《Class Villainess》


 Chapter 1 - I Was So Close...

    ''I was so close¡­''


    ''I was so close to graduating from this hellish school and escaping the devils that kept tormenting me¡­''


    ''But they took it away from me in the end¡­''


    ¡ª


    "Wow, Piggy, you''re wearing a dress for prom! I can''t believe you even have one! Where did you get this? The thrift store?"


    "Well, it''s pink, maybe she wants to be a real pig, ahahaha!"


    "AHAHAHA!"


    "AHAHAHA!"


    The endless mockingughter that had taunted me for three years of high school already made me numb to everything. Not that I cared much about it after the three years of hell they put me through.


    It didn''t matter anyway because I would be leaving this hellish school forever. Free from the torments of these people.


    "Sorry, but I need to leave¡­" I said weakly and tried to walk away, heading to the school hall where the prom would start soon.


    Jessica Lambert, one of the bullies, grabbed my arm and clenched it until her sharp nail pierced my skin. I grimaced in pain, but I dared not make any noise because it would only make them feel satisfied.


    "Are you pretending to be deaf, or is this one of a kind disability when you feel threatened?" Jessica asked.


    "J¡ªJessica, I beg you. Please let me go. It hurts¡­" I begged her. I really didn''t want any trouble with her and the rest of these girls. They were just a bunch of bullies who rose up in ''rank'' after the previous bullies had graduated. They always popped out in the senior or sophomore year, because they thought they had control over everything.


    But the worst thing was, they had control over me.


    I didn''t understand why either, but it was like a whirlpool that pulled me deeper and deeper into a spiral until I reached the lowest level of the high school food chain.


    I was so low that nobody wanted to be my friend by the end of my school years because they thought I wasn''t good enough, or were simply afraid of getting bullied.


    Jessica clenched my arm harder and snarled at me, "Didn''t I tell you not toe? I told you many times that you would be an eyesore on our prom night!"


    I mean, I didn''t want to attend the party where I would be ignored by everyone and treated like a wallflower, but attending was an obligation imposed by the school.


    "I¡ªIt''s obligatory to attend, or I will be punished¡­"


    "So you''re afraid of the punishment? That''s why you are attending?"


    ¡­


    I dared not answer, since I knew it would only ignite them even more.


    I looked around and counted the number of bullies ganging up on me. I thought I could just push Jessica and run. But after realizing that I was surrounded by almost ten people, I found I had no way out.


    Cindy, one of Jessica''sckeys, grabbed my other arm and pushed her nail in. I winced in pain. Now that I had gotten stuck between two girls holding me and eight others surrounding me, I had no choice but to submit to my fate.


    "We don''t need you here. You''ll just be an eyesore our prom photo!"


    "Yeah! Besides, why are you wearing a dress and make-up? Are you trying to get Mason''s attention?"


    "Just because he helped you once doesn''t mean that you have a chance with him! You are just a pig! Know your ce!"


    "Know your ce, piggy!"


    "Know your ce, piggy!"


    "Know your ce, piggy!"


    I felt faint after hearing them ganging up on me, shouting at me with the same words over and over. Mason Hall was the handsome school idol, the popr guy who was well-loved and well known across the school, even in other schools and on social media.


    He was the type that would be an actor in the future. But he wasn''t my problem. All I did was crush on him silently, just like the others here.


    Until that day, when he helped me out and carried me to the infirmary after I fainted during P.E ss.


    After which, he would ask about my condition whenever we passed each other in the corridor or somewhere else.


    Maybe he thought it was just friendly banter since he was a school idol. But for me, what he did only worsened my bullying. They became even more vicious and unforgiving.


    The screams around me became even more unbearable, as I started struggling frantically, "Let me go! Let me go now!"


    Jessica and Cindyughed, just like the rest of them. Theyughed andughed until their voices were the only thing echoing in my mind.


    "Just push her! Push her!"


    "PUSH HER!"


    Jessica and Cindy released my arm, and the rest of the bullies pushed me to the ground. Little did we know, there was a metallic flower fence with a sharp tip behind me.


    And the moment I fell¡­


    That metallic flower fence pierced my back, right through my heart. My eyes widened as I felt the sharp pain. I opened my mouth, but no voice came from it.


    "GYAAAHH!"


    "I¡ªIS SHE DEAD?!"


    The bullies screamed frantically, but Jessica and Cindy tried to shush them, "Silence! If someone sees this, then we will be charged! We might get expelled right before our graduation!"


    "T¡ªThen, what should we do?"


    "Just leave her like this, leave no witness!"


    "O¡ªOkay, let''s leave now!"


    My gaze was already blurry when I heard the sound of their heels getting further and further, leaving me alone with my heart pierced by this metal fence, bleeding to death.


    ¡­


    ''I was so close to my graduation¡­''


    ''I was so close to leaving this hell, but why?''


    ''Why would they rob me of my only chance to escape?''


    I could feel my consciousness slowly floating away as I closed my eyes.


    A teardrop trailed from the edge of my eyes and dropped to the ground.


    ''Three years¡­ I''ve endured their horrible bullying for three years.''


    ''I tried my best to endure all the pain that they inflicted on me¡­.''


    ''And I end up just like this? Dead alone before prom night because of those bitches?''


    ''What about my dream? I wanted to be a doctor in the future. Do you mean that I studied hard for nothing because of these careless bullies?''


    My body got colder as I felt blood flowing out from the stab wound. But this kind of coldness didn''t scare me, because I was used to living alone after the death of my mom, two years ago. How I wished she woulde to me soon. After all, I would also die soon, right?


    ''Mom, I''m sorry. I promised you that I will be a great person in the future. But it seems that I will meet you a lot sooner than I expected...''


    ''Mom, please don''t be disappointed in me. I really tried my best after your death...''


    ...


    I clenched my fists with the remaining strength that I had. I yelled at the top of my lungs, desperately, as loud as I could.


    "WHERE IS JUSTICE?!"


    "I WANT GET MY REVENGE! GIVE ME A SECOND CHANC AND I WILL GET MY REVENGE!"


    I used all my strength for those.


    It was meaningless words, I knew. But if there was a miracle somehow, I''d want to return back in time and get my revenge.


    Fuck that forgiveness and pity. Those bullies didn''t pity me even after so much pain and all the torment I bore. They didn''t even try to help me after pushing me to my demise.


    So I wanted my revenge, the most painful revenge that would get them to break down! I would tear them to pieces and feed them to the dogs!


    I want my revenge¡­


    Revenge¡­

 Chapter 2 - School Gate Of Hell

    After my death, my tiny speck of consciousness spiraled down into a wormhole. Hot and cold sensations engulfed me until there was serenity and silence around me with only a gentle voice whispering into my ear.


    [Three years¡­]


    [Get your revenge within three years¡­]


    [This is not just a simple high school, this is a war zone.]


    ¡­


    ¡­


    My breath was heavy as I tried to collect myself after that traumatic incident. I opened my eyes slowly, then after realizing this wasn''t hell or heaven, I looked around in bewilderment, trying to grasp my current situation.


    I saw students entering the school gate with cheery faces, some of them walked side by side with their friends, and some even formed groups while gossiping together.


    None of them seemed to be alone.


    I didn''t know what just happened, but as I stood in silence in front of the gate, someone suddenly bumped into me and elbowed my arm.


    "Ouch¡ª" I winced. I could tell the one who elbowed me was definitely a boy, a strong one.


    "Move bitch, you''re blocking the way!" a tall guy around 6 feet in height red at me for a second. His eyes widened, and then he looked away immediately and mumbled something.


    I couldn''t hear what he was mumbling, but then again, I didn''t care much because I was still trying to understand what was happening to me.


    Yes, I was the ''piggy'' who''d had a horrible death before, with the pointy flower fence piercing my back, right through my heart. I thought I would leave this world and reach heaven or go down to hell. Whichever that was, I didn''t care much.


    I felt like my body was engulfed in hot and cold before the voice of a woman told me to get my revenge in three years.


    Wait¡­ three years?!


    I checked my watch to see the date.


    [07.00 A.M.]


    [August 18th, 2016.]


    I held my breath as this new information seeped into my brain. This was three years ago, the first day of high school. The first day of my nightmare fueled life.


    I looked up and saw the school''s name on the gate.


    -DarthMorth High School.-


    This was the school gate of hell that had always greeted me every morning, as I waited for for my next unique torture from those bitches and jerks inside.


    Devils in high school boys and girls'' bodies, who thought what they were doing was all fun and games.


    It seemed that I had returned three years prior to when I was a freshman in this very high school. This was the start of it all.


    What was this supernatural urrence? Time travel? Rebirth? Or maybe it was God that blessed me due to my dying wish of wanting revenge.


    I pinched my arm to make sure that I wasn''t dreaming or hallucinating after my painful death.


    I watched the students who passed by me one by one to the school. I recognized some faces, though most of them were just temtes to me. But there was one thing for sure: They never pitied me nor cared for me. They were too busy saving themselves or having the times of their life in high school recklessly.


    I stood for a while until someone patted my shoulder. A girl suddenly stopped and stood in front of me, "You''re the new girl, right? The new neighbor near my house?"


    I looked at the girl, a brte with medium-length hair. She was quite pretty, wearing a id shirt and short pants.


    "My name is Chrissy Miles. You can just call me Chrissy," the girl said and stretched her hand out for a handshake.


    Yeah, I know her. She was Chrissy Miles, the bitch who backstabbed me after she joined that group with Jessica Lambert. She was so sweet to me when we were in the first year, but she changed right after entering that gang.


    I even remembered that she was one of the girls who had ganged up against me on that prom night.


    As much as I wanted to smash her head right here, right now, this wasn''t the right time.


    I didn''t know what happened to me other than that I had returned three years prior to when I was just a freshman here.


    I didn''t know if these people also had the same memories as I did or if they didn''t remember anything about returning back in time.


    I also didn''t know if anything had changed or everything just reverted back to exactly three years ago.


    Thus, with a sweet smile, I shook her hands and introduced myself.


    "Haha, yes¡­ I''m new here. My name is Emmelyn Jones. You can just call me Emmy."


    "Oh, Emmy! Let''s go then. What''s your first ss, mine is History?"


    "Yeah, mine as well," I nodded, still with a smile lingering on my lips.


    "Then let''s go!" Chrissy held my hands and dragged me into the school gate of hell.


    DarthMorth High School.

 Chapter 3 - Corridor

    Chrissy and I walked through the noisy corridor. Everyone was busy with their friends and cliques, so they didn''t notice me. Which was a relief because I was sticking out too much in the previous timeline.


    It was also partly my fault. I thought by sticking out, I would get many friends to cover the loneliness in my heart. So I could forget the problems in my house and all the abuse my dad had done to my mom.


    I thought¡­ if I had many friends, I would be happy¡­


    But that wasn''t the case. Rather than getting friends, I got enemies instead, or rather what people called ''bullies.''


    Maybe I should go on stealth mode from day one, or at least, find a way to make myself not stick out.


    But most people in this school had their own friend circles for a long time now, since most of them were in the same junior and even elementary school.


    Meanwhile, I was a new girl here. After my mom and dad got divorced due to extreme abuse. I moved away with my mom to myte Grandma''s house.


    So yes, even my presence was already sticking out.


    "Hi, Chrissy. Who is this girl?" Another girl suddenly joined us and then took a good look at me. She raised her brow and thenmented, "A new kid? I have never seen her before."


    "Yeah, she is my neighbor. She just moved in about three months ago," Chrissy answered. She then pushed me forward to introduce myself.


    "M¡ªMy name is Emmy¡­" I nervously introduced myself. But the girl crossed her arms and then hummed for a second.


    "Well, at least Chrissy is kind enough to befriend you," she said.


    She turned her back and looked over her shoulder, directly talking to Chrissy, "Your new friend doesn''t pass my vibe check. She is very down to earth, like a worm."


    "Aha¡ªAhaha¡­ perhaps¡­" Chrissyughed awkwardly.


    Chrissy nced at me and distanced herself a bit, "Don''t worry about her. She is just like that. Her name is Ashley, by the way."


    I noticed Chrissy''s distancing herself from me and only grinned thin, "It''s fine."


    Yeah, she didn''t need to mention that girl''s name because I already knew it.


    She was Ashley White, the rich kid of this school, even richer than Jessica. She didn''t join Jessica''s gang, but she acted as if she was high above all, thinking that she had the privilege of stepping on us, the poor ants.


    She never physically bullied me, but I still remembered all the ridicule in her eyes and how she didn''t ever shy away from calling me a weak girl who had nothing.


    Not that I cared about her anyway, she will get what she deserves next year when her father is arrested for moneyundering.


    Though, I had the urge to watch her break down right in front of my eyes, with the same gaze that she gave me when she knew that I live off of the schrship money.


    We walked to our ss and were stopped by a crowd of girls who flocked around with a boy in the middle. The boy stood out because he was more than six feet tall, and also cute.


    "Mason, are we in the same ss today?"


    "Mason, which club did you sign up for? I will follow you!"


    "Mason, where will you go after school?"


    Mason looked overwhelmed with the flock of girls surrounding him, but he still answered the questions one by one politely.


    Since he was the tallest amongst the flock, I could see his face clearly. He had wavy blonde hair with dreamy blue eyes. He wore sses today, but usually, he would wear contacts whenever he had a photoshoot.


    Mason Hall, the most popr guy in the school. Aside from his handsome face, he was nice to everyone, good in everything, and overall just a dreamy man.


    Oh, with a sweet smileplete with his dimple.


    "S¡ªSorry, I really have to leave. My ss is starting soon," Mason said.


    "Aww, Mason, why are you so worried?"


    "Yeah, we are here. We can go together," one girl grabbed Mason''s arm, and the other followed by grabbing the other arm.


    Chrissy and I watched as Mason was dragged to a ss by two girls. It looked like he wanted to struggle but was afraid he would hurt the girls.


    Looking back at it, I was an idiot for silently crushing on Mason. He was too nice to everyone, and he was a source of trouble.


    From the time he had helped me after I fainted, the bullying intensified, ten times worse, and everybody was always looking at me cynically. Rumors popped out that I was trying to force Mason to sleep with me in the infirmary after carrying me.


    It was ridiculous, I know.


    I stared at Mason''s back for a while, and Chrissy suddenly patted my shoulder, "Emmy, do you like him? He is Mason, the uh¡­ hm¡­ he is a model, but he''s got a brain. He won a mathpetition in junior high and was also active in the track and field team."


    I knew all that. It was already well known since Mason was so popr with girls tailing him like fangirls, including Chrissy.


    Chrissy had been secretly obsessed with Mason for so long, I still remember that she was exposed stealing random stuff from Mason''s locker.


    I had a moment of pondering in my mind, thinking whether I still had a crush on Mason or not.


    And the answer was¡­ yes.


    But being too honest wasn''t good, especially in front of a crazy fangirl like Chrissy.


    I smiled and shook my head, "I''m way out of his league."


    The smile on Chrissy''s face didn''t falter, and she added, "I see, so you do like him. Haha, it''s fine, everybody likes Mason. d you realized that he is out of your league."

 Chapter 4 - Bullshit Ideals

    "I see, so you do like him. Haha, it''s fine, everybody likes Mason. d you realized that he is out of your league."


    My sense sharpened instantly when I heard that from Chrissy. I could sense that she''d be hostile after I replied to her question.


    I scoffed in my heart, Chrissy was that obsessive stalker that acted as if she wasn''t into her idol, but she was actually doing a witch hunt on every girl here and targeted them in every way possible until they dared not talk to Mason anymore.


    Maybe the one who had spread gossip that I forced Mason to have sex with me in the infirmary was this girl in front of me.


    I knew she had targeted me when I ambiguously replied that Mason was out of my league instead of outright denying my interest.


    "Then how about you, Chrissy? Do you have any interest in him?" I asked with an amiable grin on my face.


    Chrissy''s smile cracked after I threw the question to her, "He is also out of my league."


    "Ah, I see. That means you''re interested in him, right? Well, d that you understand he is also out of your league," I added.


    I saw the crack in Chrissy''s calm facade, she still had the smile on her lips, but she was definitely angry that I returned her words.


    "But I''ve known him longer than you, and I know him better. Sorry to say girl, but Mason is just too good for you," Chrissy said.


    This seemed to be her method of cutting down any potential threats by pulling them down, even though she gained nothing out of it.


    I mean, if she had liked Mason for so long without ever confessing and instead was just bullying anyone who dared to have interest in Mason, it was already a sign of a stalker.


    "Too good for us, you mean?" I smiled. "It''s a bit unfortunate though, you''ve known him longer, but he doesn''t seem to notice you."


    "Well, just as you said, he is out of our league. No need to sweat over it," I added.


    Chrissy remained silent after that. The smile on her face disappeared, but it made me feel relieved.


    While it was true that I had to be careful in this second chance, I didn''t want to keep acting weak in front of Chrissy. Because in my previous life, I kept befriending her for one year, and she got me into so much trouble.


    I knew this meant war, but fuck it, just for her, I''d rather start a real war than the backhanded one like in my previous life.


    "Ah, we''re going to bete for our ss. Let''s go," I said, still acting amiably as if I said nothing hurtful to her.


    "No, you go first. I want to meet MY friends," Chrissy said.


    I almost chuckled when I heard that. In the first year, I knew that Chrissy''s friends were all ying with her because she was mediocre to the bone.


    I left her and walked to my ss, History, with Mr. Carman.


    I joined the ss with Mr. Carman, who was eyeing the students and handed us the introductory questionnaire. In my previous life, I used this to make myself stand out by bing the one who volunteered to read their essay aloud.


    But I knew it wouldn''t give me anything good in this life, especially when there was a teacher''s pet here.


    "Now, I know this is a bit sudden. But the tradition in my ss is to have one representative read their questionnaire out loud. This will represent your ideas of what you want in the future. Who wants to volunteer?"


    This was the cue for me to volunteer in the previous life, but I kept my hands cupped under the seat and scanned around the ss instead.


    I remembered most of the faces here. Most of them ignored or bullied me before. But at least, none of them had their contemptful gaze on me. Some were curious about a new face, which was me, and the rest were focused on the teacher.


    The ss became quiet for a moment until a guy suddenly raised his hand, "I will, Mr. Carman!"


    "Oh, sure,e in front," Mr. Carman said.


    The guy walked to the front, a preppy guy with permed hair and a fully buttoned white shirt. He had a bright smile and introduced himself.


    "My name is Albert Aimer. Pleased to meet you."


    "Good, Mr. Aimer, please read your questionnaire out loud."


    Albert Aimer started reading his questionnaire proudly, something that I had done before.


    "My personal vision in this school is to be a student council president in the future!"


    Heh, same answer like I had before.


    "I hope we all can work together, strive for a better future as one to pave a greater future for the new students!"


    Bullshit, you were the one who pushed me down the gutter after you realized that I waspetition. I reminded myself not to snap when I heard all the hypocrisy spouted from that guy''s lips.


    I had a traumatizing experience with him when I was recruited as a potential candidate for a Biology Competition. He ripped and threw away my research paper, so he had nopetition to be the one representing the school.


    They said only the ones on top of the food chain could bully, but even someone as low as Albert could push me even further.


    This ce had no pity for the weak and naive.


    "One more thing, I want fairpetition whenever there is one. I believe in equal chance!"


    Equal chance? What a load of Bullshit.

 Chapter 5 - Reunion

    I walked out of the ss after the next bell rang. Everything felt so familiar in my head. As if all these mundane tasks of switching sses happened just yesterday.


    But I wished this mundane life was the only thing I had experienced, not the terrible mistreatment, from threat, nder, sabotage, even as far as them beating me physically.


    I wanted to avoid anything dangerous, at least for now, because I still hadn''t clearly grasped my position. When I finally figured out my position, I could move my chess slowly.


    But there was an inevitable event that would lead me to know Jessica Lambert, Cindy Crawler, and her gang.


    For some unknown reason, Jessica and her gang targeted me during the afternoon break on my second day. She just came directly at me with displeased re. I didn''t even know why she picked on me, but one thing was for sure, there was hidden anger in her eyes once she saw me for the first time.


    I walked to the next ss, English Literature, alone. I kept thinking of some way to avoid Jessica for now.


    What? Did you think I''m stupid?


    Jessica was the queen of the school. She was the Regina George of DarthMorth high school. In fact, I believed Jessica was a lot more difficult to tackle than that legendary Queen Bee Regina George.


    Because Jessica seemed to know everything, literally everything, as if she had a bunch of spies everywhere that informed her about all my movements, and she specifically picked on me for no reason.


    I was her toy for three years straight, and it only worsened as more and more people joined her to gang up against me. No matter how many times I tried to hide, she would always find me, as if there was a spy around me.


    I pondered as I walked in the corridor and then identally bumped into someone.


    THUD!


    "Ouch!" I fell to the ground andnded on my butt. I winced in pain.


    "Ouch, s¡ªsorry!"


    I heard the high-pitched but gentle voice in front of me. I looked up and saw a woman with curly red hair. She was wearing a dress with a floral pattern, which was quite old-fashioned and unique.


    "A-Are you okay?"


    ¡­


    "Cerise!" I got up and hugged this woman immediately. She was Cerise, a girl that was just as bullied as I was. She was a sweet girl and my only friend in my previous life.


    But she was forced to move to another city because of her parents in the third year, and we lost contact after.


    "W¡ªWha, who are you?!" Cerise''s body stiffened when I hugged her. Then I realized that we hadn''t met each other in this life yet.


    I released my hug and then smiled at her, "I''m Emmelyn Jones. You can call me Emmy. Your name is Cerise, right?"


    "Y¡ªYes, my name is Cerise¡­ how did you know?" She asked me with her peering gaze behind that round sses.


    I gulped after realizing my mistake. I got so excited about reuniting with my best friend again that I forgot about my rebirth.


    "Uh¡­" I observed her stuff and then realized something particr about Cerise.


    Her locker always had her picture stamped in front and her namete under it. It was quirky and cute at the same time.


    "I knew it from your locker. Our lockers are standing side by side, so I just know, haha!" I replied awkwardly.


    It was fortunate that Cerise believed me immediately. Her naivety was still my favorite thing about her.


    "O¡ªOkay, then, nice to meet you, Emmy¡­." Cerise tried to back off, but I pulled her.


    "Hey, did you know that I''m new in this town? You should apany me sometimeter. How about giving me your number?" I asked enthusiastically.


    "Y¡ªYou want my number? Mine? From me?"


    "Of course! I have a feeling that we can be good friends in the future!"


    Thus, I started to talk with Cerise once more. I listened to some of her small talks, even though I already heard about everything, but I still liked listening to her talking. It gave me a sense of assurance that I wasn''t alone.


    "Wow, Emmy, you''re the first person who''s wanted to talk with me for so long... do you want something from me?" Cerise asked.


    "Something? I want to be your friend, of course," I replied with the happiest grin I had.


    **


    The school ended in the early evening, I was still worried about what would happen next, but I had only one thing in mind for now.


    I stared at a small house with a wide yard, with a few flower pots that my grandma nted to decorate the terrace.


    I had finally returned home, but I was nervous.


    I was so nervous because I was afraid there wouldn''t be two figures who I had missed so much for three years.


    I pushed the unlocked front door and called the woman that became the strength for me to continue living.


    "Mom, I''m home¡­"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I clenched my fist after hearing no response. What was the point of returning three years prior if I couldn''t reunite with my mom? She was the source of my strength, and after her death, my life became so bleak and depressing that the thought of ending my life to follow her kept on popping up every day.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Wee back. Emmy, how was your first day at school?"

 Chapter 6 - My Mom

    "Wee back. Emmy, how was your first day at school?"


    The sweet and gentle voice came from the kitchen. I darted my eyes directly to the kitchen, still feeling unsure. After two years of not hearing her voice, it all felt so surreal to me.


    I gulped and sauntered to the kitchen, "M¡ªMom, is that you?"


    "Yeah! I''m making dinner!" Mom raised her voice so I could hear her. I could smell the scent of garlic and spices from the kitchen as I walked forward.


    "Mom¡­" I called again, wanting to make sure that I wasn''t dreaming.


    "What? Emmy, if you have time to keep calling me, you also have time to help me prepare for dinner!"


    My body trembled as I listened to her voice scolding me again. Back then, I didn''t realize how much I would miss her voice. I reached the kitchen and saw a woman in a blue apron. Her long ck hair was tied up in a bun as she cooked something in a pot.


    She still wore a white shirt and jeans, her usual working attire when working as a receptionist, proving that she had just returned from work.


    She looked at me and frowned, "Emmy, why are you staring at me like that? So how was your first day at school? Since we''re new here, I was worried that you might get bullied."


    I bit my lips as I saw her concern. I didn''t realize how much I treasured her until I lost herpletely. Many people didn''t realize how privileged they were until they lost it, including the privilege of having parents.


    Well, specifically a mother. Because my dad was an abuser, and a drunkard who beat my mum and me so many times. Until five months ago, where things got so bad, that my dad was locked up in jail for severe domestic abuse.


    I subconsciously grabbed my left arm, the ce where my dad beat me with a stick and left a horrible bruise. Although the wound had disappeared, the pain in my heart lingered.


    I couldn''t imagine how much pain my mom had to endure all these years¡­


    "Emmy?" Mom called me again. "Why are you crying? Did someone bully you at school?"


    Mom put down the draining spoon in her hand and then walked towards me, "Emmy, what happened?"


    I didn''t realize I had tears in my eyes. Maybe it was the overwhelming emotion of meeting my mom again, the only family I had in this world.


    I stretched my arms and hugged mom''s waist. I let my tears dampen my mom''s shirt as I buried my face in her shoulder.


    "Mom¡­"


    I felt her hands pat my head while she asked, "Really, are you okay? You can tell me about your problems, you know."


    "Mom¡­ I miss you so much. I''ve been missing you for years¡­." I sobbed. Like a dam bursting inside my heart, it was such a relief when I could finally utter the words I''ve wanted to say for so long.


    "What are you saying, Emmy? I saw you justWe just parted this morning!" Mom continued patting my head and then asked again, "Are you alright?"


    After a while, I finally smiled in front of her and nodded happily, "I''m alright, mom. School is fun."


    I didn''t want to make her worry. Back in the first timeline, I reported all the bullying I experienced to my mom. Mom naturally went to the principal office to demand a fair judgment for all things I''d suffered.


    But who would''ve expected that one of the bullies in my school called his father, and my Mom got fired from her only job that sustained us? Because that bully''s father was the manager in thepany where my mom worked, and mom was forced to find a job, far from our area with small pay.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yes! I''m perfectly okay!" I nodded happily. "I can handle this, don''t worry!"


    Yes, I could handle this alone. This would be my revenge on them, and I wouldn''t involve my mom in this.


    Most of those bullies knew they were far more privileged in life, so they could act like monsters to less privileged people, like me.


    But I could always use it to my advantage, of course.


    "Anyway, I cooked something for dinner following a recipe from Google, so I''m not sure if it''ll taste good," mom said. She nced at the mysterious pot full of vegetables and meat.


    "Ah, it will taste good, mom. I trust you."


    I knew that my mom was a terrible cook, no matter what she cooked. She would always screw things up and make it taste terrible.


    But I really wanted to try that horrible cooking, just once after so long. Because that was something that my mom made for us.


    I helped her serve the Dinner, and then we ate together.


    ¡­


    Okay, I take back my words, I missed my mom very much, but her cooking was still terrible.


    Absolutely something that shouldn''t be put on the table.


    "Hmm¡­ it''s missing something, but it''s not bad," my mom said.


    NOT BAD?!


    IT''S HORRENDOUS! GORDON RAMSAY WOULD THINK YOU''RE TRYING TO POISON HIM!


    "Y¡ªYeah, mom," I said and continued taking small bites of the chicken that tasted so weird.


    "Did you make any friends?"


    "Yeah, I made one," I said. What mom asked was sometimes trivial and a bit childish, but it was her attentiveness that made me happy.


    "Just tell me if you get bullied at school, we''re new here, so I know it might be hard for you."


    "Okay, mom. Don''t worry though, I can handle this just fine.


    Yes, I could handle this just fine. Just watch me ying chess with the mean girls and jerks in school, where I will use them as my pawns and take out the unimportant ones.


    "Oh, don''t forget to deliver some to Grandma. She''s in her room, still feeling ill."


    I gulped as I stared at the horrendous soup on the table, "I¡ªI think I will cook something for her instead."

 Chapter 7 - Eating My Depression

    After taking care of my grandma, I returned to my room. The decoration was still neat and simple, and things weren''t so bad at this point in time because I still had my emotional support here.


    A simple, neat bed, a desk covered in stacks of novels and school books that were yet to be arranged. Some handsome idol posters that I had back when I was in junior high and a collection of framed photos from my childhood were there too.


    I had some foundation, cream, and sunscreen. I liked trying makeup, although I was never good at it. In fact, in the previous timeline, I had tried using makeup to make myself look prettier, but they just belittled me, calling me a pig wearing makeup¡­


    Andstly¡­


    I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, taking as much air as I could and enjoying the smell of a clean room. After my mom''s death, I had to take care of my grandma until her death not long after my mom. Then I was all alone.


    My dad''s family refused to take me, so I had to live by myself in this house.


    Thus, my depression worsened, and I couldn''t even get myself to clean my room, let alone the entire house.


    My room would smell pungent and have a lot of trash scattered around. Maybe that was also a reason why they bullied me¡­


    Because I lived like a dirty pig.


    ¡­


    I walked to the mirror that showed my full body, from head to toe.


    "So this is me three years ago¡­."


    I still remember when I wanted to explore my sexuality, I wore short pants and a tight-fitting shirt once. But when I went to the ss with it, people shamed me, calling me a slut because I had big boobs.


    Some boys also called me a whore because they said I was so in, but because of my body, they said they could fuck me once or twice, as long as I put a paper bag over my face.


    I didn''t want to be called slut, whore, or an ugly bitch with big tits.


    It was so degrading, but I didn''t know any other way.


    I couldn''t handle the sneer and ridicule, so amidst my depression, I ate myself up.


    I stuffed myself and got bigger and bigger. I didn''t care as long as I could get myself out of the ridicule. Nobody helped me or at least stayed by my side when I was at my lowest.


    And after I lost my original shape, they called me piggy. A filthy nasty piggy.


    ¡ª


    "Nasty pig, do you know how disgusting you look right now?"


    "Come here, piggy piggy piggy, I have a bag of chips for you!"


    "Look at yourself, you nasty ass pig. From head to toe¡ªwait, I don''t think you can even see your toes! AHAHAHAHA!"


    ¡ª


    In the end, whatever I did only turned me into a source of ridicule. The joke character they used to ridicule when they got too bored with their perfect lives.


    Now, my body returned to its original shape before I overate in my depression. True, I had developed perky boobs as a teenager, and an hourss, bodacious shape.


    I used to hate this body because of those bullies calling me degrading names,beling me a slut just because of something I couldn''t control. But after I experienced a humiliating death, my heart went cold and numb. I didn''t care much about those words except a promise that I would return those words back at them.


    Rather than drowning myself in their ridicule, I wanted to make sure I looked proper without drawing too much attention.


    As much as I wanted to just go Rambo on them, I had to y smart. I had nopetent friends, nor good social standing, and not even money.


    All I had was my brain, so I had to y the game well before taking control. After I made sure that everything was under control, I could do whatever I wanted.


    I stared at myself in the mirror, and a smirk grew on my face, "What do you want to do with them?"


    "Of course, you will make sure they experienced pain worse than death. You must shame them just how they shamed you before."


    "Emmelyn Jones, You can call yourself petty, vengeful or evil. But you must not forget what they did. Give them what they deserve."

 Chapter 8 - Insecurity And The Boys

    The warm shower caressed my skin after a long day¡­ or maybe long years of pain and torture I had gone through. After my mom''s death, I didn''t have enough money to pay for the electricity bill with my mom''s savings and some money I got from the local government monthly, so I couldn''t use the heater for my shower.


    Even during winter, I couldn''t take a hot shower because the bill would be too much for me, and I wouldn''t be able to eat.


    So I would go to school without taking a shower sometimes.


    I closed my eyes while thinking about the terrible things they had done to me in the past, including how they targeted me. I wondered if there was any cause in the first ce.


    So my memory returned to the first timeline when I knew nothing. I listed the reason that caused them to bully me.


    First, I was the new kid who knew nothing about my environment. I had a few friends in my middle school, but most of them were just casual friends. But in this new town, I knew no one, not even my neighbor. I knew Chrissy in the previous timeline because my mom tried to introduce us to each other when we''d just arrived here.


    Second, I tried to stick out. My dad''s abusive behavior had me so terribly traumatized that I couldn''t even look at men in the same way.


    I still remember the pain he inflicted on my body, the bruises covering me and he hit me often because he said I was ''stupid and ugly'' like my mother.


    ¡ª


    "If you weren''t ugly like your mother, maybe I could sell you off for extra money, but who would want trash like you?"


    ¡ª


    Even though it might be his alcohol-fueled ramblings, his words hit me in my deepest conscience. It nted insecurity deep inside my mind. The insecurity developed into a mindset that¡­ if I didn''t stick out and be popr, everyone would despise me.


    So I tried to seek attention, hoping some people would notice me and befriend me. But I was wrong.


    Yes, they noticed me¡­


    And they made fun of me, like an involuntary clown, to fill their free time with some fun and games of roasting the piggy.


    Third, I didn''t have the guts to tell those wretched bullies to back off. I wasn''t courageous enough, so I enabled them to keep bullying me until I lost all social standing and became a bottom feeder.


    So I learned my lesson, I wouldn''t be an idiot who fell into the same hole twice. I learned not to be a naive girl who thought everyone would want to befriend her.


    I learned to be low-key until I got the right time to strike.


    Andstly, about boys¡­


    Yes, I had a crush on Mason in the previous timeline, and I still had the same crush on him right now.


    But I reckon it wasn''t worth it. Because I was just another random girl who fell in love with him.


    "Honestly, what''s the point of having a boyfriend anyway?" I shrugged.


    "High school is already difficult, and to add a random horny, sloppy creature in my life, that would be just in stupid."


    "Besides, most of them only see me from the neck under¡­."


    I bit my lip when I remembered how their lecherous eyes stared at my boobs and ass. They didn''t even feel ashamed to do that.


    It was too disgusting for me to recall, so I shook my head and steeled my will.


    "I will never get a boyfriend unless that man is useful enough for me. I don''t need a sloppy, useless guy who only dates me because of my body."


    "Emmelyn Jones, there will be no handsome knight in shining armor to save you. Nobody saved you in the past. Do you think things will change now? You only have yourself to rely on. So keep that in mind and be strong for yourself.."

 Chapter 9 - School Is War, And Were Playing A Dangerous Game

    I took a bath and returned to my desk. I only had one thing in mind, and it was nning out my next step.


    People might think that school was just a ce where you study and socialize. But in school, there were various social castes, and underhanded methods to gain poprity and rise up in rank, and simrly underhanded methods to push someone to the gutter.


    Like a food chain, one would push the others to be on top.


    Why would you think the seniority, sense of superiority, and bullying culture continued as those bullies were bing adults? It was because they got used to it since they were young.


    I ripped a nk paper and got a pen, then I started making a caste system. This was an invisible caste system that I found after experiencing bullying for three years. We should begin with the teachers and senior students, the twelfth grade.


    I gave them their own caste on top. They were simply untouchable at this point in time. Besides, I didn''t have much problem with them in my first life. They were too detached from the junior, but still, they couldn''t be touched.


    They were the seniors, after all.


    Then I ranked the sophomore¡­


    I had observed a few who seemed to have control over the school. They were the mean girls of their generation consisting of three girls.


    But the leader was the most dangerous, Barbara Cornwell, but she called herself ''Barbie'' for some reason. However, I didn''t see any simrities between her and that doll other than her exaggerated way of speaking, especially when she was with the boys.


    She would speak so elegantly in front of the boys, but she would speak like a nasty sewer when she was with the girls.


    Barbara Cornwell also had a terrible catty attitude with anyone who dared to steal any man''s attention when she was around them. Andstly, she hooked up a lot with the boys in the school.


    She would shame everyone and even went as far as bullying the girls who stole the spotlight from her, but she was always well protected because of her boyfriend, Jake Illyas, the current quarterback who would be Mason''s senior when he joined the football team this year.


    Barbara could easily reign supreme with the protection from Jake, who was also cheating on her, and she was the first one to call me a slut because of my well-endowed boobs.


    ''Heh, what a hypocrite,'' I chuckled and put Barbara Crownwell at the top. I wanted to topple her down, but it wasn''t the right time, not yet.


    Then I went to the lower ranks and started ranking the ones in the same year as me.


    Jessica and Cindy were always together. They were initially a group of two until more and more girls joined them. They became a big group in the senior year consisting of seven people, with Jessica as the leader.


    They would call themselves the DarthMorth Queens.


    Jessica was so powerful in the previous timeline that the only thing she couldn''t have was Mason. Because it seemed that Mason never paid attention to her nor appeared to be interested in anyone.


    He always wore the same lukewarm smile in front of everyone, even though he could get any girl¡­ or guy if he swung the other way.


    But he stayed single until my death.


    It seemed that Chrissy continuously fueled Jessica''s jealousy, so Jessica would hound anyone who dared to approach Mason.


    Other than that, Jessica and Cindy woulde at me tomorrow in the cafeteria for absolutely no reason, so I had to avoid them tomorrow.


    At least, I couldn''t afford to get humiliated on my second day of high school.


    Then after Jessica and Cindy, I listed all the potential bullies in my grade that would join the DarthMorth Queens in the future. There was Chrissy, obviously, and there were two more. The rest came from the next batch.


    So I rounded them down as my primary target.


    Because to put the giant down, you have to do it by binding their leg.


    There were Chrissy, Lea, and Kristen.


    I didn''t want to be entangled with Chrissy for now because of her constant obsession with Mason and bing the IT girl. And I didn''t have any resources to befriend Lea. Because Lea was just Ashley 2.0, they were from rich families but had different fates after the second year.


    While Ashley transferred to another school after her father was arrested for moneyundering, Lea''s father went bankrupt in the second year.


    So, Lea had to kiss Jessica''s boots and turn into Jessica''sp dog because she didn''t want to get bullied by the rest of the people she had bullied prior to her downfall.


    They were just too much for me right now. So that left me with only one choice, Kristen.


    The smirk grew on my face as I realized something important.


    Kristen joined Jessica in the second semester, approximately six months from now. That was because Kristen had a dark secret, so Jessica ckmailed her.


    "Perfect," I knew someone close to Kristen in middle school before, Cerise. But Kristen ditched Cerise because she was embarrassed by her antics, though I do think that Cerise was cute.


    To confirm the secret that Kristen hid for so long, I had to contact Cerise.


    So I took my phone and dialed Cerise''s number.


    Beep. Beep.


    "H¡ªHello, Emmy?" Cerise''s nervous voice rang in my ears as I leaned on the chair, crossing my legs while plotting about what I should do next to pressure Cerise to spill the beans without actually hurting my friend.


    Because I did treasure Cerise as my only friend in high school in the first timeline. But right now, we were just strangers, and so I had to find a gentler method to extort some information.


    "Hey, Cerise, so you saved my phone number! I''m so d!"


    "I¡ªI''m the one who should be d¡­ I never thought someone would actually call me like this," Cerise replied.


    "Hm? Why not? I want to be your friend after all," I replied, then paused for a moment. "Cerise, you know that I''m new in the school, unlike you who have been in the same middle school with them. Do you know some people I have to watch out for?"

 Chapter 10 - Prying On My Bestie

    "Cerise, you know that I''m new in the school, unlike you who have been in the same middle school with them. Do you know some people I have to watch out for?"


    "Some people you have to watch out for?" Cerise paused. I heard her humming a few times, probably considering whether it was safe enough to spill.


    But in the end, she just answered my question with, "I¡­ I think everyone can be friends. U¡ªum¡­ Emmy, you''re a beautiful girl, just be yourself, and people will befriend you¡­."


    I scoffed as I heard the answer from Cerise. I knew that she was just sweet-talking me because she was also scared.


    The thing I didn''t like the most about Cerise was her cowardly nature. She said simr things in the previous timeline to me, telling me that I would be well-liked as long as I stayed true to myself and acted naturally.


    Yeah, I knew she meant no harm, but her sweet encouragement was also one of the reasons why I acted like a clown. Because I thought as long as I acted naturally, I would be well-liked.


    But I understood her concern. She was just trying to be nice since we were yet to be close friends.


    Though, I didn''t need her ''encouragement'' for now. I needed her to keep talking and spilling tea, so I could get some idea about Kristen''s secret.


    Cerise told me that she knew Kristen''s secret in the previous timeline, but she didn''t dare spill it because she was afraid.


    I should''ve urged Cerise to spill the beans in the previous timeline when we were really close before she had to move away. Now I was stuck as a stranger, and it would take a while until we could be good friends.


    But I didn''t have enough time, I only have six months. No, if we were talking about precaution, I only had one to two months to know the secret from Cerise before I needed to n a good confrontation with Kristen.


    "Thanks, Cerise. But like, I''d love it if you tell me some stuff, you know. I heard from some people there were people you should avoid at any cost."


    "I¡ªI never heard anything like that¡­."


    I knew Cerise would dodge again, "Really? So you''re saying there was no bullying during your middle school years?"


    "¡­"


    I heard no answer from Cerise, which made me assume that her defense had started crumbling. I tried to remember which girl Cerise mentioned in the previous timeline, the girl who bullied Cerise a lot during her middle school years.


    "Cerise? Are you there?"


    "Yeah¡­"


    "Eh, what''s with the silence? Are you alright?" I asked. "You know, I just want to be safe in high school. I don''t want to get gossiped about and bullied."


    "¡­ Yeah, I understand," Cerise replied. I understood that Cerise also had a trauma of her own. From what she told me in the previous timeline, she had been bullied terribly in middle school. She just got bullied less in high school because there was a new girl more interesting to bully, poor, naive, weaker, and acted stupid most of the time.


    And that girl was me.


    The only thing I remembered about Cerise mentioning the middle school bully was the way she looked down on Cerise for being ''the girl whose smelly mom cleaned trash'' because Cerise''s mom was a janitor.


    I forced my brain to remember anything about Cerise, as detailed as it could.


    It took a while until I got a lead once I remembered the same girl who mocked me in the morning for being so humble and down to earth, like a worm.


    It was like a light bulb lit up in my head, I cleared my throat and continued, "Yeah, did you know that someone actually insulted me on my first day. She called me very down to earth, like a worm! Gosh, how can people be so rude!"


    "Wha!?" Cerise finally reacted. I could hear the sound of something dropping, probably because of her overreaction. "Who said that?" Cerise asked.


    "That girl''s name is Ashley. I don''t know who she is, but she just insulted me and left," I replied.


    "Ashley¡­"


    There was an obvious hostility in Cerise''s voice when she called that name. I smirked as I finally remembered the name of the bully.


    Well, not really a bully. I remembered that Ashley never directly bullied anyone, but her poisonous tongue would push someone into the gutter, and she would let the rest of the bullies gang up on the victim.


    While she watched like a nonchnt queen at the top, just because she could shove everyone''s mouth shut with her money.


    "Ashley also insulted my mom once, leaking to everyone about my mom''s job. Because my mom works in her dad''s office as a j¡ª" Cerise paused again, then she asked, "Emmy, you wouldn''t feel disgusted to befriend me even though I''m poor, right?"


    "Huh? Why would I? I''m also not well-off. My parents are divorced, and my mom only works as a receptionist," I mentioned lightly. I wanted to give Cerise a sense of security and camaraderie.


    "Okay, I trust you, Emmy. So my mom is a janitor working in Ashley''spany, well, her dad''spany, to be exact. And Ashley called my mom a ''toilet cleaner'' in front of everyone back in middle school."


    "Is that the reason they bullied you?"


    "Kind of, they started giving me some of their leftover lunch, telling me it''s a donation, in case I don''t have enough money to eat¡­."


    "Cerise, I''m sorry to hear that¡­." I actually understood her pain. I experienced the same thing after Ashley told everyone about my living conditions with government help, and they also did the same thing to me.


    "Ahaha¡­ thank you, Emmy. But it''s alright, at least I have one friend in middle school, though not anymore, haha¡ª" Ceriseughed dry after she mentioned her only middle school friend.


    I grinned when I heard her mentioning her ex-friend. Of course, it was that one friend.


    "Not anymore? What happened?" I asked curiously.


    "It''s a long story. But we''re not friends anymore. Though, we are still in the same school as her right now."


    "Really? What''s her name? Maybe I''ve been in the same ss as her before."


    "Her name is Kristen, Kristen Suite."


    Jackpot.


    The grin on my face grew wider as I started prying, "I think she is in the same ss as me. I saw her name in History ss'' student list."


