delivered, Clarissa turned away without another glance at June.

  Behind her, June’s frustrated voice rang out, trembling with fury. "Clarissa, you vicious bitch! Sooner or later, everyone will see your true colors!"

  Clarissa didn’t even slow down. She wasn’t about to waste her breath denying the past. The original Clarissa had been arrogant and willful, and she had targeted Lyra. Sure, it hadn’t escalated to the cruel, calculated schemes that would come later, but still—what was done was done.

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  And honestly? She couldn’t be bothered to explain herself. She had more important things to do. She tightened her grip on the bag in her hands and made her way to the next classroom.

  Inside, Lyra was nervously pacing. The moment she spotted Clarissa, she rushed over.

  "Sister, I’m sorry! June didn’t mean to—can you just—"

  Clarissa walked right past her. She stopped in front of a girl with glasses instead.

  "Thanks for lending me your clothes yesterday. I’ve washed them."

  The girl—Isla—stiffened, eyes wide with shock. She jolted upright so quickly that her chair scraped loudly against the floor.

  "N-no… no need, Clarissa…" Isla stammered as she hurriedly accepted the bag from her hands.

  Clarissa smiled at her. "Still, I appreciate it. This is for you." She set a cup of coffee on Isla’s desk.

  A hush fell over the room.

  Clarissa’s reputation in class was terrible. When the administrator had asked around for someone to lend her clothes, not a single person from her own class was willing to step up. In the end, they had to ask the neighboring class. Isla had been the only one to raise her hand.

  She wasn’t a standout student—her grades were decent, but not enough to make it into the top class. She always kept her head down, hidden behind thick glasses and long bangs. She was quiet, shy, and often overlooked.

  She had expected Clarissa to just take the clothes and move on. She hadn’t expected her to return them. And she definitely hadn’t expected her to say thank you.

  Blushing slightly, Isla hesitated before murmuring, "T-thank you, Clarissa…"

  Clarissa gave her a small nod. "No problem. See you around." Then she turned and left.

  Lyra, who had been watching the whole exchange, stood frozen in place. Her expression twisted in confusion. This… This wasn’t the arrogant, domineering Clarissa she knew. Was she trying to imitate her now?

  Lyra bit her lip, but Clarissa was already gone. For now, she could only let it go.

  .....

  By the end of the school day, Clarissa felt awful. Her head was pounding, her forehead was burning up, and her vision blurred every time she blinked.

  She had gone to the infirmary earlier to grab some medicine. Now, she just wanted to get home, take the damn pills, and sleep this off. But before she could leave, someone blocked her path.

  "Sister, wait!" Clarissa groaned.

  She didn’t even try to hide the exhaustion in her voice. "What?"

  Lyra hesitated, biting her lip before saying softly, "Sister, June… she’s just like that. She’s a little impulsive, but she didn’t mean any harm. If she did anything to offend you, I apologize on her behalf."

  Clarissa barely held back a snort. Of course. Of course she’d pull this self-righteous, bigger person act.

  Lyra clasped her hands together, looking at her pleadingly. "Her family isn’t well off… She relies on scholarships and subsidies to get by. Can’t you—" She swallowed. "For my sake, can’t you ask the administrator to revoke the punishment?"

  Clarissa nearly laughed out loud. "For your sake?" Her lips curled, amusement laced with contempt. "And what 'sake' do you think you have?"

  God. How had she not realized before how unbelievably self-important these heroine types were?

  "I…" Lyra’s face flushed, her eyes welling up with tears. She looked pitiful, like a fragile doll about to break.

  "I’m sorry, sister, I was wrong. I know you still hate me, but June is innocent. If you have a problem with me, then take it out on me—just don’t hurt her, okay?"

  Clarissa sighed, already feeling the pounding in her head worsen. "I’m sorry, but if she hadn’t started shit in the first place, she wouldn’t have gotten caught. And the punishment’s already been decided—I don’t have the power to undo it even if I wanted to."

  She stepped around Lyra, ready to leave, but Lyra suddenly grabbed her wrist—tight. "Sister! Please, I’m begging you…"