    "What happened between you two? Is she one of the girls I have to watch out for?

 Chapter 11 - Prying On My Bestie (2)

    "What happened between you two? Is she another girl I have to watch out for?"


    "N¡ªNo, Kristen is a good girl¡­." Cerise replied. There was no hesitation in her voice. At least Cerise was surprisingly calm when she said that.


    As if she really thought that Kristen was a good girl.


    My brows raised in bewilderment. I couldn''t believe that she said Kristen was a good person. As much as I wanted to believe she was forced to join Jessica''s gang because Jessica held her secret, I also knew Kristen enjoyed bullying me back then.


    I remembered she was the one who shoved my face to the school toilet because I was ''irritating'' to see for no reason.


    "Really? She is a good girl?"


    "Yes! When I was bullied back then, she was the only one who befriended me. She even defended me sometimes!"


    Cerise sounded so happy when talking about Kristen, and it only gave me even more suspicion.


    Something definitely didn''t add up here. Cerise told me in the previous life that her weird antics were the ones who caused their separation.


    I thought so as well because Cerise could be weird sometimes.


    But if Kristen stood up against students who bullied Cerise, that meant their rtionship was deeper than I expected.


    I doubted ''weird antics'' could be the reason for the separation between them. In fact, when I never found any of Cerise''s weird antics distasteful.


    It was cute, really.


    I suspected that Cerise was hiding something even in the previous life, so it turned out we weren''t as close as I expected.


    My gaze leered at Kristen''s name in the school caste list, and I continued prying on Cerise, "Really? You sound so happy when talking about her, but you said that she is your ex-friend."


    "A-Ah¡­ that¡ª"


    "I mean, you two seem to be good friends. She even stood up against the bullies for you," I attacked Cerise with facts that she couldn''t deny. I had to admit that I felt a bit petty here.


    Because I believed Cerise when she said that she would never lie to me in the previous timeline, I thought she would fulfill that promise.


    Maybe it was me who was hoping too much.


    "W¡ªWell, that''s because Kristen found me disgusting, haha¡­." Ceriseughed dry. "I usually do weird stuff, while she is quite popr. So it''s natural for her to separate herself from me. It''s like¡­ you know, we don''t fit each other. She is better with someone at her level."


    "And you find nothing wrong with that?" I asked.


    "Wrong? What''s wrong?"


    "¡­"


    "No one would call their best friend weird and then distance themselves because of that," I said.


    "Uhm¡­ I believe Kristen has her reason. I mean, she has spared me with some pity by befriending me in middle school," Cerise replied. "She is such a good girl, but I don''t deserve to be her friend, just like what she said."


    Strangely, I couldn''t sense any sadness in Cerise''s tone. She waspletely fine to degrade herself and allowed Kristen to call her that.


    My blood went cold, I had a gut feeling that Kristen was a lot more vicious than I expected.


    I refused to believe that Cerise could value herself this low if she didn''t have someone who pushed her into this. Someone who could act as a savior for Cerise and then pushed her deeper into the pit of low self-esteem.


    "Cerise, do you think that Kristen is a good person?"


    "Definitely!" Cerise replied enthusiastically. "Didn''t I tell you just now? She is a good girl! She deserves everything, her poprity, her friends, and her reputation. It''s just me who is a bit too trashy for her circle."


    "¡­"


    Cerise defended that bitch so obliviously, making Kristen the good one and her the ugly and trashy one.


    That bitch Kristen''s secret must''ve been something extremely heinous.


    I still couldn''t grasp what Kristen''s darkest secret was. But if she could say something like that to Cerise as a best friend, at least I''ve confirmed something.


    Kristen was maniptive as heck.


    I found myself tangled in a problem deeper than I expected.


    Cerise protected Kristen obliviously. She might''ve lied to me in the previous life to protect Kristen too.


    Basically, Kristen turned this poor girl into herpdog that would protect her like a devout follower even if she had to lie.


    After discovering this problem, I knew that I need a better way to pry the information.


    In fact, I needed to find what Kristen did to Cerise. My poor friend was so oblivious, she didn''t even realize that she had been manipted by her own savior.


    "Wow, she seems to be a wonderful person! I will try to meet her tomorrow! Maybe we can be friends!" I intentionally cheered to check what Cerise would say.


    "OOh, sure, Emmy, but are you sure?" Cerise asked. "I mean, Kristen can be a bit mean when you''re not at her level. I don''t want you to get hurt¡­."


    ¡­


    Cerise, sometimes I wonder if you were at my side or not, that was such a backhanded warning!


    "Let''s just see, it''s good to make friends, right?"


    "Y¡ªYes, true¡­."


    "Alright then, thank you for talking with me, Cerise. I still have to sort out my schedule. Talk to youter."


    "Thank you for calling me, Emmy. It made my day, really¡­." Cerise said weakly before she hung up the call.


    I put down my phone and continued staring at Kristen''s name in my list, as she was my first target.


    I scoffed, "I guess we''re ying a long game. But it''s okay. I like a slow burn."

 Chapter 12 - Sweet Facade, Sweet Kristen

    I went to school in the morning. It would be better to go with my mom, but she went to work earlier because her receptionist job started at seven.


    So I used my old bike.


    I cycled for a while, then realized that someone was tailing me from behind. I looked over my shoulder and found a fancy Audi was following me from behind before taking over me. I frowned while continue pedaling, then the window slid down, and a girl popped out with a smirk on her face.


    "Emmy, why are you using a bike? Don''t you have a car?"


    ¡­


    "My mom used it. She went to work earlier," I replied without emitting anything. I didn''t have time to deal with this girl right now.


    "Aww, that''s too bad, but I think the bike fits you better. I mean, what''s your mother''s car again? 2003 Honda? Oh yeah, better to donate that to the junkyard, sis~" sheughed, and I heard another girl in the driver seat also chuckled.


    My gaze squinted to see the woman in the driver''s seat, I thought it might be her mother, but it was actually Ashley.


    I scoffed, full of contempt, "What about yours, Chrissy? Are you proud to be a hitchhiker?"


    "What? I''m not hitchhiking! Ashley stopped in front of my house and picked me up! I have a good friend with me, unlike you!" Chrissy started getting defensive, and it was right into my trap.


    "Oh, I see. I didn''t expect Ashley to befriend someone at the same level as a worm-like me. Even went as far as picking her up like her personal driver," Iughed full of contempt at Ashley in the driver seat. "Wow, sis, you''re so lucky to have a personal driver."


    I saw Ashley was clenching the steering wheel while Chrissy was speechless, unable to fight my words back.


    "Hmph, you lonely little shit," Chrissy cursed at me before the car window slid up again, and Ashley pressed the gas to leave me alone.


    I shrugged as I continued cycling. I didn''t have time to deal with Chrissy right now. Yes, I know I should be more careful, but against that one bitch, I''d rather not.


    **


    I parked my bike and went inside my school. The corridor was as crowded as always, with people flocking Mason. He still had his lukewarm smile to everyone, as if it was already a temte on his face.


    To think about it again, Mason never had any other expression when facing these fangirls that kept increasing every day. He still had the same smile and rejected everything or answered a question politely.


    God, thinking about being a school idol like him must have been suffocating.


    I walked to my locker and noticed that Cerise was taking some books from her locker. I approached her and patted her shoulder.


    "Wha!" Cerise jolted. She turned her head at me and patted his chest. "E¡ªEmmy, you''re going to give me a heart attack!"


    I smiled at her reaction, "What''s your first ss?"


    "Um¡­ Biology," Cerise replied.


    "I see. Good luck then," I unlocked my locker and then took out my math books. But before I left, Cerise suddenly grabbed my arm. I looked over my shoulder and asked, "Yes?"


    "U¡ªUm¡­ aboutst night call¡­ I suggest you not talk with Kristen," Cerise looked scared. Which made me curious because I thought she would defend that girl like an oblivious bunny being led in a cage with a dangling carrot.


    "And why''s that? I thought you said that she''s a wonderful girl."


    "She is, but um¡­ I just don''t want you to get hurt," Cerise warned. "I¡ªI tried to talk to her yesterday. I thought we could be friends once more, but she shoved me away because we''re not equal. I''m just too low for her."


    "I¡ªI mean, I deserve it, but not you¡­ I just don''t want you to get humiliated¡­."


    "Cerise, do you think that you deserve to be treated like that?"


    "Yes," Cerise replied without hesitation. "Kristen told me that I was too weak and worthless to defend myself against the bullies, so she had to save me."


    ¡­


    Cerise, sometimes I wished you could be more suspicious about your surrounding. She literally crushed your confidence to the ground.


    I think, at this point, there was no point in pushing Cerise about Kristen''s dark secret. Cerise would just lie to me, or even worse, trying to distance herself from me.


    I sighed and shrugged to release Cerise''s weak grasp on my arm, "Cerise, you should learn how much you meant for some people. At least I know someone who values you as her best friend."


    "Wha¡­"


    I walked away from Cerise and went to my math ss. I read the list of students in this ss for today and saw my name and Kristen Suite there.


    Okay, this would be a perfect time to test whether my hypothesis was correct.


    If Kristen Suite wanted to befriend Cerise because she was at her lowest, acting as a savior even though she actually manipted Cerise as her pawn.


    So I had to act like Cerise on the surface.


    I had to act like a scared little girl in a wild jungle.


    Right now, I was just a new girl who had no friends in this wilderness.


    I saw Kristen was walking in my direction, a girl with long blonde hair. She wore jeans and a white shirt, she dressed inly, but she was beaming with an angelic aura that made people assume she was actually a good person. In fact, if she didn''t bully me in the first timeline, I found it hardly believable that she was truly evil inside.


    Heh, Sweet Kristen, I knew your facade. I will find a way to crack your mask.

 Chapter 13 - Sweet Facade, Sweet Kristen (2)

    Heh, Sweet Kristen, I knew your facade. I will find a way to crack your mask.


    Kristen had a sweet smile on her face as she walked into the ss. Miss Wrighton was still preparing for ss, so she let the students chat for a while.


    Many of the students greeted Kristen as if she was a celebrity, and Kristen replied to them all with her smile. She sat on the only seat avable, which was right beside me.


    She ignored me at first, so I stared at her and then hunched my shoulder immediately, trying to imitate what Cerise must be in the middle school.


    Not that I was any better either, I was also a scared little cat in the previous timeline. Hunching, looking down, lowering my voice, avoiding everyone.


    It was just part of muscle memory.


    Kristen noticed and nced at me. She frowned for a moment before smiling in my direction, "Hi, are you new here? I have never seen you around."


    "A-Ah, yes¡­ I''m new here," I replied. "I just moved in three months ago¡­."


    Kristen was taller than me, and she leaned a bit with a generous smile on her face, "Really? Well, hope you like it here, not everyone is nice, but you''ll find some friends," Kristen said. Then she shrugged, "Unless you don''t have any friends, I know it''s hard to get a new friend here."


    "U¡ªUm¡­ yeah, it''s really difficult. Nobody wants to be my friend..."


    Kristen didn''t seem to show any interest in me, probably because I wasn''t exactly her target. She didn''t even feel bothered introducing herself.


    So I had to y this card right here, "M¡ªMy name is Emmy Jones. Nice to meet you."


    "Oh, nice to meet you. I''m Kristen," she replied curtly.


    "U¡ªUm, Kristen, may I ask you something?"


    "Hm? Sure."


    "Do you know about someone named Jessica? A girl told me yesterday that Jessica doesn''t like me and woulde to me during recess in the cafeteria¡­."


    "Jessica?"


    The moment I mentioned Jessica, Kristen''s interest peaked. I knew that Kristen and the rest of the girls disliked Jessica, but she was so dominating and powerful, especially with her money, so nobody dared to confront her.


    "I know about Jessica. She is very popr. But I''m not sure why she would target you," Kristen said. "Did you do something?"


    "This is just the second day. How am I supposed to do anything to offend her?" I replied. It was true, though. In the previous timeline, Jessica suddenly confronted me on the second day. She shamed me in front of everyone, calling me a cheap bitch for no reason.


    "Hmm¡­ you''re correct," her eyes scanned at my face, then looking down on my shirt and jeans. "Maybe it''s because you dress too poorly. Look at your old jeans and shirt. It looks a bit worn out. You should also cover your boobs. It''s too ring. You look like¡­ you know."


    "You¡­ you think so?" I acted as if I was worried about my appearance, even though I dressed up like this intentionally for today because Kristen liked to point out people who were lower than her.


    "I''m not someone who judges quickly, but you do look like a cheap¡­." Kristen sighed. "You know, someone like you is very prone to get bullied here. This ce is harsh."


    You weren''t someone that likes to judge quickly? Haha, you just prove yourself wrong.


    I wanted to scoff andugh at her hypocrisy, but I needed to keep acting like this.


    I needed to pull her deeper by pulling the meek girl card.


    "M¡ªMaybe that''s why Jessica doesn''t like me¡­."


    "Who knows," Kristen shrugged. "Though, it''s kind of hard to believe that Jessica would target a new kid so suddenly. Are you telling the truth?"


    This is it.


    This would be my chance to use my previous life''s experience.


    I was nning to avoid Jessica at all costs before. Because I didn''t have any resources to fight her, but I just realized that, though Kristen wasn''t as powerful as Jessica, her reputation as an ''angel'' who should be respected because of her empathy was not to be taken lightly.


    I just realized that I could use Kristen to fight against Jessica.


    Let me be her new pet, the poor soul that needed all the protection from this world, while slowly prying her darkest secret.


    I nodded pitifully, "I don''t know if it''s true or not. But you can go with me to the cafeteria during recess, maybe sit at another table, and see if Jessica wille and attack me."


    "Hmm¡­" Kristen seemed to be in a tough consideration. Her eyes observed me from top to bottom again, as if measuring my worth to be her pet.


    "P¡ªPlease, Kristen, I know we''ve just met. But I don''t know what to do, I''m scared¡­." I begged her by holding her hand.


    "I asked someone about this yesterday. I was so scared that Jessica would bully me, and she said that Kristen is such an amazing person who will protect me. So Ie and introduce myself to you¡­."


    "Oh? Who told you about me?"


    "Cerise, she told me that you''re an amazing girl. She said that you will help me!"


    There was a grin on Kristen''s face after I mentioned Cerise. There was no sign of fear in her face as if she had expected Cerise to say that about her.


    This proved something about Kristen. She had no remorse for abusing Cerise with her hurtful and degrading words.


    "I see. Well, Cerise is my friend, I''ve been trying to befriend her again, but she keeps dodging me, saying that she isn''t worthy enough to be my friend. It''s unfortunate, right?" Kristen said.


    "Well, let''s see if Jessica wille at youter. If she really does, then I will help you."

 Chapter 14 - Cafetaria Confrontation

    "Well, let''s see if Jessica wille at youter. If she really does, then I will help you."


    Perfect, so this would be the best time to test if my previous life''s experience and this current one would fit.


    I also wanted to see if Kristen would stand up against me because if she did, that meant I was qualified as her weak pet, just like Cerise.


    Thus, time passed until recess came. Kristen and I walked to the cafeteria, and I sat in the same position like I did back then. I sat alone on the third row of the farthest left seat, eating a simple lunch I made before going to school.


    Meanwhile, Kristen was sitting at another table, watching me closely while eating some snacks. Some people approached and sit with her, though she ignored them most of the time. She seemed eager to be the guardian angel that would be the spotlight here.


    I kept checking my watch, then counting every second before the scene happened.


    Five¡­ four¡­ three¡­ two¡­


    SLAM!


    Everyone, including me, looked in the direction of the cafeteria door. A girl stood at the door. She was quite tall, probably around 5''7", she had wavy blonde hair, a sharp gaze, wearing a long-sleeved bright blue crop top with high-waisted jeans.


    Then a girl followed her from behind, wearing a simr style but less splendid.


    There you go, two bitches I hated the most in this school. The ones who gave me misery in my life, Jessica and Cindy.


    Jessica and Cindy stood at the door, and everyone''s eyes were at them. Silence permeated the air as everyone was waiting for the queen to open her mouth.


    Jessica''s eyes screened the cafeteria, and then she asked loudly, "Which one of you is Emmelyn Jones?"


    ¡­


    Nobody dared to raise their hand or make a noise. Thus, I had to y my role. I raised my hand hesitatingly and replied, "M¡ªMy name is Emmelyn Jones."


    Jessica''s eyes were like a lioness ready to pounce anyone. She stomped the floor as she walked towards me. She mmed the table and yelled, "You bitch! How dare you calling me that in front of him?! You''re just a new kid, and you dare to make trouble with me!!"


    I finally confirmed this world waspletely the same as my previous one because I still remembered Jessica''s exact words when he bullied me for the first time.


    I blinked full of confusion and fear, though it was just an act now. But back then, these emotions were real. I was terrified because I didn''t know this girl, and she brought her friend.


    Jessica saw me not responding, then she kicked the seat until I slumped on the ground, grimacing in pain, "Ouch¡­."


    Jessica then kicked my arm twice before yelling at me, "You cheap bitch! Don''t you dare to mess around with me! You dare to say that kind of crap to him!!"


    I looked around, and everyone stared at me as if staring at an entertainment, a clown doing her trick.


    Then I stared at Kristen with pitiful eyes. Tears were already pooling in my eyes, begging her to help me.


    Really, I could just avoid Jessica today and go on with my n, or I could just do it the primitive way and stabbed this bitch while she wasn''t looking.


    But I was always the one who liked to heighten the pain until my enemy breaks down. A simple punch wouldn''t break her down, so I had to y with Jessica in a long game.


    And my target right now is Kristen. I wanted her to stand up and protect me like a fake guardian angel that would protect me. Wasn''t that the reputation she wanted to keep?


    I kept staring at Kristen, and she finally stood up from her seat and walked in my direction. Jessica and Cindy hadn''t realized Kristen''s presence. She was still screaming at me with all her malicious usations that I never did.


    I didn''t even know what she was spouting about.


    Kristen barged in and stood between Jessica and me, "Hold on there, Jess. What''s the problem? You know that she is new here, right?"


    Kristen came, and everyone''s attention was immediately shifted from me to Kristen and Jessica.


    Jessica clenched her fist, "That bitch is gossiping behind my back and ndering me in front of him!"


    "Who''s him?" Kristen asked. "Is it someone so important that you have to beat her like this?"


    "That''s not the problem!" Jessica pointed at me. "She dares to nder me! A new kid dare to talk shit about me!"


    Jessica wanted to punch me again, but Kristen held her hand. With her gentle smile and angelic voice, she tried to calm the situation down, "You''re wasting too much energy on her. She''s nothingpared to you, right?"

 Chapter 15 - An Underhanded Angel

    "You''re wasting too much energy on her. She''s nothingpared to you, right?"


    Jessica''s eyes widened as she heard thating from Kristen''s mouth, and so did I.


    I didn''t expect her to call someone that she should be protecting as nothing.


    I saw that Jessica was speechless for a moment, her mouth opened and closed few times as if she was trying to utter something, but it got stuck, so Cindy went in front and asked Kristen, "What''s your problem here? Are you trying to protect that ugly new girl for no reason?"


    Kristen smiled sweetly and then looked down on me, "Don''t you see this pitiful girl? She is ugly, dressed cheap, and her family probably doesn''t even have enough money to afford better stuff. She deserves to be pitied."


    "Jessica, I know that you''re more than this, right? Why would you bully a filthy girl like her? It''s a bit disappointing," Kristen said. But her words attacked me like a sword that stabbed my heart. It also stomped on my self-confidence in just a matter of seconds.


    "This is about Jessica and that girl. Kristen, don''t you try to y angel here, or Jessica won''t be so kind to you," Cindy said as she looked over her shoulder towards Jessica.


    Meanwhile, Jessica was still staring at me and then at Kristen, "Why are you defending her anyway? Did she pay you to be her bodyguard?"


    "Oh no, I don''t think she can afford that. She can''t even afford proper lunch," Kristen replied. "I do this out ofpassion because I can''t let you hurt a weak bug, right?"


    I kept staring at Kristen''s back. I was ready to go off and stab this girl. I almost broke my acting because of her humiliation. It was far worse than I expected.


    I knew that I should be well prepared. I got the same treatment back then. It was even worse than this. But it was the trauma that got me off. And I got so angry after Kristen humiliated me the same way those bullies did in the previous timeline.


    But this was especially painful because Kristen was standing in front of me. She was supposed to defend me against the bullies, but all she did was bing another bully that liked to see my suffering.


    I had a vague grasp of what she did to Cerise because of this, and this was just pure evil.


    Jessica red at me again and then pointed her finger at me, "You bitch, we''re not over yet. If you dare to nder me in front of him, then I will make sure that you will be holed up inside your dirty house forever!"


    Seriously, who was this ''him'' Jessica talked about? I knew no man in this school!


    Then she red at Kristen, "And for you, Kristen, this is thest warning, if you dare toe between me and this bitch again, then I will make you pay for it!"


    "Why would you hurt me, though?" Kristen taunted. "You know, all I do is being kind to people."


    Jessica looked so displeased with Kristen''s behavior, but she decided to ignore her and red at me instead.


    Jessica was still as vicious as ever. She scoffed and strutted away with Cindy behind her, leaving me in a terrified state, with other students'' eyes looking at me with pity and fear.


    That was the effect that Jessica had in this school. She could instill fear in anyone. Even though she looked like another rash bully, she had a powerful backing that I didn''t know.


    I just knew that she could kick anyone she deemed dislikable, though she rarely did that. All she did was bullying all of them until they quit by themselves.


    She was still untouchable for me right now, but let me do my magic first, and you would her break down, I promise.


    Kristen shrugged and then lowered her head. She looked at me still with the same gentle eyes supposed to be the sign of her caring nature.


    But all I saw was hypocrisy, intentional hypocrisy. Because she said everything in full consciousness, she meant every word she said.


    "Are you okay, Emmy?" Kristen asked.


    ¡­


    I resumed my acting and hunched my back. I winced in pain, holding my waist after Jessica kicked my seat and made me slumped, "I¡ªI''m fine. Thank you so much, Kristen. You''re so kind and brave¡­."


    "Ahaha, no, no, I''m just trying to help the one in need. Cerise also got the same treatment as you before, and I protected her well," Kristen tried to be humble, but in my ear, it was more like a humble brag.


    Unexpectedly, there were plenty of students pping for Kristen, as if she had been doing a seriouslymendable thing. Though not everyone pped for her, it was still enough people to make a voice in this big cafeteria.


    Maybe this was part of that angelic aura that she had. That made some people just think that she was truly a kind person.


    I want to tear it down. I want to tear down her disgusting facade!


    "U¡ªUm¡­ Kristen, I''m so grateful for your help. I know that you can always be dependable. But¡­ what if Jessica came at me again?" I asked.


    I needed to bait her again. Jessica and Kristen had a lukewarm rtionship back then, but when Jessica discovered Kristen''s secret, everything flipped between them, with Jessica as the Queen.


    I needed to make sure that Kristen and Jessica''s rtionship would be severed for real, so there was nothing but hatred between them.


    "Well, I''m always here for poor girls," Kristen replied.She looked towards other students and asked, "I think most people here know that I''ll always help the poor."


    "Yes!"


    "Yes!"


    "Yes!"


    Plenty of students cheered on her, though not everyone. Many of them just looked away, pretending as if nothing happened just now, and continued with their lunches.


    But cheers definitely helped to inte Kristen''s ego as the good and strong girl that protected the weak. She looked at me again and patted my shoulder, "I will protect you, don''t worry."


    I lowered my head, hiding the grin on my face.


    Kristen Suite, you''ve fallen into my trap.

 Chapter 16 - Pressure

    Kristen and I left the cafeteria after that confrontation. She didn''t seem to be burdened after that confrontation, nor that she had any fear after ''defending'' me from Jessica''s wrath.


    I knew that Kristen had an excellent reputation in this ce. She was an angel that everybody liked, so she had the guts to face Jessica.


    And that was perfect.


    Because I wanted to make sure Jessica and Kristen kept going against each other, straining any further rtionship between them, so Kristen wouldn''t have any backup after her downfall.


    "U¡ªUm¡­ Kristen," I patted her shoulder, who was walking in front of me.


    Kristen didn''t stop nor looked over her shoulder. She just continued walking, "Yes, what is it?"


    "I need your phone number. You know¡­ in case Jessica wants to attack me again¡­" I said.


    Kristen chuckled and then mentioned her number, allowing me to type it in my phone.


    I saved her number and then named it ''Fake bitch #1.''


    "You can call me when Jessicaes and attack you again," Kristen said. She shrugged and continued, "Honestly, you know that you''re easily bullied. You shouldn''t try to y with fire."


    "y with fire?"


    "You''re ndering Jessica in front of him¡ªwhoever that guy is, but you''re just ying with death."


    "But I did nothing¡­." I tried to defend myself. But Kristen just shrugged in response.


    "Doesn''t matter. You''re now under her radar. Jessica is really powerful, you know. You''re lucky to have a friend like me," Kristen said.


    Okay, thatst part was bullshit. My luck would be at Cerise-level if I had a friend like her. But what she said had some weight to it. Someone had intentionally put me under Jessica''s radar. There was no way Jessica would be against me without this person''s intervention.


    And this mysterious person did the same thing to me in my previous life.


    So this person was the first to plunge me into this spiraling hell of bullying for three years in my previous life. Unfortunately, I had no idea about the identity of this person.


    I needed to find time to investigate it. Whoever that person was, they had a malicious intention against me.


    "Oh? Did I just see someone hiding there?" Kristen pointed at someone who peeked from a corridor. I darted my eyes towards her pointer and saw a familiar face immediately hiding when she got discovered.


    "Ah¡­ did you see? Cerise is very shy. She keeps saying that she''s too weird and unworthy of befriending me, so she distanced herself," Kristen said with a sigh. "Even though I never differentiate my friends, whether they are rich or poor like you guys."


    I think there was a difference between the two narrations here, Kristen. And I believed Cerise''s narration more than yours.


    Kristen approached Cerise, who was hiding behind a wall. When she saw us, Cerise jolted and tried to run away.


    Kristen caught her hand and gripped it tight, but still with the same sweet smile on her lips.


    "Hi Cerise, how are you?" Kristen greeted her first, and Cerise''s body froze on the spot. The more I observed her bodynguage, it was so obvious that Cerise was terrified with Kristen''s presence, but she still called her a good friend.''


    What kind of crazy things they went into?


    "I¡ªI''m good, Kristen¡­." Cerise nced at me and lowered her gaze again. "H¡ªHi Emmy¡­"


    "¡­"


    I said nothing but continued observing the dynamic between these two best friends, between the bullied and the savior.


    "I heard from Emmy that you rmend me to protect her. Is that true?" Kristen asked.


    Cerise looked lost, which was obvious because she didn''t rmend Kristen to me. It was my own initiative toe to Kristen.


    She nced at me, asking for help, so I replied, "Cerise told me that you''re the kindest person that could protect me from bullies here. So I naturallye to you, Kristen."


    "Oh? She said that?" Kristen smiled at Cerise. I could see the wince in Cerise''s face when Kristen tightened her grip on Cerise''s shoulder.


    "Cerise is such a good friend of mine. We were friends in middle school. Right, Cerise?"


    I could sense the pressure exuding from Kristen, demanding Cerise to speak whatever she was ordered to.


    "Y¡ªYes¡­"


    "Good, I know that you''re such a good friend that knows how to respect someone that helped you, right?"


    "Yes¡­"


    Kristen was very intimidating with her malicious smile. I could see how the weak-willed Cerise would bow down eventually.


    I needed to make Cerise realize that nothing good woulde if she kept bowing down to this fake bitch.


    She really needed to spill the beans about Kristen''s secret, or it would be long, endless suffering for both of us.


    I had an idea in my head, but I needed to execute it smoothly.


    "Cerise said that you were such a good friend," I interrupted. "But she said that you don''t want to befriend her anymore because you''re above her¡­."


    Cerise''s face paled.


    Sorry, Cerise, but you have to bear with this.


    I could see Kristen''s grip on Cerise''s shoulder tightened, "Oh? Of course, I want to be her friend. It was her who refused me as her friend because I''m just better at everything. I''m too good for her, right, Cerise?"


    "Y¡ªYes¡­"


    "Ah, that''s unfortunate," I walked closer towards Cerise and patted her other shoulder. "I think Cerise needs to understand how good of a friend you''re. Since you don''t differentiate between the rich and the poor like us."


    "How about letting us walk with you as three? Cerise has been bullied a lot as well. It would be good if we can walk with a popr girl like you, Kristen."


    "Ah, that''s¡ª"

 Chapter 17 - The Plot Has Been Set

    "How about letting us walk with you as three? Cerise has been bullied a lot as well. It would be good if we can walk with a popr girl like you, Kristen."


    "Ah, that''s¡ª"


    Kristen zipped her mouth instantly as she looked conflicted. I wanted to trap Kristen until she said yes.


    After realizing that Cerise also lied to me about Kristen when we were best friends in the previous life, I realized that Kristen''s influence on Cerise was tremendous.


    And after observing Kristen''s behavior and how she talks with Cerise, I could deduct how many abuses Cerise had to suffer daily at the hand of Kristen.


    So I had to knock some sense and logic in Cerise''s brain, so she would team up with me to take Kristen down.


    Cerise looked at me, full of anxiety in her face, "I¡ªI don''t think I can fit both of you¡ª"


    "Why''s that?" I raised my brow. "I think we''re all the same, whether you''re rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, popr or not. I think Kristen knows that really well since she''s very kind to others, right, Kristen?"


    "A¡ªAh, true¡­." Kristen looked so unwilling to ept Cerise, probably because of that secret.


    The only way for her to shut Cerise''s lips was to continuously bully Cerise until she was too terrified to look straight.


    It must''ve been ufortable for Kristen. Knowing that Cerise and she would be walking side by side as equals would make her anxious about that secret would be spilled.


    "Sure, I guess¡­." Kristen was forced to ept Cerise into her circle again after the pressure to maintain her image. "But I don''t think Cerise wants to, don''t you see her face?"


    I nced at Cerise, whose face was ghastly as if she would faint anytime soon.


    "Ah, don''t worry about that. I''m sure Cerise also wants to befriend you again. She''s just shy and scared for some reason," I patted Cerise''s back. "Cerise, you said it yourself that Kristen is an amazing person. That''s why I came to her. I know you want to be her friend again, but you''re just shy."


    I pretended to look at my watch and acted surprised, "Oh wow, the next ss will start soon. I need to go with Cerise, we have the same ss. See youter, Kristen!"


    I grabbed Cerise''s arm and dragged her away from Kristen, who was watching from afar.


    Cerise was unresponsive the whole time. After we were far from Kristen, I finally released her.


    "E¡ªEmmy¡­ why?"


    "Why? What do you mean?"


    "I was trying to avoid her¡­." Cerise said. "I''m scared¡ª"


    "Scared of what?" I frowned, acting as if I didn''t know what she meant. "Isn''t Kristen your friend?"


    "¡­"


    "Cerise, don''t you see the contradiction in your words?" I tried to knock some sense in her. "Why would you get scared of your own friend? A friend should be the one who will make you feel safe and secure."


    "¡­"


    "Cerise¡­" I saw that she looked so pale, she might faint soon. So, I hugged her to calm her down, "I don''t know what''s the problem with you and Kristen. But you''re obviously scared of her."


    Lies, of course, I was lying. I knew exactly what the problem was between them. But Cerise was like someone with Stockholm syndrome.


    She always saw Kristen as her savior because Kristen manipted her to think so.


    Cerise must''ve suffered the same thing as I did in the cafeteria before. Kristen absolutely jabbed her self-confidence and then made her too scared to do anything, but she still maintained that fake angel persona.


    Someone as gullible as Cerise would believe anything that Kristen would say.


    So I had to y as the devil here. I purposely shoved us three, Kristen, Cerise, and me, together as one group again. So Kristen would be anxious that Cerise would spill her secret.


    Knowing Kristen''s true nature, she would feel anxious that Cerise would spill her darkest secret. Thus she would excessively threaten and intimidate Cerise to shut up about the secret until Cerise broke down in tears.


    And that would be the turning point, where I would y as the hero.


    I felt bad for Cerise, but she needed to see how cruel Kristen can be by experiencing it herself. So she would realize which one was a friend and which one was a maniptive foe.


    "Remember, Cerise. I may not be an angel, but I will be true as your friend. If you have anything to say, tell me, I will make sure to help you."


    "I¡ªIt''s easy for you to stay that¡­." Cerise struggled to push me away and released herself from my hug. I knew that she was scared.


    Cerise ran away from me, and I only stared at her from far.


    She was such a good girl, but she was absolutely gullible. Now that the plot had been set, all I needed to do was to wait until Cerise broke down and spilled that secret to me.

 Chapter 18 - Picking Club

    Now that the plot between Cerise and Kristen had been set, all I needed to do was to sitfortably, watching them crash and burn inside their private chats and reap the benefitter on.


    Thus, after I had nothing to do after school, I took all the brochures prepared for new students, alongside the application letter. The club fair would be held in a week, but the students could fill the application letter earlier if they wanted.


    Back then, I joined the Science club because I wanted to learn more before entering medical school after high school, only to be absolutely betrayed by that nerd Albert Aimer.


    Well, I was and still am a nerd, just like him, I guess.


    But I wouldn''t be that kind of guy who screamed justice and fair fight, but pushing all mypetitors by throwing their submission into the trash, so I wouldn''t have anypetitor left.


    I didn''t have any motivation to be the goody-two-shoes joining club activity for hobby or interest.


    I wanted to see which club activities out there would be beneficial for me in the long run. I needed a club activity that would give me a good position, which would be a safeguard.


    In high school, the clubs you joined will be your clique most of the time.


    Picking the right clique would save me from endless torment and bullying. So I started reading the brochures they gave me, checking all the avable club activities they offered.


    "Hm¡­ let''s see¡­ Science club, nope, I don''t want to fall into the same trap. Dance club? Only if they want to see a live exorcism. Drama club? I can be executor during Marie Antote''s execution y, I guess."


    Iughed at the choices because none of them fit me. At least, none of the supposedly suitable options for me had any sort of clique benefit in the school.


    What kind of clique benefit I wanted?


    The one that got me into a strategic spot as an observer, afortable ce to watch over the chess game of high school life between cliques.


    And to observe, you need a high space, like a tower.


    My eyes kept staring at two choices that I would never pick, an American football club for an obvious reason and Cheer club.


    Those two go hand in hand, but I couldn''t join the Cheer club because I wasn''t physically fit to be there. And second, there was Chrissy and Cindy inside the cheer club.


    Thinking about going to the same club with them already gave me a shiver, let alone having to show a fake smile to them.


    The American Football club would have Mason Hall there, being cheered by so many people like a quarterback star he was.


    I imagined his dreamy gaze. He was indeed such a perfect boy, athletic, handsome, smart, and working as a model outside of school.


    What? I told you that I had a crush on him, right? But I didn''t want to y with death, knowing how horrible the bullying got when he helped me in the previous life.


    So all I did was just admiring him from afar.


    ¡­


    After reading through all the brochures, I was stumped, realizing none of the current popr clubs would fit me.


    Truthfully, I didn''t want to join any club if it didn''t have any clique benefit, but extracurricr activities were required in this school.


    I was about to fill the application letter for either Chess club or Math club until I found thest brochure that fell down from the desk.


    "Hm? I didn''t remember taking thisst one before."


    I picked the brochure on the floor and frowned when I read club name, "Pottery Club?"


    Honestly, I had no idea about this club, even in my previous life. The only thing that I remembered was the emptiness of this club.


    Yeah, the pottery club only had one member left since the seniors had graduated. There was a gap year with zero studentsing in.


    So in my batch, there was only one student who applied, and it was about to get closed due to ack of members.


    But apparently, the parent of the only new member inside Pottery club paid a hefty amount of money as a donation to the school, so the pottery club could stay afloat.


    It was quite a talk for a while back in my previous timeline because everyone was curious about the identity of this kid who could pay big money just to maintain a dying club.


    When some students tried to visit the pottery club to see the rich kid who literally bought the pottery room in the school. But the room was always empty, well maintained, but empty.


    ¡­


    Wait, empty?!


    An idea popped out of my head. I might not fit with any of the cliques for now, but at least I could have the pottery room for myself!


    I didn''t know what I would do with it. But I could always use it as a secret multipurpose room in case I needed something to be stored or used it as a hiding spot. Well, implying that rich kid who paid for the pottery room wouldn''te anyway.


    I put down the brochure and held my pen. Thus, I started by writing my name in the application letter.

 Chapter 19 - Youre Dancing In My Hand

    After filling out the application letter, I threw myself on the soft bed. I stared at the ceiling, dazed for a while, until one question shed in my head.


    Who intentionally put me into this whole mess?


    Since in my previous life, someone told Jessica that I ndered her, which was obviously a lie. I didn''t even know Jessica before that cafeteria confrontation.


    But apparently, this person specifically targeted me, so I''d fall under Jessica''s radar. I had no idea how to fight her in the previous life, and starting from that cafeteria confrontation, the school life of hell continued until my death.


    "Was it Chrissy?" I wondered. Chrissy was an obvious choice. She was the only one who antagonized me for now.


    ¡­


    No, it couldn''t be her.


    As much as I hated Chrissy, we were friends until the second year in the previous life. Besides, Chrissy was still Ashley''spdog, for now. She finally moved to be Jessica''s dog after Ashley''s parents got arrested for moneyundering.


    Other than Chrissy, I couldn''t find any other suspects.


    Unless¡­


    Wait, who was that ''him'' Jessica talked about in the cafeteria?


    Jessica said that I talked shit about her in front of ''him.''


    So that man could''ve been another suspect.


    If Jessica could be that mad, that person must''ve been quite important for Jessica, and the only one I could think of was Mason Hall and Peter Reed.


    Peter was Jessica''s current boyfriend, which she would break up with two months from now, and she would date another man. But she always had her eyes on Mason since the first day of middle school, where they met for the first time.


    I''ve known about this because the rumors spread wide that Jessica sent a nude pic to Mason. Then, Mason immediately deleted and blocked Jess on Snapchat.


    I knew the rumor was malicious and was probably false, buting from Jessica, it wasn''t entirely surprising if it came out to be true.


    Both Mason and Peter, I doubted they knew about my existence, let alone maliciously putting me under Jessica''s radar.


    ¡­


    "Ah, fuck this¡ª" I closed my eyes and taking a deep breath because I had no lead over this problem. Still, I had to be careful in case this mysterious person was targeting me again. I had to be cautious for now.


    Ding!


    I opened my eyes after hearing the notification on my phone. I checked my phone and saw Cerise''s text.


    - Emmy, do we really have to walk with her tomorrow? I''m scared. -


    Ah, this again, as expected from Cerise, she was too scared to walk side by side with Kristen.


    I had to persuade her with a call then because this was an important step to shake their rtionship.


    Beep¡­ beep¡­


    "H¡ªHello?"


    "Cerise, what do you mean that you''re scared? Didn''t you say before that you want to befriend Kristen once more?"


    "T¡ªThat''s just my stupid talk, please don''t take it seriously¡­." Cerise tried to dodge this. I had to persuade her again.


    "Really? But Kristen just called me, she really thinks of it seriously. She even said that she was excited to walk with you! She even said that she''d hold your hands in the corridor if you want," I said.


    It was a lie, duh. I hadn''t called Kristen yet, but judging by Cerise''s weak but anxious voice, I bet that Kristen hadn''t threatened her yet.


    "That''s impossible¡­." Cerise tried to deny it, so I had to sweet-talk her even more.


    "What do you mean impossible? She agreed to walk with you because I urged her. Isn''t that credible enough?"


    "Well¡­" I noticed that Cerise started to believe me a bit.


    "I just don''t understand why you are scared of her. Kristen literally saved me from Jessica''s wrath," I said.


    "You just don''t understand¡­."


    Oh, Cerise, I understood really well. That was the reason why I staged this.


    "You said that you''re not on the same level as Kristen, and here I am trying to help you to mend your rtionship with her. Did I do wrong? Am I wrong wanting to help you?"


    "No¡­" Cerise replied.


    "Well, that means it''s worth trying. Don''t worry, if you feel ufortable, I will be the one who helps you, okay?"


    "¡­ Okay."


    Cerise finally agreed, and after few small talks, I hung up the call. Cerise was absolutely gullible, and I understood what Kristen was doing. Because I used the same type of maniption that Kristen did to persuade Cerise.


    Mask the maliciousness with false aid. It was especially effective against someone like Cerise.


    After realizing Cerise''s doubt, I also had to set Kristen. So I dialed that contact, ''Fake Bitch #1.''


    After few beeps, Kristen picked up the call, "Hello, who''s this?"


    My expression cheered up as I had to act as if I was excited to call her, "Kristen! Hello, it''s me, Emmy!"


    "A¡ªAh, hi Em, do you need something?" Kristen''s nervousness had men guessed a bit.


    Was she scared of me or suspicious of me?


    Right now, I am the innocent girl who knew nothing about their rtionship, currently admiring Kristen as my savior, so I had to act as one while slowly put her on edge.


    "I just wanted to say thanks for saving me from Jessica," I said.


    "Ah, don''t mention it. It''s an obligation to help the poor," Kristen replied, and I noticed her mood brightened with her relieved sigh.


    I grinned and continued acting innocent, "You know, I''m also grateful for you because you want to be my friend. Cerise as well, You two will be my first friends in this city."


    "R¡ªReally?" Kristen''s nervousness came once more. "Did Cerise say something to you?"


    "Ah, well, she is surprisingly chatty with me. She helps me a lot with school stuff. She also told me about you."


    "Cerise is chatty?"


    "Yep, she is very chatty with me," I imed.


    There was a long pause before Kristen asked, "Did she say something to you?"


    "Huh? What do you mean? Something?" I acted confused. "She told me many things, so I''m not sure what do you mean."


    "N¡ªNevermind. Haha¡ªI still have something to do. Talk to youter, Emmy. Bye."


    Kristen hung up the call, and my grin widened. Kristen''s growing anxiety would slowly eat her sanity and made her antagonized Cerise too much.


    "You''re dancing in my hand, Fake Bitch #1."

 Chapter 20 - Giving Hope To Cerise (1)

    "Emmy!"


    A familiar voice called me once I entered the school gate. I darted my eyes at the source of the voice. I saw Cerise waved her hand and rushing to me. ??


    She wore a white summer dress with a daisy pattern. Her round sses were slipped down on her nose, so she fixed them and walked by my side.


    She grabbed my arm and asked, "Where were you? I''ve been waiting for an hour here!"


    "Huh?" I checked my watch, and it showed 7.30, still half an hour before the ss started.


    "You''ve been waiting since 6.30? Why?" I asked.


    "Because I''m afraid you won''t be here when Kristen and I met¡­." Cerise replied. Herplexion paled when the name ''Kristen'' came out of her mouth.


    Perfect.


    This kind of fear was the perfect tool for me. With just a little push, Cerise wouldn''t be able to hold on for so long.


    "Don''t worry, we''re friends, right?"


    "Y¡ªYes¡­" Cerise replied weakly.


    We walked together until I saw Kristen walking alone in the corridor. She was well respected, so when she walked, people greeted her left and right.


    "Oh, there she is!" I pulled Cerise with me, and I patted Kristen''s shoulder, causing her to look over her shoulder.


    "Good morning, Kristen!" I raised my voice intentionally, so it would pull some attention towards us.


    "G¡ªGood morning," Kristen greeted with a forced smile. She looked ufortable, and I knew that she wanted to find a reason to leave.


    So I yelled once more, "I''m d that you''re waiting for me! I bring Cerise with us, just like what you requested!"


    "Wha¡ª"


    "Huh?"


    The students around darted their eyes at us immediately. Meanwhile, Kristen was too speechless to speak, while Cerise''s already pale face turned ghastly.


    Kristen said nothing, so I shamelessly dragged Cerise to stand beside Kristen on the left side while I took the right side.


    So Kristen was standing in the middle, like a spotlight that she was, while we were just her entourage.


    We got stares from the students around. Nobody dared to greet Kristen anymore because they were weirded out by Cerise and me.


    Well, it was mostly on Cerise''s side for now because her reputation for being weird was well-known.


    Meanwhile, I continued chattering endlessly, trying to draw as much attention as I could. I needed to draw a few potential bbermouths that wouldment on Kristen''s new entourage, especially that certain rich girl.


    And when I found my target, I immediately drew her attention by saying, "Ah, Kristen, do you know that I''ve been saving my money to buy you a gift? It''s like¡ªa gift because you helped me before, and it''s expensive!"


    Ashley turned her head instantly. She was the type of person that disliked when someone other than her had an expensive thing.


    Ashley looked at us and sneered.


    She approached us and scoffed at Kristen, "Kristen, I didn''t know that you''re still friends with this girl. Didn''t I tell you before that her mother cleaned my dad''s office? Thest time I remembered, her mom cleaned the toilet on the ground floor, haha~."


    "Huh? Youe to us just to say that?" I confronted Ashley, trying to push my agenda. "Kristen is such a good friend, okay? She doesn''t differentiate whether you''re rich or poor. She will ept Cerise with open hands, right, Kristen?" I asked.


    I waited for Kristen''s response. With eyes looking at her, waiting for her to deliver her line as the kindhearted girl who would protect others.


    Kristen''s lips twitched. She reluctantly patted Cerise''s shoulder, which made Cerise jolted out of fear.


    "D¡ªDon''t say something like that, Ash. Cerise is my friend¡­." Kristen stated with her weak voice.


    Everyone gasped after that statement, including Cerise herself. I bet she was low-key delighted right now. Someone as gullible as Cerise, she would eat whatever people said as long as it was covered with sugar.


    Ashley was stunned for a moment. She stared at Kristen and then shrugged, "Oh well, if that''s your choice. I don''t really care. It''s just unfortunate that you choose to be lined up with a shit cleaner."


    Ashley walked out to her ss, and she said, "Go off, sis."


    Oh damn, that must''ve hurt Kristen''s pride so much. I saw the students around, and they were gossiping, whispering to each other. I also saw some were giggling at Kristen.


    But this wasn''t enough. I needed to pull a bit more to trigger Kristen.


    "Don''t listen to her, Kristen. I mean, it''s good to side with good people, right? Just look at Cerise. You just make her day!"


    Kristen nced at Cerise, and I grinned when I saw that expression on Cerise.


    She looked blissful as if she just heard a gospel from an angel.


    "See? You just made her day!" I said.


    And you also made my day, Kristen. I will enjoy this.


    "Kristen, do you really mean that? I¡ªI thought you disliked me¡­."


    With so many eyes on her, Kristen was forced to cater to Cerise''s needs. Because it would stain her reputation.


    "O¡ªOf course, Cerise¡­ we are all equal, right?"

 Chapter 21 - Giving Hope To Cerise (2)

    "O¡ªOf course, Cerise¡­ we are all equal, right?"


    "Yes!" Cerise looked so happy, she hugged Kristen''s arm excitedly, "I''m sorry for doubting you, Kristen!" ? ?


    I kept watching from aside, enjoying the game that progressed right like what I expected. Now all I needed to do was to make sure to persuade Cerise, even more, let her eat that fantasy of befriending Kristen again, and then push her to the deepest pit of hell until she realized that she was stupid all along.


    Kristen''s generous smile already cracked, and at this point, it would push Kristen to the edge.


    I wanted to see Kristen cracked her own mask. But that wouldn''t be enough. I wanted that secret to make sure that Kristen was destroyed to the core.


    Call me a ruthless girl because that would be my pleasure.


    I checked my watch and then grabbed Cerise, "Ah, sorry, Kristen, Cerise and I will go to ss first. Our first ss is History, and you know how strict Mr. Carman is."


    Cerise released Kristen and smiled at her, "I''ll see you againter!"


    Kristen was left alone, standing like an idiot in the middle of the corridor, being watched by her admirers and other students. It must''ve been humiliating to get dropped by Ashley.


    People always said that they would never befriend a rich and arrogant person like Ashley. But most of them secretly admired and envied her for everything she had, including Kristen.


    After Ashley confronted us and dropped Kristen right in front of everyone, I could see the disbelief on Kristen''s face. I had a guess other than trying to distance herself from Cerise due to that dark secret, Ashley also disliked if her friends befriended the poor.


    Cerise was both poor and weird, and she was so easy to bully.


    I dragged Cerise to our ss. The teacher wasn''t there yet, so we took a seat. I observed Cerise''s glimmering eyes. She really swallowed everything that Kristen said, especially when it made her happy.


    It was ridiculous, I know. But there were people like Cerise, who lived in her own world, thinking that everyone was goodhearted inside.


    "Cerise, you look happy," I said, trying to find the right topic.


    "Of course, hehe~" Cerise nodded. "She has been my friend since middle school. We were so close after she protected me. But after that thing¡­."


    Cerise paused for a moment, and then she shook her head, "I¡ªI mean, we weren''t just as close after graduation in middle school."


    "I thought she dropped me, but thanks to you, Emmy¡­." Cerise held my hands. "I really should thank you, I didn''t know that I need your help until you showed me."


    I smiled and replied, "Of course, I told you before, right? I will always be there for you."


    "But¡­ do you think Kristen speak the truth?" Cerise asked.


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "I mean, what if she is forced to befriend me again?"


    "Oh, Cerise, that''s just your fear. Who forced her anyway? She said it right in front of Ashley, and many students witnessed it. I don''t think you need to doubt that kind of sincerity," I tried to coax Cerise with even more sweet words.


    "Anyway, you should try to contact Kristen. She was so fun to talk with. I think there must be some misunderstanding between you two," I suggested.


    "D¡ªDo you think she will reply if I chatted with her?" Cerise asked. "I¡­ I''ve blocked her for a while, you know¡­."


    "Blocked her?"


    "Y¡ªYeah, I was just afraid¡­ but since things have been cleared now, then it should be safe for me to chat with her, right?" Cerise asked.


    "Of course, I also think that you should tell me if you have any problem with her. I will try to help you as much as I can," I suggested.


    "T¡ªThank you, Em, you''re such a good friend for me. I don''t even know how to repay you¡­."


    Okay, first, I''m not a good friend to you, Cerise. I did this out of necessity.


    And second, you could repay me by simply giving me that dark secret. I wouldn''t have to do this in a roundabout way if you could just¡­ spill everything.


    Oh well, I didn''t expect it to be an easy task anyway. So might as well enjoy myself in this game. The sess of breaking Kristen lied on Cerise''s willingness.


    Once I could gain all Cerise''s trust and put myself in Kristen''s previous position as Cerise''s savior while painting Kristen as the bad guy, victory will be in my hand.

 Chapter 22 - Pottery Club

    Cerise and I separated during lunch break. I chatted with Cerise about where she would go next, and she said she would join Kristen in the cafeteria.


    I wanted to join because that''d be an interesting watch. But if I came too early, then it wouldn''t be fun. Because Kristen would be pressured because of me. ??


    I wanted to see if she still had the endurance to keep her facade without me around. But I doubt she would make a big ruckus in the cafeteria, though. Since students started talking about them.


    I wanted to see the dynamic between Cerise and Kristen, but first, I have to go to the pottery club to submit my application letter.


    I walked to the pottery club, which had its own room in the club building. But before I entered the club building, I met a group of students who dragged me and asked whether Cerise and Kristen were now friends. I fueled the fire by saying, "Kristen said to me that she considers Cerise as her sister. It''s just Cerise who doesn''t believe it."


    "Oh wow, really?" One student asked. As expected, these people came from the same middle school as Cerise and Kristen, so they must''ve realized how their rtionship cracked.


    "Yes, Kristen said it to me before. What''s wrong? I heard that they''re good friends before."


    "Yeah, they''re good friends for a while in middle school," another student added. "But after Kristen befriended Ashley and dragged Cerise into it. Cerise started acting even weirder than usual. She began chattering about creepy stuff that scared everyone."


    "Creepy stuff?"


    "Like¡­ saying how she felt worthless hanging out with Ashley, how she feels like dying, and how she was scared with everyone," the other student added.


    "Everyone thought she''s just emo, but knowing from someone like her, we doubted that."


    "Yeah, she got called by the counselor many times, but she got better a few monthster after she separated herself from everyone, including Kristen. It''s just weird, you know."


    ¡­


    I guess being forced to befriend your bully like Ashley must''ve stressed Cerise, but there was definitely an involvement from Kristen''s side.


    One thing for sure, though, hiding your best friend''s darkest secret must''ve taken a toll on Cerise''s mental health, whatever that secret was.


    If I connected the dots here, the timeline where Kristen and Ashley became friends coincided with Kristen''s dark secret and the involvement of Cerise as the secret holder.


    Kristen must''ve abused Cerise to her utmost limit. That was the reason why Cerise almost broke down and became so socially inept. Because some students said that Cerise was at least a bit more open before Ashley told everyone about her mother''s job as a janitor and before she befriended Kristen.


    For Kristen to abuse someone that was already so meek like Cerise, that secret must''ve been too dirty for her reputation.


    "What''s your name again, Emmy, right?"


    One girl snapped me out of my pondering. I nodded with a meek smile, not too humble, but not too arrogant either. I had to maintain this facade because I tried to stick out and loud back in my first life, which turned me into a clown instead.


    She didn''t seem to bother introducing themselves, though, but the girl warned me, "I don''t know what did you do to get under her radar, but you should be careful. Jessica has always been the queen here."


    Of course, she was stating the obvious. It also upset me because I still had no idea about this person who intentionally sabotaged me on my second day of high school.


    "Thank you for the advice. I have to go now," I excused myself and leave those students. I knew they wouldn''t befriend me either because I was under Jessica''s radar. I understood that they wanted to save themselves first.


    I headed straight to the pottery club, my step was sure, but my head was still stuck dwelling in this idea of Kristen''s dark secret.


    I wondered if Ashley also knew what Kristen did or was just a secret between Kristen and Cerise.


    Ashley wasn''t a saint or whatsoever, but¡­ would she be devious enough to hold such a secret without getting bullied by Kristen?


    I mean, as much as I wanted to curse at Cerise for being such a wimp. I understood that her mental had been broken by Kristen.


    But Ashley¡­


    I kept pondering and pondering that I didn''t realize a wall standing in my way.


    "Ouch!"


    I staggered and fell to the ground. I grimaced for a moment, thinking that I was actually hitting a wall, but then I heard a deep voice scoffed at me, "Use your eyes next time, shortie."


    I darted my eyes at the man who just walked away without even saying sorry. He already walked away without turning back, not even with the courtesy of helping me.


    I was surprised by this man''s height, though. I couldn''t see his face, but from the back, he was probably already 6''2", taller than Mason, with a broad shoulder and muscr back, wearing a ck turtleneck and jeans.


    I was stunned for a moment, but after he got far, I clicked my tongue in annoyance.


    "At least say sorry, you jerk!"


    I got up and picked my pottery application letter. I walked to the door with ''Pottery Club'' sign in front.


    I gave my application letter to the only senior, and her expression was delighted, "Wow! Finally, you''re the second one! I really thought there will be no one joining this year!"


    "Second?" I asked. I didn''t expect that rich kid from the previous life already submitted his application.


    "Yeah, he submitted few minutes before you," the senior sighed. "But he''s so intimidating and quiet, I don''t think he can be a good senior in the future."


    Few minutes before me¡­ don''t say that tall man was the rich kid?


    I think, knowing how he didn''t even apologize, I preferred him noting to the pottery club at all. I joined this pottery club to leech on his money anyway, not the person.

 Chapter 23 - Hiding Buddy

    I left the pottery club and head straight to the cafeteria. I couldn''t wait to see Kristen''s face as she tried her best to keep herposure around Cerise.


    I knew that Cerise could be very talkative and annoying. It would be fun to watch. ??


    I walked in the club building corridor until I heard the loud and rowdy voice of few boys walking in my direction. I squinted to see who went there, and I saw plenty of boys around my age, alongside many girls I recognize, were Mason Hall''s fans.


    They walked like a pack of buffalos, ready to stomp anyone on their way. I could also see Chrissy and Cindy.


    I gulped after realizing where they were going. They were definitely going to submit their application letter to the American football club and Cheer club since they always went hand in hand.


    Strangely, I didn''t see Mason in the group. It was rare to see them without Mason since that boy was like¡­ a ma for everyone.


    "Where''s Mason anyway? I already waited in front of his ss, but he just disappeared," one girl asked.


    "Did you get the new schedule? Mason changed some of his sses because of his job. Just check it on our WhatsApp group."


    "Which one? Mason Fanclub?"


    "Yes, his schedule has always been there, right?"


    I got creeped out when I heard that. How could they pry on his privacy so easily to the point that they knew about Mason''s daily life and schedule?


    But Mason''s fans had always been crazy, even in my previous life, and the number of girls joining his Fanclub increased by days. It became sort of cult at some point.


    I held my breath once they walked closer to me. My instinct told me to hide because this wasn''t my fight. At least not yet. I''m just too weak for now. Especially since Cindy and Chrissy were there, alongside many boys, they might''ve targeted me.


    Thus, I looked around and saw the small storage room on my left. I opened the door and entered. I closed the door and hide inside.


    I could hear the voice of those group of buffalos passing me, and I sighed in relief.


    Really, I felt humiliated because I had to hide from them. But this was just not the fight I could win. It would only put me in the spotlight, and I had no resources to fight them.


    Not yet, but I will strengthen my positionter and destroy them.


    I waited until I couldn''t hear their steps. I held the door handle, wanting to go out, but a strong, veiny hand suddenly grabbed my wrist.


    I shrieked in shock, but his other hand suddenly covered my lips to silence me. I tried to struggle instinctively. I looked back to see my assaulter.


    I thought it was a weirdo that somehow ended up with me in this small storage room. But when I saw that dreamy blue eyes, that blonde hair, and nicely sculpted facial feature, I was dazed for a moment.


    The man put his index on his mouth and shushed me, "Ssshh, they''re still close by. I can sense it."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "Mason Hall, why are you here?" I asked. I really thought that I was hallucinating, but after hearing that deep but gentle voice, it assured me this man was the real Mason Hall.


    Mason smiled at me with the same perfunctory smile that he showed to everyone. He scratched his cheek with his index and replied, "I''m hiding from them."


    "Them¡­ you mean your fans?"


    "You can call them that, I guess" Mason chuckled lightly. "But they can be excessive from time to time. I''ve been trying to find alone time for a while."


    Mason Hall still tried to arrange his words to ensure that he didn''t offend those crazy stalkers. It was also the same reason why he''d never get over those stalkers eventer in his life because he enabled them.


    I said nothing, but he looked at me right in the eyes and asked, "What are you doing here?"


    "Ah, I¡ª"


    Wait, I couldn''t just say that I hid here to avoid his fans. That would be humiliating and suspicious.


    "I''m avoiding someone," I replied.


    "Someone? Ah, I thought we''re avoiding the same group," Mason pouted a bit, which made him a bit cute¡­ well, a lot cute. I looked away immediately. There was no use of getting enamored with someone like him. It''d only create even more trouble in the future.


    "I guess you''re my hiding buddy now, right? What a coincidence!" Mason chuckled lightly. "What''s your name?"


    I knew he would ask my name as soon as we talked. Not because he liked me or whatsoever, but because he was always that friendly to everyone.


    Anything about him was just perfunctory kindness to avoid trouble, but dealing with him was nothing but trouble.


    "I need to go now," I said. I flicked my wrist with a bit of strength to release my wrist from Mason''s grip.


    "E¡ªEh? Did I say something wrong?"


    "No, I''m just in a hurry."


    I opened the door and rushed out, leaving Mason alone in that cramped storage room.


    "W¡ªWait!" Mason tried to catch up but did a sharp turn in the corridor. For some reason, I felt like a school Cindere running away from the Prince Charming.


    But then again, Cindere had a fairy godmother that always helped her, and the Prince Charming wasn''t as dangerous as Mason.


    After I was far from the club building, I took a deep, relieved breath. Though, I had one question in mind.


    ''Wait, Mason doesn''t remember my face, right?''

 Chapter 24 - Two Faced

    I walked to the source of today''s entertainment, the cafeteria. I knew Cerise and Kristen would be the main attraction there. Because the moment I entered the cafeteria, everyone''s attention was still at a table with two girls sitting there.


    I sat at an empty spot quite far from them but still had enough visibility to watch. ??


    Cerise and Kristen were eating together, and Cerise became a lot chattier than usual. As if she has returned to her old self. She offered many things for Kristen.


    "Ah, Kristen, do you want my milkshake? I made it myself," Cerise offered.


    "Is it all-natural?" Kristen asked still with a smile on her face, but I saw that she was extremely ufortable around Cerise. Probably because she didn''t want to be grouped with someone like Cerise.


    "All-natural?" Cerise frowned. "Uhm¡­ it''s Nesquik strawberry milkshake vor. It''s really good!"


    Kristen''s lips twitched, "I''m sorry, Cerise. But I''ve been used to drink all-natural food and beverage. I can''t drink something unhealthy like an instant milkshake or whatsoever."


    "Ah¡­ really?" Cerise sighed. "But you love Nesquik in back then. Didn''t you remember that you often ask me to make you a Nesquik drink?"


    "I never¡ª"


    "Is it because you hang out with Ashley?" Cerise asked. She seemed to be oblivious to how loud she was right now. Because everyone, including me, who was quite far from them, could hear her voice.


    "Um¡­ I don''t have enough money to buy real strawberries. Maybe we should work part-time together with her¡ª"


    Kristen red at Cerise, and Cerise zipped her mouth instantly, "Excuse me, what did you say?"


    "N¡ªNothing¡­" Cerise shook her head. I squinted, trying to observe Cerise''s expression, and found that she was writhing in pain. I couldn''t look under the table, but I bet Kristen must''ve either stomped Cerise''s shoes or pinched her thigh since I saw Kristen''s hand was under the table.


    "Part-time? Do we ever have a part-time together?"


    "N¡ªNever¡­" Cerise shook her head again. She bit her lip, enduring excruciating pain, and Kristen smiled sweetly before she stood and say;


    "Cerise, you''re my good and sweet girl. I know that you don''t have many friends, that''s why I be your friend instead. But that doesn''t mean you can make up stories on your own. We''re not that close, remember?"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Cerise was dazed for a moment, then she blurted, "But we''re a best friend¡ª"


    "You make things up, remember? You are making things up right now," Kristen pressured Cerise to agree to her narrative. Cerise looked confused, but in the end, she nodded defeatedly.


    "You know what, I''ve been trying to be a good person for you. But you don''t seem to understand. Please don''t spread lies. We''re not that close," Kristen turned her body and walked away, leaving Cerise alone, confused and defeated.


    Poor Cerise, I wanted to console her a bit, but this wasn''t the best time for that. Because I had to follow Kristen as soon as possible.


    Thus, I waited until Kristen left the cafeteria and then followed her from behind. I put some distance between us, so she wouldn''t notice me.


    Kristen went to the restroom. I waited for about five minutes before I entered the restroom.


    "That bitch!" The moment I entered the restroom, Kristen already kicked the trash can. All the facade of a beautiful angel disappeared instantly, showing a fierce gaze, full of contempt and disgust.


    "K¡ªKristen?" I acted surprised, "Are you okay?''


    Kristen darted her eyes at me, then she resumed her gentle angel facade. But it was an imperfect one because it looked like she was holding her fury inside.


    "A¡ªAh, Em, I''m sorry that you have to see me like this. I was just annoyed at someone who nders me¡­." Kristen said.


    I almostughed at her pitiful attempt to show a gentle face. It was so obvious that she exploded just now.


    I showed a concerned face and asked, "Is that so? I''ve just returned from the club building. Did something happen? Where''s Cerise?"


    "She¡­ she is in the cafeteria," Kristen replied.


    "Then, let''s go and sit with her. I haven''t had any lunch."


    "No, you can go by yourself," Kristen refused. "She keeps making stuff out."


    "Making stuff out? Ah¡ªmaybe what she said about you yesterday are all lies."


    Kristen''s facade cracked again, but this time, she didn''t spare any effort to smile. Probably because she had been pissed out with Cerise before.


    "What did she say about me?"


    "Hmm¡­ a lot of stuff, honestly," I shrugged. "She said that you often had an outburst. Sometimes you would hit her, sometimes you would bully her until she cries."


    "She also said that you have a lot of secrets," I kept adding fuel to the fire. I saw that Kristen''s expression changed from slightly worse to downright terrible.


    "What kind of secrets?"


    "She never mentions it, but it seems that Cerise knows a lot about your habit and such. Honestly, I don''t want to believe it. Since you''re such a sweetheart for me¡­."


    "Don''t believe in her. She''s a liar!" Kristen yelled. She was about to rush out, but I held her arm, forcing her to stay.


    "D¡ªDon''t confront her like this. It''d only make you look bad," I held her. "I think it''s better if you confront her on the phone or outside of the school. Maybe it''s her n to ruin your reputation in the school?"


    Kristen was contemting her action, and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.


    "You''re right, Em. Cerise is such a two-faced girl. She keeps ndering me and lead me into her trap," Kristen said. "She acts innocent and oblivious, even though it''s obvious that she''s a snake!"


    Oh, wrong, dear Kristen.


    I am the snake here, the two-faced friend who made you my puppet. I will do anything as long as I could obtain that secret.


    "I suggest you confront her online. But don''t tell her that I''m the one who tells you," I said. "I''m on your side, you know. Don''t you think it''s good if I can help you by showing evidences of her ndering you?"


    "Don''t worry, Kristen. You''ve helped me, so I will also help you. Whenever Cerise tries to say shit about you, then I will report it to you."


    "Thanks, Em. As long as you trust me. Cerise is such a bitch, I''ve helped her once, and this is what she did to me. She probably eats shit like her mother."


    Good, good, let the hate flowed through you. It would be an excellent weapon to break Cerise.

 Chapter 25 - Two Faced (2)

    Kristen calmed down after I stopped her from confronting Cerise in the cafeteria. I prompted her to confront Cerise outside when they were alone or online.


    Since Cerise was weak-willed, then I assured Kristen that she wouldn''t tell anyone, "Don''t worry about Cerise. She might be a snake, but she''s still weak-willed nheless," I said. ? ?


    "True," Kristen nodded. She stared at me with her scrutinizing gaze and asked, "You seem to know Cerise well enough."


    I shrugged nonchntly, "I just know what kind of girl she is. When I talked to you for the first time, I just knew that Cerise was lying the whole time. She keeps telling me that you look kind outside, but you''re actually a devil inside."


    "And you don''t believe her, right?"


    "Of course not! Where was she when Jessica attacked me?" I tried to convince Kristen that I was by her side. Not that I wouldn''t do the same with Ceriseter, it was just part of the game until I get that secret.


    "You defended me while she just hides and runs away. I just wanted us to be grouped as three because Cerise said that you''re evil inside. I want to prove to her that you''re a goodhearted person inside."


    Kristen seemed to be touched by my words. She nodded and hugged me, "Thanks for trusting me, Em. You know, I would never hurt anyone, nor I will talk shit about you behind my back like what Cerise did."


    How was it, Kristen Suite? Did you forget the same tactic that you use to manipte people? They will think that you''re trying to help them while you''re actually pushing them down to the cliff.


    I am using the same tactic that you used every day.


    I patted her back, "Aw, I just don''t want anyone to nder or bully you. Remember, you''re my friend, right? Cerise has ndered you. Maybe you should stop her as soon as possible before she starts making stuff up. Who knows what lies will she tell to people outside."


    "Maybe she will create lies¡­ such as lying that you have a dark secret that will threaten your reputation," I said.


    Kristen stiffened immediately. Sheughed dryly and then pushed me to separate herself.


    "Anyway, thanks for consoling me, Em. I will definitely confront that bitch at night! I will make sure she will listen to me!"


    Kristen rushed out immediately. I smirked as I saw the door was closed.


    I looked at myself in the mirror, and the smirk only widened.


    "Good, it''s time for Cerise now."


    ***


    After school ended, I saw that Cerise was walking around in the corridor. She looked sad, so I approached her, "Cerise, what happened, girl?"


    Cerise nced at me. She smiled bitterly, "Kristen doesn''t want to befriend me, Em."


    "What do you mean? Where is she now? I want us to walk home as three¡­."


    "You don''t need to do that. It''s no use¡­." Cerise said. She sighed, full of woe, "I know it''ll be like this. She changed after she befriended Ashley. Even after so many things I did for her, she still sees me as an embarrassing nuisance¡­."


    Cerise lowered her head. Her shoulder was shaking. It must''ve been a hard hit for her. Because she looked so happy in the morning, and everything turned upside down in less than a day.


    I bet Kristen said something a few hours ago after I prompted her in the toilet.


    I had nothing to add at this point, but I wanted to give Cerisefort. So she would believe me and spill Kristen''s secret to me first.


    I sighed deeply and held Kristen''s hand, "I''m sorry for trying to group you with her. I just thought that it might make you happier¡­."


    Cerise shook her head, "It''s fine. I also had a hope that Kristen would ept me again, but that''s just me being pathetic as always¡­."


    "You don''t need her, Cerise. There''s always me, right? Remember, if you need something, just tell me. I will always be by your side and help you," I promised. I looked around, acting nervous, then I whispered to Cerise,


    ''Cerise, Kristen actually came to me a few hours ago, saying that she will kill youter. I don''t know what that means, but you need to be careful.''


    Cerise''s already pale face got even paler, and her body shook even more, "W¡ªWhat should I do?"


    "I don''t think she''ll do anything dangerous to you, but you have to be careful, okay?"


    Cerise didn''t seem to believe my word, which was expected.


    All I wanted to do was to heighten the anxiety in Cerise''s heart. The more she got paranoid, the better it got for me. Because all Cerise needed was a little push for her to break down.


    Kristen waspletely pissed off, and Cerise was paranoid right now.


    What more do I need?


    Well, popcorn would suffice. I want to watch the world burn in their chats or call.

 Chapter 26 - Let Me Watch Their World Burns

    I returned home and was greeted by the sight of my sickly grandma sitting on the rocking chair in front of the house. She was trying to thread the needle.


    She squinted even with her prescription sses. Her hand trembled, trying to thread the needle. So I approached her and crouched in front of her, "Let me help you, Grandma." ??


    "Ah, Emmy, you''re home¡­." Grandma smiled at me and let me thread the needle for her. After I did it, I gave it back to her.


    "Thank you, Emmy dear," Grandma took something out of her pocket, a ten dor bill, and then gave it to me. "This is for you."


    "Grandma, you don''t need to."


    "It''s your pocket money, now go and eat some snacks. Your Mom will bete," Grandma said.


    I smiled and kissed Grandma''s cheek, "Thank you, grandma."


    Grandma was myst living family after my Mom''s death. She had fragile health, but after my Mom''s death, her health worsened.


    I never told her about my suffering in school, afraid it''d deteriorate her health even more.


    I spent a lot of time taking care of grandma until she couldn''t hold on for much longer and died in her sleep. She left everything for me, so at least I still had a roof over my head.


    I was depressed for so long because I felt like a failure. I tried my best to care for my grandma, acting all tough because I didn''t want her to worry. Only for me to discover her cold body when I returned home, bruised all over after being beaten by those wretched subhumans.


    ¡­


    I went inside and had a snack. I prepared for dinner, something that I was used to because my Mom was a terrible cook.


    When the dusk came, I helped my grandma to enter the house and had dinner with me.


    "How''s your school, Emmy?" Grandma asked.


    "Perfect, grandma. I made many friends," I lied through my teeth, just like what I did in the previous life. I pretended that I made friends, even a few boyfriends. As if I was some hot stuff in the school, while I was actually bullied daily.


    "That''s good. You''re gorgeous. I''m afraid that some people will get jealous," Grandma said. "How about a boyfriend?"


    "¡­"


    Hmm... let me count my only interaction with the boys so far. I bumped into that rude rich kid who would be my pottery club buddy in the future, and also Mason.


    Mason was simply out of the question. I didn''t even want to talk with him. It was all coincidence.


    And that rude rich kid was also out of the question. So no, I had no potential boyfriend, and I didn''t n on getting one either. They were nothing but useless, sloppy creatures that smelled like wet socks most of the time.


    "It''s too fast for me to date, Grandma," I replied.


    "Oh, Emmy, you''ll find someone that you love and love you. But boys are trouble, and you''re still so young, be careful, okay?"


    I nodded. I knew that boys were trouble. Unless I could find some use in them, I would never take one as my boyfriend.


    I put a portion of dinner in the freezer for my Mom''s dinner as she had an overtime today.


    I helped to guide my grandma to her room and returned to my room.


    I took a bath and did my homework, but my eyes kept checking the table clock in front of me. I had expected Kristen to scream, curse, and sending death threats to Cerise soon. Maybe Kristen was doing it right now.


    Ah, I was really excited to see what kind of crazy shits Kristen would say towards the paranoid Cerise. I predicted it would take Cerise around one hour until she started contacting me.


    09.00 PM.


    Ding!


    I snatched my phone and saw a text from Cerise.


    *Cerise: Em, I''m so scared.*


    *Cerise: Kristen is out to kill me. She will definitely kill me.*


    Perfect. I replied to her chat. I didn''t want to miss the good stuff.


    *Emmy: What?! What did she say? Oh, Cerise, I think you''re just paranoid. I don''t think Kristen can be that mean to you. She looks so kind.*


    *Cerise: No, Em, she is out to kill me.*


    *Emmy: Then screenshot what she texted, then I will believe you.*


    Ding!


    I checked the screenshot that Cerise sent to me and raised my brows when I read the screenshot.


    ¡ª


    *Kristen: Didn''t I tell you to shut your shit-stained mouth? Did you tell someone about my secret?*


    *Kristen: Bitch, answer me! Did you tell someone about my secret? I swear you shit mouth, if someone else knows about it, I will make sure to break your neck!*


    *Kristen: And I''m not joking, shit girl.*


    ¡ª


    I was still quite surprised that Kristen could say something so vulgar. But it only made the show even more enjoyable. Thus I texted Cerise;


    *Emmy: I... I really didn''t expect her to be that mean. I thought she is a nice girl. Can you just block her?*


    There was no reply from Cerise for a while until she texted me again;


    *Cerise: Fuck, Em, she is calling me!!!*

 Chapter 27 - Let Me Watch Their World Burns (2)

    *Cerise: Fuck, Em, she is calling me!!!*


    *Emmy: Oh?! And you rejected the call?* ??


    *Cerise: I rejected it twice already. Emmy, help me! You said you will help me!!*


    The more Cerise panicked, the more I expectant I got. This is getting even more exhrating than I expected. I wanted to hear their conversations, but it was impossible to do a three-way call, knowing that Kristen was the one that called first.


    *Emmy: Girl, you should record the conversation with your phone. We don''t know what will happen next, but by recording, we can use it against her if she dares to threaten you.*


    *Cerise: But¡­ isn''t that hical?*


    I chuckled when I read her text. Cerise still thought about ethical stuff when she was literally getting a death threat from Kristen. It showed how much of a weak-willed girl she was.


    *Emmy: Are you for real? Cerise, she is threatening you! If you want to be protected by the police, you must have evidence. That''s why I ask you to record it!*


    *Cerise: You''re right, Em¡­*


    *Cerise: Fuck, she is calling me again. I--I will record it for you! Please help me, Em! You''re my only friend, please protect me after this!*


    No one would protect you other than yourself, Cerise. I''ve nned to use you as the weapon against Kristen. You just didn''t know how sweet revenge tasted like.


    *Emmy: Stay strong, Cerise!*


    I put down my phone, stretched my body after finished my homework. I went downstairs and brought a ss of milk with a bag of chips to my room.


    I popped the chips and ate while watching some cat videos on Youtube. There was nothing I could do other than waiting anyway. Let''s just watch some cat videos or cute dogs on YouTube while Cerise and Kristen were burning each other in their call.


    "A, so cute¡­." I giggled when I saw a kitten ying with aser pointer. For few minutes, I had forgotten about Cerise and Kristen until my phone rang.


    Cerise called me.


    I cleared my throat and epted the call. I adjusted my voice to sound worried and asked her, "Cerise, are you okay?! How is it? Did she really threaten you?!"


    There was a long pause after I barraged Cerise with questions, and then, I heard the girl sobbed few times until her sobs turned into a full-blown loud cry. I had to distance myself from the phone because of the sharp scream.


    "Emm¡ªEmmyyyy! She is going to kill me. She is definitely going to kill me!!" Cerise wailed. I suspected that Kristen really did push Cerise too far.


    "O¡ªOkay, Cerise, rx¡ª"


    "Should I call the police now? Em, I''m so scared. She said she will kill me if I... if I¡­." Cerise snapped out of her anxiety. Her cries became even louder. I started wondering if she was home alone right now.


    "Cerise, rx, okay? I''m here to help you. You need to send me the recording first. You recorded it, right?"


    "Y¡ªYes, I will send it to you¡­." Cerise said she hung up and sent a recording file to my dm. I opened the recording and listened to their conversation.


    ¡ª


    Kristen: You shit bitch! Did you spill my secret to anyone? Did you spill it to Emmy!?


    Cerise: N¡ªNo, I would never¡­


    Kristen: I swear, shit bitch. If you dare to tell Emmy about my secret, then I will also drag you down! I will make sure you will suffer and die!


    Cerise: N¡ªNO! Please, I keep the secret for myself! I would never spill that hideous thing you did!


    Kristen: Don''t you dare to call it a hideous thing! You just happened to find out about it!


    Cerise:¡­


    Kristen: Remember, if Emmy knows about this, you and your shit-cleaning mother are as good as dead!


    Kristen: Oh, one more thing, don''t you evere near me. Just say that you feel sick or whatever to Emmy. You''re fucking disgusting.


    ¡ª


    Damn, that was intense, especiallying from a supposedly gentle person like Kristen.


    But it also intrigued me because Kristen sounded so angry and paranoid when she threatened Cerise. It seemed that her secret was truly a big one, the one that could break her until she couldn''t even think to keep up with her facade.


    Jessica must''ve been thrilled when she found out about this secret!


    I called Cerise and tuned my voice to sound worried, "Oh no, I really didn''t expect this. Cerise, Kristen sounds so serious¡­."


    "T¡ªThen, what should I do, Emmy? You said you will help me, right? Please help me now. I''m begging you!" Cerise sounded desperate, like a cornered rat that had no way out, so she desperately tried to dig the wall behind her with her ws.


    "S¡ªShould I call the police? I have evidence in me! Kristen will surely get jailed for sending death threats!" Cerise said.


    "Oh, Cerise, don''t be so naive¡­." I almost chuckled when I heard that.


    Did you think that I''ve never reported my bullies to the police?


    There had been many cases where the adults caught my bullies abusing me, but since they were just juvenile, the police ignored it, as if those bullies were just a bunch of harmless delinquents that would obey them after one or two scoldings.


    In fact, the bullying worsened whenever I tried to report it, so there was no way out.


    "She is still a juvenile, just like us. The worst thing that could happen to her is just some scolding or a week of suspension. After that, your life will be in danger again."


    "T¡ªThen, what should I do?! I''m so scared, Em!"


    "Well, you need to make sure that you have the upper hand against her¡­." I suggested.


    "U¡ªUpper hand? But how?"


    "Cerise, you have it in your hand the whole time¡­." I drank my milk and licked the edge of my lips. "Use Kristen''s secret against herself."

 Chapter 28 - Let Me Watch Their World Burns (3)

    "Cerise, you have it in your hand the whole time¡­." I drank my milk and licked the edge of my lips. "Use Kristen''s secret against herself."


    ¡­ ??


    There was a long pause after. I had expected this. Cerise was a weak-willed, passive girl, she literally had the upper hand against Kristen the whole time, but she let herself get bullied.


    But who am I to judge? I was also passive when those bullies abused me in my previous life. Though, I''m pretty sure that I would use this kind of secret for my benefit if I discovered it in the previous life.


    Wouldn''t it be nice if I had Kristen to protect me with her reputation? My previous life would''ve been a lot easier with that.


    "Em, that secret¡­ is very dangerous¡­." Cerise warned. "Kristen has been trying to kill me because of this secret¡­."


    Oh,e on, you only made it even more interesting than before with your warning.


    "Wow, Cerise¡­ I didn''t know that you''re holding a big secret. Since you said that she wants to kill you because of this, that means the secret must''ve been very important."


    Cerise paused again. I had to be patient with her. Because I knew that she was contemting whether to tell me or not about this Big secret that Kristen had.


    "It is a big secret," Cerise replied. Her voice sounded calmer than I thought. I expected her to freak out like a madwoman.


    "I¡­ I don''t know how to tell this. I''ve been keeping this for so long, Em¡­." Cerise hesitated again.


    "Cerise, do you want her to kill you? You know that she is a malicious woman at heart, right?"


    "Kristen is not malicious! She.... she¡­"


    "Just admit it, I mean, you''d be pretty blind if you''re still trying to deny her death threat against you," I chugged some cold hard truth in her throat, hoping that she would finally yield. Seriously, her hesitation started to get on my nerves.


    "¡­ You''re right¡­." Cerise muttered. "I don''t know what turned her like this. Kristen is very gentle when she protected me in middle school. Maybe it''s because she''s befriending Ashley."


    "Ashley must''ve been the bad influence for Kristen¡­."


    No, Kristen had always been nefarious in the first ce. You were just blinded by her kindness back then, even though I knew what kind of ''kindness'' Kristen gave to you.


    She had just realized that you had no use and was done ying around as your angel. She moved on and befriended Ashley instead, because of money and poprity, of course.


    "Ah, really? That''s too bad¡­." I sighed. "Maybe we should take on Ashleyter. Who knows what bad influence will she give to another good girl, right?"


    "T¡ªThat''s¡­ extreme¡­."


    Cerise hesitated again, but I knew that she was actually considering my suggestion. Because it seemed that Cerise genuinely saw Kristen as her best friend until Ashley changed everything.


    "Haha¡ªDon''t think about it too much, Cerise. I was just joking," I said. I looked at the ceiling and grinned, "But my suggestion about Kristen still stands. You have something that can shut her up, but why don''t you use it?"


    "I¡ªI don''t know how to¡­." Cerise replied. "If I tell someone about her secret, then they wouldn''t believe it. Kristen is such a good girl after all¡­."


    That''s not how you were supposed to do it. Cerise naively thought that she could just threaten Kristen right in front of her face. That was a dumb idea. Kristen would kill her for real.


    But I got an idea. I knew what I should do to make sure Kristen bowed down and became mypdog with that secret.


    "Cerise, if I say that I have a way, will you believe me?"


    "W¡ªWhat do you mean, Em?"


    "Didn''t I tell you that I will be the one who helps you when you''re in a clutch? I know that you''re too scared to use that secret as a weapon."


    "Y¡ªYou will face Kristen?!" Cerise''s sudden holler startled me. "Emmy, you''re crazy! Kristen has a big reputation!"


    "So what? Do you think I will let you get threatened by her?" I tried to assure Cerise. I wanted her to yield, even though it was tough.


    "I know how to defeat her with that secret. But you must trust me," I assured her. "But, you must tell me that secret."


    "Cerise, it all depends on you. Tell me that secret, or suffer the rest of your life under Kristen''s abuse."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I waited for Cerise to respond. She became understandably quiet. I thought Cerise would be stalled for so long, knowing how weak-willed and brainwashed she was.


    But when she opened her mouth, I finally got my jackpot.


    "Em, I don''t want to get hurt¡­."


    "If¡­ if I tell you the secret, can you shut her down as quickly as possible? So she has no chance to attack me."

 Chapter 29 - Malicious Secret

    [Warning: Disturbing Content.]


    "If¡­ if I tell you the secret, can you shut her down as quickly as possible? So she has no chance to attack me." ??


    I almost jumped out of excitement when Cerise finally yielded. I honestly got a bit frustrated with her cowardice at some point.


    "I will guarantee to take her down as quick as I could. Even if I have to take a long route, I will make sure that she won''t be able to harm you. Trust me."


    ¡­


    There was no answer from Cerise after that. She suddenly hung up the call, which was understandable. I knew that she was still thinking about it. Thus, I texted:


    *Emmy: I''m ready whenever you are. I will protect you.*


    I put down my phone and then started watching some more funny meme videos on Youtube.


    It took at least half an hour until Cerise replied with a text.


    Ding!


    I checked the text from Cerise,


    *Cerise: I will send you a picture. But you shouldn''t be surprised. Because this is definitely something that will shock the hell out of you.*


    *Cerise: It''s something sensitive¡­*


    *Emmy: I''m ready.*


    After few seconds, Cerise sent a picture, but it took a moment for my phone to load it.


    And when it loaded, I saw the picture that Cerise sent¡­


    I reactively gasped¡­


    "No way¡­"


    My heart stopped beating for a second as I held my breath out of shock¡­


    I closed my eyes and opened them to take a second look at the picture that Cerise had just sent to me.


    After confirming what the picture was, my feet went cold, and I texted Cerise.


    *Emmy: Is this¡­ real?*


    *Cerise: Yes, it''s real.*


    Cerise replied in an instant, sending chills down to my spine. Cerise sent me a picture of a girl, probably around fourteen years old.


    She had long brown hair and pale skin. But this pale wasn''t a regr pale like me. This was caused by the rope circling around her neck, choking her to her demise.


    Cerise sent me the picture of a girl who hanged herself with a rope. Her skin was bluish, signifying that she had been dead for a while. Her head tilted to the left, and strangely, there was no sign of struggle.


    There was no sign of her wing her neck or violent thrashing. As if he had epted her fate and hanged herself by kicking the chair under her.


    ¡­


    What the fuck is this?!


    I had expected something terrible when Cerise mentioned that Kristen had a hideous secret. I thought it was about her talking shit about someone like Jessica or Ashley. But this was totally out of my expectation.


    This wasn''t just hideous. This was murderous!


    I texted Cerise again for an exnation,


    *Emmy: What the heck is this? Give me an exnation, Cerise!*


    *Cerise: It''s as you can see, Em. That girl''s name is Helena. She was the trio in our group back then, Kristen, Helena, and me. Although, in Helena case, she is doing it solely for Kristen.*


    *Cerise: She died of suicide, hanged herself at the start of the third year in middle school.*


    I had no patience waiting for her to type. Thus I called her again. The moment she epted the call, I immediately asked the direct question:


    "Did Kristen have something to do with this girl''s death?"


    ¡­


    "Yes," Cerise replied.


    I took a deep breath, trying to toughen myself for whatever information woulde after this. I didn''t know that Kristen would partake in something so malicious like this.


    I had my own guess in my mind, but I needed Cerise to tell the side of her story first.


    "Tell me, how did Kristen got involved with the death of this girl, Helena?"


    "She¡­ she¡­" Cerise gulped. "She is the main culprit of Helena''s suicide. She is the one who pushed her that far. She is¡­"


    "She is the demon disguised herself as an angel¡­."


    I had guessed that Kristen must''ve directly influenced this girl, but I didn''t expect her to lead a girl to suicide. How heartless could you be to lead someone to her demise?


    "What did she say? Do you have proof?"


    "I will send you a screenshot of a chat history between Kristen and Helena. You''ll be the judge, Em¡­."


    Ding!


    Cerise sent another picture that she said was the screenshot proof between Kristen and Helena''s chat history.


    I opened the picture while I was still on the call with Cerise, and then I read the content.


    I gasped for the second time because the chat history between them was just¡­ malicious, to say it lightly.


    "Oh my god, this is crazy!" Imented. "I didn''t expect Kristen to bet his evil!"


    "Yes, Em¡­ Kristen is that malicious," Cerise said. "I''ve lived under that evil for a while now."

 Chapter 30 - Malicious Secret (2)

    [Warning: Disturbing Content.]


    "Oh my god, this is crazy!" Imented. "I didn''t expect Kristen to be this evil!"??


    "Yes, Em¡­ Kristen is that malicious," Cerise said. "I''ve lived under that evil for a while now."


    I reread the chat history between Kristen and Helena. I just couldn''t believe someone could be this evil.


    ¡ª


    *Helena: Kristen¡­ everything feels empty¡­ I don''t even want to wake up from bed.*


    *Kristen: Oh no, what''s wrong, dear?*


    *Helena: You know¡­ my parents. They keep fighting, again, and again, and again. They''ve been fighting every night. I can hear my dad beating my mom. I can also hear my mom cursing my dad for cheating.*


    *Kristen: That''s too bad. I''m sorry to hear that, dear.*


    *Helena: Kristen, do you think there will be happiness for me? I''ve lost count on how many times my mom wants us all dead¡­*


    *Helena: She said I am the reason she hasn''t divorced my dad. She said that I''m the reason for her suffering¡­*


    *Kristen: Oh, I''m sure you''re not, dear. Your mom is just tired.*


    *Helena: No, Kristen, I feel like she is serious about it¡­ she really wants me to die. She wants her own daughter to die.*


    *Kristen: Oh, don''t think about it. I will miss you if you die.*


    *Helena: You will miss me?*


    *Kristen: Of course!*


    *Helena: T¡ªThen, do you think my mom will miss me if I die as well?*


    *Kristen: Hm¡­ I''m not sure, since you''re convinced that she hates you, maybe she won''t miss you when you die. Maybe you should try it out.*


    *Helena: You think I should die?*


    *Kristen: Oh, no! Of course, I don''t want you to die, remember that I will miss you, right? I cared about you a lot, Helena.*


    *Kristen: I''m just saying. Don''t you want to know your parent''s reaction if they found out that you killed yourself?*


    *Helena:¡­*


    ¡ª


    My hands trembled when I reread this over and over. It was so gentle but so malicious at the same time, definitely Kristen''s style. And this was just one screenshot.


    "This is just one. Do you have more screenshots of their chat history?" I asked Cerise, who went quiet all of a sudden. The atmosphere between us was tense, or maybe it was just me because Cerise seemed calmer than I expected.


    As if she had epted everything.


    "I have more," Cerise replied. "There are a lot, but I will try to narrow it down to the most important ones."


    "Narrow it down? You can just send me all of them, you know," I said. I didn''t want to miss a thing because it might affect my judgment.


    "They chatted a lot, so I will just narrow it down for you, Em¡­." Cerise refused again.


    ¡­


    Something clicked in my head, but I refused to believe it, at least until I could gather more evidence. I wouldn''t be rash in my judgment. I knew that I couldn''t pressure Cerise anymore, so I just epted it.


    "Okay, please send me some more. I need to see more," I asked.


    Ding!


    Cerise sent another screenshot for me. I opened it and start reading:


    ¡ª


    *Helena: Kristen, my mom, she starts beating me when I''m going home. She pours all her rage and depression to me. I can''t feel my body anymore. I don''t want to live if I will only be my mom''s trash can for all her rage¡­*


    *Kristen: Oh no, that''s bad, I''m sorry to hear that, Helena.*


    *Helena: It''s okay, Kristen. You''re the only one who wants to hear me. I don''t want our friends to know¡­*


    *Kristen: You can always talk to me. Remember that I care a lot about you.*


    *Helena: Kristen, you''re my best friend. I know that you will give me the best advice. So please, tell me, what should I do?*


    *Helena: I can''t go on like this. I want to die. I want to end everything. I want my mom to regret ever beating me. I want to know if she will regret my death.*


    *Kristen: Oh no, but what about me? I will be sad if you''re not around anymore¡­*


    *Kristen: But¡­ I don''t want to see you suffering like this, Helena.*


    *Kristen: If you think that''s the only way out, then I will support you. Because I just want to see you happy and in peace.*


    ¡ª


    "Utter bullshit¡­" I mumbled. I gritted my teeth after reading this. I just couldn''t stomach how crazy this was. How could someone be this fucked up?


    Even someone like me, who was a stranger, in this case, felt the rage and hopelessness in Helena.


    Yet, Kristen yed with her with that ''I''m your caring friend'' card.


    "I will send you thest one, the day when Helena¡­ took her own life¡­." Cerise said.


    Ding!

 Chapter 31 - Malicious Secret (3)

    [Warning: Disturbing Content.]


    "I will send you thest one, the day when Helena¡­ took her own life¡­." Cerise said. ??


    Ding!


    I opened thest screenshot that Cerise sent. I took a deep breath. This was supposed to be the day when Helena took her life, so the chat must''ve been heavy.


    ¡ª


    *Helena: Kristen, I will do it now. I''ve been thinking about it over and over, and I feel like¡­ what you said is true.*


    *Helena: I can''t live like this. My mom''s abuse has been too much, and my dad is just as abusive to my mom. It''s like a hell circle of who abuses who¡­*


    *Helena: My parents aren''t home. They left me alone because they''re going through their divorce counseling and shit. I want to do it now*


    *Kristen: Oh no, I would miss you if you died right now. Why don''t you give me something to remember?*


    *Helena: Something to remember?*


    *Kristen: Maybe a picture or a video? Because I will miss you for a long time, and whenever I keep remembering about you, maybe you can give me a token for remembrance¡­*


    *Helena: You¡­ you want to see my dead body?*


    *Kristen: Oh, no, dear, I don''t mean it in a wrong way. I just want to see you off for thest time, remember?*


    ¡ª


    I checked the time difference between thest chat from Kristen, and the next reply sent by Helena had about thirty minutes time gap.


    Helena must''ve been hesitating, but her next reply was actually a picture of Helena holding a piece of paper written:


    -For my dear friend, Kristen Suite. Thank you for convincing me to end everything. I hope to see you in heaven since you''re such an angel.-


    In that picture, a rope already wrapped around Helena''s neck, she was ready to kill herself.


    The text after that showed how Kristen became anxious and terrified of the idea that she could get convicted for convincing Helena to kill herself.


    ¡ª


    *Kristen: Helena, are you crazy!? Why are you writing out my name?! Delete that picture now. That picture will stay in your chat history!*


    *Kristen: Helena? Hey, answer me! Delete that picture!*


    *Kristen: Bitch, answer me now! DELETE!!!!*


    ¡ª


    That was thest of the screenshot. Presumably, around that time, Helena had hanged herself tragically after that malicious girl convinced her to end her suffering, acting as an angel of death.


    I had difficulty breathing for a moment. I didn''t know Helena personally, but it was such a tragic and unfortunate way to end your suffering because she was manipted by that evil fake bitch.


    I had more questions than answers now.


    First, why didn''t the police caught Kristen for all the maniption that she did?


    Second, how in hell Cerise got all these hard evidences? She''s not even mentioned in that chat between Kristen and Helena.


    Thus, I talked with Cerise on the phone about this question:


    "Cerise, how did you get all of this stuff? You know that Kristen can be charged with these, right?" I asked.


    As always, there was a pause from Cerise''s side until she replied, "I got it because Kristen called me. She knows that I''m Helena''s neighbor and friend since we were kids, and she asked me where Helena''s parents usually hide the spare key."


    ¡­


    I have had this suspicious for a good while. I thought it was just my paranoia¡­


    But Cerise was really suspicious right now. There was no way that Cerise didn''t partake in tampering with the evidence.


    "Cerise, don''t tell me that you helped Kristen to enter Helena''s house and tampering with the evidence. Because I''m sure that Helena must''ve been holding that paper when she hanged herself," I asked, full of suspicion.


    Again, Cerise paused, then she suddenly asked me back, "You won''t be mad, right? You said that you will protect me¡­."


    No¡­. NO!


    I didn''t want her to confirm that my suspicion was real. There was no way Kristen could get out of this case easily without someone tampering with the evidence with her, acting as an aplice.


    But if her aplice was my best friend whom I trusted enough to tell all my secrets in the previous life.


    "Did you really¡­"


    "Em, back then, Kristen was my best of the best friend. She is my savior¡­ I know it''s wrong, but I can''t get her convicted because of that, right?" Cerise admitted. With her calm voice, that was really out of ce for someone like Cerise.


    It was something I couldn''t believe.


    "Yes, Em, I helped her. I helped a friend."

 Chapter 32 - Malicious Plot Twist

    "Yes, Em, I helped her. I helped a friend."


    "Cerise¡­"??


    No, you weren''t helping a friend. You were helping a cruel criminal who yed with a depressed girl''s heart. That evil bitch killed a girl!


    Why would you let that kind of woman stay with you and manipted your brains out?! How idiotic can you be!?


    I was so frustrated with Cerise. I was still in disbelief that the sweet Cerise would be an aplice to a basically second-degree murder!


    Cerise seemed to realize that I''ve gone silent. She tried to defend herself by saying, "E¡ªEm, Kristen is my savior back then. I don''t have anyone other than Kristen in my life. And that''s the first time she actually begs me to help her¡­."


    "And youply with her request?!"


    "¡­ Yes¡­"


    What an idiot.


    This girl was a total idiot!


    I just¡­ it was just so nauseating how someone could be so weak-willed, yet so malicious at the same time.


    I had a suspicion that Cerise also hid many of the chats between Kristen and Helena because she was mentioned in that. Cerise even said before that she and Helena were childhood friends and neighbors.


    "Cerise, don''t you feel remorse for Helena? I mean, she is your friend and neighbor¡­."


    "D¡ªDon''t make me sound like an evil guy here, Em! All I did is helping my friend!"


    "Helena is also your friend¡­."


    "B¡ªBut Kristen is a greater friend. You know you got to sacrifice something for your best friend¡­."


    You just sacrificed an innocent girl''s right for justice for your twisted sense of friendship.


    You were also a nasty aplice, Cerise. Instead of reporting it to the police, you yed your role to hide the evidence of Kristen''s crime.


    This plot twist hurt me more than I expected. Because I truly regarded Cerise as my friend in the previous life. I thought that she was a kind, gentle and weak-willed girl. So I was protecting her.


    But the show must go on. I didn''t know what I would do next with Cerise. But I had to extort as much information as possible from her.


    Because there was no way, I would let Kristen off.


    She might not be able to get charged because she was still a juvenile, and the police must''ve closed this one-year-old case as suicide by depression.


    But I could turn her into the most hated person in the school¡ªno, in the world. At least I could ruin her reputation. Nobody would want to talk with her in the future.


    "E¡ªEmmy, you''re not mad, right? Y¡ªYou should understand my position before. At that time, I really regarded Kristen as my friend, so I helped her. But after she bullied me and ditched me for Ashley¡­." Cerise sounded sad. But for me, it sounded like a criminal trying to justify her action.


    But of course, it wasn''t the time to judge her.


    "Well, since things have developed at this point, I don''t think you need to hide anything from me. Tell me everything, then I will help you," I said.


    Cerise was reluctant for a moment, then she finally told what really happened based on Cerise''s story.


    ¡ª


    After realizing that, Kristen called Cerise and begged her to break into Helena''s house. Cerise questioned what happened, but she waited for Kristen toe, and she took the key from under a potted nt.


    Cerise then guided Kristen to Helena''s room. Because Cerise often visited Helena, she knew where her room was.


    She opened the door, and they were greeted by Helena''s body hanging lifelessly. She was still holding that ''Thank you, Kristen.'' paper that would convict Kristen.


    Thus, Kristen snatched the paper and took it with her. Meanwhile, she asked Cerise to throw the phone away, and they left as soon as possible.


    ¡ª


    "Did you actually threw the phone away?" I asked.


    "¡­ I''ve been keeping it for a while. Because I thought it would be beneficial in the future¡­."


    Seriously, I wanted to choke this girl to death.


    She literally had something that would turn against Kristen in the end. That phone had everything someone needed to put Kristen in jail.


    But out of everyone, that thing ended up in Cerise''s hand.


    "Cerise, you''re an aplice, you know that, right?"


    "I¡ªI know¡­." Cerise sighed. "I fucked up, Em. And I''ve regretted ever doing it¡­."


    "You''re my friend, right? You told me that you will help me no matter what. That''s why I''m telling this to you!" Cerise insisted.


    There was no way to say no at this point in time. Besides, I needed that phone anyway.


    "Cerise, hand me the phone, and I will end everything quickly," I said.


    "C¡ªCan you make sure that I don''t get dragged? I don''t want to get hurt by Kristen and the p¡ªpolice¡­."


    Huh, so you knew that your deed would risk you getting charged. But you kept doing it nheless.


    There was something in me that told me both Cerise and Kristen deserved no pity. They were both criminals, just with different degrees of involvement.


    But at the same time, my heart also said that I should fulfill my promise. I promised Cerise to protect her at least once. Because I knew deep down, at least she didn''t have the same malicious intention as Kristen.


    ¡­


    After a moment of consideration, I tried to convince Cerise for thest time, "I will make sure that Kristen won''t be able to attack you. In fact, she won''t be able to see you anymore after this."


    "So give me the phone."

 Chapter 33 - Trust No One...

    "I will make sure that Kristen won''t be able to attack you. In fact, she won''t be able to see you anymore after this."


    "So give me the phone."??


    ¡­


    "Come to school early. I will give the phone to you," Cerise said.


    She hung up after that, leaving me questioning everything that had been spilled just now. I put down my phone, looking up at the ceiling.


    My heart was hurt by Cerise''s lies. I felt betrayed because I genuinely trusted her in my previous life. I knew I''ve returned back in time for revenge, but I thought I could at least keep one person close to me as a friend.


    I thought Cerise was the friend I was looking for, the one that would stay with me as long as I treated her well. But looking at this, it was ridiculous to even call her a friend.


    Cerise was twisted. She was just as malicious as Kristen, even though she didn''t realize it. She sacrificed the justice of an innocent girl for her twisted friendship with that she-devil.


    I suspected that she must''ve spilled few things in the previous life as well.


    I put my hand on my heart. I could feel the tremendous pain of betrayal even after I''ve been given a chance to avenge all my bullies.


    Maybe I still had that trace of naivety in me. I should''ve killed that feeling from long ago, especially to people like Cerise or Chrissy.


    "What is the point of trusting anyone if you''ll get betrayed in the end? Everyone wants to be friends because they see a benefit, or they want to use you to do their bidding."


    "I can stand alone. I can defeat them all with my own power. I don''t need a leech friend that will only ruin me in the future¡­."


    "I can stand alone¡­."


    I wiped a tear that identally dropped from the edge of my eyes. I wasn''t so weak and powerless. I''ve experienced being abused and bullied horribly until I couldn''t even feel pain.


    And I''ve shed enough tears in the previous life, I wouldn''t shed anymore in this life.


    A small betrayal like Cerise wouldn''t falter my willpower.


    I might not be the strongest, not the richest, or one with an amazing reputation. But I have a chance, and I have my brain.


    ¡­.


    Iughed mirthlessly,ughing at my own stupidity, "And you still think that you will find true love and shit? Oh, Emmelyn Jones, you should realize how stupid you sound. You can''t even find a friend!"


    "There is no man who will ept you, and I don''t need any useless man either. Kill that useless feeling."


    I closed my eyes. All this stuff was just too emotionally taxing for me.


    Anyway, all I needed was that phone, and I will execute everything ording to my n.


    "Remember, trust no one..."


    **


    I left with my bike as early as it could be, around five-thirty in the morning. And when I arrived, I saw Cerise was already standing near the gate. She looked a lot calmer, which was quite unnerving for me.


    I parked my bike and walked to her.


    The moment Cerise saw me, she had a shy smile on her face. I steeled my heart. After knowing that hideous secret between Cerise and Kristen, there was no way, I could trust this girl anymore.


    But I still maintained my fake face, and I drew near her, "Have you been waiting for long?"


    "N¡ªNot really," Cerise replied. She lowered her head but nced at me a few times before taking out a smartphone from her pocket.


    "Y¡ªYou said that you need this¡­." Cerise handed the phone to me, but I didn''t ept it immediately.


    I stared at the smartphone, whose owner was already six feet under. It was an old model, but Cerise must''ve taken care of it since it still looks nice enough.


    "Cerise, do you actually trust me to do this?" I asked.


    "Yes¡­" Cerise sighed, full of woe. "I know I''m guilty, Em¡­ but I was stupid back then. And I was fooled by Kristen as my best friend. But now, you''re my best friend, so I trust you instead¡­."


    Oh no, don''t think of me as your best friend anymore. I will also push you away from me after I dealt with Kristen.


    I pitied you, but your malicious naivety scared me the most. I didn''t know what will happen in the future if I continued trusting you.


    I don''t know if I should put you on the same pedestal as Kristen. But I would keep my promise. I will at least free you from Kristen.


    I snatched the phone from Cerise''s hand and then opened the phone screen.


    The wallpaper was still the picture of the girl, Helena, and Kristen''s selfie.


    ¡­


    I swiped the phone, and it was locked with a passcode, "What''s the password?"


    "081314."


    "Huh¡­ what''s the meaning of that password?" I asked curiously.


    "It''s August thirteenth, 2014, the date when Helena and I went out with Kristen for the first time. We went as three to a local cafe. Helena said that it was the first time she felt truly happy¡­."


    ¡­


    How heartless can you be?

 Chapter 34 - Trust No One... (2)

    I was the first one to enter the school after I persuaded Cerise about one thing. I wanted her to separate herself from me for a good while.


    "Eh, why? I thought we should stand together to fight against Kristen¡­." Cerise said. ??


    "Because she will also suspect me for working with you. If she found out about our n, then it''s all over. Don''t you want to end her terror?" I reasoned with a solid alibi.


    Cerise was considering it for a while and then nodded, "Okay, Em. I trust you. I know that you can defeat Kristen and save me!"


    ¡­


    No, I would not save you. I will ensure that you will never hurt someone else just because you''re an ignorant, gullible idiot who couldn''t differentiate between good and evil.


    I didn''t intend to keep you around either. I''m not a weak-hearted idiot¡­ not anymore.


    Cerise went to the convenience store near our school, while I went inside the school. The corridor was still empty, so I headed to the schoolyard and sat on a bench.


    The phone was fully charged, but it didn''t have any SIM cards. Cerise must''ve taken away the SIM card because it was traceable by the police. She might be an idiot, but she really knew how to save herself, huh?


    I entered the passcode, and the phone was unlocked. I took a deep breath whenever I saw the wallpaper of Helena and Kristen together. Helena was a gloomy girl, but her smile looked so sincere in this selfie.


    The first thing that I checked was Helena''s gallery. I had to see if there was an indication of her suicide caused by something else other than her family''s problem and Kristen''s maniption.


    But the more I scrolled down, the more disturbed I got.


    All Helena had in her gallery was the selfie she had with Kristen. Sometimes she took a picture of Kristen as well. It seemed that she really favored Kristen because she had no picture with Cerise or her other friends.


    I noticed one picture that was ringpared to the others. It was a screenshot that Helena took. It showed her chat with Kristen.


    ¡ª


    Kristen: Dear, if you want a quick and painless death, you should try hanging yourself.


    Helena: Wouldn''t that be painful? It''s the same as strangtion¡­


    Kristen: No, no, it''s different. I suggest you use a slightly loose rope. It will help, trust me.


    Helena: Well, I believe in you, Kristen. I''ve told Cerise about my problem, and she said that her problem was bigger and that I shouldn''t be sad about my small problempared to hers.


    Kristen: Ah, she always victimizes herself. Don''t listen to her, your problem is really bad. I don''t think it''s salvageable. It''s better to end it all, Helena¡­


    Helena: Yes¡­


    ¡ª


    Oh, so this was one of the screenshots that Cerise refused to send. Because it implied that she didn''t care about Helena at all, even though they were childhood friends.


    Honestly, I tried to keep my hopes up for Cerise. Hoping there might be some misunderstanding. But the proofs were just too tant. It''d be too stupid of me not to admit how fucked up this was and how ignorant Cerise was.


    I opened the messaging app between Kristen and Helena, WhatsApp.


    The text was still the same as before, with Kristen cursing at Helena after Helena hanged herself. It seemed that Kristen hadn''t blocked Helena''s number.


    Perfect, I could use this to my advantage. I connected the phone to school Wifi and then started thinking of a good line to text Kristen first.


    I wanted to Get rid of both Kristen and Cerise, but to get rid of Cerise, I had to terrorize Kristen first to the point of extreme paranoia.


    Just like what I did before, if I could ruin Kristen, then Cerise would eventually fall down as well.


    However, my treatment between them after this would be different¡­


    I wanted Kristen to rot in jail, or at least had her life ruined forever¡­


    But for Cerise¡­


    I took a deep breath and then started texting.


    ¡ª


    Helena: Good morning, my dear sweet Kristen.


    Helena: I miss you, Kristen. How about we rekindle some of our memory? Like that moment when you told me to die?


    ¡ª


    This should be enough to put fear in Kristen. I would meet Kristen in my second ss. I will convince Kristen that I took her side as Emmy while secretly terrorizing her as ''Helena.''


    After I finished texting, I heard a voiceing from behind me, "Ah, are you texting someone?"


    I jolted and put the phone inside my bag immediately. I twisted my back to see the man behind me, and I saw Mason Hall, smiling at me with his signature Prince Charming smile,plete with his dimple.


    "I didn''t know that someone can be earlier than me. Good morning, Emmy."

 Chapter 35 - A Quiet Place

    "I didn''t know that someone can be earlier than me. Good morning, Emmy."


    I was dazed. I had to admit that Mason''s visual was still too much for me to handle. He was really a school prince. Even he had princely vibes.??


    It took me a while to realize that Mason Hall was talking to me, which was also unbelievable in my previous life.


    Even right now, it was still unbelievable that he had the urge to greet me first.


    ¡­


    "Hello, Emmy? Are you there?" Mason tilted his head. He sat on the bench, sitting close to me without any gap between us. I jolted and immediately slid my butt to the left, distancing myself from him.


    It was almost like an instinct to avoid him because I got bullied horribly in my previous life due to that incident of him carrying me to the infirmary.


    I didn''t want to restart the same experience in this world.


    Mason scratched his head when he saw my nervousness, "Um¡­ is there something that makes you nervous?"


    Yeah, your crazy, vindictive fans.


    I shook my head. I didn''t want to stay here for so long. I''m afraid that another student might catch us here sitting together and got me targeted again.


    "I have to go¡ª" I said. But when I was about to stand up, Mason suddenly grabbed my wrist.


    "Wait!"


    I turned my head at him and saw Mason smiling at me. I could see his facial feature at this close range for the second time, including the blue eyes behind that sses.


    "I thought you''d notice it," Mason took something out of his pocket and then showed it to me.


    It was a wallet, but more importantly, it was my wallet.


    "You should be more careful. This is your wallet, right?"


    I instinctively touched my back pocket, "H¡ªHow did you¡ª"


    "Mhm, you dropped it in the corridor. I was walking behind you, and you identally dropped it. So I picked it up and changed my shirt first beforeing to the schoolyard," Mason exined.


    Somehow, it felt weird when he said that he picked up my wallet. I was very sensitive with my surrounding, let alone my belonging. I would''ve noticed it first.


    "I see¡­" I wondered. "Thank you for picking it up. Please give it back."


    "Oh, I will. But you have to sit here with me first. It''s very rare to see someonee this early. I don''t mind having a friend to talk to. I also doubt that you have something else to do, right?"


    ¡­


    I followed Mason''s request and sat beside him, I gave us a gap, so our thighs wouldn''t touch.


    "So you know my name because you checked my student Id?" I inquired a bit more.


    "Yes," Mason replied. He maintained his charming smile and prolong the conversation, "Why are you here, Em? It''s so early, you know."


    Okay, him calling me Em or Emmy was a bit strange. We weren''t that close. Boys in my middle school called me Emmelyn.


    Even Mason called me Emmelyn in the previous life. Why did he call me Em now?


    "My mom had an early morning shift, so she drove me to school early," I lied, and then I asked back, "How about you? It''s still too early."


    "Ah, I usuallye this early to avoid few people," Mason replied.


    "You mean, your fans?"


    "Fans¡­ haha," Mason cast his eyes to the ground andughed dry. "I''d rather spend time with just one or two people. I''m not really good with people¡­."


    Mason nced at me, and he smiled, "I''d rather spend time with one quiet girl rather than with many chatty ones."


    ¡­


    "Ah, sorry, Em. Please don''t take it the wrong way. I was just saying that I like a quiet ce more than crowded ones."


    "How about you? Don''t you think it''s better to stay in a quiet ce?" He asked.


    "Yeah, I like serenity," I replied.


    ¡­


    Mason stared at me for a moment and grinned, "Good."


    His short affirmation and grin somehow gave this uneasy feeling in my heart. Maybe because I was still scared of him.


    Mason stood up. He gave my wallet back, "I''m going to exercise. You''re weed to watch if you want. I don''t mind."


    I just realized that he was wearing training pants and a simple white tee that showed his muscle. He usually wore something more modest.


    But that was not my main focus. I looked around and was relieved that nobody was around. It could be my doom if someone saw us together.


    "No, I need to leave now."


    "Ah¡­ that''s unfortunate," Mason sighed. "Well, I will see youter then, Em."


    ¡­


    I walked out of the schoolyard to the building. I dared not to look back because I could feel Mason was still staring at my back until I entered the school building.


    "Fuck, he got my name," I cursed at my misfortune. Now I had another task to do. I had to avoid him as much as possible. If someone heard him calling me ''Em'' or ''Emmy'' then I''m done for.


    "Okay, new mission, avoid Mason as much as possible. Just avoid him, damn it!"

 Chapter 36 - Breaking The Fake Bitch #1

    I was already sitting in my ss when the bell rang. Few students starteding in, and I checked Helena''s phone to check whether there was a reply from Kristen.


    To my disappointment, there was no reply yet, but there was a blue checklist on the text. So that meant Kristen had read it. ??


    Kristen and I had the same ss right now, so I''m dying to see her reaction.


    I turned off the phone and then put it in my bag. Not long after, Kristen came in an expression as if she had just seen a ghost. She sat beside me, but she still zipped her mouth.


    "Kristen, are you okay? You look pale¡­." I asked, acting as if I was concerned.


    "I¡ªIt''s nothing," Kristen shook her head. She was stiff all over, and she cast her eyes down. This was the first time she tried to avoid my gaze.


    She was probably afraid that she would get caught, but it only made the game even more fun.


    "Really though, I think you should go to the nurse''s office if you''re sick," I suggested. Kristen only replied with a perfunctory smile and stayed silent.


    The teacher came, and everyone stopped chatting. I kept stealing a nce at Kristen, who was drenched in a cold sweat. I took out a small tissue pack and handed it to her. I whispered, ''Kristen, you look really sick. I think you need to go to the Nurse''s office now....''


    Kristen was considering it for a moment, and then she nodded. She got up and said to Miss Campbell, "Miss, I''m not feeling well. Can I go to the Nurse''s office?"


    Miss Campbell observed Kristen for a moment, and she nodded.


    I watched Kristen''s drenched back as she left the ss. Honestly, I expected her to act more aggressively about this, but she looked defeated by this small terror.


    Good, that meant I didn''t need to work hard to make her break down.


    I waited until the ss was over, and then I went to the bathroom and turned on Helena''s phone.


    Still, there was no reply from Kristen, but she did read the text.


    I smirked and texted more.


    ¡ª


    Helena: Kristen, I saw that you''re going to the Nurse''s office. Are you alright? Do you need my help? I''m currently standing behind you¡­


    ¡ª


    After the text was delivered, I saw the blue checklist popped almost immediately. I didn''t expect it to be so fast. Kristen must''ve been clenching her phone while lying in the Nurse''s office.


    I thought Kristen wouldn''t reply, but surprisingly, I heard a notification from Helena''s phone.


    ¡ª


    Kristen: Who are you?


    ¡ª


    I chuckled and started chatting with her;


    ¡ª


    Helena: What do you mean? I''m Helena. I thought we were best friends, is that all just a lie?


    Kristen: Stop pretending, Helena is dead.


    Kristen: Is this Cerise? Bitch, this is yourst warning. If you dare to y with me, I will rip your face off!


    Helena: Try it, my dear sweet Kristen, try to rip her face off. I need a friend here as well. Maybe I can take Cerise first before I take you.


    ¡ª


    Kristen stopped replying after that. I also think this was enough for now. Kristen must''ve been terrified to the bone. It was best to keep terrorizing her for few days before breaking her and leaking everything.


    I went out and ate alone in the cafeteria. I already told Cerise not to join me, and she said she''d eat in the ss instead. I also told her to avoid Kristen as much as possible for these few days to avoid confrontation.


    Not long after, Kristen sat beside me, and her face looked even paler than before.


    "Oh no, Kristen, you''re even paler than before. Are you really okay?"


    "Where''s Cerise?" She asked almost immediately. "I need to talk to her."


    "Hnn¡­ no idea, she said that she has something else to do," I replied. "Is it about her ndering you again? Oh, Kristen, just ignore her. Cerise is a bit of a nut job, don''t you think?"


    "It''s not about that¡­."


    "Huh? Then what is it about?" I baited her.


    Kristen didn''t dare to reply. She just shook her head and then drank a can of C for lunch.


    "Kristen, is there something bugging you? If it''s not about Cerise, then what is it?"


    "Someone has been targeting me," Kristen replied. "I thought this person is Cerise, but I''m not sure¡­."


    "Targeting? Did something happened? Mind telling me what''s in your mind?"


    "Y¡ªYou don''t need to know, Em. It''s just my problem with Cerise," Kristen refused to tell me her problem again. It was for an obvious reason, of course.


    I just found it pretty funny that she looked guilty for something that she did so heartlessly.


    Did she feel guilty because she killed Helena?


    Or did she feel guilty because there was a third party other than Cerise who knew her secret and might end her reputation forever?


    I sighed and patted her shoulder, "Girl, I''m always here for your support. You can tell me if you need my help."


    "Really, who dares making trouble with you. You''re literally an angel who saved many people. But I guess some people are just ungrateful, right?" I gripped her shoulder, putting pressure and expectation in her, I wanted to guilt trip her even more.


    "Y¡ªYeah¡­" Kristen gulped and avoided my eyes.


    Heh, your terror had just begun, Kristen. I will break you, just like how you break Helena''s sanity.

 Chapter 37 - Breaking The Fake Bitch #1 (2)

    Kristen left the cafeteria first because she was really looking like she was about to faint. She must''ve been terrified that her darkest secret could be leaked anytime.


    Honestly, I could leak it right now, but I wanted it to be spectacr, so Kristen didn''t have any way to rebound from that kind of scandal. A hasty move would only lead to Kristen debunking the allegation and calling it ''fake news'' from someone that hated her kind heart. ??


    So I had to break her until she also shed all her facade in public, in front of her supporters. It was even better if I could set her up with Cerise.


    I went to the bathroom again and turned on Helena''s phone. I saw that Kristen hadn''t sent any text, so I had to push her more.


    ¡ª


    Helena: Kristen, are you okay? I saw that you look really pale in the cafeteria. I also saw that you''re sitting with a new girl, is that girl your new victim?


    Helena: Hmm¡­ she looks average at best. I guess that means you''re going to convince her to kill herself, right? How exciting.


    Kristen: Seriously, who are you?!


    Kristen: And she has nothing to do with this!


    ¡ª


    Haha! Of course, I have to do with this. I knew at this point, Kristen would start suspecting everyone around her. I had to put myself in the spotlight, so she would clear her suspicion on me and put it all on other people instead.


    ¡ª


    Helena: Aw, why? Is it because she has been trusting you so much? I guess she doesn''t know that you have a hideous secret.


    Helena: ssic Kristen, you always saved them and then pulled them down to hell. Just like what you did to me.


    Helena: I guess you still like to be the center of worship, huh?


    ¡ª


    Kristen seemed to realize that she wouldn''t get an answer about my true identity. Thus she started getting defensive;


    ¡ª


    Kristen: Fine, tell me, what do you want? If you''re nning to leak this chat, you know that I can always tell people that it''s all just fake news!


    Helena: Oh really? What about a small video?


    Kristen: A video?! What video?!


    ¡ª


    No, I don''t have more proofs other than the ones inside this phone, of course. Let alone a video. But it was just a scare tactic to terrorize Kristen, so she would think that I had her in my hand.


    I didn''t answer after that, letting her fantasize about what kind of video I had to ruin her life. I turned off the phone again and then continued as usual to the ss.


    When I returned home, I got a call from Cerise. I walked to my room and then picked up her call, "Hello, what is it, Cerise?"


    "E¡ªEmmy¡­ I¡ªI don''t know what to do!" Cerise sounded nervous on the call. In fact, she was both nervous and terrified at the same time because I could hear her shaky voice.


    "Eh? What happened? Are you okay?"


    "I¡ªIt''s about Kristen¡­" Cerise said. "S¡ªShe has been searching for me in the school¡­. Em, what to do? I''m so scared right now! Help me pleaseeeee!"


    "Rx, it''s part of the n," I replied.


    "n? P¡ªPlease, Em, whatever n you have, please make it quick! I don''t even know what to do right now! At this rate, Kristen will kill me for real!"


    I almost chuckled when she said that. She was so scared of Kristen, the person whom she helped to cover such hideous crime, for the sake of protecting your best friend.


    It was both twisted and idiotic.


    "Cerise, I think you should hide for now," I suggested. I knew that Cerise was Kristen''s main target right now, and I had to elerate my progress.


    Not because I wanted to protect Cerise, but because I wanted to make sure that the finale included Kristen and Cerise.


    It would be beautiful and dramatic, I promise.


    "H¡ªHide?"


    "Yes, you should hide from Kristen for now. You shouldn''te to school until I told you so, or Kristen will definitely kill you."


    "Oh god, where should I go?!" She asked anxiously.


    "Maybe you can hide somewhere during the day? Just for few days, so you can hide from her. I will tell you when the timees."


    Cerise paused for a moment, and then she asked, "You mean¡­ you want me to skip school?"


    "Yes."


    ¡­


    "I¡ªI will do it," Cerise finally agreed with my advice. "But I can''t do it more than a few days, or the school will call my mom. Please finish it quickly, Em!"


    "Yes, I will make it quick," Cerise begged before ending the call.


    I chuckled lightly.


    Well, I will make it quick for you two.

 Chapter 38 - Breaking The Fake Bitch #1 (3)

    After I hung up on Cerise, I started texting Kristen as Emmy. I wanted to scare her more, but I couldn''t use my house wifi or my phone tether.


    I wasn''t a technology expert, but I knew that connection was traceable, so Kristen might''ve tried to trace the phone connection in the worst-case scenario.??


    And if she found my address¡­ then I might as well tried to kill myself twice and hoped I could return back in time like before.


    So I had to use public wifi, like in school or a cafe.


    "Ah, so unfortunate, I want to terrorize her even more¡­."


    I sighed and texted Kristen,


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Hey, girl, I heard from Cerise that she''s scared of you since you''re trying to hunt her. Seriously, girl, I got confused here.


    Emmy: I mean, I don''t want to sound nosy, but I''m afraid that she might spread some nasty stuff about you. She is really crazy, huh¡­.


    Kristen: I have a problem with her, and I need to talk with her. But don''t believe what she said. I''m not ''hunting'' her. That''s too much!


    Kristen: Em, I want to ask you something.


    Emmy: Yes?


    Kristen: Do you think a coward can be a betrayer?


    ¡ª


    She must''ve been talking about Cerise since Cerise technically betrayed Kristen. But it was justified to betray her, though, since Kristen had been bullying Cerise like no other for a year and more.


    It was natural for Cerise to finally break down and spilled everything. I just elerated the process because I wanted to enjoy it first hand.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Eh? Hm¡­ I mean, a coward can be the worst one to backstab you. They''re cowardly for a reason. They act based on impulse. That''s why they will betray you whenever they feel threatened.


    Emmy: I mean, if I got betrayed by a coward, then I will probably get angry and beat the heck out of her. I won''t lie that I''m just a regr human.


    Emmy: I won''t be able to forgive them, unlike you, Kristen. You have such a generous heart. That''s why I idolized you a lot.


    Kristen: Thanks, Em. I''m searching for Cerise because she nders me. I won''t hurt her. Of course, I just want her to apologize and admit that she is ndering me. That''s it.


    Emmy: Then I''m with you, girlie~


    ¡ª


    Kristen stopped texting after. Of course, I knew that she was furious and probably searched for Cerise, wherever she was right now.


    After I was done today, I took a bath and then sat on the bed, thinking about what to do next.


    My n was going smoothly right now. There was no indication that Kristen was getting suspicious of me. In fact, I think Kristen already crossed me out of her list.


    My only worry was Cerise. I didn''t know if she would get caught or not. But I already told her that she needed to hide everything because if she told Kristen about our n, then I was done for.


    I sat on my bed. I was idling for a while until I took my wallet from my bag.


    I usually put this in my back pocket. There was nothing much inside it, honestly, only my student id and some pocket money. There were also some old photos of mine with my middle school friends, too bad that we were separated now.


    Even in the previous life, I basically lost contact with them,


    But what lingered in my mind right now was¡­


    "Mason Hall¡­"


    I called that name as I stared at my student id. The student Id could be considered very important for the students to enter the DarthMorth school gate. It also had many private pieces of information.


    Such as name, address, date of birth, and also registered phone number of the student or the parents, in case they lost their id.


    I found it funny that I had been trying to avoid Mason as much as possible, hoping that he didn''t even know my name in this life.


    But in the end, he saw my id, and already knew everything about my private information.


    He knew my name, even called me Emmy.


    He knew my date of birth.


    He knew my address.


    He knew my number.


    ¡­


    "Haha¡­ ahahahaha!"


    Iughed at myself for thinking too far, "Emmy, what''s gotten in your head? Do you think you''re that important? Mason has a lot of things to do every day. I don''t think he will care for a random student."


    ¡­


    I had to admit that I got worried because Mason''s presence was somewhat pressuring to me.


    "He should be promoted to be a quarterback-in-training soon with his talent. Let''s just hope that he doesn''t remember me at all."

 Chapter 39 - Her Sanity Crumbles

    I woke up with dozens of notifications on my phone, mostly missed calls from Cerise and her messages.


    I rubbed my eyeszily. I went to the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth while checking her texts. I scrolled through it uninterestedly. It was mostly her getting scared, rambling about how Kristen was hunting her down.??


    Turned out, Kristen actually went to Cerise''s homest night. She only stood outside and terrorizing Cerise with calls and threatening texts. Most of them were death threats, Cerise said.


    She even sent me a screenshot of one of the texts between them.


    ¡ª


    Cerise: Please, please leave me alone!


    Kristen: Why are you so scared? I just want to ask you about few things.


    Kristen: Come out of your hiding. I know you''re inside your house, bitch.


    Kristen: I will ask you nicely before I break into your house and strangle you in your sleep.


    Kristen: I will make you the second Helena, soe here before I lost my patience, coward bitch!


    ¡ª


    "My, so hostile," I chuckled as I read the chat. It was so obvious that both Kristen and Cerise were now busy with themselves.


    Kristen must''ve concluded that Cerise gave the phone to someone else, and that person was the one terrorizing Kristen.


    Thankfully, I already told Cerise to toughen up a bit because if Kristen found out that the phone was in my hand, then we were done for.


    But I still had to show some concern to Cerise. Thus I called her, and she picked up after few beeps.


    "G¡ªGood morning¡­." Cerise''s weak voice was heard from there.


    I immediately acted worried as I started bargaining with her with my concerns, "Cerise! What happened now? Are you still okay? Did she actually break into your house? How about your mom?!"


    My barrage of concerns seemed to make Cerise trembled a bit. Her voice was shaking as she reported to me, "K¡ªKristen didn''t break into my house, but she stayed untilte at night, and then my mom came from her night shift, then she finally left¡­."


    "Oh no, d that you''re alright. But you really need to hide now Cerise, you do realize that Kristen is going to kill you if she caught you, right?"


    "E¡ªEm! Don''t scare me like that!" Cerise hollered. But she must''ve known that my words were correct. So in the end, she said, "I¡ªI will skip school for few days, my mom has night shift for the whole week, so she wouldn''t notice me. Please finish this as soon as possible, Em! I trust you!"


    Trust¡­ huh¡­


    "Don''t worry, keep your perseverance, Cerise!" I encouraged her.


    After a few more pep talks, I hung up the call and prepared myself for school.


    I went downstairs and saw Mom was eating toast. I sat with her and ate mine that had been prepared.


    We were eating in silence until Mom suddenly said, "Sooo~ pretty girl, I didn''t know that you have a boyfriend."


    I frowned when I heard the word ''boyfriend.''


    Because that was something simply unbelievable. I was too busy with Kristen and Cerise. How in hell could I find a boyfriend?


    "I don''t have one, mom."


    "Really?" Mom grinned mischievously. "Your Grandma said there was a boy who came to our house in thete afternoon, an hour before you arrived. She told Grandma that he is your friend, and she gave a rose to Grandma, saying that it is a gift for you."


    "Oh how chivalrous, you Grandma has a bad eyesight, but she said that boy looks really handsome and dreamy!" Mom gushed over this random man that came to our house.


    ¡­


    Huh?


    Did I hear it correctly?


    A boy came to our house and gave a rose to Grandma? I didn''t even know that I had a boying. No, I didn''t even know that a boy knew my address!


    Unless¡­


    ¡­


    No, that couldn''t be Mason. I remembered that I saw him (and his fans) practicing in the schoolyard with his new team for the whole day after school was over since he was a new member of the school''s American football.


    Besides, it was just strange for him to give me a rose out of the blue. That was so out of his character.


    ¡­


    "I don''t have a boyfriend, so just ignore that guy if hees again. I will tell Grandma about this," I warned. I didn''t know who this guy was,


    After breakfast, my mom and I went our separate way. I used the bike and went to school.


    The moment I parked my bike, someone patted my shoulder from behind. When I turned my head, I was startled by the grim face of Kristen.


    "Wha¡ªK¡ªKristen, you shocked me!"


    "Em¡­."


    "Kristen? You look¡­ tired¡­." I mentioned. She had noticeable dark circles under her eyes, and she looked lifeless right now.


    "Have you seen Cerise anywhere? I really need to talk to her," Kristen asked.


    "Well, Cerise said to me that she is going to her aunt''s home for a trip for the weekend. What is it? I heard from Cerise that you''re hunting her and such¡­."


    Kristen clenched her fist, "I have a problem with her. Tell me if she actuallyes. Maybe she is hiding somewhere," Kristen said. She patted my shoulder and then walked to the school building.


    I grinned when I saw Kristen''s stressed face. She must''ve been paranoid right now.


    Thus I went to the bathroom and turned on Helena''s phone, and connected to the wifi. The moment it was connected, I got several missed calls from Kristen from the night before.


    And there was a WhatsApp text from her fromst night, around 2 o''clock.


    ¡ª


    Kristen: What do you want from me?


    ¡ª

 Chapter 40 - Her Sanity Crumbles (2)

    ¡ª


    Kristen: What do you want from me???


    ¡ª


    What do I want from you? I wanted you to break down and break the facade that you created and maintained for years. You would be my very first victim on my list, and you deserved it, Kristen Suite.


    You fucking maniptive demon.


    ¡ª


    Kristen: What do you want from me?


    Helena: Hm? What do I want from you? Isn''t it already obvious? I want you to give yourself to the police and confess all of your hideous crime that led me to hang myself.


    ¡ª


    Kristen didn''t reply. Maybe she was just too shocked or too scared to reply, knowing that I had everything.


    Thus I closed this with few texts;


    ¡ª


    Helena: Sweet Kristen, are you trying to catch Cerise? A, too bad. I already told her that she should move to save herself first.


    Helena: You should''ve known that you''re dancing in my hand now. There is no escape from me, Sweet Kristen.


    Helena: Enjoy your daily nightmare until I''m satisfied~


    ¡ª


    I turned off the phone and went to the ss.


    Kristen and I had a different ss today, so I didn''t meet her much. Which was quite unfortunate. I wanted to see her slowly descending into paranoia and madness.


    Times passed until it was lunch break, and I went to the cafeteria for lunch. I saw that Kristen was eating alone. There was no smile on her face, only pertaining gloom that could''ve been permanent.


    She sat dazedly, so I patted her shoulder, "Kristen."


    "HYAH!" Kristen jolted exaggeratedly as if she had been touched by a ghost. Kristen looked over her shoulder and smiled bitterly, "Sit with me, Em."


    I sat with her and gave her my yogurt, "You need to eat something, Kristen. You only drank c for lunch yesterday, and you only drink a bottle of water today."


    "What''s gotten into you? Is it Cerise? Do you need me to confront her as well?" I asked concernedly, trying to take her side.


    Emmy chuckled mirthlessly, "Cerise is running away. I will find a way to find her, that b¡ª"


    I saw that Kristen''s facade started to wear off. She didn''t even bother to show me her usual angelic smile. She curled her lips as she almost cursed in front of me.


    "I''m still in the dark here, you know. I don''t know what happened between you two, and suddenly things happen like this," I asked frustratedly. "I really want to help you¡­."


    Kristen darted his eyes at me. I blinked few times. She stared at me for a good while and then asked, "Are you in Cerise''s side or my side?"


    "Huh? What kind of question is that? Of course, I''m on your side!" I eximed. "You''ve helped me when I was getting bullied by Jess, so I have to help you."


    "Then, you trust me, right?" Kristen asked again.


    I think¡­ I knew where this conversation led to, and this was definitely what I wanted. Kristen was desperate enough that she wanted to use me instead.


    "Of course," I assured her.


    After Kristen was convicted, she sat closer to me, closing the distance between us. Then she whispered to my ear, "Cerise has a dirty little secret, and she wants to put the me on me. Help me catch her, and I will definitely appreciate it."


    "Em, you''re my best friend. My most trusted friend right now¡­."


    I almost smirked when she tried to twist the fact. But it wasn''t really my problem because I will still taunt her until she broke down, and with Cerise''s presenceter¡­ everything would be perfect.


    "Then, what should I do? I will help!" I said enthusiastically.


    "You can call Cerise, tell her to return because of something urgent, and when she has arrived, we will catch her together. Don''t worry, we won''t do illegal stuff. I just want to ask few things about her. You won''t get in trouble after this, I promise."


    "So¡­ you want me to trap Cerise?" I asked, confirming her wish.


    Kristen nodded, "You''re my friend, right?"


    I nodded obediently, like a good friend that I am, "Okay, anything for you, Kristen. Let''s catch Cerise, that ungrateful girl."


    Perfect, this setup was just perfect.


    ¡ª


    Author Note: Hello, Pupa here wants to tell you about my short break. I will return on 3 September because I have an exam on 1-2 Sept. Thank you for your understanding and thank you for your support <3


    - With luv, Pupa


    ¡ª

 Chapter 41 - Her Sanity Crumbles (3)

    "You can call Cerise, tell her to return because of something urgent, and when she has arrived, we will catch her together."


    That words from Kristen kept reying in my head after the lunch break ended. I knew exactly that everything was in line with my n, but I doubted Kristen''s emotional pressure was enough.


    I needed to make her mad before she met Cerise, and when that happened, it would be a bang.


    Before returning home after school, I sneaked to the bathroom first and then texted Kristen with Helena''s number.


    ¡ª


    Helena: Aw, Kristen, are you trying to influence your new stupid friend, Emmy, to do your bidding? I didn''t know that you can be this desperate.


    Helena: The goodhearted Kristen Suite, now desperate enough to trap a coward like Cerise. How funny.


    Kristen: Shut up.


    Kristen: How did you know about this anyway?


    Helena: Naturally, I''m just a ghost. Of course, I can hear all of your talk with Emmy. Too bad Emmy is too stupid to realize your n.


    Helena: You''re nning to pin Cerise by shifting the me on her, right? You want to use her of ndering your good reputation.


    Helena: Oh, my dear sweet Kristen, you''re so predictable.


    Helena: But be careful, I''ve prepared something, you need to find Cerise as soon as possible, or your life will be ruined~


    ¡ª


    With that, I finished my ''breaking the fake bitch #1'' session. I thought Kristen wouldn''t say anything and continued being paranoid of what I have to destroy her life.


    But surprisingly, Helena''s phone vibrated, and I saw Kristen was calling this number. I opened the bathroom stall and then looked around. After making sure there was nobody around, I put the phone in the sink and epted the call.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.


    The sound of water leaks filled this empty bathroom, I think I am thest one to stay in the building right now, so I could be ensured that nobody would disturb this.


    I waited for Kristen to speak as we were both stuck in this eerie silence for a while.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    But she didn''t speak at all, the creepy sound of water leaking only worsened the nightmare, and she suddenly hung up the call, just like that.


    She must''ve wanted to confront me and catch me off guard. Maybe it was a burst of courage that she had. But at least, this should be enough to scare her not to call me again.


    "Enjoy your own nightmare, Kristen," I said as I turned off the phone.


    After I was done scaring Kristen, I went home quietly.


    When I arrived home, I saw grandma was sitting on her rocking chair, knitting something again. I parked my bike and then approached grandma. I had a question that had been haunting me since morning.


    I sat on the chair beside grandma''s rocking chair and then patted her thigh gently to avoid startling her, "Grandma¡­."


    Grandma stopped knitting and turned her head to me. Her wrinkly smile bloomed as she patted my head, "Emmy, how''s school?"


    "It''s good, Grandma. But I have something to ask you¡­." I said.


    "Go on, Emmy."


    "About the boy who gave you flower yesterday, what does he look like?" I asked. I wanted to know more about this mysterious boy.


    I had a suspicion that it was Mason because he was the only one who knew my address. But at the same time, I doubted he cared enough to do something so ridiculous, likeing to my house to give flowers to my grandma.


    Grandma giggled happily as she heard my question, "Is that your boyfriend? He said that he wants to gift flowers to Emmy''s family. What a sweet, old-fashioned boy. He is like yourte grandpa."


    "Then, how about his looks?" I asked again.


    "Hmm¡­ I can''t remember much. But I believe that he is very handsome, he will grow up to be a very fine actor in the movie¡­."


    I knew I couldn''t count on Grandma''s memory, but at least I could count on this one.


    "How about his hair? What''s the color of his hair?"


    "He wore a ck cap, so I can''t see his hair color," Grandma replied.


    My body stiffened after that answer. It might be just my fear, but I had a feeling this boy predicted that I will question my grandma about him, so he wore a ck cap to avoid getting recognized.


    Grandma stared at me for a while and smiled, "Do you know his name? Or is he a secret admirer? Well, Emmy, you''re beautiful. You should be careful with whom you''re talking with."


    "Though, I think that boy is sincere. I saw his eyes¡­ his eyes is very sincere when he mentioned your name."

 Chapter 42 - Her Sanity Crumbles (4)

    "Though, I think that boy is sincere. I saw his eyes¡­ his eyes is very sincere when he mentioned your name."


    Yeah, I guess I couldn''t trust my Grandma for this one. There was no way a man like him, who silently came to my house like a creep, giving flowers to my Grandma while intentionally hiding his appearance, could be called a sincere man.


    But I nodded to my Grandma''s words and then guided her to enter the house. I cooked food for her while she sat at the dinner table.


    When I served the food at the dinner table, Grandma pointed at a slim flower vase with a rose in it, "That''s the rose. I put it there immediately, so it can persevere a bit longer. Isn''t it pretty?"


    I stared at the rose and then nodded, "Yes, Grandma, it''s pretty. I will take it if you don''t mind."


    "That''s from your secret admirer. Of course, it''s yours!" Grandma said.


    After dinner, Grandma asked me to help her to her room. The moment I was about to close her bedroom door, she told me, "Pretty girl needs to be careful, especially with boys, remember that, Em."


    "¡­ yes, Grandma."


    I put closed the door and then went downstairs to pick the rose from the vase. I returned to my bedroom and sat on the bed with the red rose.


    I stared at it for a good while, maybe it was just my overcautiousness, so I started inspecting the flower full of suspicion.


    But it was just a simple red rose¡­ from a boy.


    This had never happened before. The only man who came to this house was my abusive dad in the previous life.


    I gritted my teeth frustratedly. I really disliked that I was blind over something even though I had been given a second chance to return for revenge.


    It got me restless that someone knew something that I didn''t know. It made me suspicious that someone might''ve conspired behind my back.


    I stared at the red rose and clutched the petals, ruining the beautiful flower with my own hand.


    The petals dropped one by one to the ground as I looked down at it and stomped it with my feet.


    What? Do you think I will be that girl whose mind would be clouded in pink after one rose from a boy? I''ve experienced death, and it was indirectly caused by a popr boy in school.


    I didn''t want to be schemed against, and I didn''t want to fall in love and get ruined like what happened between my mom and my abusive dad, either.


    I didn''t want to lose in this second life. I refused to lose.


    **


    After calming myself, I took a bath and then started nning to scheme against my main target right now, Kristen and Cerise.


    I called Kristen first, and after few beeps, Kristen picked it up. She said nothing, so I had to be the one who spoke first.


    "Hello, Kristen?"


    "Hello, Em¡­" Kristen''s weak voice startled me. It was hoarse as well, the sound of someone who had just wailed loudly or at least screamed like a madwoman.


    "What happened with your voice?" I asked obliviously.


    "Hnn¡­ it''s nothing. I''m just tired¡­."


    "I see. You should rest first. Though, I''m calling you because I want to confirm few things before I call Cerise¡ª"


    "¡ªYou''ve decided to help me?" Kristen snippet immediately, eager to see me helping her to trap Cerise.


    "Yeah, I''ve been thinking about it. I don''t want to see you suffering because of Cerise. But you have to tell me what secret does she have? Why does she want to put the me on you?"


    ¡­


    "Cerise convinced our friend in middle school to kill herself. I knew the secret, but she threatens to kill me if I told everyone. So I just did what I can do, to back off and avoid her as much as possible," Kristen said, switching her position with Cerise in her story version.


    "What?!" I acted surprised. "T¡ªThat''s so malicious¡­."


    "I know, and she tries to put the me on me by making fake texts. That''s why you should help me. I want to catch her and confronted her!"


    "Oh my, I see. She is so terrible, indeed," I added fuel to the fire. "Alright, I will help you. I will call Cerise now. I''ll get back at you after this."


    "Thanks, Em. You''re my most trusted, best friend."


    Sure thing, ''best friend.''


    I hung up the call with Kristen and then called Cerise. Cerise picked up the call right away, "H¡ªHello, Em? How is it? Is everything under control?"


    "Hey, Cerise, everything is under control, and I also have a n to catch Kristen for thest time."

 Chapter 43 - Her Sanity Crumbles (5)

    "H¡ªHello, Em? How is it? Is everything under control?"


    "Hey, Cerise, everything is under control, and I also have a n to catch Kristen for thest time."


    "H¡ªHow? I really can''t with this n, Em. I almost break down crying because of anxiety!" Cerise said. I could hear the worry in her whimpering voice.


    She must''ve been stressed with this. Good.


    "Yes, we can make things quick. You want Kristen to break down in front of you and give up, right? You don''t want to be tormented by her, right?"


    "Y¡ªYes, I''m tired of getting tormented. She keeps terrorizing me right now. I''ve gotten hundreds of calls from her¡­ Please Em, save me¡­."


    "Right, I have an idea, but you have to promise not to speak anything when we execute it," I said.


    "Huh, what do you mean? What idea?"


    "Tomorrow is Saturday, right? You should stay at your Aunt''s house. Just... run far from your house, so Kristen can''t chase you. She has turned a bit crazy right now," I informed.


    "Then, why can''t I speak anything when we execute it¡ªI mean, what we''re executing anyway? Em¡­ I just want this to end¡­."


    I checked on Helena''s phone that was on airne mode. I wanted to check the date of Helena''s death. So I checked the date of herst picture, that picture of her holding a paper with Kristen''s name written.


    Helena died on August 22nd, and tomorrow was also August 22nd. This was perfect for me, as I wanted to wrap this as a gift for Kristen and Cerise, especially Kristen, for ruining the life of a depressed young girl.


    I imagined myself in Helena''s position because I was also depressed in my previous life, the divorce of my parents, the death of mom and grandma, and the brutal bullying that I experienced. I thought about ending my life so many times, but I didn''t dare to do it. I was a coward, after all.


    I imagined if Kristen influenced me in my previous life¡­ then my fate would be as unfortunate as Helena''s¡­


    "You need to disappear for now and return to school on Monday. When you met Kristen, say nothing. This is crucial. Just say nothing, keep your silence, and it will be our win."


    ¡­


    "E¡ªEm, it will not hurt me, right?" Cerise asked anxiously.


    Oh, it will hurt, but you need to at least get a taste for what you did as an aplice for such a heavy crime.


    "Depends on your willpower, Cerise. If you can zip your mouth when you met Kristen, then things won''t hurt much," I scrolled through Kristen and Helena''s chat on Helena''s phone, and they mentioned Cerise a few times.


    I also checked on Cerise and Helena''s chat to see what happened between them.


    ¡ª


    Helena: Cerise, I feel like floating. I don''t feel alive at all¡­


    Cerise: Eh? Do you need anything?


    Helena: Nothing, in particr, I just feel empty and sad¡­


    Cerise: Watch some fun movies. It''ll help you out.


    Cerise: Besides, what makes you feel sad anyway? I''m bullied every day, and I don''t have a lot of money. I should be the sad one, not you.


    ¡ª


    Just like I expected, Cerise never took Helena seriously. Maybe because Helena wasn''t someone cool or popr, like Kristen, or perhaps she thought her life was worse than Helena''s, and it invalidated all of Helena''s feelings.


    "W¡ªWillpower? As long as I don''t speak anything¡­ I will be okay, right?"


    "Yes, you will be okay,"


    "O¡ªOkay then, I will do it. I will go to school on Monday. Promise me that my torment will stop by Monday, please¡­."


    "I promise that your torment will end on Monday, believe me," I assured her again. Though, I doubted that her torment was the only one that would end on Monday.


    After few more sweet words, I hung up the call for her.


    I took a deep breath, everything was so smooth, and it was thanks to my knowledge in the previous life.


    But I didn''t know if things would stay predictable, just like a butterfly effect. One small thing could lead to significant changes.


    First, it was that person who dragged me to the pit against Jessica by telling Jessica that I ''ndered'' her. That person was the trigger of my bullying in my previous life.


    And also Mason, who was acting weird, and now, a boy who came to my house and gave me a rose.


    What would happen in the future¡­ I don''t know¡­


    But one thing was for sure.


    "I will not lose. I refuse to lose."

 Chapter 44 - Mother & Daughter Talk

    Saturday, 22nd


    I woke up quite early in the morning. Today was the day I wanted to maximize the fear in Kristen. I wanted her paranoia to hit the top.


    I had everything nned in my head, and all I needed to do right now was prepare for everything before the finale on Monday.


    I stretched my body and walked downstairs to find my Mom was massaging her temple as if she was in deep trouble. I sat on the sofa, silently watching her before asking out of curiosity, "Are you in trouble, Mom?"


    Mom looked at me. She smiled and shrugged, "It''s nothing much. Just my boss is such a pain in the¡ªNevermind."


    She zipped her mouth before she said a curse word, something bad for me to hear because I''m still young. I chuckled. I had to admit that I enjoyed being treated like a baby by Mom.


    I used to hate being treated as one, but after the death of Mom in my previous life, I''vee to realize that things were much more precious when they were no longer in your hand.


    "Can I help you with something? I mean, I can at least massage your shoulder," I said.


    Mom was surprised, but she looked pleased, "That''s so rare for you. But I wouldn''t mind getting a massage on the shoulder."


    I walked and stood behind her, start massaging her shoulder, and then asked, "Mom, is everything alright?"


    "Well, work is tough, but it''s fine. At least we have something to eat and sustain ourselves, right?" Mom said with a bitter smile. I bit my lower lip and silently massaging her shoulder. I couldn''t help for now because I was still in my first year of high school, I wasn''t allowed to work part-time to support the family.


    And in my previous life, I couldn''t work part-time everywhere because of one particr, despicable girl.


    "I will find a part-time soon," I said.


    "You don''t need to, at least not now. You''re still in the first year, you should have more club activities and socializing more. Don''t think about money. It''s my responsibility for now," Mom denied my help.


    I knew she was feeling guilty for me because back when we still lived with Dad, he didn''t allow Mom to work and constantly beat us up together.


    Mom was depressed, beaten, and bruised all over every day. I couldn''t do anything either because my Dad would also beat me if I dared to defend my Mom.


    We did better financially back then because my Dad had a solid position in his office, but it wasn''t enough topensate for the emotional and physical trauma my Mom, and I experienced.


    So I believed it was better this way. Although Mom and I struggled financially, at least we lived clutching freedom in our hands.


    "Remember, Em. You shouldn''t think about our finance for now. Just study, have fun with your friends, and find a boyfriend," Mom said.


    I knew that she wanted topensate for all the abuses that I''ve experienced from Dad before. But I didn''t want her to struggle alone.


    "I will start working next year."


    Mom turned her head and looked at me. I knew that she had pride. She wanted to be a responsible mother. But I also wanted to be a daughter that helped my mother during a tough time.


    "You''re worried that it''ll take all the fun I have in high school, right?" I asked, trying to find the real reason behind her reluctance.


    "Emmelyn Jones, you don''t have any responsibility for your Grandma and me. Focus on the study and school life," Mom warned me over and over about the same thing. I know that she wouldn''t budge until I made something, maybepensation for myself.


    "Fine, how about this? I will be active in a club activity, do well in school, and have a BOYFRIEND during the first year of high school."


    "What?!" Mom''s depressed mood turned cheery immediately. She put her hands on top of mine on her shoulder, and she kept looking at me with glimmering eyes, "It''s a promise, okay?"


    I was startled by my Mom''s enthusiasm, "Why are you so excited about it?"


    "Well, because you''ve been watching an unhealthy rtionship between your Dad and me. I''m worried that you might think that all men are like your Dad."


    "True, there are many scum men out there, and you''ll find jerks, especially since you''re in high school. But trust me, there are good-natured men¡ªWell, boys at your age. And one or two will fall in love with you."


    "You just have to find the right person."


    The right person, huh?


    Well, I had no n on getting a boyfriend. But if the right person could help me execute my n, I would be open to it.


    Screw the romance part. We could be the best partner in crime.

 Chapter 45 - Death Anniversary

    After having breakfast with Mom, I washed my face, changed into a white shirt and jeans that looked simr to certain someone, and went out, riding my bike to the school.


    There was a Club Fair today. The students were obliged toe if they wanted to sign for the club activities if they hadn''t submitted their application letter a few days ago.


    I had submitted mine before, so I came there only to survey the location where I would put all the posters on Monday for the finale tomorrow. This was the only chance for me to survey without getting noticed because school was closed tomorrow.


    When I arrived at school, it was crowded with first-year students like me going in and out of the Club building. I didn''t intend to go there, so I just walked to the empty school building.


    I walked from one corridor to another, checking every spot where I could put the poster. Well, not exactly a poster, but many printouts that would reveal everything on Monday morning.


    I marked few ces, especially the lockers. I wanted to put as many printouts as possible on students'' lockers, so they would see everything.


    And I wanted to make sure that it was shocking news, enough to shock everyone, including Kristen.


    It took me almost an hour to mark all the spots, and I went to the bathroom. The school was the only ce where it was safe for me to text Kristen with Helena''s phone.


    I turned off the airne mode, and there were few texts from Kristen.


    ¡ª


    Kristen: You''re colluding with Cerise, right?


    Kristen: Who are you?


    Kristen: Bitch, once I caught Cerise, I will force her to tell me your identity!


    Kristen: You''re not Helena! She died one year ago!


    Kristen: I swear if you dare to do something, I will gouge your eyes out!


    ¡ª


    Iughed after reading all of Kristen''s anxious texts. She had shed all her presence against me, so she started texting me like how she texted Cerise.


    Today was good one year of Helena''s death. I''ve prepared a gift for Kristen.


    I intentionally dressed just like what Helena wore on herst day. I checked the shirt and the jeans that Helena wore again, just to make sure.


    Then I took out a paper and wrote;


    - One year after my death, how could you live guilt-free every day? Come here, Kristen, since you convinced me to kill myself, it should bring you as mypany. -


    I took a picture with a timer on Helena''s phone and edited it by giving it a ck and white filter to mask few obvious things, and also cut my head, so the picture was only from neck to high with the paper as the focus.


    I edited my boobs area because it was a bit too¡­ big because Helena was wearing a in white shirt on herst day.


    It was very simr to the old picture. I chuckled after making sure that it was perfect, scary enough to frighten Kristen.


    Before I sent this, I did the same method as before. I called Kristen and then put the phone on the sink, and after few beeps, Kristen picked up the call.


    Kristen said nothing. Maybe she was already terrified to the bone but still had enough courage to pick up the call.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.


    Kristen hung up the call soon after. I grinned and texted her:


    ¡ª


    Helena: Why are you hanging up? I''m talking to you.


    Kristen: Shut up.


    Helena: That''s too bad, well, do you still remember thest picture that I took for you?


    Helena: *Picture Sent*


    ¡ª


    I waited until I saw two blue checks on the picture, meaning that Kristen had seen it. She didn''t reply immediately, I saw her typing for a moment, but she didn''t send any reply back.


    Thus I followed with the second hit.


    ¡ª


    Helena: Are you surprised that I still have the picture? That''s because Cerise still has it on my phone.


    Helena: Maybe she is just waiting for the right time before ruining your life. But then again, Cerise and I are childhood friends. Of course, she will help me.


    Helena: This is all her idea, you know.


    Helena: Oh, hold on, I still have one more gift for you tomemorate one year of my death.


    Helena: *Picture sent*


    ¡ª


    I sent the picture that I just took and edited to Kristen. When the blue checks appeared on the photo I just sent, Kristen''s Whatsapp status as ''online'' disappeared instantly. So I guessed that she turned off her phone immediately.


    I shrugged, "Well, that''d be enough to traumatize her for the whole weekend. I''m pretty sure she will be unhinged once she goes to school on Monday."


    I turned off the phone and leave the bathroom. I walked through the corridor and identally bumped into a meat wall at the intersection.


    "Ouch!"


    I bounced after hitting him and fell backward in an awkward manner. I rubbed my head that hit the floor just now. But this man, he didn''t even try to help me and said, "Heh, you again, Shortie. Why do you keep bumping into me?"


    I recognized that familiar voice. It was the same guy who bumped into me before. When I opened my eyes, the tall and broad shoulder walking away in another direction reminded me of the same scene that happened in the Club building corridor.


    "Hey, you bumped into me. At least say sorry!" I called him out immediately.


    The guy kept walking away and replied, "I forgive you for bumping into me."


    "Asshole!" I yelled back at him, and he just chuckled and left the school building.


    I got up and brushed the dirt on my shirt. It took me a while until the realization came¡­


    Wait, what was that guy''s business in this empty school building?

 Chapter 46 - Club Fair

    After leaving the school building, I got a text from the Pottery Club President. I checked the text and regretted it instantly.


    ¡ª


    Pottery Club President: Emmelyn, pleasee to the Club building and help us promoting the Pottery Club. This is an obligation for all new members!


    ¡ª


    Damn it, I couldn''t act like I hadn''t read it either. Because it was a WhatsApp text, so the blue ticks marked that I''ve read the text.


    I sighed and then walked to the club building. The building was still crowded, with students jam-packed in the corridor. The clubs each opened their registration desk in front of their club door.


    The students flocked each club, though I could see that one club was more popr than the other, including the ever-popr Cheer and American Football Club.


    The American Football Club was flooded with boys who wanted to join and girls who wanted to see the main attraction.


    "KYAAAH! MASONN!"


    "MASONNN!"


    Ugh, those girls really didn''t know how to stop. I got it. Mason was dreamy as heck. But they still disturbed the students who wanted to sign up for real.


    Mason also looked overwhelmed. But as always, he said nothing and only smiled at his fangirls, much to the Club Captain''s dismay.


    I heard him yelling at the girls to leave but was ignored.


    Well, I had nothing to do with them¡ªfor now. So I went straight to the Pottery Club. I saw the Club President, whose name I instantly forgot after submitting my application letter before, standing alone.


    Nobody really looked at the Pottery Club seriously. It was such an unpopr Club in this school.


    "Good morning," I greeted. The President''s face brightened once she saw me.


    "Oh, Emmelyn! I''m d that you''re here. I''ve been sitting alone for a while," the President said.


    I smiled perfunctorily. I didn''t want to do this either, but I had to, or I might not be epted, since the Club President hadplete control over the admission.


    "President, how about that one guy who submitted his application letter before me?" I asked. I didn''t want to be the only one who got dragged into this.


    "Ah, he came earlier. But I couldn''t keep him for more than an hour. Because he looks too intimidating," the Club President sighed. "There are few girls who got attracted by his looks, but he scared them with only one re. He is that scary."


    "If only we have someone like Mason Hall in our Club¡­."


    Yeah, if Mason was in your club, then I wouldn''t even touch your application letter.


    And that guy, not only an asshole, he was also intimidating to everyone. So he was hopeless aside from his money.


    We sat for a while, and I saw few boys starteding in my direction, but I could detect their line of sight. They didn''t even look at the booth and all the ceramics lining up.


    They stared at my boobs instead.


    I got ufortable right away, remembering how these racks were also the cause of my bullying in my previous life. Since I wore a white shirt, I could do nothing to hide it except by turning my back or ring at them.


    I got too ufortable and excused myself to go to the toilet.


    I passed the American Football and Cheer Club, I saw Mason was still standing there, and our eyes met for a second.


    I held my breath and halted my step for a moment, simply because I could see his gaze darkened when he saw me.


    I got nervous, afraid that he might call my name in front of his fangirls, so I rushed as quickly as I could.


    I entered the empty bathroom and was breathing heavily.


    "Fuck, that was close."


    For some reason, I always got nervous whenever it was about Mason. Anything about him always reminded me of my trauma in my previous life.


    Because he indirectly turned me from the quiet kid who got bullied by one or two students into that kid who became the punching bag of the whole school.


    Okay, I need to leave this ce as soon as possible. I should grab my bag and then leave. I didn''t want to get noticed by anyone, and who knew Kristen mighte here sooner orter, though I doubted it.


    But I should be careful and cautious of my surrounding.


    I opened the bathroom door, nning my escape from this Club Fair, but I saw a man had been waiting for me in front of the bathroom.


    He had blonde hair and blue eyes. It seemed that he wore a contact lens today. But what made him stood out was his breathtaking appearance.


    He smiled at me andmented, "I thought you wouldn''t leave the bathroom, Em. What took you so long?"


    "Mason¡­" I called his name subconsciously.


    "Mhm... I''ve been waiting for a while," Mason said, still with the same gentle smile. "Ie here to give you this¡ª"


    Mason spread a jacket from his hand and draped it on my shoulder.


    "This is¡­" I could smell sandalwood smell inside the jacket. I stared at him with both fear and curiosity, "What is this for?"


    He zipped the jacket high enough to cover my boobs andmented, "I saw that you''re wearing a white shirt. Although you look gorgeous, I don''t think it''s safe for you."


    I gulped. If someone out there saw me with Mason''s jacket, then that would be my death sentence.


    "I¡ªI don''t need this," I tried to take out the jacket, but Mason suddenly grabbed my wrist.


    I looked up and saw his gaze darkened. It wasn''t like the usual sweet Mason.


    His eyes peered at me with such pressure that I froze on the spot.


    "You need it," Mason stated without any room for a debate. "I will never let them stare at you with their lecherous gazes."


    "Wha¡ª"


    I was speechless, but before I could react, Mason''s expression returned as if the previous pressure was nothing but a mirage.


    "Don''t worry, it''s my new jacket. Nobody will know that it''s mine."


    Mason turned his back and walked away, "You can return it Monday, early morning. I''ll be in the schoolyard. You''re alsoing to school early on Monday, right?"

 Chapter 47 - Exposed

    "You can return it Monday, early morning. I''ll be in the schoolyard. You''re alsoing to school early on Monday, right?"


    I was standing still, watching Mason walked away from me until he took a turn and left my line of sight. Then I released a deep, relieved breath.


    I was holding my breath the whole time. That sudden change in Mason''s face shocked me more than it should be. I didn''t expect that Mason could put on such a scary and intimidating face, in contrast to his regr sweet smile.


    I raised my hands, staring at the jacket that he had given just now.


    I gritted my teeth after realizing that I was wearing his jacket. I felt like a hypocrite wearing something from the person I was trying to avoid the whole time.


    Thus I zipped the jacket down, wanting to take it off.


    But the moment I zipped down the jacket, two boys walked in the bathroom direction and saw me. One of them whistled at me andmented, "Wow, nice rack you got there."


    Aftermenting at me with such gross words, theyughed it off and went to the boy''s bathroom. I froze on the spot. I shuddered as my skin turned pale.


    I was reminded of myself in the previous life. There were so many demeaningments like that, and I could do nothing but hide in shame. The boys only looked at me from the neck below, while the girls called me a slut or whore.


    My chest started feeling stuffy, and I couldn''t breathe properly, the same feeling that I got when people began ganging up on me or calling me a whore.


    I subconsciously bent my shoulder and curved my back, so my boobs wouldn''t look too big. And I also zipped the jacket up, as tall as it could be to cover my body.


    Even after so much protection, I still felt exposed to my surrounding. I was afraid that someone would call me a slut, a whore, a bitch.


    After mustering my courage, I rushed through the corridor to the Pottery Club booth. The Club President stared at me with confusion, "Emmelyn, what took you so long¡ª"


    "I have to go now."


    "Eh?!" The Club President stared at me with a face full of questions. But I didn''t have more time. No, I couldn''t do this, at least not now.


    My mind was in a mess. I couldn''t think straight, let alone nning my next move.


    I. Need. To. Leave.


    I grabbed my bag and left immediately.


    After exiting the club building, I went to the parking lot and used my bike. It took me a while to finally feel a bit relieved after I couldn''t see the school building anymore.


    All my bad memories were inside that building, and I vowed that I would be strong enough to defeat them all.


    But this dirty and guilty feeling inside my heart¡­


    ¡­


    I rushed back to my room and took off Mason''s jacket. I threw it to the ground. So I took a bath immediately.


    They would call me boob-girl, big rack chick, boob bitch, whore, slut, and many more.


    All their callings in the previous life shed in my head like a bunch of bad movie clips.


    I kept rinsing my body. It felt so gross. I felt so gross.


    **


    I calmed down after taking a bath. I wore another ck shirt and sat on the bed.


    My eyes darted at the white jacket on the floor. As much as I hated admitting this, but Mason''s jacket gave me a bit more protection.


    Still, I didn''t like what Mason said to me. He had no right to dictate to me what to do. We didn''t have any rtionship, not even friends.


    -*-


    "You need it. I will never let them stare at you with their lecherous gazes."


    -*-


    I scoffed full of contempt, "So, even that goody-two-shoes guy have the same thought as the rest of them. As expected, high school boys are a bunch of sloppy, horny creatures that don''t know respect."


    Mom told me that I would find a boy or two who would respect me in the future and love me for who I am.


    Yeah, that kind of respectful boy, I doubted it would evere true. It was as far-reaching as having a fairy godmother turning me into Cindere.


    I shook my head. I didn''t want to be the girl who thought of nothing but boys in high school. I had something more important to do.


    I turned on Helena''s phone and then turned on the Bluetooth. I sent few screenshots and two photos that I had prepared from Helena''s phone to myptop.


    I prepared my printer and stocked as many papers as possible. Then I started printing all of them in a big batch. I had to prepare for the downfall of the malicious angel, Kristen Suite.

 Chapter 48 - Preparation: The Downfall Of A Malicious Angel

    "I think this should be okay," I checked the picture that had been printed andpared it with the one on Helena''s phone.


    "Yeah, the ck and white color should be enough to cover my identity," I assured myself after checking over and over. I couldn''t make a mistake in this.


    Because Kristen was the first enemy that I would destroy. If I made a mistake, then all my future n was in vain. I would rather die for the second time and see if I could turn back in time again.


    I checked all the printed papers. It was all about Kristen and Helena''s previous chats that led to Helena''s suicide, the two photos of Helena saying goodbye to Kristen for thest time, and me reenacting it.


    I didn''t count the amount of printouts I had, but it should be enough to ster for the whole school building.


    After making sure that everything had been prepared, I stretched my arms and checked the clock.


    3.30 P.M.


    I didn''t have anything to do for now, nor did I get any text from either Kristen or Cerise. Though, I still had to inform Kristen about my ''absence.''


    I had nned to tell Kristen that I couldn''t go to school on Monday because I felt sick. I also wouldn''t go to ss. I just came and ster all of these printouts before hiding somewhere.


    I did this so Kristen would suspect me scheming against her, to emit me out of her suspicion for thest time.


    I called Cerise first. It took few beeps until she picked up the call, "H¡ªHello, Em?"


    "Hi Cerise, are you still in your aunt''s house right now?" I asked. I checked the printouts to make sure that there was nothing about Cerise in the printouts. As much as I disliked her involvement and how self-centered she was, I already promised Cerise that she would be free from Kristen''s torment.


    But of course, I also wanted her to taste at least a bite from her ''best friend'' Kristen.


    The same girl that she helped to cover a grievous crime, just because their friendship was more important than a life of a depressed girl, Helena.


    "Y¡ªYes, I''m still in my aunt''s house¡­ is there something? Is it about Kristen?" Cerise asked anxiously.


    "Well, remember what I told you before. You need toe to school on Monday. Remember, no matter what happens, do not talk. If you open your mouth just once, then everything will be in vain."


    "A¡ªAre you sure this is safe?" Cerise asked again.


    "Of course, believe me, this is the only way for you to escape Kristen''s torment," I assured her.


    And this was the only way to ruin Kristen''s life without any chance of her bouncing back.


    "Okay¡­ I trust you, Em¡­."


    "Oh, one more thing, I can''t go to school on Monday. But don''t worry, everything has been set perfectly. All you need to do ise to school, okay?"


    "Okay¡­"


    After hanging up the call with Cerise, I was contemting whether I should call Kristen or not. I think it would be better to act ''sick'' tomorrow on Sunday. It would be believable.


    Thus, I decided to call Kristen tomorrow.


    I took a deep breath and then stared at the white jacket on the floor. It had been bugging me for a while because I still had no mood to pick it up.


    If he gave his jacket to one of his fangirls, then they would scream and smell the jacket obsessively. I wondered what turned them into an obsessive fan like that.


    I got it, Mason was very handsome, but he always treated everyone with a perfunctory smile and greeting. There was nothing sincere in his smile. He was like that idol that always catered to his fan, but his heart was never there to begin with.


    Though¡­ since I had taken his jacket, that meant I also had to return it on Monday Morning.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Wait a minute¡­


    -*-


    "You can return it Monday, early morning. I''ll be in the schoolyard. You''re alsoing to school early on Monday, right?"


    -*-


    Wait, how the heck he knew that I woulde to school early on Monday?


    Did he think that I have something to do like him, just because we met once in the schoolyard in the early morning?


    Or did he already know about my n this whole time? He already knew all vital information about me from my student ID, after all.


    ¡­


    There was a grown suspicion in my heart. I knew that it was almost impossible to happen. I didn''t believe that Mason was that sly and malicious.


    But I still had to check.


    I grabbed the white jacket from the floor and checked all the pockets, ensuring there was nothing suspicious in it, such as¡­ tracking or listening device.


    I also wring the jacket, but I found nothing. It was just a simple white jacket.


    And now I crumpled the jacket and cursed myself, "Damn it, now I have to wash this thing."


    "What''s wrong with you, Em? Do you really think someone like Mason has time to do a scheme like this? He is not a train wreck like you."


    I clicked my tongue in annoyance and threw the jacket to the floor again. That jacket pissed me off. Because I thought I could find proof that Mason did something suspicious.


    Because I refused to believe what he said was just a coincidence, and he was innocent the whole time.


    I thought Mason was also scheming on something, just like me. But perhaps, it was just my paranoia.


    Everything about him made me paranoid and terrified. That trauma from the previous life still haunted me even to this life. And his strange actions in this second life only made me even more unsure of what happened.

 Chapter 49 - Preparation: The Downfall Of A Malicious Angel (2)

    On Sunday morning, I went with Mom to Walmart for weekly grocery shopping. We were on food stamps before, after Dad got into prison for domestic violence, and Mom had to move out to Grandma''s house.


    It was difficult during the first few weeks because I didn''t need to worry about food when Dad was still around, beating Mom and me every day.


    I guess Dad''s presence had its plus and minus. Because he earned enough money, Mom became an obedient housewife instead. Little did she know that her obedience allowed Dad to be a selfish, cheating bastard who beat her whenever she confronted Dad about his habit of sleeping with women outside.


    How did I know all these? Well, because he beat Mom right in front of my eyes. If I tried to protect Mom from him, he would also beat me mercilessly.


    I nced at Mom, who was driving beside me. The edge of my lips perked up, knowing that we had separated from him, and he was finally jailed for things he did to us. However, I still believed that his sentence was too short for the grievous trauma he gave us.


    Even though we had to survive with food stamps for a few months, things had been better right now, and we could buy groceries without food stamps, though we were nowhere wealthy.


    "Why are you smiling, Em?" Mom suddenly asked.


    "Nothing, I''m just in a good mood today," I replied.


    Mom parked her car, and we took one shopping trolley before entering the Walmart.


    I helped Mom pick up the things we needed in the grocery list, and after the trolley was filled, I asked mom to let me buy something from the stationary aisle.


    I walked alone to the stationery aisle while Mom was taking the long queue. I only needed one thing, three to give glue sticks for convincing tomorrow morning.


    I picked five glue sticks and was about to return to Mom.


    But the moment I turned my head, my eyes met with a girl that came to the stationery aisle as well.


    We were staring at each other in silence for few seconds before she opened her mouth, "Emmelyn Jones, why are you here?"


    She checked the glue sticks in my hands, and I hid them behind my back instantly, "What''s with those glue sticks? Are you trying to stick it up to your ass or what?"


    "It''s none of your business, Chrissy."


    Fuck, what kind of luck was this? To meet this girl here when I was buying the only thing I needed for tomorrow n.


    I knew it was so unlikely for her to suspect me, but I still had to cover it up. Thus I grabbed few pens, pencils, and sticky notes.


    I sidestepped her, trying to walk away, but Chrissy suddenly chuckled andmented, "Are you here with your poor mom? Living with food stamps like usual? I think poor people like you shouldn''t be taken care of by the government. You''re just a waste of air!"


    I halted my step and darted my eyes at her. She was my neighbour, so she knew about Mom''s situation when we first came here.


    "Then what are you doing here, Chrissy?"


    "Huh?"


    "I asked you, what are you doing here? This is a store for regr and poor people like me. Then why are you here? I don''t see Ashley here."


    "What are you¡ª"


    "Maybe because you''re not on the same level as her, that''s why youe here to shop, right? So shut up with your potty mouth because you''re no better than me."


    I walked away from her. I really wanted to smash her head and stab her eyes with this pencil. But that wouldn''t be enough.


    Someone like Chrissy, I wanted to crush her after she got her head on the cloud. She was still very grounded since she hadn''t joined Jessica''s group.


    Unlike the others, I had no idea how to ruin her when she was still a bootlicker in her current condition. So I had to wait.


    I saw Mom already near the end of her queue. I put all the stationery and told her, "Can we buy these?"


    "Ah, of course, dear."


    "Thanks, Mom¡­"


    **


    We returned home, and I immediately helped Mom to cook for lunch.


    I went to my room and waited until it was around 5 P.M.


    I cleared my throat, preparing to act like I had a fever and then called Kristen. It took a while for her to pick up, and there was no voice from her side when she did.


    "Hello, Kristen¡­" I said with a weak voice.


    "Yes, what is it, Em?" Kristen also replied to me with the same weak voice, but hers was different. It was the voice of someone who was depressed, deprived of sleep perhaps.


    "About Cerise¡­"


    "Oh, yes! Did you finally get her?"


    I could hear the excitement and expectation in her when I mentioned Cerise. I coughed few times to convince her before dropping the information.


    "I asked her when will she return to school, and she said that she would go to school tomorrow."


    "Finally! I really want to talk to her about her nder against me! I can''t let her roam freely while ndering my reputation!"


    "Yes¡­ but you need to be careful, Kristen¡­."


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "Cerise said¡­ she said that she has a n to ruin you. You need to be careful."


    "Ruin me? Did she tell you what she wants to do?"


    "No, just be careful, Kristen¡­." I coughed few more times. "I''m sorry I can''t help you tomorrow. I got sick. I think I''ll have a fever soon."


    There was no answer from Kristen. So I guessed that she must be so nervous right now.


    "Goodbye, Kristen."


    Click.

 Chapter 50 - Kristen Suite Finale: The Downfall Of A Malicious Angel

    I woke up early morning, around 4 A.M to make sure that I wasn''tte for the big day. Today was the day when I would snap the wings of an angel.


    I wanted to make sure that she couldn''t fly anymore, gracing anyone who needed her help with poison that would lead them to their doom.


    I checked all the things that I needed. Bunch of printouts, glue sticks, and Helena''s phone. I didn''t n to attend any ss today because I had created an alibi that I was sick to Kristen. So she wouldn''t be able to suspect me after this if she still had the energy to even think about retaliating.


    I wore a face mask to cover up, a ck hoodie and jeans today, then I checked the clock.


    5.00 A.M.


    Alright, I should go now.


    I stuffed everything into my backpack and zipped it, but then, there was a jacket that caught the edge of my eye. The white jacket that I washed yesterday,


    Mason Hall''s white jacket.


    Honestly, I had this suspicion about him. I had the feeling that he knew everything that I did in this world, but I didn''t know how he could do it. And there was no way he could trace me anyway. I hadn''t epted any gift or something from him.


    Also¡­ who the heck had enough time to stalk a random girl like me?


    ¡­


    I shook my head to clear my mind, "There is nothing you can do about this, Em. Just act normal. As long as nobody knows about what you did, then everything will be smooth sailing."


    I put the white jacket inside my bag and went downstairs. Mom hadn''t woke up yet, or maybe she was still wearing makeup in her room right now. Her office opened early, around 7 A.M during weekdays.


    I opened the front door slowly and then closed it. I didn''t want Mom to question my early leave today.


    I used my bike and pedalled as fast as I could, the moment I arrived at school, the gate was already open, but that old security guard was nowhere to be found.


    The Janitors also cleaned in the evening, so I wouldn''t have trouble stering all these printouts.


    I parked outside of the school. I put it behind a big tree, so nobody would be able to find it, and I could leave as soon as Kristen''s downfall happened right in front of my eyes.


    I entered the gate, clenching my hands inside the hoodie pockets. This was the first enemy that I had to destroy. It was both nerve-racking and exciting at the same time.


    ¡­


    I paced through the empty corridors quietly to the point that I could hear my loud heartbeat. My first destination was the lockers of the first-year students, my batch.


    I stopped and stood in the middle of the corridor with lockers on my left and right. There were plenty, so I had to work as fast as I could.


    I checked my watch, and it was already 5.30 A.M.


    I unzipped my backpack and took a bunch of screenshot s printouts, the proof that Kristen had convinced the poor girl Helena to kill herself, so she could escape her depression.


    I took out a glue stick and quickly applied the glue on the lockers before stering the printouts one by one. I didn''t care if it didn''t stick outpletely. As long as other students could read this, then it worked.


    My body started sweating as I quickened my pace, I still had many spots to do, so I couldn''t dilly-dally.


    I took a deep breath after finishing the lockers.


    The clean lockers were now full of stered printouts on how malicious Kristen Suite could be. If one person saw this, then they would definitely spread it with social media. I did this to create a shock factor for Kristen and Ceriseter.


    I checked the clock,


    "5.45¡­ damn it, I need to be quicker," I cursed at my pace and rushed to the front corridor. I still had two more spots after the front corridor, the teacher''s office, and the club building.


    Students should starte at around 6.45 or 7 o''clock. So I still had time, but I couldn''t afford to be slow either.


    Again, I used the glue stick on the wall and stered the printouts, one by one, until the main corridor was full of pictures of Helena''sst message for Kristen before her death, and also my picture reenacting Helena''sst message.


    I nced at the CCTV near me, I wore enough to cover up, so they shouldn''t be able to trace me after this. I checked my watch again,


    6.15.


    Okay, I still had enough time. I went to the teacher''s office. But I''ve found out that the teacher''s office was locked, so I stered some printouts on the announcement board in front of the teacher''s office and rushed to myst destination. The final spot, the Club building, was separated from the school building. So I had to pass the wide schoolyard first to reach the Club building.


    I checked my watch while I was running,


    6.30.


    I rushed before anyone could notice me. I only had fifteen minutes before students starteding. Though I should be rtively safe since nobody woulde into the club building this early.


    The schoolyard was empty, as expected, but once I paced through the middle of the schoolyard, someone suddenly called me from afar.


    "EM!"


    I turned my head out of instinct and saw the one and only, the handsome Mason Hall, waving his hand like an idiot and did a small jog to approach me.


    My body froze on the spot after I realized that Mason was that person who came so early to exercise in the schoolyard, just like my earlier encounter with him.


    He stopped in front of me. He fixed his sses. And with a big smile, he said, "As expected, you''lle this early as well."


    --


    Author Note:


    Hello, Pupa here. I want to inform my readers that I will be going premium on 23 September. This chapter will be the first premium (locked) chapter.


    But I''ve decided to keep publishing new chapters daily until 23 September because I want to show my appreciation to my readers. Thank you so much for reading and supporting ss Viiness.


    I will deliver the best cathartic story you''ll ever read in AllNovelFull.


    - Pupa


    --

 Chapter 51 - Kristen Suite Finale: The Downfall Of A Malicious Angel (2)

    He stopped in front of me. He fixed his sses. And with a big smile, he said, "As expected, you''lle this early as well."


    ¡­


    My body froze up immediately in front of Mason. He maintained the big smile on his face that made him looked both cute and very handsome at the same time. If I was one of his fangirls, then I would faint almost immediately, knowing how privileged this kind of moment was.


    But for now, what I felt was just¡­ chill.


    I had a chill down to my spine, thinking there was already a witness here. Ipletely forgot that Mason always came so early every day for his training.


    I cast my eyes down to avoid his gaze and subconsciously touched my face mask to make sure that I was still wearing it, then a question popped on my head. A question that shouldn''t be possible in the first ce.


    How the heck could Mason identify me with all of these guises? I was literally wearing a ck hoodie covering my head and face mask!


    He couldn''t even see my eyes from the distance when he called me before, so it was impossible for him to identify me so easily.


    "Em?" He called my familiar name again, and I looked up to stare at the beautiful blue eyes behind the sses. Mason tilted his head slightly and leaned closer, so our eyes were around the same level. "Em, what are you doing this early?"


    I dodged his gaze as I answered, "Just a small task in the club building, nothing much."


    "Ah, I see," Mason hummed for a moment as if he was trying to guess on something. "You''re in pottery club, right?"


    ¡­


    How did he know?


    Mason raised his brows and chuckled lightly, "No, no, don''t overthink about it. I saw you sitting on the pottery club booth during the club fair. But I don''t have time to approach because I also have to attend my booth."


    Or was it because your fangirls will hound at me if they found out that their worshipped idol had a talk with another girl.


    "What small task will you do in the club building? Do you want me to help? I still have enough time before school starts."


    No way in hell I would request for your help, you Mr. Goody-two-shoes. That was the equivalent of suicide.


    "I don''t need your help. Now, if you''ll excuse me¡ª" I turned around, trying to rush to the Club building. There was a witness right now, and I didn''t want to add even more witnesses. I didn''t even know if Mason had entered the school building or not.


    "Wait!" Mason suddenly grabbed my wrist, clenching it tightly as if he wanted to stall for more time. "It''s about my jacket. I wonder if you still have it or not¡­."


    Ah.


    That jacket.


    I nodded and pulled my hand to release myself. I unzipped my bag and gave him the white jacket that I had washed yesterday.


    Mason''s face cheered up for some reason. He looked delighted when I gave his jacket back. I guess he didn''t really put a tracking or listening device inside because he wouldn''t ask for the jacket if he wanted to stalk me.


    Yeah, it was all just part of my paranoia and anxiety, it seemed.


    "Thank you¡­" I said in a low voice. I had to admit that his jacket gave me a sense of security when I ran away from the club fair before.


    I felt too exposed, even though I didn''t do anything wrong.


    Mason epted the jacket happily, but when he touched it, his smile faltered a bit.


    "Did you wash the jacket?" he asked. He rubbed the jacket, feeling the soft fabric, and also smelled it a bit. "And spray it with perfume as well?"


    "It''s just perfuming spray. I ironed it myself. Because I''m the one who borrowed it, so I have to return it in good condition¡­."


    "Ah, you''re doing this much for me? That makes me happy¡­ and special," Mason''s lips perked up again. But I was still suspicious of his reaction when he first realized that I had washed his jacket. So I confronted him;


    "Is there any problem? You don''t look too happy after knowing that I had washed your jacket."


    "Ah, it''s nothing," Mason shook his head. "I just think that you don''t need to wash my jacket."


    "Why not? I''m the one who wears it. Obviously, I have to return it in good condition," I tried to push him into this. I just found that his reaction was too suspicious.


    Mason scratched his head and then shrugged, "It''s still clean, and I''m sure that you''re not dirty as well. It''s too much hassle to wash my jacket."


    "I''m fine washing your jacket," I said.


    Mason stared at me and smiled, "Good."


    ¡­


    For some reason, his answer was too perfunctory for me to be satisfied. Because my gut feeling said, there was something more than just ''not wanting to give me the hassle.''


    But I couldn''t press him for more because hisst words were like a knife that cut all the possible conversation regarding the jacket.


    Mason suddenly turned his head and mentioned, "Oh, the old school guard is preparing to check the school building for his morning shift."


    My eyes widened instantly. He shouldn''t be active this early, not when the students weren''ting yet. If he saw the printouts across the main corridor, he would definitely call the janitor to clean everything before students came, and all my effort would be in vain.


    Mason turned his head. He smiled at me again, "Hmm¡­ I will talk to the school guard for a while. You should go and do your small task in the Club building as soon as possible. Talk to youter, Em."


    "Oh, thank you for washing my jacket. I''ll definitely treat you a cake or ice creamter!"


    Mason dashed to catch up with the school guard, his action somehow dyed the school guard, leaving me to do my small task and giving me enough window time to execute my mission.

 Chapter 52 - Kristen Suite Finale: The Downfall Of A Malicious Angel (3)

    Mason dashed to catch up with the school guard. His action somehow dyed the school guard, leaving me to do my small task and giving me enough window time to execute my mission.


    I went straight in the opposite direction from Mason, heading to the Club building. I checked my watch and found that it was already 6.50 A.M.


    Fuck, Mason had taken almost all of my time. The students must being soon, and if I didn''t hurry, I might not execute the mission smoothly.


    When the Club building was right in front of me, I looked to my left and right, in case there was someone already entering the ce.


    But I didn''t find anyone, much to my relief. I rushed to the Club building and entered.


    There was no time to waste, so I immediately unzipped my backpack and then started using the glue stick all across the wall. Since the time didn''t allow me to be careful, I just stered the printouts at random spots, I just needed it to be quick, so I could get the hell out as soon as possible.


    I worked at the quickest and messiest pace I''ve ever done, and after I was done. I headed back to the main entrance of the Club building.


    But then, I could hear the scream of someone from the corridor, "OH MY GOD, WHAT IS THIS?!"


    "Is this real?!" another girl added to the conversation.


    I checked my watch, and it was already 7.20.


    These students must''vee early and headed straight to the Club building for whatever they wanted to do. I froze on the spot for a second, trying to find the best way to leave the Club building unnoticed. As soon as those two people found out about the printouts, one of them said:


    "Holy crap, this is totally real! Mira just texted me, and she said that the main corridor was filled with these printouts, and they''re more than just these!"


    Ah, so people had found out about it from the main corridor. I wondered if Kristen had also found out about it, but she should being a bitter. Judging from her daily schedule, she should arrive at around 8 or 8.30.


    But maybe she woulde earlier once someone texted her about what they found.


    "Go and call Mira now. We need the tea!" One girl said, and I could hear her footsteps with the other girl getting closer in my direction.


    I panicked and looked around, searching for a ce to hide. I didn''t want to get suspected. Even just with a bit of suspicion might turn into nder that could ruin me in the future.


    As I kept looking around, I saw the same small storage room that I used before, when I talked with Mason for the first time in this life.


    I immediately hid inside and waited until the girls'' chatter and footsteps started fading away. I wanted to use Helena''s phone, but the Wifi was only avable in the main building, not this one.


    After a while, I opened the door slowly and peeked around. Those girls had probably entered their club because I couldn''t see them anywhere, and after making sure, I slowly came out and left as soon as possible.


    Nobody was around when I left the Club building, but I could definitely see few students around the main building. I walked at a considerable pace, acting as natural as I could because I was afraid someone would notice me if I was rushing.


    I passed students who were glued on their phones and then started gossiping, the news must''ve begun to spread around like a wildfire, and I needed Kristen''s reaction in this.


    I entered the bathroom stall and opened Helena''s phone. There was a text from Kristen. It was deliveredst night, apparently.


    ¡ª


    Kristen: I swear I will fucking kill you if I find something tomorrow morning. You and Cerise are dead!


    Kristen: I will make sure that Cerise told me about your name, and you two are dead!


    ¡ª


    Ah, of course, I would be dead if Cerise told you. But the thing was, I knew something about Cerise that would always make her mouth shut.


    It was the ''power of friendship.''


    Cerise was that kind of gullible girl who believed in the power of friendship. Just like what Kristen did before, she used her ''power of friendship'' to hide evidence about her involvement with Helena''s death.


    And now, I used the same method, with the same tool, to bring her down. This was justice for Helena and sweet revenge for me.


    Thus, I texted her:


    ¡ª


    Helena: Oh, Kristen, dear. You shoulde to school early. I have a big surprise for you, this is my gift for our friendship.


    ¡ª


    I was about to turn off Helena''s phone, and then I got a text from her. It seemed that Kristen was already on her way to the school.


    ¡ª


    Kristen: What did you do?!


    Helena: Oh, you should check it out yourself. It''s a big surprise, so the whole school knows how much of an evil bitch you are.


    ¡ª


    Helena''s phone rang, and it was a call from Kristen.


    I picked up the call but said nothing. I thought that Kristen would also say nothing like before. But she actually started rambling.


    "I¡ªI swear to god, if you''re doing something, then I will kill you. You bitch! You and Cerise are dead! DEAD!"


    I heard her trembling voice that showed how terrified and anxious she was right now. She was no different than Cerise at this point.


    Oh, and it was funny how she kept saying ''I swear to god'' while she kept threatening me.


    I kept my silence, listening to her continued rambling on and on. I could hear the sound of car honks from her, so she must''ve been inside her car right now.


    I ended up the phone call once I heard someone entered the bathroom, and then I texted Kristen:


    ¡ª


    Helena: I will make sure that you will be ruined, Kristen Suite. Just like how you ruin me.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 53 - Kristen Suite Finale: The Downfall Of A Malicious Angel (4)

    ¡ª


    Helena: I will make sure that you will be ruined, Kristen Suite. Just like how you ruin me.


    ¡ª


    There was no answer from Kristen. I bet she was sweating bullets right now.


    I turned off Helena''s phone and sat silently in one stall while listening to the girls who were busy gossiping about the crazy news. Three people were gossiping outside of the stall in loud voices, probably because they thought nobody would hear them.


    Suddenly, I got a great idea and turned on Helena''s phone again, and then started recording their conversations.


    "Did you see those printouts in the corridors?"


    "Yes, I can''t believe that she can be so malicious¡­ who would''ve expected Kristen is such a demon."


    "OMG, I also saw those photos of Helena, thanking Kristen for what she did. She is so maniptive, I can''t even imagine how pitiful Helena is¡­."


    "But who is the woman in the second photo, though?"


    "Yeah¡­ that one¡­."


    ¡­


    There was a long silence between them, and I could suddenly hear their shoes hastily left the bathroom. I almost let out a small chuckle. They must''ve thought that the second woman was a ghost.


    Well, technically, I could be called a vengeful ghost since I died in the previous life.


    I saved the recording and then sent it to Kristen before turning off the phone for real this time.


    I went out of the bathroom stall and opened the door slowly to peek outside. There weremotions, with many people reading the printouts. The reactions were quite funny if you looked at them.


    One student gasped while he continued reading. While the other continued trash-talking Kristen, cursing at her for being so evil.


    I could also see plenty of students started taking pictures, texting, and even calling their friends about this. But none of them seemed to pay attention to their surroundings because they were too absorbed with the shocking reveal.


    It was perfect.


    I grinned and walked out of the bathroom calmly. I looked around to see whether Cerise hade or not. Because she was important in this mission.


    But I couldn''t find her yet. So I entered a quieter corridor and started texting her:


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Cerise, did you go to school today? I''m still sick, so I don''t know what is happening at school¡­


    ¡ª


    Not long after, I got a text back from Cerise. It seemed that she was still on the road.


    ¡ª


    Cerise: I''m on my way¡­


    Cerise: Everything will be okay, right, Em? I''m scared that I will get hurt¡­


    Emmy: Even if you get hurt, you should bear with it a bit longer, Cerise. Do you want to escape Kristen or not?


    Cerise: I do. I''m just scared¡­


    Emmy: Trust me, this will be thest time that you''ll ever see her. Just make sure not to say anything once you''re at school.


    ¡ª


    Cerise didn''t reply after that. I assumed that she was nervous as well.


    I waited near the corridor for a while. I checked my watch because the crowds started gathering now, and I didn''t want Kristen and Cerise to miss the timing.


    8.00 A.M,


    ss started at 8.30 in this school, so we still had thirty minutes before the crowds dispersed, and the shock factor wouldn''t be enough to destroy Kristen''s facade.


    After ten more minutes, I finally saw the long-awaited girl, the sweet angel Kristen Suite. She was wearing a simple white tee and jeans as she entered the crowded main corridor.


    I hid behind the crowd, wanting to silently watch Kristen Suite break down in front of many people.


    Kristen looked around, and her already pale face got even paler as she asked the crowds, "What? Why are you guys staring at me like that?"


    ¡­


    Nobody said anything, but they kept staring at Kristen with their terrified and reluctant gaze.


    When Kristen''s eyes met with theirs, they dodged it by looking away immediately, as if Kristen was some kind of monster.


    The angel was a monster with white wings.


    "What? WHAT?! WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT?!"


    One student finally braced himself and pointed at the printouts scattered on the ground. Almost all the stered printouts had been taken by students, and some just dropped them to the ground after reading or taking a picture of it.


    Kristen picked up one paper on the ground, and she read the content.


    In less than five seconds, I could see her face turned red and blue and then turned even paler than before. Her lips trembled as she picked up another printout from the ground. The cycle continued after she picked five printouts on the ground.


    Her whole body shook, and she ripped thest printout she picked in front of everyone.


    "THIS IS FAKE! FAKE! DO YOU THINK I CAN BE THAT EVIL?!"


    ¡­


    "D¡ªDID YOU GUYS BELIEVE THIS?!"


    ¡­


    Of course, at this rate, everyone will start believing the printouts more than Kristen due to her overreaction. It was what I wanted the most.


    I wanted her to shred her own facade in front of everyone. I also saw some people started recording Kristen with their phones.


    Kristen red at everyone with fury in her eyes.


    "YOU GUYS ARE FUCKING IDIOTS! DO YOU GUYS BELIEVE THIS SHIT MORE THAN ME? I AM KRISTEN SUITE!"


    "I''VE HELPED MANY PEOPLE! WILL YOU FORGET EVERYTHING JUST BECAUSE OF THIS?"


    "FUCK YOU ALL! FUCK YOU FOR BELIEVING THIS SHIT MORE THAN ME!"


    Kristen started screaming and cursing at everyone, slowly tearing her own facade, and I enjoyed every bit of her ruination. The more she cursed, the more everyone lost their respect for her.


    The ever gentle angel cursed at them.


    But this wasn''t enough. I needed Cerise as thest piece toplete this scheme. I waited for her toe while listening to Kristen''s frantic scream and curses.


    And then¡­


    Another girl walked from the main corridor, she had a twin-tail braid, wearing a dark blue floral dress, and she wore clenching her bag tightly.


    Everyone shifted their attention at the girl who just came, including Kristen.


    She darted her eyes at the girl, and when she found out who this girl was, she gritted her teeth and pointed with her index,


    "IT''S YOU!"

 Chapter 54 - Kristen Suite Finale: The Downfall Of A Malicious Angel (5)

    "IT''S YOU!"


    Kristen''s voice echoed around the silent corridor. She pointed her index at Cerise, who froze on the spot immediately.


    "THAT BITCH IS THE ONE BEHIND EVERYTHING!" Kristen yelled out loud, but there was no sound from the students behind her.


    She turned her head at us, and it seemed the silence behind her was the breaking point of Kristen. Because she was staring at us in disbelief as if she had been betrayed badly.


    The students kept on recording, and some even streamed her meltdown on Instagram.


    "I TOLD YOU GUYS, THAT BITCH IS BEHIND EVERYTHING! SHE IS THE ONE WHO PLASTERED THOSE FAKE CHATS! SHE IS THE ONE!"


    Meanwhile, Cerise was too shocked to react. She took few steps back. She looked at us with a confused and terrified face. I took few steps back to avoid her gaze, so I didn''t get noticed.


    Kristen kept on pointing at Cerise and yelled at her, "BITCH, GO AND TELL THEM THAT YOU''RE THE ONE WHO SET THIS UP!"


    Cerise shook her head. She took another step back, but she refused to open her mouth. So that meant she had followed my instruction to shut her mouth.


    No matter what Kristen did, just shut the hell up and ept everything.


    That was your speciality, Cerise. You used your victim mentality to paint yourself as a victim in every situation, even though you were obviously as malicious and selfish as that best friend of yours, Kristen Suite.


    I wanted tough, thinking that I trusted her as my best friend in my previous life.


    But in this life, I wanted them to crack each other''s facade.


    The fake bitch who was malicious and maniptive inside.


    And the ignorant girl who always painted herself as the victim, even though she was obviously the one who helped the perpetrator because they were friends.


    After getting no answer from Cerise, I saw that Kristen''s expression turned uglier each time. She gritted her teeth and hollered at the crowds, "YOU''RE ALL FUCKING FAKE! WHAT I SAID IS THE TRUTH. THAT BITCH IS THE ONE WHO SET ME UP!"


    Kristen suddenly grabbed Cerise''s hand and yanked her rudely.


    "Ah!"


    Cerise lost her bnce and fell to the floor, face first. Kristen didn''t show any kind of pity, though. Kristen pulled Cerise''s braid up and then picked one printout on the floor. She shoved it on Cerise''s face.


    "TELL THEM THAT YOU''RE THE ONE WHO SET ME UP, YOU FAKE BITCH!"


    Cerise stared in the student direction again, but I saw that she was too terrified to even conjure up a sentence. So she started crying to the students, begging to be saved.


    Ah, I knew this trick. She wanted to gain sympathy so someone could save her from the evil Kristen. But nobody was brave enough to interrupt Kristen. Because she looked so crazed right now.


    Kristen started getting desperate, and she yanked Cerise''s hair harder and smacked her cheek.


    SLAP!


    Ohhh, the crispy p got me excited! I watched attentively on how Kristen started beating Cerise in front of everyone. Maybe she just realized that her reputation wasn''t salvageable right now, so she wanted to vent out her long-time frustration after I tormented her for so long.


    "TELL THEM THAT YOU''VE BEEN TORMENTING ME!"


    Cerise bit her lips, she was obviously in pain, but she still tried to hold her voice, just like what I ordered.


    Now everyone must''ve been convinced that Kristen wasn''t the gentle and kind angel they used to see every day. The angel was shouting at Cerise, the pitiful victim.


    "OH, YOU DON''T WANT TO ADMIT IT?! FINE!"


    Kristen picked up another printout on the ground and crumpled it. She shoved the crumpled paper on Cerise''s mouth until the poor Cerise let out a pitiful whimper.


    Kristen darted her furious, crazed eyes at us and hollered, "TRUST ME, SHE IS THE ONE THAT ACTED INNOCENT ALL THE TIME! SHE IS THE CULPRIT!"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was no answer from the students, they were too scared. Some even stepped back, trying to distance themselves from crazed Kristen.


    Her meltdown was too shocking for everyone toprehend. It was like too sudden, like a flip of a coin.


    But for me, the one who had been tormenting her the whole time, I knew how my torment had ruined her peaceful facade. She knew what she would get, and her mind must''ve been trying to cope with it.


    But when I presented all her dirty secrets, like dropping a bomb in front of everyone, she was done for.


    Oh, added with how everyone didn''t even want to believe her. Her reputation had been ruined without any chance of salvation. What happened currently was just the aftermath.


    About Cerise? I just wanted even more reaction from Kristen, and I wanted at least a small justice for Helena. Since Cerise was an aplice in this crime.


    Cerise started making a low, almost inaudible voice. But everyone could read her lips easily.


    "H¡ªHelp, I¡­ I don''t know anything¡­."


    I almost chuckled as I realized this was the moment where Kristen hadpletely abandoned her reputation.


    "YOU BITCH!"


    Kristen mmed Cerise''s face on the floor and then turned her body. Kristen started wing Cerise''s face with her nails while yelling, "DON''T ACT INNOCENT, YOU WITCH! TELL THEM THE TRUTH! YOU''RE THE ONE WHO SET ME UP. TELL THEM!"


    "I DON''T KNOW ANYTHING! SOMEONE HELP MEEEE!" Cerise covered her face to stop Kristen from ruining her face, but the back of her hands got many bloody ws instead.


    The security guard finally came after hearing themotion, "Oh lord! What is this!?"


    Ah, there goes the fun I had for at least a good fifteen minutes. The security guard called a janitor and separated Kristen from Cerise.


    I turned away and walked out immediately because I didn''t want to get noticed by either of them. If my prediction was correct, then they would logically go to the... Principal office.


    And I just needed toplete this n with a tiny touch topletely destroy Kristen''s already ruined life.

 Chapter 55 - Kristen Suite Finale: The Downfall Of A Malicious Angel (6)

    My guess was correct. Kristen and Cerise went to the principal office after themotion they caused in the main corridor, and the rest of the students were dispersed.


    The school bell rang, and everybody went inside their designated ssroom except me. I hid inside the bathroom until everyone entered their ssroom.


    I sat on a stool and started tinkering with Helena''s phone. This was thest step of my revenge and justice for Helena. If things only stopped like this, the Principal would only ask for rification from Kristen. Kristen wouldn''t try to deny everything, saying it was just nder and someone was targeting him.


    I didn''t want Kristen to get out of this pit. I wanted to bury her as deep as it could be. So I tempered with Helena''s phone, removing the pin to unlock the phone and deleting the chat between Cerise and Helena.


    As much as I hated Cerise, I already promised her that she would be safe. At least safe enough not to get dragged with Kristen to the juvenile centre.


    Besides, if Cerise got roped with Kristen, she might spill everything and dragged me down as well. I couldn''t afford to get dragged right now.


    I didn''t care if I would dieter, but I refused to lose until I got my vengeance.


    After making sure there was no trace of Cerise inside Helena''s phone, I set up a loud rm enough to notify the Principal from inside his office.


    I left the bathroom and sneaked around the corridor, looking at my left and right. After ensuring that nobody was in the corridor right now, I headed straight to the Principal Office.


    The door of the principal office was closed, but I could see the silhouette of two students sitting in front of the Principal from the frosted ss.


    I saw the silhouette of one girl pointing her index at the girl sitting beside her. I couldn''t hear what they were talking about, unfortunately.


    I saw the girl stood from the chair, unable to contain her anger. She actually pulled the hair of the other girl until she fell on the ground. In the end, the Principal was the one who separated them.


    I guessed Kristen had lost her restrain after that shock in the corridor since her life as the gentle angel had been ruined now.


    I put Helena''s phone on the bench outside the Principal Office. I already set the rm in five minutes, and it would ring as loud as possible.


    I sneaked and hid behind a wall, waiting for the phone to ring. I counted it with the timer in my phone in a low voice, ''Three¡­ two¡­ one.''


    The loud ringtone in Helena''s phone echoed around the empty corridor, and not long after, the Principal Office''s door opened. The balding old Principal Kirnd looked around the corridor. I pulled back immediately to avoid getting noticed. After five minutes, I peeked from behind the wall and saw the phone was gone and the Principal had returned to his office.


    I passed the Principal Office again. Although I could see nothing because of the frosted ss, I noticed one girl was trying to attack Principal Kirnd inside the office when she was confronted with the phone. She looked crazed enough. Even with this frosted ss, I could sense her erratic behaviour.


    Meanwhile, the other girl was cornered and stood alone at the corner near the door.


    I grinned and walked away from the corridor. With this, there was no way for Kristen to save her reputation and escape the juvenile centre. The Principal wouldn''t be able to hide this either. This case would escte bigger than just a small juvenile sentence since everybody recorded her meltdown live on Instagram, and her crime was really malicious.


    "I told you that I will break the wings of an angel today. Goodbye, Kristen Suite, enjoy your juvenile jail."


    ***


    I left the schoolyard straight to the tree where I parked my bike.


    I waited for about two hours alone, waiting for the right time to return home. But there was a surprise, I saw a police car entered the school. And Kristen was handcuffed, taken away by force with two police officers holding her arms.


    "LET GO! I DIDN''T DO IT! IT''S THAT BITCH WHO TRIED TO SLANDER ME!"


    "I DIDN''T DO IT! DO YOU KNOW THAT I''VE HELPED MANY PEOPLE!? YOU''RE GOING TO ARREST ME JUST BECAUSE OF ONE MISTAKE?!" Kristen struggled and screamed, but the police officer just took Helena''s phone as proof and took her away, despite the Principal trying to discuss it with the officer.


    I was astonished by Kristen getting arrested, it had only been about four hours since her meltdown happened, and she was arrested immediately?


    I knew her crime was grievous for a juvenile, but would it be enough to get an instant arrest like this?


    ¡­


    I had a feeling that someone with an important position had called the police because there was no way it could be this easy.


    ¡­


    I had a feeling there was something I didn''t know, something that was working behind my back, and I didn''t know if this ''thing'' was on my side or not.


    I needed to investigate more about this in the future. But for now, at least the first bully had been taken down, and it was just like what I wanted.


    Clean, quiet, and deadly.


    ***


    Since I could do nothing today after Kristen''s downfall, I went straight to my home.


    Mom was still working, and Grandma must be sleeping at this hour. So I parked my bike outside and sneaked in, hiding inside my room while turning on my phone.


    There was a text from Kristen, which I blocked her immediately without even checking.


    I was thinking about checking Cerise''s condition right now because she didn''t get taken with Kristen, so she must''ve been out of the picture for now.


    Ding!


    Notification of a text message from Cerise surprised me. I didn''t expect her to text me this quick. And her only text was¡­


    ¡ª


    Cerise: Em¡­ help me...


    ¡ª

 Chapter 56 - A Farewell To My Past

    ¡ª


    Cerise: Em¡­ we need to talk.


    ¡ª


    I held my breath and released it with a deep sigh. I intentionally saved Cerise from getting ensnared into the juvenile centre because I didn''t want her to drag me into that horrendous crime Kristen did.


    I couldn''t afford to get well-known at the school, for now. Even just the slightest bit of attention could be a death sentence for me,


    And also because I had promised Cerise that she would be free from Kristen after this.


    And the third reason¡­


    The third reason that I had to admit was quite disgusting even for me. I still appreciated Cerise''s willingness to be my friend in the past life. Not pushing her to the same pit with Kristen right now was thest thing I could do for her.


    I took a deep breath and replied to her text.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Yes, what do you want?


    Cerise: Em¡­ is this all part of your n?


    Emmy: Which one?


    Cerise: Everything, including the printouts in the school corridor, leading to Kristen having a meltdown in front of everyone.


    Emmy: Yes, that''s part of my n.


    Cerise: Including the n to make me a scapegoat?


    Cerise: Kristen yanked my hair, pped me until my face was bruised, mmed my face to the ground, stuffed my mouth with paper, and wing me.


    Cerise: Were those also part of your n?


    ¡ª


    I didn''t answer her immediately, because I was thinking about it myself. Of course, I wanted Cerise and Kristen to suffer. But it was all about ruining Kristen in the first ce.


    Cerise was added due to her involvement. She was just as guilty as Kristen. Yet, she felt that she was a victim. Cerise was always like that. She always put herself as the victim, not realizing that everything had a consequence.


    I couldn''t say such a thing on the phone. I needed to meet her asap. So I replied;


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I will tell you everything when we meet.


    Cerise: Okay, I''ll be waiting for you after dusk at the town park.


    Cerise: Em¡­ I don''t think I can handle this.


    ¡ª


    I turned off my phone after I read her text. I didn''t have the mood to text anymore. I''d juste to the park after dusk if that was what she wanted.


    I would tell her everything that she wanted to know because I had no n to be her friend after everything that had happened. I''d rather save my energy to do something more productive than ying with her self-victimization.


    ***


    Mom returned home after dusk, but she seemed too tired and went straight to her room, probably sleeping until midnight.


    So I took this opportunity to leave my house and used my bike to go to the town park.


    I parked my bike and walked inside Moria Park. It was arge park with lots of facilities, and most importantly, ake in the middle.


    I walked towards theke and saw a woman was sitting on a bench, staring straight at theke in front of her.


    "Cerise?" I called her carefully.


    Cerise turned her head, and I could see her smiling at me with a bitter smile under themp post. She patted the spot beside her and said, "Em, sit down with me."


    She was surprisingly calm after that chaotic morning she had with Kristen. Which got me nervous for some reason.


    I sat carefully beside her, and we were in a long silence for a while.


    I nced at Cerise and saw her staring nkly at theke.


    "Em¡­" Cerise opened her mouth.


    "Yes?"


    "About everything that happened today, did you n everything?"


    "Yes."


    "Including all the abuses that I got from Kristen?" Cerise asked.


    "Yes."


    I replied, short and cold. I didn''t really expect anything from Cerise anyway. After knowing how ignorant she was, I didn''t n to keep a girl like this around me as a friend.


    I could hear Cerise taking a deep breath.


    "Em, do you think I deserve it?"


    "Yes."


    ¡­


    "I know that I made a mistake, but you have to understand that Kristen was manipting me¡­." Cerise said.


    There you go, she was ying victim again, refusing to take responsibility for what she did and med it all on Kristen instead.


    "I really thought that I would be dragged like Kristen. But turns out I was saved. You tempered with Helena''s phone, right?"


    I replied with a nod. Cerise''s calmness got me curious, "Why are you so calm after all these?"


    Cerise turned her head at me and smiled sincerely, "I came here because I want to thank you. You''ve free me from Kristen''s clutch. You also spared me even though I could be dragged with Kristen too."


    I wasn''t used to hearing Cerise speaking calmly. I got nervous and checked her hands in case she was holding a knife or something.


    "I¡­ I thought we could be great friends after Kristen is gone. But you don''t seem to like me so much, Em¡­."


    "It''s true. I don''t like you."


    It was a bit of a lie, though. I used to like Cerise before everything was revealed.


    "So everything about the friendship between us was a lie?" Cerise asked with a trembling voice. I could see that she was holding tears right now.


    My heart tightened as I tried my best not to get swayed by her tears. She brought me nothing but trouble, and if she could spill Kristen''s terrible secret, then there was also a chance that she would do the same to me.


    "Yes, I just used you to fight Kristen," I replied. "I have no use of you now."


    Cerise started sobbing and used her sleeve to wipe her eyes, "So everything was a lie since the start. I was so stupid for believing you¡­."


    I waited in silence after she stopped sobbing. Cerise got up from the bench and said, "I¡ªI will treasure our friendship, even if you mean nothing, Em. Because I will leave soon. Because you''re my best friend, Em.."


    "Leave?"


    "Yes, I''m too ashamed to stay in our school. I can''t go to school after this incident. Because people have started to start gossiping about me¡­."


    "I¡ªI saw on Instagram, they¡­ they think that I might be as malicious as Kristen. They think that I''m also evil¡­."


    "I will¡­ I will convince my mom to let me move with my aunt to another city," Cerise said. "I¡ªI want to start anew¡­."


    ¡­


    For some reason, I was relieved when I heard that Cerise wanted to leave the school. That meant I could also start anew without any connection with someone from the previous life.


    After getting no answer from me, it seems that Cerise got even sadder than before, "I will leave now, Em. Goodbye¡­"


    Cerise turned her body and walked away from me. I stared until her lonely back until it wasn''t visible anymore, then took a deep breath.


    I gazed at the deepke in front of me, hoping that I could release this heavy feeling in my heart.


    Because Cerise was the only friend I had before, and now I truly had no one.


    Which was actually better. Cerise would only ruin everything with her behaviour.


    But it was still heavy.


    It was really heavy to be alone.

 Chapter 57 - My Next Target

    Kristen''s downfall went viral on social media. Although it soon got buried by other stuff. And the news put a bad spotlight on DarthMorth High School for a while until it died down after two months.


    Kristen was currently on a long trial. Her parents were wealthy enough to lessen the sentence because Kristen''s crime had an obvious malicious intention based on all the proof in Helena''s phone.


    Meanwhile, Cerise was questioned but released due tock of concrete evidence, even after Kristen yelled at her and screamed, calling her an evil bitch.


    But there was no hard proof in Helena''s phone that could lead to Cerise''s arrest.


    But Cerise eventually left after a month of absence. Thest text she sent to me was;


    ¡ª


    Cerise: I will be moving tomorrow morning. I can''t handle the same here¡­


    Cerise: Thanks for everything, Em. At least you freed me from Kristen.


    Cerise: Please take care. I hope I can see you again in the future.


    ¡ª


    I didn''t answer her text, of course. I didn''t want to give Cerise the hope that we could be friends in this life. As lonely as it got, I didn''t need another trouble around me.


    **


    Nothing changed after two months of that incident. I became alone again after Kristen''s arrest and Cerise''s departure. Not that I cared about that, though.


    I was currently inactive for the club because it went into trouble with the school board.


    So far, there were only two new students in the Pottery club, which was correct, based on my prediction. Only that rich kid who joined this year and I and the seniors were all out.


    The school board discussed whether they would keep the Pottery club with only two students or just disbanded itpletely and turned it into a new club.


    Because it took a spot in club building, which should be beneficial for a new active club instead.


    I didn''t care much about it, though. I knew that rich, rude kid would use his daddy''s money to buy the Pottery roomter, so he could use it all for himself.


    And I could use it for my future n as well, how convenient. I should thank that arrogant kid once we met in the pottery club.


    Honestly, I had many targets on my list, but for now, I had to find a new target before Jessica could form her group. Since Kristen had been eliminated, there were only three candidates I could touch right now since the rest were far too risky or would onlye next year.


    Chrissy, Cindy, and Leah.


    Cindy was definitely out of my reach for now. She was Jessica''s sidekick. I wouldn''t be able to touch her, not now at least.


    Chrissy¡­


    Of course, I hated that bootlicking bitch so much. But unlike Kristen, I couldn''t find anything that I could use against her. She was just a simple worthless bootlicker. Even in Jessica''s group, she was still the filthy bootlicker.


    So that left me with Leah¡­


    I knew few things about Leah because she was also quite infamous in my past life for a good reason.


    One, she was ultra-rich. She was as rich as Ashley. And I heard that his dad owned apany. But, they showed their wealth through a different method.


    Ashley was all about being the IT girl with all branded stuff, expensive jewellery, and a fancy car that might cost as much as my house.


    While Leah showed her wealth by going into so many offences without any repercussion. Not only just small stuff like truancy and tardiness, but she was also a troublemaker that often verbally and physically assaulted other students and teachers. She had a history of ganging up on students for whatever reason and then just ditched them, beaten up badly at some random abandoned building.


    She was what we called the typical bully, despite being a girl. And I was one of her victims. She suddenly stopped me on my way home with a few of her ''boys''. And then said, ''I''d like to have a talk with you.''


    Yeah, it was ore more physical talk, I guess. With me limped as I returned home. I suspected that Jessica told her to beat me up nicely.


    The second thing about Leah was her shady problem. I remembered that she got into big trouble for some reason at the end of the first year, which caused her to be questioned by the principal and then the police. But nobody was able to find out what she did, but apparently, her dad came, and the supposedly dangerous case was solved instantly.


    ¡­


    Alright, I''ve decided that my next target would be Leah, but I didn''t want to use the same method as what I did with Kristen. Leah was just too high-profiled for me to befriend with


    But I could try something here. I knew something that could spark her interest.


    Although she disliked ss so much and often skipped it, she had a great interest in boxing and joined the boxing club. She was also the manager of the boxing club in the second year because of her passion. Apparently, she was able to gain enormous support from the club members.


    And I could meet her there. I could enter under the guise of club visits, a privilege for the ones appointed by the club president. As long as I got the agreement of that arrogant rich kid, I could be the one who visited the boxing club and started talking with Leah. I hadn''t nned what I''d do there, but at least talking with her would give me enough clue of what I needed to do next.


    Okay, I think that was the most logical step I could do right now with all my limited resources for now.


    Ding!


    I raised my brow. It had been a while since that notification rung on my phone after Kristen and Cerise left.


    ¡ª


    Pottery Club President: Emmelyn, pleasee to the club building. Help me packing up the room because the pottery club has been disbanded by the school board.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 58 - That Rich Brat Called Logan (1)

    ¡ª


    Pottery Club President: Emmelyn, pleasee to the club building. Help me packing up the room because the pottery club has been disbanded by the school board.


    ¡ª


    ¡­


    ¡­


    What?


    I blinked few times, just to make sure that I didn''t read the wrong text.


    The pottery club had been officially disbanded? Why?


    If I remember correctly, the club didn''t disband right away in my previous life because that rude rich kid bought the pottery room for himself.


    Were you telling me that kid hadn''t purchased the room yet?


    I gulped, thinking the worst case possible. If the club got disbanded, I had to join a random club or even get assigned to one by the teachers. I didn''t want to join a club with tightpetition in it. I didn''t have resources yet!


    I remembered when I was in the biology club with Albert Aimer. He destroyed my research paper submission just so he could be the only one from the Biology club to submit a research paper.


    That left a bitter taste in my mouth. I didn''t want a fair fight when they ended up sabotaging me in the end. I would use all means possible to get what I wanted.


    I texted the Pottery Club President, saying that I would head straight to the Pottery Club room.


    **


    "Ah, Emmelyn, you''re here," the Club president greeted me with a bitter smile while she was packing on a few ceramics vases made by the seniors a few years ago.


    The Club President looked tired and sad. I guess it must''ve hurt her since she put everything into this pottery club, and it disbanded because nobody was interested in making ceramic vases and mugs.


    "President did the club really¡­?"


    "Yeah, the school board gave me a notice that the pottery club has been disbanded, and we have two days to pack everything. Because they will use this room for a new club."


    "Then how about me?"


    "You''ll be moved to another club with also a small number of members, of course."


    Oh no¡ª


    That was literally a nightmare. I didn''t want to be assigned randomly.


    "Have you texted that one student beside me about the disband?" I asked. I wished she hadn''t texted that rich kid yet, so I had hope that he would purchase the club.


    To my disappointment, the Club president nodded, "I told him about this. And he hasn''t replied yet. Maybe he already has a n to move to another club."


    Shit, I really needed that brat to buy the club. Maybe I needed to talk to him about this.


    "President, can I get his number?" I asked. If this brat didn''t move faster, then I had to push him.


    "Hm? I don''t know what do you want, since you two will most likely get separated after this, but sure¡­."


    The President gave me this rich kid''s number, and then I asked, "Who''s his name?"


    "Logan, Logan Walker."


    I frowned for a second. For some reason, I''ve heard that name once somewhere in my previous life. But I couldn''t recall where and when.


    Oh well, I would just name him based on his most obvious personality trait,


    Rich Brat Logan.


    I texted him first and did it politely;


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Hello, I''m Emmelyn Jones, from the same club as you, the Pottery Club. Have you received the news about the club disband? Can we talk about this? Because I want to save the club, you''re the only one in this club with me. Thanks.


    ¡ª


    Ah, how polite. I almostughed at my formal text.


    I helped the President clear the Club room, and she thanked me for being so dedicated to the Pottery Club.


    Yeah, I didn''t even know how to use that spin table thingy I saw on YouTube once. But at least I could save the club, right?


    It took me full two hours of backbreaking work to clean the room with the President. I cracked my back and checked the phone in case that brat finally texted back.


    ¡­


    Nope, no reply.


    I clicked my tongue in annoyance. Thus I texted him again;


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Hello, would you mind meeting up somewhere? We really need to talk this out. I''m very passionate about pottery, and I want to save this club.


    ¡ª


    I excused myself and left the Club building after helping the President.


    She told me we had two days before the Pottery Club would be officially disbanded, so I had to convince that rich brat to pay somehow.


    I went home and checked the text. That brat still hadn''t replied yet.


    "Oh,e on, you''re my only saving grace in this. I don''t know anyone rich enough to buy a club room, not in two days!" Iined. But I didn''t want to sound desperate, so I''d rather text him tomorrow.


    **


    Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!


    I opened my eyes slightly as I heard the notification on my phone. I searched my phone, still half sleeping, and when I found it, I checked the time.


    "Who the heck texted me in the middle of the night?!"


    I got four texts from Rich Brat Logan in the middle of the night;


    ¡ª


    Logan: I can help.


    Logan: I can save that dying club alone.


    Logan: But I don''t need someone like you in the Pottery Club. Move to another club first.


    Logan: What can you do anyway? Recruiting people to y with y?


    ¡ª


    Bitch, this bratty kid really got me triggered at one o''clock. Did he really intend to kick me and have the Pottery Club all for himself?!


    Thus, I washed my face and prepared to argue with him in the middle of the night.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Hey, sorry that I might not be much help. But we can start by recruiting, don''t you think? Or maybe you have another way?


    Emmy: I really don''t want to leave the Pottery Club, though. I have a passion for it, I''m sorry.


    Logan: I don''t need half-assed people inside the club. They''re a nuisance.


    Emmy: I''m not half-assed. I really like Pottery.


    Emmy: Besides, what can you do with only one student inside the club? How can you maintain it?


    ¡ª


    Oh god, I didn''t even like pottery in the first ce. I was worried that I might''ve spoken too much.


    But I really need him to buy that room.


    ¡ª


    Logan: With money.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 59 - That Rich Brat Called Logan (2)

    ¡ª


    Logan: With money.


    Logan: I''ll buy it. Easy.


    Logan: And as the new owner, I will kick you out of the club first.


    ¡ª


    ¡­


    Okay, Em, rx, take a deep breath¡­


    I didn''t know if Pottery club has one or two people other than this rich brat in my previous life.


    But judging from his attitude, I guess he also kicked anyone in that club. He really wanted it all for himself.


    I took the shot and went on my attempt to convince him to buy the club asap while keeping me there.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Can we just talk about this? I think it''s better if we talk about this directly.


    Logan: I have things to do.


    ¡ª


    Yeah, and you were going to act like a busy, rich CEO from some web novels.


    I took another deep breath, trying to convince myself staying in that club was worth it.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Then when will you have time? I really need to meet you in person. You''re my only hope. I don''t want the club to disband¡­


    Emmy: Please¡­


    ¡ª


    Ew.


    Eww.


    I couldn''t believe I had to lower myself and beg to this rich brat. I bet he felt proud because someone was stroking his ego. While all I needed was only his money.


    Rich Brat Logan didn''t reply to my text immedaitely. I thought he just ''had no time'' to answer the text of this humble girl.


    So I just went to sleep grudgingly. I would think about this problem tomorrow rather than catering to uncooperative rich brat.


    **


    I woke up in the morning, rubbed my eyes and yawned. I checked my phone to see whether that brat had texted me back.


    Surprisingly, he did, but it was three hours after myst text. So I guess he hadn''t sleep at all.


    ¡ª


    Logan: Meet me in the club building after ss today.


    Logan: Prove your worth to me. I don''t keep useless stuff around.


    ¡ª


    What the heck? Why did he talk like some kind of arrogant boss here? I bet he had too much money, so he threw it to the ground and let the bootlickers grovel and collect the gold under his feet.


    Now he thought that he had some power or whatsoever.


    I was so annoyed, but I had to admit that he was my only hope if I didn''t want to get thrown into a random club and had to survive there.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Okay¡­


    ¡ª


    I still didn''t know what I''d do there, but at least, I could get his attention for now.


    Though, I wondered about his sudden change¡­


    Did he spared his precious time just because I begged?


    Did I actually get his attention by begging?


    ¡­


    "I wonder if I can get more by bootlicking¡­"


    ¡­


    "No, just¡­ no," I shook my head quickly as that thought came into my head. I would rather die than imagining myself begging to rich brat forever.


    Remember, Emmelyn Jones, all you needed to do was to act humble and get him to buy the club.


    As long as he kept you inside the club, then you had nothing to do with him anymore.


    **


    After ss, I went straight to the Club building, and saw Mason talking with some of his seniors on the field. It had been a month since myst direct contact with Mason. And I hoped it stayed like that forever.


    I knew that he was currently busy practicing as he had natural talent to be quarterback. I saw him few times, busy in the field, practicing with one or two members of his club or just practicing alone.


    I also saw Jessica trying to approach him alongside the number of fans that kept increasing by days. If I was him, it must be extremely exhausting, trying to cater to those crazy fangirls.


    I rushed to the Club building as soon as possible to avoid getting noticed by Mason. At least, I hoped things stayed this way forever between me and him. We weren''t supposed to know each other after all.


    I went straight to Pottery club room. Unsurprisingly, I saw no one inside.


    As expected that rich brat might''ve make fun of me, thinking how desperate I was for his help.


    I shed my courtesy and chatted him without the previous politeness.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Hey, I''m here. Where are you?


    Logan: Wait.


    ¡ª


    I clicked my tongue, then sat on a chair while I was waiting for the honorable rich brat toe. I looked around the pottery club room that had been cleaned by the Club president. There were boxes full of ceramics vases, tes, mugs, et cetera.


    There were some unique decorations made out of y as well.


    "Why does that brat like this kind of thing anyway? I thought people like him only has interest of spending daddy''s money." Imented while checking few boxes.


    "Not so polite anymore, huh?"


    I heard a familiar heavy bass voice of a man behind me. I turned my head, and saw a tall and broad guy, definitely more than 6 feet tall, with broad shoulder and obvious muscle beneath that ck shirt.


    He had short, messy hair and his eyes were dark as the night.


    Surprisingly, this rich brat was actually handsome, very handsome. Though he wasn''t on par with Mason''s clean and neat handsomeness, he looked handsomely intimidating instead.


    I was dazed for a moment, until that guy scoffed full of ridicule, "So it''s you, shrimp."


    "!!"


    "What did you just call me?!" I raised my voice. For some reason, I got triggered when he called me that.


    "Shrimp."


    "You¡ª"


    "What? Are you going to scream at your future boss?" He asked, raising his left brow while smirking and taunting me.


    ¡­


    Goddamn you!


    He looked satisfied after I zipped my mouth, holding my anger by lowering my gaze. Seriously, this rich brat''s face was punch-worthy.


    He swaggered towards me, and grabbed a chair near him. He sat while crossing his leg in front of me and said, "So, Shrimp, I told you to show me your worth. Do something in front of me before I get bored."

 Chapter 60 - That Rich Brat Called Logan (3)

    He swaggered towards me and grabbed a chair near him. He sat while crossing his leg in front of me and said, "So, Shrimp, I told you to show me your worth. Do something in front of me before I get bored."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Wait, are you serious?" I asked out of reflex. I didn''t expect him to actually ask me to do something out of the blue. It got me spaced out for a moment.


    Logan shrugged, "I have things to do. But I''m not heartless enough to leave someone begging. Just do something interesting. I might keep you before I buy this ce."


    ¡­


    "What do you want me to do anyway¡­."


    "I don''t know. You must''ve something to show. If you can''t do anything, just strip or whatsoever," Logan replied nonchntly.


    "STRIP!?"


    Okay, first, what an arrogant, rich, bratty, filthy jerk!


    Second, we were underaged. Both of us were sixteen or seventeen at best. Did this jerk really asked me to strip!? I would fucking call child protection service on his ass!


    I knew boys were always into that kind of stuff.


    I felt insulted when he said that, so I grabbed a block of y wrapped in stic inside a box and then smacked it on the spinning table-thingy for pottery.


    "Oh? You''re going to make something? I thought pottery is just ''this kind of thing'' for you," Logan taunted me with a triumphant smirk on his smug face.


    Oh, of course, I really wanted to punch his face.


    The first day of our meeting, and I already wanted to choke him, what a wonderful partnership we would have in the pottery clubter on.


    "Guess you were not lying when you said that you''re passionate about this club," Loganmented. "Make me a small thing, like a simple mug."


    I sat on a chair, staring at this spinning table thingy. I was acting rashly, I knew. It was something I did out of reflex when I got triggered.


    I got heated once he told me to strip if I had nothing to show. So everything I did up until now was out of rage, and I regretted it.


    But I didn''t want to look worthless in front of him. It was a matter of pride for me. So I started dripping some water on the y and started kneading the y cluelessly.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Pfft! Why are you giving a massage to that y?" Logan was chuckling full of ridicule,ughing at my stupidity.


    I felt like an idiot ying in his hand, but I still didn''t want to be seen as worthless.


    "Shut up. I know how to do it," I insisted.


    Logan leaned on the chair and observing my activity, kneading y like an idiot. He must''ve enjoyed this more than he should be.


    After having fun ridiculing me, he suddenly got up and walked towards the spinning table. He pointed at something under the spinning table, "This is called pottery wheel, and this one is manual. You need to press the pedal to spin the wheel. What a poor club. They can''t even purchase the ones with machine."


    Logan suddenlyined about stuff I didn''t understand. He checked the y inside a box as well, "Low-grade ys."


    He continued checking on everything and telling the same thing repeatedly that everything was either low grade or cheap.


    I sat like an idiot, watching himining over everything and sat right on his previous seat.


    I stared at him, and he looked at me back.


    ¡­


    "Since you can''t do anything, I''ll just kick you away after I bought this ce," Logan dropped it so nonchntly, I had no way to argue.


    I didn''t want to beg either, not after what he told me before. I still had some dignity on my own.


    Thus, I got up and picked my bag on the ground.


    "Wait, you''re leaving just like that?"


    "What''s more I can do here anyway? I have nothing and no time to impress a bratty kid like you," I snarked. I didn''t expect my n to use Pottery Club as my safe spot would fail because of this arrogant, good for nothing brat.


    But if I had to face random cement to a random club, then so be it.


    "You can beg, you know."


    "I won''t beg to you. Besides, I have no passion for ying with y."


    "So what you texted before were all lies?" Logan asked me again.


    I shed all my politeness and replied, "Why would I beg to a rich brat like you? Because I need your money, isn''t it obvious?"


    I walked past Logan, who was still sitting on the chair with a stunned expression. Since I had nothing to do here, I might as nned something to approach Leah. Using club visit as my guise was the best bet. Since I couldn''t do it in Pottery Club, I would have to go the hard way in my new clubter.


    As I was near the door, Logan suddenly dashed past me with his long legs. He stood at the door, intentionally blocking the door so I couldn''t leave.


    I red at him without fear in my eyes. There was nothing scary with this person except his appearance.


    "Step aside."


    Logan peered on me as if he was deciding over something. He leaned his shoulder to the side, "You should''ve told me earlier about your true intention. You want to save yourself from getting ced in a crowded club, right?"


    "Wha¡ª"


    How did he know my true intention so easily?


    Logan chuckled, "Your not-so-friendly aura has been reeking everywhere since the very start. It''s so easy to read."


    He said it so confidently, and I gulped out of shock and nervousness.


    I didn''t expect someone to read me so easily. But I didn''t want to look scared, so I steeled my will and said, "Then, if you already know about my intention, you should''ve known that I don''t have any interest in ying with y. I''ll leave."


    "Who said I need someone who can y with y," Logan smirked and leaned in towards me, closing our distance. "I think we can arrange few things here."

 Chapter 61 - That Rich Brat Called Logan (4)

    "Who said I need someone who can y with y," Logan smirked and leaned in towards me, closing our distance. "I think we can arrange few things here."


    "Arrange few things?" I squinted full of suspicion at Logan. I didn''t have any good feelings about whatever he did, especially after he told me to strip in front of him.


    I took a step back, guarding my chest with my backpack, "What things?"


    Logan chuckled after seeing my reaction, "You''re so guarded. Do you think I''ll eat you?"


    ¡­


    I didn''t answer that. I didn''t want to assume the worst possible suspicion. I took another step back and hugged my backpack that covered my chest tighter, ensuring I stayed guarded while staring at him full of doubt.


    Logan clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Fine, let''s just get this straight. I want you to work under me¡ª"


    Work under him?!


    I took yet another step back, my suspicious stare turned into a hostile gaze in a sh, "Stay away from me, or I will scream," I warned him.


    "Wha¡ªGet your mind out of the gutter! You''re the perverted one here!" Logan yelled. He ruffled his hair full of frustration. "Seriously, do I look like a pervert to you?"


    "Yes."


    ¡­


    Logan sighed and continued without minding my suspicion, "I want you to work under me, to be my underling. Because I need a girl to approach someone¡ªA girl."


    A girl?!


    This scamp wanted me to approach a girl?


    I mean, I had no interest in him. But he was obviously rich and handsome. He looked strong as well. Why would he need my help to approach a girl?


    "Don''t be a wimp and approach her yourself," I said, shooting him down,


    Logan was surprised. I saw him opening his mouth, wanting to say something. But he suddenly zipped his lips and hummed for a moment, thinking about something.


    Logan shook his head, "I just need you to approach her and extract as much information as possible. Then, after enough information, I will approach her myself."


    ¡­


    No, the thought of me approaching a girl to extract information for this rich brat was just out of my mind. If he liked this girl, then why the hell he needed my assistance? We had just met!


    "If you like her, you should grow a ball and ask her for a date."


    "I''m not¡ªUrgh, whatever. I just want you to approach her and ask as many questions as possible!" Logan said.


    "But¡ª"


    "Do you want to stay in this club or not?"


    Oh,e on, that wasn''t fair! Of course, I couldn''t object to him because he used the ''Do what I want or leave'' card. Just because he had money, he could grab me by my weak spot and pushed me to do his bidding.


    ¡­


    "That''s what I thought," Logan chuckled and walked towards me with his broad shoulder, intimidating gaze and smirk on his face. I subconsciously stepped back whenever he advanced one step in until I identally hit the chair behind me and slipped.


    "Ah..." I sat on the chair by ident, and Logan took the opportunity to lock me by putting his veiny hands on each armrest, preventing me from leaving.


    He leaned in, and with his malicious smirk, he said, "I will keep you around as long as you do a good job, Emmelyn Jones."


    I gulped out of nervousness. For some reason, I was convinced that Logan was the devil who gave me a contract, a deal with the devil. I wouldn''t even be surprised if a pair of horns grew on his head.


    I had to do his bidding if I wanted to live in this harsh high school life.


    But I had no choice. I was someone who wanted to convince, and there were only two choices.


    Got assigned to a new club with dozens of people I didn''t know and needed topete with them and all their drama, or¡­


    Staying in this club, but I had to deal with this rich brat who acted high and mighty as if he was my boss. I also had to do his bidding¡­


    "Fine, I will do what you want," I said, full of defeat. Truly, money could buy things, including loyalty.


    Logan chuckled amusedly and ruffled my hair, "Good, I''ll tell you the detailter. We still have plenty of time anyway. But for now, I will spare you and let you stay in this club."


    "Don''t worry about the club. You''ll hear good news tomorrow morning," Logan said, full of confidence.


    He turned around and walked away, "Don''t forget to unpack everything here. Because I might use it in the near future."


    "Wait, you''re asking me to unpack everything literally?! At least have a bit of conscience and help your fellow club member!" I yelled at him. I looked around, and after counting the number of boxes, I was sure I didn''t want to do it alone.


    Logan stopped at the door, and he looked over his shoulder, "Who''s the boss here?"


    ¡­


    What a jerk!


    "Good that you understand. Now do your job. I expect the club room to be clean tomorrow," Logan ordered me and closed the door before leaving the club room.


    m!


    He left me alone here, and I took a deep breath before yelling out loud, "Goddamn you rich brat! I will get youter!"


    After I vented out a bit, I checked the number of boxes full of heavy vases, y, and then the spinning wheel.


    This would take a good while, and I had to do it alone.


    "Not only he is a brat. He also has no conscience!" I grumbled as I started unpacking the ceramics first and put them on their previous spots.


    This was backbreaking work, but at the same time, I was d that rich brat Logan would buy the club and keep me in. With this, I didn''t need to worry about getting randomly assigned anymore. And even better, I could do club visits to the Boxing club freely.


    "But still¡­ now I''m stuck with that guy, ugh¡­."

 Chapter 62 - Princes Date (1)

    ¡ª


    Pottery Club President: Emmelyn! There is great news! This is such lifesaving news for our club!


    Emmy: Oh, what is it, President?


    Pottery Club President: It''s about our Club disbandment! The school board suddenly announced a revision for their previous decision! The Pottery Club will not disband!


    Emmy: What?! Really? That''s great!


    ¡ª


    Oh,e on, of course, I knew the reason. It was that rich brat who could just solve all problems with his money. It was like a real-life cheat code, honestly.


    Though, I still had no information about Logan except for his full name, Logan Walker.


    I thought I could just google his name and find his family. Maybe his dad was a banker, or his mom might be a famous politician.


    But I found zero, unlike Ashley or Leah, whose fathers had clear family business records on the inte. I found no lead about Logan''s origin on the inte.


    My suspicion rose, I started theory-crafting in my head. He was definitely from a wealthy family for a boy around his age to have that kind of money to literally buy a club room.


    Mytest theory about him¡­ maybe he was the son of an underground mafia boss. His business involved drug trade and human trafficking.


    ¡­


    Okay, Em, too much Wattpad.


    I continued texting the President,


    ¡ª


    Emmy: How could it happen, though? I remember that we don''t have enough members to maintain it¡­


    Pottery Club president: Ah, do you know Logan? Logan Walker, the only club member besides you. He BOUGHT the club room!


    Pottery Club president: I can''t even imagine how could he just casually bought a club room like that. He''s so low-key, but he''s actually filthy rich! OMG, I might''ve found someone as dreamy as Mason Hall!


    ¡ª


    I clicked my tongue. I didn''t like that the President was fawning over that guy. He was arrogant, bratty, and a big pervert.


    Mason was definitely better. At least he didn''t tell me to strip in front of him.


    ¡­


    Okay, I shouldn''t think about that guy either. Both of them were the same. They brought me trouble.


    I had no time to y with boys when I had an important thing to do, get approval from the current president to get a rmendation letter to visit the Boxing club.


    The current President was still active for about a week before we had to pick the new President, and there was no way in hell I would ask that from Logan.


    I sensed that guy would make me do some of his ridiculous biddings if I requested something again.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: President, are you in the club right now? I heard that you need a rmendation letter from the President to do a club visit.


    Pottery Club President: Oh, you''re nning to do a club visit already? That''s so early!


    Emmy: I just think that we need to see what makes a club solid in the first ce to prepare following year members. I''ve checked few clubs, and I found that the boxing club is really solid.


    Emmy: President, can I get your rmendation letter to visit the boxing club?


    Pottery Club President: Wow, Emmelyn, your dedication to the club is astounding! I will write the rmendation letter immediately! Come and meet me in the club building after ss!


    ¡ª


    Sure.


    I rolled my eyes when reading her text. I truly had no interest in pottery. But at least my talk could fool her for that letter.


    **


    I waited until thest ss was over and headed straight to the Club building, passing the schoolyard as usual. Surprisingly, I didn''t find the trace of Mason in the yard today.


    Oh well, that was good. I didn''t need to sneak like a criminal while he was around, afraid that he might recognize me and his fangirls would persecute me.


    I breezed through the open corridor leading to the Club building, but when I passed the same small storage room as usual, but the storage room suddenly opened from inside, and a strong hand pulled grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside.


    "WHA!"


    m!


    I was about to struggle and scream out of fear and shock. But when I saw the one who pulled me in, I paused.


    "Mason?"


    "Aha¡ªI''m sorry, did I startle you?"


    Of course, you did, idiot. You literally pulled me out of the blue. I almost screamed.


    "What are you doing here? And why did you pull me?" I asked with scrutinizing gaze. I thought my business with him was done already, but I didn''t expect him to still remember me, a random girl in this big school.


    Mason scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "Uhh¡­ I just want to talk with you a bit. I can''t seem to find the right time."


    "Sorry that I have to pull you here. I can''t find the right moment to meet you without getting noticed by those girls¡­."


    "You know, I''ve waited almost every morning so I can meet you like before, but it seems that you just stoppeding to school early after Kristen Suite got arrested. I wonder why?"


    My body stiffened when Mason mentioned Kristen Suite. He was sharp enough to link Kristen''s arrest with meing to school early a few times.


    I didn''t want to rouse more suspicion, so I shifted the topic immediately, "So, what do you want from me? I don''t think I have anything to do with you."


    "Eh? You forget about it already?" Mason pouted cutely. I could see his dreamy blue eyes turned into beautiful puppy eyes that melted my heart.


    I gulped and looked away to avoid getting a heart attack. Seriously, I wouldn''t lie that Mason''s visual was really my type.


    Mason looked cutely upset as he mentioned, "I''ve been trying to talk to you because I want to take you on a date."


    "Remember? I told you that I''d treat you to an ice cream parlour or a cake shop. It''s my token of gratitude because you''ve washed my jacket," Mason said.


    ¡­


    Ah, Ipletely forgot about that, not that I even thought about it seriously in the first ce.


    It was too outrageous for me to have a date with Mason Hall, the school prince.


    "So, when will you have time?"


    **


    Author note: I will start posting two chapters daily release starting from October. Thank you everyone ^^


    **

 Chapter 63 - Princes Date (2)

    "So, when will you have time?"


    "Wait, are you serious?" I asked. I didn''t really expect Mason to be serious about this.


    "Of course!" Mason nodded enthusiastically and added, "I''ve saved enough money, so we can go to an expensive cake shop if that''s what you want."


    I frowned when he said that he had ''saved money just to go on a date. I really thought that everything should be handed in a gold spoon for someone like him, a model student, a part-time model, and a school quarterback.


    If I remember correctly, in my previous life, Mason became a self-made millionaire the moment he hit senior year because he was starring at a box office movie as the male lead.


    So I thought, he must''vee from an elite family to be able to get that kind of role.


    I got curious, but I had no way to inquire more. Besides, that wasn''t my main focus right now.


    As someone who had seen Mason interacting with his fangirls a lot, I could notice whenever Mason was showing his perfunctory act of kindness towards everyone.


    He would show a thin smile and give gentle but short replies on anything. There was no bodily movement. He just stood still or bowed his head a bit.


    But right now, Mason was leaning towards me. He had a big smile on his face, and I could see the ruddiness on his cheek.


    Maybe it was just me who was blinded by his visual, but I sensed that Mason was genuine this time, something that was unthinkable for me in my previous life.


    I still remember that time when Mason carried me to the infirmary. I was on the verge of fainting, but I could still feel someone was carrying me.


    I could sense the one who carried me was panicking. He was carrying me in his arms, and I could feel his hands clenching me tightly, pulling me deeper into his embrace as he ran to the infirmary.


    That was the only thing I remembered, though. When I woke up, I was all alone in the infirmary. The school nurse said that Mason Hall was the one who carried me.


    Maybe¡­


    Just maybe¡­


    ¡­


    No, what was I thinking? Of course, everyone would panic if they were carrying an unconscious person.


    "Em? Are you there?" Mason asked. "You seem to be spacing out a lot when talking to me."


    "Ah, sorry."


    I shook my head, clearing all the theories and doubts I had in my mind. No matter how much doubt I had about Mason, it wouldn''t change the fact that Mason Hall was standing in front of me right now, waiting for my answer.


    I took a deep breath and replied, "No."


    "Eh¡ª"


    "I said no. You don''t need to treat me anything. If you need to save your money just to treat me anything, then it''s better for you to just keep it," I said, trying to dodge him.


    "A¡ªAh, please don''t think much about it. I''m not that poor. I''m just thinking about treating you something special, hehe," Mason giggled lightly.


    Seriously, Mason kept on acting like a jolly little boy. I knew that he smiled at everyone, but I recalled that he never giggled like this to anyone in public.


    "I still think that we don''t need a date and such. It was me who borrowed it in the first ce, so it''s my responsibility to return your jacket in a good and clean condition."


    "Besides, do you think I don''t know that your fangirls will hunt me down if they found out that we went to grab an ice cream or a cake?"


    "I don''t want to risk myself only for simple stuff like that," I said. I chuckled lightly and added, "Maybe you should take one of them to your date instead. They looked desperate enough."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was no answer from Mason. I got scared for a moment, thinking that I might have said too much.


    I should''ve filtered my sarcasm. It just came out so naturally that it was toote for me to realize.


    I gulped, the situation turned tense immediately, "S¡ªSince there''s nothing more, then I will leave."


    I opened the storage door, but Mason quickly shut it again.


    He leaned on the door, preventing me from opening it and escaping. The smile on Mason''s lips disappeared. He didn''t re at me, but he stared at me with an expressionless face, which he also never showed to anyone.


    "Do you think I will date one of those crazy girls?" Mason scoffed mirthlessly, "That''s sickening."


    Crazy girls?!


    Did Mason just called his fans crazy girls?!


    Didn''t he know the impact of his words if his fangirls could hear him? His chance to be an actor in the future would be ruined! And he might also lose that School prince title.


    I was speechless, yet, Mason didn''t seem to be burdened after calling his fans crazies.


    "Anyway, I really want to treat you to ice cream or a cake. I think this Saturday morning is okay, right? There is a good cake shop downtown."


    "Do you want me to pick you from home? Though, I don''t have a car right now. At least we can use the bus together, right?" Mason chuckled.


    ¡­


    I kept my silence, not knowing how to answer. In fact, Mason didn''t even give me a space to speak right now.


    "Okay, okay, I''m just joking. Let''s just meet at the cake shop. I''ll share the location," Mason said. "Can I get your phone number?"


    ¡­


    I wanted to refuse, but at the same time, his gaze was like a tiger eyeing his prey. He would eat me if I dared to refuse, so I instinctively gave my number.


    Mason''s gentle expression returned, and he smiled at me, "Thank you, Em! I''m excited to have a date with you!"


    "I need to return to the schoolyard now. My Captain would kill me if I missed the practice too often, haha!"


    Mason left the small storage room, leaving me alone as I leaned on the door. I wouldn''t lie. I was terrified when I saw his gaze changed. I knew he wasn''t hostile to me at all. In fact, he was really kind, acting very gentle towards me.


    But if things happened in the future, I wouldn''t want to be on his bad side.


    That gaze was too dangerous.

 Chapter 64 - The New Boss

    I waited for a while until the corridor was empty, then I walked out of the small storage room.


    I walked in the corridor dazedly, thinking about Mason Hall, who was acting strange. I wanted to keep thinking that my encounter with Mason was a mere coincidence.


    But the more I tried to avoid that guy, the closer he got closer to me. And now, I had to go on a date with him, risking everything just for a slice of cake.


    If one of the fangirls saw me with Mason, then my life in high school was basically over. They would hunt me down like a medieval witch purge.


    I went to the Pottery Club room and saw the President was busy wiping few ceramic vases. She saw me and smiled. She looked so happy as if she had just obtained a golden egg, "Emmelyn, are you here for that rmendation letter?"


    "Yes, President."


    "Ah, I''ve prepared it."


    The President got up and walked to reach her bag. She took out a letter of rmendation and gave it to me. "You''re such a starter, Emmelyn. Pottery Club has never done any Club visit because most of our previous members were too embarrassed to do a Club visit."


    "I''m d that you will be the first one," the President handed me the rmendation letter. And I epted it happily.


    I finally got my ticket to get close to Leah.


    "Thank you, President," I said.


    "Anyway, you''re going to the Boxing club for a visit?" The President asked.


    I nodded and responded with the most formal answer possible, "I think Boxing Club has solid management and loyalty for the student members."


    "You''re not wrong in that one. Good luck with the Club visit then. I hope you''ll have fun and¡ª"


    The President zipped her mouth so suddenly, and she stiffened. I frowned and asked, "President?"


    "What Club visit?"


    I heard the heavy voice behind me. I turned around, but before I could see the man behind me, he already snatched the rmendation letter in my hand.


    "Hey, give that back!" I yelled spontaneously.


    Logan didn''t pay me any attention and raised his left brow, "Club visit? This dispassionate girl is going for a club visit?" Logan chuckled and opened the rmendation letter. He read the content with a grin on his face, "Oh? So you''re going to the Boxing Club. Do you think they''ll listen to a shrimp like you?"


    I tried to snatch the rmendation letter to no avail. He just raised the letter slightly, and I couldn''t reach it even if I did a little jump.


    "Stop being nosey and give that back!" I gritted my teeth while struggling to snatch the letter.


    "You''re so disingenuous," Logan mocked with a mischievous grin while waving thetter right on my face. But whenever I tried to grab it, he would wave the paper up so I couldn''t reach it.


    "U¡ªUm¡­ Logan, I think you should give that back," The President took my side as she should be. "It''s important for Emmelyn. And she is going to be the first member to do Club visit, she''s so passionate about this¡ª"


    "Who lets you here?" Logan suddenly interrupted her long speech.


    "Eh?"


    "You''re not part of the club anymore. Leave."


    "B¡ªBut I¡ª"


    "You were the President, and after I bought the club, you''ve been kicked out. Now leave. I don''t want to see your face," Logan said ruthlessly, shattering the innocent President''s heart.


    The president was shocked, so did I. I didn''t expect Logan to be that disrespectful.


    The president looked heartbroken. She bit her lips and nced at me, "P¡ªPlease take care of the club. I hope I can visit some days."


    She took her bag and stormed out of the room, leaving me astonished.


    "Heh, why are you surprised, Shrimp?"


    "You''re too harsh on her. She really loves this club," I said.


    "Love doesn''t save the club. It''s useless," Logan said heartlessly. "Money does. My money solves the problem. And I want her to leave, simple as that."


    ¡­


    I had to admit that Logan was ruthless, but he was right. Money solved many things.


    Logan leaned on the wall and waved the rmendation letter. "Anyway, what''s your intention of using the Club''s name for this? Knowing how disingenuous you are, you must have an external motive."


    ¡­


    As I expected, Logan Walker was really sharp and wouldn''t even budge with my fake passion talk. In fact, I didn''t think I needed to act in a certain way in front of him.


    "I have a business with someone, now give that back¡ª" I strode and tried to snatch that letter for the xx times.


    "Tell me what you want first, then I will give it to you," Logan insisted.


    I sighed. What a difficult and annoying guy. I bet he had no friend.


    "I told you I have a business with someone there¡ª"


    "A boyfriend?"


    "Hell no!" I reacted spontaneously.


    Logan chuckled, "Well, since you''re not going to tell me, then I will keep this. Remember, I''m the new boss here."


    "Wait! I need that!" I couldn''t afford to lose my golden ticket just because this brat decided to hold it.


    "Then tell me," Logan said.


    "Ugh, fine. I want to gather information from a girl in the Boxing club and settle things down. I want to take her down," I said vaguely, but enough to satiate Logan''s curiosity.


    He hummed for a second and nodded, "You seem to have an interesting n. Is this an act of revenge or what?"


    ¡­


    "I need that rmendation letter to start my n," I said what was on my mind about it. I still didn''t trust him, so I didn''t specify what I wanted to do there.


    Logan seemed to be interested enough, "I don''t know what you''re going to do, but don''t ever pull me into your mess or beg me for help. I''m busy enough with my problem."


    Yeah, as if I would ask you for assistance. You would be a bad partner with all of your bravado.


    "Ask nicely. I''m your boss, so call me Boss Logan," Logan chuckled, full of yfulness.


    I gritted my teeth, but I had no choice, "Boss Logan, please give me that rmendation letter."


    "Good, call me Boss Logan from now on. You can go now. I have things to do," he said while handing the letter.


    I took it and turned away immediately. I didn''t even want to bug him in the first ce. It was him who suddenly came and ruined my facade in front of the President¡ªwell, Former President.


    Logan started calling someone, but from what I overheard, he was just telling someone to bring that high-quality ys.


    I guess he really loved pottery, unlike me.


    Logan nced at me and frowned, "Why are you still here? Go. You disingenuous girl, I already give you what you want, right?"


    I scoffed and left. I didn''t want to stay around him for too long anyway.


    I looked at the letter written by the former President and headed straight to the Boxing Club.


    Next target, Leah Carpenter.


    I wondered if I could topple a rich kid without any resource in my hand right now.

 Chapter 65 - Leah And The Boys (1)

    Next target, Leah Carpenter.


    I wondered if I could topple a rich kid without any resource in my hand right now.


    I headed to the Boxing club alone, bracing myself to enter a ce I would never visit in my previous life. Just imagining the eyes of those men leering at me already got me shivered out of nervousness and fear.


    I peeked from the window and saw the club room for Boxing Club was twice the size of Pottery Club, which showed favouritism by the school board.


    I could see them sparing in the boxing ring. They were punching each other, and neither of them seemed to give up despite the bruises on their face. There were at least 30 members inside the club room right now, and they were all boys.


    My eyes squinted, trying to find my target, Leah, around them. Then I spotted a girl in white shirt and training pants. She was sitting on a long bench with a boy whose face was ashen.


    I couldn''t hear their conversation, but it must be about something urgent based on the boy''s expression. Because that boy was begging, he even held Leah''s hand and gripped it tightly, not wanting to let go while Leah only rolled her eyes in response.


    I wondered if that was Leah''s boyfriend or something because he looked so desperate that his body was shaking.


    I frowned when I saw the other boys in the boxing club didn''t seem to mind this, especially since Leah was the only girl in the Boxing club right now. At least, based on my memory, Leah was the only one.


    This scene continued for more than fifteen minutes. I thought it was a bit inefficient for me to stay like this.


    Clenching the rmendation letter, I took a deep breath and knocked on the opened door few times until a guy noticed me and asked, "What do you need?"


    "Ah, Pardon, I''m from Pottery Club. I got a rmendation from my President to do a club visit to Boxing Club. May I see the one in charge? Maybe the President?"


    "Ah, you mean the manager? Miss Leah is sitting on the bench right now. I''ll call her for you, wait."


    My eyes widened when the guy addressed Leah as ''Miss Leah.''


    Since when Leah had dominance over this guy? How could she do it?


    The guy turned around and walked towards Leah with absolute obedience. I thought he would just call her name loudly, but he actually lowered his head and whispered on Leah''s ear, like a subservient underling.


    Leah looked at me for a split second and then nodded. She got up and strutted towards me with her chin raised up. For an apparent reason, she reminded me of Ashley, just a lot more intimidating with at least four boys following her from behind.


    She stopped in front of me, so I could take a good look at her.


    She had short ck hair that she tied up to a bun.


    She had ck eyes, but there was a facial feature that got me wondering. She had a red nose and red eyes, which was prevalent since she had big, almost bulging eyes.


    "I heard your tiny club wants to do a club visit here. I mean, I don''t mind, but isn''t the pottery that dying club? I thought it has been disbanded," Leah said. Her voice was a bit hoarse too. I wondered if she was having flu or what?


    My perfunctory smile faltered a bit. I had maintained the same smile for a while to improve my goodwill, but when she said that, I actually got offended.


    This first interaction also gave me a good guess of what kind of character Leah was.


    Although it might not be 100% true, it should be close to that.


    Thus, I continued my perfunctoriness, ensuring that she didn''t find any expression other than meekness in me.


    "A¡ªAh, yes, the club is dying, and there are only two members right now, the new president and me."


    "And you say that you have a rmendation letter? What kind of dead club has a rmendation letter to do a club visit? Don''t waste our time!" Leah raised her voice.


    I backed down and pulled the rmendation letter from my jacket, "T¡ªThis is our rmendation letter. It has been signed by the previous president and approved by the current president."


    Leah frowned and took the letter. Her frown grew deeper as she read it. I guessed she finally believed me.


    "Are you saying that the school board has pulled the disbandment notice on your club? How?" Leah asked. "I doubt you can do anything to the school board."


    Leah scanned me from head to toe and then chuckled, "No offence, I bet Ashley will want to have a talk with you. Just¡­ look at that! I bet my boys also have the same opinion as me!"


    Leah pointed at my old jacket, and sheughed alongside the boys behind her. She wasughing at my poorness, of course. It was just her characteristic since she was part of the rich kids, like Ashley.


    Back in my previous life, an insult like that would make me feel so sad and depressed. But for this current me, I grew numb from it. In fact, I wanted to make that my weapon.


    If nobody took you seriously, then you could go everywhere unnoticed. As long as you didn''t stand out, you could do whatever you wanted, and nobody gave a shit.


    I continued acting meek and said, "U¡ªUm¡­ the new president. Apparently, he is the one who solved the problem by buying the club room for personal use. Because of him, the disbandment notice was pulled out, and we can continue our activity, including doing club visits."


    Leah gawked upon hearing the information, "He bought the whole club room for personal use?!"


    "Y¡ªYes."


    "Ohh~ Interesting," Leah grinned. She was definitely nning something on her head. "I think we can talk about this.. Let''s see what we can do with your club visit."

 Chapter 66 - Leah And The Boys (2)

    "He bought the whole club room for personal use?!"


    "Y¡ªYes."


    "Ohh~ Interesting," Leah grinned. She was definitely nning something on her head. "I think we can talk about this. Let''s see what we can do with your club visit."


    Ah, as expected from my deduction, she was interested in boys, a powerful one in all kinds of things. It was quite obvious though, she surrounded herself with many teenage boys with their filthy smell and raging hormone.


    Most girls would feel ufortable hanging out with many boys, but Leah seemed to be pretty okay with it.


    Actually, it looked like she was enjoying all the attention.


    She didn''t act as their friends either. Of course, I knew some girls like to befriend the boys instead. But Leah treated them more like a manservant instead of friends.


    But there was one question in my head that couldn''t be answered for now.


    "S¡ªSo, can I do a club visit now? I chose to visit the Boxing club because I heard that you guys have solid teamwork and management. You guys also have a lot of members. This can be very beneficial for my small club to study," I said, giving all the praises to the Boxing Club.


    Leah raised her brow, "You think so? Well, I think people outside will think like that. Maybe you can ask the boys behind me instead."


    "Miss Leah is a great manager!"


    "Yes, she keeps us together in shape!"


    "Miss Leah is the best! She really helps me through the tough times!"


    I could hear a shout after shout from the boys behind her. I knew that it was intimidating to see them. But after experiencing facing Logan, who was ten times more intimidating than all of them, I got a bit of gut in me.


    "Ah, I see that Miss Leah is the key yer in this management. May I know more about your experience? This will be a great input for me."


    "Well, we will talk about this. Come inside," Leah said.


    She turned around and walked first, followed by the boys behind her.


    Meanwhile, I stared at the different tiles between the corridor and the Boxing club room under me, and I got scared.


    I wouldn''t lie that I had a lot of trauma with men, boys, or whatever you wanted to call them.


    So when I imagined myself entered a room full of those men, my heart felt stuffy.


    Then I felt a strong hand grabbed my cor and yanked me inside so suddenly, "Miss Leah is waiting for you! Don''t be slow!" One boy said.


    My body trembled when that strong hand yanked me like a rag doll, but I couldn''t say anything because I couldn''t show any weakness.


    The boy dragged me to a bench where Leah was sitting, and I was forced to sit beside her.


    Leah still maintained that smug on her face, and she nced at the boys who were standing behind her, "What are you guys doing here? Go back to practising!"


    Her order was like an absolutemand for the boxing club members. The boys immediately left us alone. So I could sit side to side with Leah.


    I was amazed by her skill to maintain order with those rowdy boys, so I asked, "You''re such an amazing girl. You can control those boys with only onemand."


    Leah raised her chin even more. She crossed her legs and replied, "Of course, it''s not that hard as long as you can grab them by their weakness."


    "Weakness?" I wanted to inquiry more. I needed to get as much information as possible to formte a n to take her down.


    Leah smirked mysteriously, but it didn''t seem that she wanted to answer my question. She quickly changed the topic, though, "Anyway, it''s quite interesting that one person can buy the whole club room for his personal use. I know the exact amount of money needed to buy one room here. But he can actually buy it?!"


    "Y¡ªYes¡­"


    I had a bad feeling about this because Leah didn''t seem to take my club visit seriously. Instead, she was more interested in the rich president who bought the room.


    This happened in the previous life as well. When the rich kid bought a club room all for himself, everyone was surprised because that was an ultra-rich thing you could do here.


    But how could I inquire more about Leah when she was the one who interrogated me instead.


    "Very interesting," Leah chuckled. "I didn''t know someone could be richer than Ashley and me in our batch. I do know few wealthy seniors, though."


    "What''s his name?" Leah asked enthusiastically.


    I paused, wondering for a moment whether I should tell her about his name or not.


    I bet he wouldn''t be happy if he knew that I told someone else about this, but I had a feeling that I could strike a deal with Leah by using Logan Walker as the bait.


    "I''m sorry, but I''m here to do a club visit, not to talk about my club president," I refused to tell her. I needed to bait her even more.


    "Oh,e on, what kind of club visit do you want?" Leah clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Everything in this ce is run by me. It''s not hard if you need any information."


    "I want you to let me stay and observe the activity in the Boxing Club for a week, just treat me like air, so I can get enough data for myself," I said.


    "1 week?!" Leah jerked back spontaneously. "Do you think I''ll allow you to bug us for the whole week?!"


    "Four days¡ª"


    "Three days. I will let you observe the club for three days, and that''s it," Leah suggested a deal that I couldn''t refuse.


    Three days should be enough. Besides, I couldn''t stand staying in this ce for too long.


    "Alright, that''d be good¡ª" Before I strike a deal with Leah, she suddenly interrupted and requested something that might be a bit too difficult for me to do.


    "Do you think you can just stay here for three days, getting your little research for free?" Leah chuckled. "You must do me a little favour."


    "And what kind of favour is that?"


    Leah grinned and leaned closer, "Tell me more about this club president of yours and introduce me in exchange, and it''d be a deal between us."

 Chapter 67 - Leah And The Boys (3)

    "Do you think you can just stay here for three days, getting your little research for free?" Leah chuckled. "You must do me a little favour."


    "And what kind of favour is that?"


    Leah grinned and leaned closer, "Tell me more about this club president of yours and introduce me in exchange, and it''d be a deal between us."


    I held my breath for a moment, thinking about the risk and return of using my new club president as a sacrificialmb for this n of mine.


    I was convinced that Leah would want more than just knowing him more and introducing him. She was definitely aiming for that guy to be one of her ''boys.''


    Not that I cared in the first ce, but was it worth it to sell him out for this exchange?


    I kept wondering and thinking what kind of benefit I could get for bootlicking that perverted rich brat.


    ¡­


    Okay, he might hate me after this, but he never liked me in the first ce. So it was fair for him to bully me in the club after this, I guess¡­


    I nodded in response to Leah''s office, "I''ll tell you everything I know about him and will introduce you to him. But my club visit will be three days, and I''m allowed to ask anything to your club members."


    Leah chuckled, full of confidence and mockery. I had the feeling that it wouldn''t be an easy task to gather deeper information other than the stuff on the surface.


    "Fine, it''s a deal then," Leah epted my handshake as the sign of agreement.


    After that, she yawned and checked on her watch, "It''s already 5."


    Leah got up and pped her hands to catch the boys attention, "Boys! Come here!"


    All the boxing club members gathered in front of Leah, and she said, "So, this girl here¡ªwho is your name? I forgot to ask," Leah asked.


    "Emmelyn," I replied, intentionally leaving thest name just for a bit more safety.


    Leah shrugged, "This girl Emmelyn wants to do a club visit and see what we''re doing for three days. Just answer all questions she has, okay?"


    "A-All?" One boy asked. Leah paused for a moment, and her smile bloomed.


    "Yes, all. Just make sure not to tell one of your dirty night activities. She''ll feel ufortable," Leah said.


    "Y¡ªYes!"


    I was about to leave when Leah told all the boxing club members that the club time was over. But before I could reach the door, Leah grabbed my hand and said, "Why are you in a rush? I haven''t told you yet about what I want."


    "What do you want?" I asked vigntly.


    "That president of yours, who is his name?"


    ¡­


    "Logan, Logan Walker," I replied, finally selling my new club president out.


    "Logan? I''ve never heard that name before," Leah said.


    Same, I never heard of him for my three years here in the previous life either.


    And I also highly doubted that Logan actually came to the ss like normal students since I''ve never seen him in the corridor every morning.


    Leah''s interest faltered a bit, judged by her expression, "Then, how about his height? Weight? Is he handsome enough?"


    Yeah, she was definitely trying to make Logan one of her underling, or maybe boyfriend?


    Nevertheless, I didn''t care much.


    This had turned out like this anyway. It might as well sold that guy out, "He''s more than 6 feet tall, has broad shoulder, messy hair, and intimidating eyes."


    "Oh wow, that sounds exciting," Leah giggled. "Is he handsome, though? There are a lot of boys here with body, but ugly as hell. I need better variation, hahaha!" Leahughed freely and got me even more cornered.


    I knew that Leah would make Logan her boyfriend, and I doubted that Logan would even take her seriously. At least based on what I saw in him.


    Logan looked very repulsive in everything.


    I wanted to lie and say that Logan was uglier than Shrek, but if Leah found out that I was lying, she would be vignt around me. Because there was no way a sane person would call Logan ugly.


    I needed to gain her trust, just like with Kristen and Cerise.


    Because trust was important to ruin someone''s life.


    "Yeah, I won''t lie that my Club president is actually very handsome. I guess he''s even on par with Mason¡ªNo, less than Mason, but still very handsome," I said with a bit of correction.


    Hey, I had to be honest, okay? Mason''s visual was still out of this world for many people and for me. Just because I tried to avoid him didn''t mean that my attraction towards him would vanish.


    "Oh? Someone that can match Mason? That''s a big im," Leah said. "Now you got me even more curious, where is your Club president now? Is he inside your club room?"


    My body stiffened.


    No, I hadn''t said anything to Logan. I''m afraid he might blow up and said something to Leah that''d ruin my whole n. It was better to tell him first, so no fatal ident would happen.


    "N¡ªNo, I don''t think so. He said that he has something to do today, so he doesn''te to the club."


    "Ah, dang it," Leah rolled her eyes. "Oh well, I will crash his small club roomter. I can''t imagine someone can be so rich and handsome at the same time."


    "¡­"


    "Anyway, I''ll have to leave as well, you cane here starting from tomorrow, okay? I''ll also want your cooperation to meet that Logan," Leah strutted away from me, taking her bag.


    We left the club room as she locked it.


    "Oh, what''s your name again?"


    "Emmelyn."


    Leah scoffed, "Then let''s work well together, Emmelyn."


    After Leah walked quite far from me, I turned my back and rushed to my club room as soon as possible. I really need to talk to Logan about this.


    "Goddamn it, I didn''t expect that I''ll have to involve that jerk in the end."

 Chapter 68 - Strike A Deal

    "Goddamn it, I didn''t expect that I''ll have to involve that jerk in the end."


    I went straight to the Pottery club building. I knew that Logan was there since he was preparing to make something out of y, like a true potter he was.


    I mmed the door open and called him, "Rich brat, we have a problem¡ª"


    My jaw dropped when I saw the view in front of me. I saw a strong, slightly tanned back, glistened in sweat, and defined back muscle.


    He was topless, with only an apron tied on his back. He was busy with his work that he didn''t realize me mming the door loudly.


    I walked carefully to approach him, and I called his name again, "Uh¡­ um¡­ rich brat."


    No answer.


    "Uh¡­ Jerkface."


    Still no response.


    I finally yielded and called his full name, "Logan Walker, we need to talk."


    Logan, busy shaping the y, finally stopped whirling the spinning table and looked in my direction, "What? I thought I told you that I''ll be busy here."


    "¡­"


    I looked away almost immediately after realizing that I could saw Logan''s nipple under the apron. He was very well built, so I got hypnotized for a moment.


    Logan got up from the small chair and asked again, "Why are you here? You''re supposed to that club visit or something in the Boxing club, right? Why don''t you just nag those people instead."


    I looked up to stare at him, but when I saw his handsome face glistening in sweat, I had to dodge his gaze.


    Honestly, men like Mason or Logan were just too dangerous for my heart, "C¡ªCover your body first. You''re too exposed."


    "Huh?" He raised his brow and then scoffed, "Are you taking a good look at my body? And you said I''m the perverted one here?"


    I took a step back when he advanced a step forward, "Why are you scared? Do you¡ª"


    "¡ªI just told them about you," I snippet his sentence before this could get any worse.


    ¡­


    Logan paused for few seconds, then asked me, "You did what?"


    "That¡­ in the boxing club. The manager is a girl, and she asked me about how could we maintain this dying club. So I just told her about you and how you bought this whole club all for yourself."


    "And uh¡­ I think that got her interested, so she inquires more about you¡­."


    ¡­


    "She said that she will agree upon my request as long as I can introduce you to her," thisst bit, I subconsciously lowered my voice to almost a mumble. I didn''t dare to tell him more that I just sold him out.


    ¡­


    Logan took a deep breath and sat on the chair. He red at me. This time, I could sense hostility in him.


    I swallowed my saliva hardly, waiting for him to yell at me or maybe kicked me out of the club.


    But it was far better than dropping the bomb when Leah came.


    "Did you just sold me out on the first day?" Logan asked, pointing out the obvious.


    "W¡ªWell, if you worded it like that. But I don''t¡ª"


    "ANSWER! YES OR NO!"


    I was petrified the moment he yelled at me, and this time, he didn''t even have that mischievous grin.


    He was legit angry.


    I gulped and nodded slowly, "Yes, sorry¡­."


    "Sorry? You just sold me out, and you only say sorry?! How shameless can you be?!"


    Well, shameless enough to ask for your forgiveness, at least.


    "This is why I don''t fuck with you all," Loganined and ruffled his hair out of frustration, "What did you tell her?"


    "I told her about you buying the club room, and she asked about your height and appearance."


    "And what did you tell her?" He inquired more.


    "I told her that you''re more than six feet tall, broad shoulder, and very handsome," I told the truth to him. There was no use in hiding anything right now anyway.


    Logan paused for a moment. Somehow, I could sense that his anger reduced a little. He cleared his throat and asked, "What did you tell her again?"


    "Uh¡­ six feet tall, broad shoulder, and very handsome."


    "Repeat in a louder voice. I can''t quite catch it."


    "Huh?" How could he not hear it? I''m literally in front of his face, "Six feet tall, broad shoulder, and very handsome!"


    Logan seemed to think about something. He hummed and then said, "What a skilled bootlicker."


    "Bootlicker? Who? Me?"


    "Obviously," Logan shrugged. "How could youe up with that anyway?"


    ¡­


    "Personal observation," I replied.


    "I see," Logan got up from the chair and walked to a table. He untied his cream-coloured apron and took it off, showing his body in front of me.


    I turned around immediately. I didn''t have the mood to peek at a man like a pervert, either.


    "So, you told this girl about me buying this club and my physical trait, huh?" He asked.


    "Yes," I replied, still with my back turned against him.


    "And she''s interested to see me?"


    I could hear Logan''s voice was getting closer to my ear.


    "Yes."


    Slowly, I could feel a how breath tickled my neck as Logan whispered in my ear, "Well, that''s your fault for making up some shit about me to get her excited, isn''t it? I bet you''re really desperate to get that club visit."


    "Are you searching for something in that club?"


    "You''re so scheming and disingenuous," Logan scoffed. "I hate that kind of woman the most."


    I clenched my fist, "And I hate a rich brat like you as well, don''t tter yourself."


    "I guess our hate is mutual," Logan said with a tone of mockery in his voice. "How about we strike a deal instead. I will act ording to your instruction, so you can do your callous activity, but you mustpensate me with something."


    "What kind ofpensation?" I asked, full of suspicion.


    "I''ll think about itter. Remember that you have lots of debt to pay. I allow you to stay here, and I also help you to do your callous deed, remember to pay it back when I demand it."


    **


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 Chapter 69 - Red Rose

    "I''ll think about itter. Remember that you have lots of debt to pay. I allow you to stay here, and I also help you to do your callous deed, remember to pay it back when I demand it."


    That words from Logan rang in my head like an ominous message, as if the devil was whispering in my ears right now. I gulped and nodded.


    Logan chuckled and turned around. He didn''t seem to be in the mood for more talk. So I reminded him about that important matter before leaving, "Don''t forget to be polite and weing when that manager, Leah Carpenter,e. I really need to gather information," I said.


    "Uh-huh, whatever," Logan said while taking something out of his backpack. "Leave now," He said.


    "Then I will leave now, Logan¡ª"


    "Boss." Logan suddenly snippet.


    "Huh?"


    "Call me Boss Logan from now on. We''re not close enough to call each other with names, especially when I''m the one who let you in this club," Logan said.


    I was astonished by that ridiculous request. I wanted to challenge him, but then I realized that he was right. Technically, he was the owner of this club since he bought it.


    And it was his absolute rule to kick me if he found me displeasing to see.


    "Yes, Boss Logan,"


    "Good," Logan said curtly. He hummed for a moment and told me to leave while he was busy searching for something.


    I snorted and walked away. Who wanted to stay for too long with that guy anyway.


    I took my bike and went home.


    The moment I parked my bike, I saw Grandma was sitting on her rocking chair, staring at the street while holding a red rose.


    I frowned when I saw that rose because I still remember that instance when she got a rose from a mysterious man.


    I approached her and kneeled in front of her, "Grandma, I''m home."


    "Ah, Em, this is for you," Grandma handed me the flower. I stared at it, but I didn''t ept it yet.


    I asked her, "Where did you get this, Grandma? Is it from that man again?"


    "Yes, he came about ten minutes ago," Grandma said with a smile. "He is very handsome and looks gentle. I asked him his name, but he didn''t want to tell me. He said that he wille with a ring in the future, so he can ask for your hand in marriage."


    Hand in marriage?! What kind of crazy shit was that?! I wouldn''t marry anyone, let alone someone creepy like that mysterious guy.


    Grandma handed me the rose again and said, "I know you don''t like that kind of conservative thought of marrying young. But it is still a rose. Just ept it and move on, okay?"


    No, it wasn''t about marrying young. It was the fact that someone could be so brazenly mentioned marriage in front of my Grandma while he didn''t even want to show his face.


    I smiled thinly and took the rose, then I helped Grandma go to her room while cooking for dinner.


    Mom said she would return a bitte, so I just took Grandma''s and my share and left the rest in the freezer.


    I returned to my room, throwing the backpack on the ground and slumped on the bed.


    The red rose was still in my hand. I observed it, wondering if it was just a regr red rose.


    But when I tried smelling it, I sensed something wrong. It wasn''t the smell of a regr red rose. It had been perfumed with a specific scent.


    "What is this smell¡­." I pondered.


    I tried smelling it again, it was a familiar perfume that I smelled once, but I didn''t know where.


    ¡­


    After smelling it for few more times, I got frustrated and threw the rose on the ground.


    I had enough shit to do in school. I didn''t have time to y this kind of game with a creep.


    I stared at the ceiling. I still remember my previous life. I liked Mason Hall, just like the majority of girls in my high school. But I didn''t have the money to join his Fanclub. Besides, I knew I''d be ridiculed. They knew that I was in love with Mason.


    I mean, who wouldn''t love him? He had dreamy eyes, was very handsome, very smart and athletic. I bet he was the valedictorian in the previous life, though I couldn''t see it since I died before that happened¡­


    Because I died before my graduation.


    I gritted my teeth. This vengeful soul in me wouldn''t rest until I got my revenge.


    That being said, talking about a boyfriend, I had one in my sophomore year.


    But it onlysted a month because it wasn''t real, to begin with.


    His name was Kyle, and he was a jock from American Football Club. He suddenly approached me one day and asked if I was free on the weekend.


    And it only took him two days to confess and got my heart. I knew I was so easy because I was desperate.


    He still pretended to like me, though he didn''t even want to touch my hand. But I thought he just didn''t want to get mocked by his friends to date someone like me.


    Who would''ve thought that everything was fake? I was actually a bet ced by his group of friends. If Kyle was able to date me for one month, then he could get a thousand bucks.


    My heart broke at that very moment, but it was expected, right? Who would date that Miss Piggy anyway? I was just a nice bet for their entertainment. That was why I wouldn''t believe anyone anymore, I didn''t want to believe in love.


    I hadn''t seen him in the American Football Club, but one thing for sure, he was on my list.


    I kept staring nkly at the ceiling until I heard a notification from my phone.


    Ding!


    I picked the phone from my jacket and then saw a text from an unknown number.


    ¡ª


    xx: Do you like the red rose?


    ¡ª

 Chapter 70 - The Red Rose Man

    ¡ª


    xx: Do you like the red rose?


    ¡ª


    My eyes widened instantly. I didn''t expect the perpetrator would take the initiative to chat with me first. And he didn''t even hide his number by putting it as an unknown number or something.


    And he just casually asked me whether I liked his red rose or not? Of course, the answer is no! You damn creep!


    Thus, I texted him back;


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Who are you? And what do you want from me?


    Emmy: You''re acting like a creep, you know? Sending red roses to my Grandma without giving a name.


    Emmy: I''ve just crushed the red roses you sent me!


    ¡ª


    I texted out of anger and pressed send on everything. I hated to be the one in the dark because it reminded me of how hopeless I was.


    After a while, I got another text from him,


    ¡ª


    xx: Why are you so hostile? I just want to show my love for you, Em.


    xx: I''ve loved you for so long, you won''t believe how long have I keep this feeling for you.


    ¡ª


    I gritted my teeth. This man didn''t exist in my previous life. I never had one, and I would be d if he also didn''t exist in my current life.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: You coward! You can''t even show your face, and you have the guts to say love?


    Emmy: Don''te anymore. I don''t have time for your stupid fantasy.


    xx: Stupid fantasy? But we''re living in a fantasy, dear Em. What happened to you is stuff came out of fantasy, right?


    ¡ª


    Blood drained out of my body once I saw hisst text.


    No way, there was no way he knew about me returning back in time for revenge.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: What do you mean? Who are you?


    xx: Don''t be so guarded. I''m not going to hurt you or anything. Don''t act like Kristen, okay?


    xx: By the way, what you did to Kristen is marvellous. I like it so much. She deserved more than that, honestly, but I will follow what you want.


    ¡ª


    Oh no.


    No.


    This was too sudden. Did he also know about my scheme against Kristen and Cerise?


    Was he the one who sent the police to catch Kristen immediately?


    There were so many questions in my head right now, and it got me creeped out, knowing that he might also be a rebirth like me.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Seriously, who are you?


    xx: I can''t say much for now, but I remember this.


    xx: I love you, and will always love you, Emmelyn Jones, my Em.


    ¡ª


    That was thest text he sent until I waited for about half an hour. I texted him once, but it didn''t seem that he wanted to reply to me back.


    I was about to press call, but I hesitated.


    My finger hovered on the green call button, contemting whether I should call him or not.


    I was scared that he might pick up the call, and I didn''t know how to confront him.


    Then a notification came in, someone had sent me a text, but it wasn''t that creepy man.


    This was an entirely different number who texted me, and it was Mason.


    ¡ª


    Mason: Hi Em! This is Mason Hall. Please save my number, okay?


    ¡ª


    I stared at Mason''s text for a while. The realization hit me quite hard because, in my previous life, I often fantasized that I could have Mason''s number and chat with him personally.


    Maybe we could have a cute chat, romantic, or even spicy one.


    Maybe we could have a Friday night phone call, talking about random stuff until one of us got sleepy.


    It was all just a fantasy though, I had nobody''s number except Chrissy and Cerise back then.


    After that red rose man chatted me, Mason became some sort of relief. At least, I was chatting with someone I knew.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Yeah, I''ll save your number.


    ¡ª


    I replied short. I didn''t know what to say next. I felt awkward.


    But Mason stroke up the conversation first,


    ¡ª


    Mason: I''m so d that I can chat with your right now. Thank you so for giving me your number!


    ¡ª


    Yeah, that was because I got scared by your eyes.


    Maybe I got too used to seeing Mason with his warm gaze and gentle, perfunctory smile. So when that smiled vanished, I got scared.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: No worries.


    Mason: Uh¡­ about our date to the cake shop this weekend. Do you want me toe to your house? Please give me your address, so I cane.


    ¡ª


    Huh, I thought he already knew my address since he had my student ID before.


    But then again, why would he try to remember my address?


    I guess I just got a bit too excited, thinking Mason was interested in me since our first meeting.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: no need, just tell me the cake shop''s name, and I''lle by bus.


    Mason: Ah, I can borrow my friend''s car if you want me to pick you up, you know¡­


    Emmy: No, don''t. Let''s just meet in the cake shop.


    ¡ª


    Yeah, I had to avoid that one. There was no way that I could let him borrow his friend''s car just toe here. It''d be huge news to the school.


    Agreeing toe with him was already a risk on its own. But I had to agree under that gaze.


    ¡­


    That gaze he gave me, I wondered if he showed that gaze to anyone else because I almost pissed myself when I saw it.


    It was so cold, devoid of emotion. But maybe I was just shocked because I never had a chance to talk with Mason in my previous life. Maybe he had always been like that.


    ¡ª


    Mason: Okay! I''ll see you on Saturday morning. I''ve saved enough money to treat you!


    Emmy: Okay¡­


    ¡ª


    We ended the chat just like that. I still couldn''t believe that I chatted with Mason Hall, the school idol. The dreamy prince that everybody wanted.


    But everything felt too sudden and too suspicious. I didn''t want to be the fool who got yed by men.


    I wasn''t a man-hater, but when you got beaten by your dad, catcalled by those boys for something you can''t help, and turned into a bet by a scum man and his group, you were going to be cautious over everything.


    So far, Mason had been so kind to me. He also unintentionally helped me to ruin Kristen''s reputation forever by holding that security guard.


    If¡­


    If I could imagine the unimaginable if Mason actually confessed to me¡­


    "No, you can''t, Emmelyn," I shook my head, trying to remind myself that men¡­ or boys, were nothing but trouble. I didn''t need anyone to hinder my n, and Mason was definitely a big red g. Because of his poprity, he would attract way too much attention.


    And about that red rose, man¡­


    My feet went cold when I reread his texts. Although he didn''t say it directly, his words signalled that he knew everything I did, including that I was a rebirth.


    I had many spections in my mind, but everything led to nowhere. That red rose man came out of nowhere and entered my life just like this.


    "And he said not to worry because he loves me¡­ Heh, what a load of bullshit."

 Chapter 71 - Club Visit (1)

    I stood in front of the Boxing club in a daze.


    Today was Friday, my mind was upied with two things.


    1. Day One visit to the Boxing club as an ''observer'' to see their daily activity in the club. While in fact, I just wanted to find one gossip or two about Leah.


    2. Date with Mason on Saturday morning.


    Honestly, my mind was more distracted on my date with Mason. Because it would be the first date I had in this new life, and I didn''t know if it''d be good.


    I had a date with Kyle in the previous life¡­ once.


    And it was in the park, two meters apart from each other, because he said he was embarrassed. While I knew he just didn''t want people to see that he had a date with Miss Piggy.


    I knew Mason, and I wouldn''t hold hands, let alone kiss.


    But at least we would be sitting at the same table, right?


    ¡­


    "You¡ªHey, you!"


    I snapped out of my daze when I felt a big hand grabbed and shook my shoulder. I turned my head to the left and saw one of the boxing club boys.


    "Y¡ªYes?"


    "Miss Leah said that she wouldn''t being today because she''s going somewhere. You can juste in for the club visit," he informed.


    I nodded and followed him from behind.


    Everyone in the boxing club was either busy sparring in the boxing ring, punching a sandbag, or just doing regr exercise to maintain their shape.


    The boy who escorted me said, "You can just look around or ask one of us about anything."


    I stared at him and nodded. I felt this would lead to nothing if I just asked them without any lead. So I observed them first.


    ¡­


    After observing for almost thirty minutes, I got frustrated as I found nothing wrong here.


    But at the same time, my gut feeling told me that something was amiss about Leah and her group.


    My first question was¡­ how in hell could Leah take control over everyone and make them obey her.


    Most of them were a bunch of rowdy boys that was mostly uncontroble even by the strictest teacher.


    How could Leah do it? Was it with money?


    Thus I walked towards the boy who escorted me before. He was practising with a sandbag. I stood at the side and asked, "Excuse me, but may I know how Miss Leah could be the new manager? She''s the first female manager in this club, right?"


    The boy continued practising while answering my question, "Miss Leah, she helps us to destress. She also helps us to get stronger during a match. She''s been a great help."


    "Destress?" I asked curiously. What kind of destress we were talking about here? Was it sex stuff?


    Wait, did Leah offer her body to the whole club?!


    Assumptions ran wild in my head as I wanted to know more.


    The boy stopped punching the sandbag. He nced at me suspiciously, but he still zipped his mouth. So I acted like a clueless girl and continued to question, "What kind of destress you guys are doing here?"


    "It''s a club secret. We don''t share it with an outsider," He replied.


    "But this is quite important for my observation. You can just tell me what kind of activity you guys did to destress."


    "¡­ we went to a restaurant, and Miss Leah treat us with food. She told us to eat as much as we wanted, as long as it made us happy. It''s our way to destress," he exined.


    Yeah, that wasplete bullcrap.


    There was no way they could be her underlings by just treating them with food.


    In my previous life, I remembered that the boxing club members beat me up to pulp without mercy after onemand from Leah.


    As much as I knew how ugly I was, I doubted they''d beat a girl mercilessly just because they would get treated with food.


    There must be an extreme thing that pushed the whole club to be her absolute servant, doing all her dirty biddings.


    Something that they couldn''t deny.


    But I knew that I couldn''t press this guy further. He was already defensive enough, so I thanked him and left.


    I walked around observing the boys in close range. There, I could find something was amiss.


    It might be my overthinking, but I saw few of them were thinner than what a boy who joined a Boxing club should look.


    And I wasn''t talking about just slightly thin, but they were thin and looked a bit sickly.


    They were in a daze too, either staring at the sandbox or just sitting at the edge of the room, staring at their friends who were sparring in the boxing ring.


    It was such a weird view from me because I had noticed them just now. As if they just suddenly appeared out of nowhere.


    I walked towards one who was sitting at the corner of the room. He was dazed, but once I stood in front of him, he looked up.


    "Excuse me," I said politely. I crouched so our eyes could be on the same level. "May I ask about few things?"


    "Oh.. ah¡­" the man nodded, but he didn''t seem to be thinking straight.


    "Okay, first, may I know what makes you feel that Miss Leah is a great manager?" I asked professionally.


    The guy''s eyes widened so suddenly, and he shook his head, "Miss¡­ Miss Leah, where is she?"


    "Huh?"


    "Where is she?! I need her!" he yelled and grabbed my arm. He clenched my arms tightly and continued yelling, "I really need her!"


    "I¡ªI don''t know¡ª" I was too shocked to react as he kept yelling, searching for Miss Leah.


    It became the source of attention in the club as everyone started staring at me with their cold eyes.


    The boy who escorted me before finally walked towards me and forcefully separated me from that crazed guy.


    He red at that guy and ordered with a loud voice, "OUT!"


    The guy was stunned. He stared at us for a moment and then got up. He limped as he left through the main door.


    The boy propped me up and checked my condition, "Are you okay?"


    "I am, but¡­." I swallowed my saliva, hardly. "What.... what happened with him?"

 Chapter 72 - Club Visit (2)

    "Are you okay?"


    "I am, but¡­." I swallowed my saliva, hardly. "What... what happened with him?"


    ¡­


    "It''s nothing. He''s just a bit crazy. Miss Leah has been taking care of him for a while," the boy exined. But I felt like he was hiding many things. He refused to tell what kind of destress they did, and when that weird guy suddenly came to search for Leah, he got kicked out.


    "Is he part of the boxing club?" I asked. Because I found it so weird that a frail guy like that could enter this club full of rigorous activities. He would be beaten to a pulp by these club members.


    ¡­


    The boy paused for a moment before nodding, "He was an official club member before. But something happened, and he got kicked out."


    "Miss Leah is kind enough to let him stay around for some treatment, but other than that, he has no business here. We usually just leave him alone while he is waiting for Miss Leah toe."


    "Oh, he seems to be very dependent on Leah. What he did that got him kicked out of the club? Is this treatment also part of your destress?"


    ¡­


    "What''s your name again?"


    "Emmelyn."


    "Emmelyn, it''s not good to stick your nose to our private matter. Miss Leah epted you because she wants to show a good example to other clubs."


    No, she epted my club visit because she wanted to fuck with Logan, I bet.


    Thanks to him, though, now I could gain ess to this club.


    "So don''t be nosy and ask about private things," the boy said.


    Heh, then how could I get anything if I didn''t get nosy? My reason toe here was to destroy your manager''s life after all.


    "I see. May I know your name?"


    "James."


    I nodded and exined, "You see, James. I''m here just for my club visit. I''m not trying to be nosy or anything, but you''ve been so secretive."


    "How am I supposed to get an idea of what you guys are doing if you hide everything?"


    James looked at me with displeasure, but I bet he couldn''t say anything since he had no right.


    I was here with an official rmendation letter approved by Leah, so he couldn''t say anything.


    However, I found that I had no way to continue this conversation with him. I knew I wasn''t weed. I might as well make a point.


    "I don''t see anything worthwhile if you keep hiding everything. It''s not like you guys are doing illegal stuff, right?" I said with a grin.


    James stared at me expressionless, he was already cold when I entered the club, and he was even colder now.


    "There is no illegal stuff here. This is just a regr boxing club," James replied, trying to cover up that dirty little secret.


    "Regr boxing club with great loyalty to Miss Leah, right?"


    "¡­. yes."


    I grinned and turned around. I looked over my shoulder and told James, "Thank you for guiding me today. I''ll return on Monday, but please be more professional because there is no way I can use this as a report."


    "Your report is not our problem, Emmelyn."


    "And my report will determine whether I can help Miss Leah or not. I bet she will be enraged because you don''t give enough information for me, James," I walked out of the club.


    I could feel James'' suspicious gaze piercing my back, and I understood that he must''ve been worried about that secret.


    But I had to keep pressuring them to at least show me a hint, so I could get enough to start formting my n.


    But I knew the key was in Logan and Leah. Maybe I could use Logan to seduce Leah?


    I knew Logan would hate it, but then again, I think he hated everything except making pottery.


    So might as well took the shotter.


    ¡ª


    I walked on the corridor, looking for that frail guy who had been kicked out of the club by James.


    I had the feeling that I could get A LOT of information about the shady secret inside the Boxing club.


    But as I kept searching around, I couldn''t find him at all. He hobbled as if he was about to fall anytime soon, but when I rushed around to search him¡­ he disappeared.


    "Where the heck is that guy?" I wondered as I kept searching. I passed many clubs until I reached the end of the club building. That guy just vanished out of thin air.


    "Damn it, what is he? A ghost?" I was frustrated. I thought that it would be easy. But things had never been easy for me, just my luck, I guess.


    I walked to the Pottery club room and saw Logan was sitting on the ground while smoking a cigarette. He puffed the smoke in the air while thinking about something.


    I frowned.


    I had to admit that Logan looked troubled, but he was rich, so rich, and that came from Leah''s mouth. What kind of problem did a rich kid have anyway?


    Call me insensitive, but as far as I saw, all my problems in the previous life could be solved as long as I had money.


    I held my breath as I entered the pottery club room. Logan nced at me, but he ignored me and continued smoking.


    I snatched the cigarette from his hand and put it off before throwing it on the trash can.


    Logan clicked his tongue in annoyance, "What are you on about? Now I can''t smoke?"


    I pointed up to the ceiling, "The smoke detector, you dumbass. If you triggered that, the whole building will be on fire emergency!"


    Logan looked up and snorted, "Fine, I''ll ask someone to deactivate thatter."


    Why didn''t you just¡ªstop smoking instead? That''d be easier, right?


    Logan shifted his gaze at me and asked, "So, what brings you here?"


    "This is my club. Now I can''t enter my club as well?"


    "I''m not an idiot.. Just tell me what you want before I kick you out for real."

 Chapter 73 - The Same Vengefulness (1)

    Logan shifted his gaze at me and asked, "So, what brings you here?"


    "This is my club. Now I can''t enter my club as well?"


    "I''m not an idiot. Just tell me what you want before I kick you out for real."


    "So hostile and for what?" I rolled my eyes. "I''m here because I need you to do something. I need it so I can pressure Leah to give some sacrifice to get you."


    "You want me to seduce that girl?" Logan asked. He didn''t seem to react much other than obvious displeasure on his face.


    "Yes," I replied.


    "I hate girls," Logan informed with a shrug. "I don''t like being around them."


    "Do you like boys¡ª"


    "No, I hate them all. I just dislike people in general," Logan added to clear up the confusion. "There is no way I''d follow your instruction to seduce a random girl like that."


    "But with this, I can secure a chance to get more information¡ª"


    Logan frowned, "Now you can just order me around like that? Remember who''s the boss here."


    "But¡ª"


    "Just leave now. I''m not in the mood to y with you," Logan said. He fished out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He was about to lit one, but when he nced up to the ceiling, he sighed and put it in his pocket again.


    It seemed that Logan wasn''t in the mood right now. I guessed it was also my fault foring and brazenly asked him to do my bidding.


    In my eyes, Logan looked like a panther that always growled and looked hostile to anyone for whatever reason he had.


    Either I yed with what the Panther wanted, or I had to run away before he caught me.


    "Okay, Boss, rx. I''m sorry for being pushy before. I just got impatient," I tried to pacify Logan, who already got up, about to leave the club.


    Logan halted his step and looked at me.


    "Boss Logan, I really need your help on this. I''ve just visited that Boxing club, and they are so secretive about everything¡­."


    "So you wasted the whole evening without any lead for that n of yours?" Logan asked. I nodded once, and he reacted with a chuckle. "How can you be that ipetent?"


    Bitch, I got kicked out by that James guy! Besides, I couldn''t even get any proper answer to my question!


    Well, that was what I wanted to say to him. But Logan was already in a bad mood, so I had to y the submissive one here.


    "Well, isn''t that the reason why I''m here right now? Because I think you can help me¡­." I said. I lowered my gaze like a pitiful, bullied kid, something I knew really well in the previous life.


    Logan was staring at me and then pinched my chin. He raised my face and asked, full of worry, "Oh no, at least you tried your best, right?" He said, softening his voice.


    I was a bit startled that he could be softer, so I thought this was my chance.


    "Y¡ªYes¡­ but I really need your help, Boss Logan. I''m already desperate¡­."


    "I see¡­ it seems that you really need my help."


    "S¡ªSo, will you help me¡ª"


    "No."


    Logan curt answer got me shocked. I didn''t expect him to just turn me down after my convincing acting.


    Logan released my chin and then said, "You should start an acting lesson. You''re too predictable."


    Logan took his backpack and headed to the door. I hurriedly grabbed his hand, "Wait! We can talk about this!"


    "I''m not your tool, you idiot. Do you think you can ask me to do your bidding without any exchange?" Logan scoffed. "Just because you have a pretty face doesn''t mean that I''ll be interested in helping you for free."


    Dang it, as expected, I wasn''t really good at convincing and seducing people to do my bidding. I wished I could be like Barbara or Leah.


    Logan sat on a chair, with his leg spread out wide. He asked, "First, tell me, is this an act of revenge against that girl?"


    I took a deep breath. I really couldn''t hide anything from this guy. He didn''t seem to be the type of guy who could be swayed with anything, whether money or beauty.


    So it should be best toe clean and plot with him.


    "It''s an act of revenge," I replied.


    "Oh? Did you have a history with her? I''m not from around here," Logan asked with interest.


    I paused when I heard that. I had just realized that I had never seen Logan in any ss before, and I had never met him in my previous life. But if he wasn''t originated from here, that meant he was also clueless about many things.


    So why would he ask me to approach a girl in this school?


    Questions started popping out in my brain, but I took the chance. I could use his cluelessness to fool him into agreeing.


    "Leah has been bullying me in middle school. Now that she is in the Boxing club, she has been tormenting even more. She acts like she doesn''t know me, while we knew each other in middle school before¡­."


    "Huh, so you want to ruin her life because she bullied you before?" He asked.


    ¡­


    For some reason, I felt like it was a trick question. But I told myself that being honest with him was the best I could do since he could tell when I waspletely lying."


    "Yes, I want to get my revenge," I replied.


    ¡­


    Logan was silent, but his eyes observed me as if he was deciding upon something.


    "What? Do you not believe me, or do you think I have a devious intention?" I confronted him. I didn''t want to be judged by someone, let alone by a man.


    "No, I just think whether it''s worth it to help you with your revenge," Logan replied lightly.


    "Wait, you don''t oppose my revenge?"


    "Huh? Why would I?" Logan leaned on their chair and showed a devious smirk.. "Ruin them like they ruin you, so they will understand your pain."

 Chapter 74 - The Same Vengefulness (2)

    "Wait, you don''t oppose my revenge?"


    "Huh? Why would I?" Logan leaned on their chair and showed a devious smirk. "Ruin them like they ruin you, so they will understand your pain."


    ¡­


    Logan chuckled when he saw me spacing out, "Why are you spacing out like that? Is it that surprising to hear?"


    Well, duh. Who wouldn''t be surprised when someone stated something so vengeful and evil without hesitation? He didn''t even stutter. That meant he didn''t pretend to be a tough, edgy guy who wanted revenge.


    When Logan said it, he sounded like someone who wouldn''t feel any remorse but realistic enough to pick his target.


    Now I wondered if that girl he mentioned before was his target for revenge instead of a romantic interest.


    "I hate everyone. I hate girls, I hate boys, I hate touching them. I hate to even talk with them," Logan said. "But I''m always open for anything that could be beneficial for me in the long run. We can exchange favour, right?"


    I leered full of suspicion at him, "Is it about that girl? Who is she?"


    "I can''t tell you now. I have my own n, but I''m still finding enough evidence that it was her," Logan said.


    I was still curious about this girl he targeted. It seemed that he really wanted to bring this girl down.


    "You want me to bring this girl down, right?" I asked.


    "Not just her, but she is the first target. As I said, I''ll tell youter."


    Logan scoffed, "Look, Emmelyn. I don''t want to be anyone''s tool, especially to someone devious and vengeful like you. But that doesn''t mean I''m not open for cooperation."


    "Heh, you called me devious and vengeful, but look who''s talking?" I challenged him. I didn''t want to be the only bad guy here.


    "I guess that makes the two of us," Logan chuckled. "Remember, Emmelyn, you have a lot of debt to pay. I will collect my paymentter."


    "I know, I know," I rolled my eyes in annoyance. I felt safer because it didn''t seem that he was aiming for my body. This was what I called a mutualism symbiosis. Both of us would provide for this.


    "Though, I don''t understand what do you want me to do," I frowned. "I don''t exactly have any resources."


    "Don''t worry, with your disingenuous mind, I think you''ll figure out something," Logan shrugged. "Now, let''s talk about that girl Leah. What do you want me to do?"


    "Okay," I took a deep breath and started briefing him about my n.


    "So I have a suspicion about Boxing club. It seems that they are hiding a dirty secret, and that dirty secret originates from Leah. Since she''s the manager, she has control over everything."


    "I''ve asked few things inside the club, but the members of Boxing club keeps hiding even the smallest information. As if they don''t want me to know anything in the first ce."


    "Then, I noticed something amiss. At least 30% of the Boxing club members are thinner than regr Boxing members should be. And they look so frail, I don''t think they can stand a chance there."


    "But when I want to inquire about that problem, the members kicked me out, preventing me from asking many details," I reported my findings to Logan.


    Logan nodded and hummed.


    "So you think, by seducing that girl Leah, she will let you know that dirty little secret? That''s naive. It''s not easy to obtain an important secret."


    "I know it''s not easy," I had to agree on that one. "It wasn''t easy to spill a secret, let aloneing from a big club that involved many people. But you need to keep inciting her, ensuring that you can buy me time to investigate more. Make sure that she doesn''t ban me from entering and investigating inside," I briefed him to make sure the n worked.


    "And how do I do that?" Logan asked.


    "Eh? Of course, by making sure that she is into you. I observed that she likes a handsome, rich guy, especially since you''re tall with a broad shoulder. I''m sure that you will seed."


    "What makes you so sure that I can seduce her? She has a lot of male friends, right?"


    "No, no, you''re different. With that kind of face, I bet you can get her easily. Don''t worry, you''re very handsome, Boss Logan," I assured him.


    ¡­


    Logan got up and turned around. He walked away so suddenly.


    "W¡ªWait, is that a yes or¡ª"


    "Yes, I''ll help you," Logan said. "You sweet-mouthed idiot. Don''t think I will be swayed by that kind ofpliment."


    Wait, whoplimented him?


    "G¡ªGood then, I''ll tell you when Leah wants to meet you. Since it''s Friday, my next Club visit will be on Monday."


    "Yeah, yeah, whatever," Logan walked away. He seemed to be a bit dazed, at least from what I see. Since he usually had strong and rough steps, which gave an illusion that he had everything in control, like a cold boss that had everything under his hand.


    But I saw him wobbled for a millisecond when he stepped out of the door.


    Ah, now that I had briefed Logan, I could rest my heart a little. Logan wasn''t as handsome as Mason because Mason''s handsomeness was just¡­ out of this world.


    But Logan''s rough and wild charm was definitely Leah''s type rather than Mason''s refine gentleman charm.


    "Nice, Em, you''ve scored yourself a good man to use. I bet I can use Logan for my ns in the future," I said to myself, nodding full of pride.


    Though, I was still worried about what he wanted me to do. I didn''t know his enemy or whether I was capable of helping him.


    But one thing for sure, I had to be prepared because I would get entangled with someone else''s problem.


    I wondered, though¡­


    He seemed to be targeting this girl, even though he wasn''t a native of this town. Did that mean he enrolled on this school only for his revenge?

 Chapter 75 - Were Not That Close

    Since Boss Logan left earlier, I got to be the one in charge to clean the Pottery club room before I left.


    Thus, I started sweeping the room on my own and wiping few spots that had dirt on them. Maybe Logan made another mug or small vase today as well.


    I looked at the lines of new potteries made by those big and rough hands. I had always wondered how those hands capable of crushing a man''s head could make something as fragile as pottery goods.


    Since it required gentle touch, at least that was my first impression when I saw it.


    I kept staring at the potteries until I heard someone called me from outside, "Em."


    "Huh?" I turned my head spontaneously, then saw a man with a white jacket that I had worn before. He smiled at me with his beautiful deep ocean eyes.


    "Hi, Em," Mason called me again with a smile. "Can Ie in?"


    I was dazed for a moment, then nodded lightly. I didn''t know what to expect. Heck, I didn''t even expect him toe in the first ce.


    Mason came in and took off the hoodie covering his head. He smiled at me and said, "I''m sorry toe unnoticed. I just want to say congrattions for maintaining the Pottery club."


    ¡­


    I said nothing and strode right to the door. I stuck my head out, looking left and right on the corridor, checking if there was one of his crazy fans around.


    After making sure that the corridor was empty, I sighed, full of relief. I asked Mason, "You only came here to congratte me?"


    "Y¡ªYes¡­" Mason said with a slight blush on his face.


    I had to admit that he looked so cute and handsome at the same time. Mason was a top visual. He could just walk in a random ce and became the centre of attention effortlessly.


    I lowered my gaze out of embarrassment, "T¡ªThank you," I replied, not knowing how to break the awkward tension between us.


    ¡­


    "Uh¡­ actually, I came here just to check on you. Because I heard that Pottery club was about to get disbanded. I got worried, so¡­ I uh¡­ I''m asking whether you want to join my club or something¡­" Mason said. "But then, I heard today from someone that a rich kid had bought the pottery club room. Is it true?"


    "Yeah, he bought the whole Pottery club room, so the club''s disbandment has been pulled out by the school board," I confirmed.


    "He?"


    "Yes, he is the new club president now," I said lightly. I thought there was nothing wrong with informing Mason about it, but Mason became silent suddenly.


    The red tint on his cheeks also disappeared, which got me a bit unsettled, "What is it?"


    "Are you the only girl in this club?" Mason asked again.


    "Uh-huh," I nodded to give another confirmation.


    "How many people have joined the Pottery club this year?" Mason suddenly inquired more about my Pottery club.


    I frowned over his interest in this dying club, but I answered, "There are only two. Me and the new club president."


    ¡­


    "I see¡­" Mason mumbled.


    My breath stopped for a second when I saw that dangerous glint in his eyes. But it was only for a split second that I thought it was just me hallucinating.


    Because Mason just closed his eyes and smiled thin, "It seems that you are close with this club president."


    "Huh? What the¡ªew!" I overreacted spontaneously, but it was given for. Who would want to be close with that kind of person?


    "He''s a rough, rude, and messy person!" I cursed Logan out loud. Honestly, I really disliked that type of man because he reminded me of¡­


    I shook my head. I didn''t want to remember that man in my life either. He was in jail now.


    I sensed that Mason''s expression eased, and he sighed, "I just don''t want you to get assigned to a random club."


    ¡­


    "Why are you so concerned anyway?" I asked bluntly. I didn''t understand what was in Mason''s mind. I also didn''t understand why did he had be so attentive towards me in this life.


    Mason looked confused, "Why? Because I care about you?"


    I held my breath in response, not knowing what to say more than that. He said that he cared about me so lightly as if it was a normal thing to do.


    "Why do you care about me?"


    "That¡ª" this time, Mason was the one who zipped his mouth. He seems to be thinking about something, but in the end, he just said, "It''s something personal."


    "Anyway, are you sure that you don''t want me to pick you up by car?" Mason asked. He looked nervous, an emotion that I had never seening from Mason Hall. "I¡­ I can borrow my friend''s car, don''t worry about it, he has a lot of cars, I can borrow one if I want to."


    Whenever I remembered Mason, both in my previous life and in this life, I always saw him as a school prince, male god, or whatever you wanted to call him.


    He was lukewarm with everyone, but he was so good at it, nobody ever questioned his behaviour. In fact, people called him charming and kindhearted, much to my dismay.


    If he showed the same expression to everyone, that meant he never put anyone to his eyes.


    Honestly, it still baffled me how could someone like Mason didn''te from a rich family. Maybe because he had an expensive face, but still¡­ my gut feeling told me that Mason wasn''t poor and didn''t grow up poor at all.


    For the second time, I rejected his offer, "You don''t need to. I can go by bus. Besides, we''re not that close for you toe to my house."


    Mason was stunned after I rejected his offer. I could see it from his eyes. He lowered his head and nodded with a thin smile lingered, "I guess so. I''ll wait at the cake shop tomorrow then."


    Mason turned around and walked away, leaving me confused about his behaviour. I frowned over his reaction, "Did I say something wrong?

 Chapter 76 - Moms Advice

    I went home in aplicated mood. That face Mason made as if he was disappointed over something. What I said wasn''t wrong, right?


    Mason and I barely knew each other, so it would be weird for him to juste to my home to pick me up.


    Besides, my neighbourhood was that type of neighbourhood with many gossipy middle-aged moms with too much time. I knew they gossiped about my mom being a call girl, whoring her body to support our family. Because apparently, for some of them, a family without a man was deemed to be a dying family that couldn''t survive.


    I knew they were just close-minded, backward idiots. But it still hurt to hear that around you.


    I returned home and saw Mom already sitting on the couch, eating fruit sd while watching some drama show. She returned earlier today, and I guessed, Grandma was already resting in her room.


    Mom looked at me while chewing a fruit, "Em, you''re quitete today."


    "Yeah, got to clean the club room," I said while sitting beside her. I took a slice of apple from her bowl and ate it.


    Mom kept staring at me as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, we just watched the movie in silence.


    I wanted to talk about this problem of mine when I saw her.


    No, it wasn''t about my revenge against Leah or someone else. That was my own problem that I could deal with on my own.


    It was about my first date, and that date was with Mason Hall.


    "Mom¡­"


    "Hm?"


    "Can I ask you a question?"


    "Just ask, honey," Mom said while watching the movie.


    "What did you do on your first date?"


    "Hm? I wear my casual¡ª" Mom paused after she realized it. She turned her whole body in my direction and asked, "Wait, what did you ask?"


    "First date¡­ what did you do on your first date?"


    Mom stared at me with disbelief, "You''re going on your first date? What? How? Why? When? Where? Who?!"


    Mom started barraging me with questions. I knew it was unbelievable for her.


    "Am I that ugly, Mom? You don''t even believe me¡­."


    "No, no, it''s not like that," Mom denied. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "It''s just¡­ you''ve never gone with boys in middle school, and you said you hate them. I really thought that it''s not possible¡ª"


    "Mom!" I yelled out of annoyance.


    "Okay, okay, sorry," Momughed awkwardly. "Tell me what kind of man¡ªI mean, the boy will go on a date with you."


    I imagined Mason Hall in my head. Although I barely knew about his private life, at least, from what I observed, I concluded, "He is handsome, very handsome in fact. He is the school quarterback and also an honour student. He also works as a teen model part-time."


    "You''re describing a School prince from movies, Em," Mom chuckled as if she heard a joke.


    I wasn''t offended on that one, though. I had to admit, Mason seemed to be a character straight out of Wattpad.


    "Anyway, when will you go on a date with this boy?"


    "Tomorrow morning," I replied. "I... I just need few tips, Mom. What did you do on the first date? Was it with Dad?"


    "NO," Mom replied curtly. All her cheers vanished once I mentioned Dad. I knew he was a sensitive topic for both of us, but I couldn''t help to ask.


    Because if Dad was Mom''s first date, then I''d avoid everything that she did during her first date to make sure I didn''t end up meeting a man like Dad.


    Mom looked up, trying to reminisce about her youth, "My first date was also at the first year of high school. He was a member of Music Club, a drummer."


    "He wasn''t exactly a romantic. But he knew how to treat me right during our first date," Mom chuckled. "Well, if you want to hear my tips, don''t overdress during the first date, especially when you''re in high school. Because usually, boys hate a girl that overdressed on a date."


    "Be casual, but cute enough¡ªthough, I think my daughter is already effortlessly cute," Mom teased me by pinching my nose.


    A thin smile bloomed on my lips, "Thanks, Mom. I don''t want to doll up for this anyway."


    "Uh-huh, but that still depends on your date. Will hee here to pick you up?"


    "Ah, no, I refused him twice. I don''t want him to know our address," I said.


    "Why? Is it because our house looks a bit too shabby?" Mom asked, not sugarcoating anything.


    "I just don''t feel like it. We''re not close enough for him toe here. Besides, we will be the source of gossip around the neighbourhood."


    "Hah, you don''t need to care about those people. They have nothing better to do!" Mom raised her chin, ready to fight them.


    I chuckled and shook my head, "It''s okay, Mom. I will meet him at the Cake shop. I''ll go by bus."


    Mom sighed, "Fine. I already cooked dinner for you."


    My body froze when I heard Mom already cooked something, "I¡ªI''m feeling a bit stuffy. I had lunch with my club president today," I got up and walked straight to my room, but Mom suddenly grabbed my hand, and she warned me, "Remember, Em, do not let your guards down. If he asks you for a kiss, then it''s okay. But if he wants more, especially if he wants to touch your body, then Get. The. Hell. Out."


    I nodded, "I know, Mom. I''m not that stupid. I epted his date because he has been asking me many times."


    "Oh-ho-ho~ Emmelyn Jones is such an expensive girl, I see~" Mom winked and released my hand. She leaned on the sofa, continued eating the fruit sd. "Alright then, I''ll put money on the table for you tomorrow morning because I have a weekend shift."


    "Thanks, Mom."


    I went to my room and locked the door.


    I sat in front of the small dressing table that was most unused because this was my first real date. I felt nervous.


    I stared at myself in the mirror. I hated to admit it, but I started checking my appearance when facing my first date. I checked whether I had pimples, freckles, or dark spots on my face. Then I got up and checked myself on the mirror, in case I got fat on my waist, and I really had to cover my big boobs. Lucky that it was already fall season, so wearing mostly ck wouldn''t look too weird.


    Mason was blessed with an angelic face that gave him a free pass since I had never seen him looking ugly, even with only one pimple on his face. He was always smooth and clean.


    I already told myself that I didn''t want to be an idiot in front of a boy.


    But in the end, when facing the first date, I still became conscious about my body and appearance. It was like a curse.


    The curse of all girls, we might not admit it, but we got very conscious about outer appearance. I didn''t like it, but it was inevitable,


    "Haaahhhh¡­ I''m just a normal teenage girl in the end."

 Chapter 77 - My First Date (1)

    Saturday Morning,


    I woke up early today, too early, in fact. Because when I checked the clock, it was still 4 in the morning.


    But I couldn''t sleep anymore. I got nervous, afraid that I might miss the date with Mason.


    I didn''t know how I could be this nervous, especially knowing that Mason and I had nothing happening between us. This was just a date because he felt gratitude towards me.


    I got up and checked the clothes I wanted to wear for the date today. Since I didn''t want to overdress, and I also didn''t have many clothes, to begin with, I just wore simple jeans and a long-sleeved ck shirt.


    I knew it wasn''t that beautiful or charming for a first date, but fuck that, I didn''t have any intention to impress Mason in the first ce.


    I sat on my bed, checking my text with Mason. He hadn''t texted me after thest text two days ago, but he said he would share the location once he got there earlier.


    "Hah¡­ he must''ve been sleeping like a dead log right now. Unlike me, who act like a stupid kid nervous for the first day at school," Iined to myself.


    I waited for the whole morning ying mobile games until it was seven in the morning. Now, all I needed to do was just preparing myself before going.


    Right at 8 in the morning, I got a text from Mason, and it was a pinpoint. He had shared his location, a Cake shop downtown.


    ¡ª


    Mason: That''s the address.


    Mason: Uh¡­ take your time, Em. I''ll be waiting.


    Emmy: I''ll go there as soon as possible.


    ¡ª


    So I left my room and picked my shoes immediately.


    "Grandma, I''m going now. I have to go somewhere," I said to Grandma, who was sitting leisurely on her rocking chair, basking in the morning sun.


    **


    It took me a while until I reached the nearest bus station and took a thirty-minute trip Downtown.


    Then, I turned man GPS to follow the direction. It took me another twenty minutes until I found the Cake shop to have our first date.


    I looked up to check the sign, "Louvre. Yeah, that''s it."


    Then when I looked down to the ss door, I already saw a man covered with a white hoodie and face mask that covered half of his face.


    But from his eyes, I could easily tell that he was Mason. That dreamy eyes were difficult to hide.


    I saw that Mason had been spacing out this whole time. He had his hands inside his hoodie pocket, so I guessed that he had been standing here for a while.


    "Mason, sorry to make you wait," I said right in front of Mason.


    Mason was startled, but when he saw me, I could sense that relief in his eyes, "It''s nothing, Em. I haven''t wait long, just about fifteen minutes ago."


    "Fifteen minutes?"


    "Y¡ªYeah," Mason turned away immediately. "Let''s just go inside, okay?"


    I followed Mason to enter the Cake Shop and saw various cakes in many colours I had never know existed.


    I was awed by the colourful decorations inside the Cake shop, themps and the sweet-slightly mellow scent.


    Honestly, this was the first time I came to a Cake Shop. Because I was so broke in the previous life, I had no money or time to go here in this new life.


    I often watched cake rted stuff on Youtube to pass my time back in middle school. It was one of my gateways from the harsh life I experienced with my abusive father.


    He never allowed me to leave the house after I finished school, and stuff like cake¡­ it was Mom who made it on a special asion like Birthday. We would celebrate it as two, watching some movies while waiting for Dad to return home like a prisoner.


    Yeah, it wasn''t a happy life.


    My eyes looked around bewilderedly, and I didn''t even try to hide it. I was too excited to see all these decorations. I felt like a kid again, a kid on her first time visiting a Cake shop.


    Mason gently held my hand and asked, "Do you like the ce?"


    I nodded happily, "It''s great! What an amazing ce!"


    Mason smiled at me. His eye exuded deep warmth, "d you like it."


    Mason led me to the counter and checked on the disys full of colourful cakes with names I heard for the first time in my life.


    I was embarrassed that I knew nothing about this, but Mason helped me by talking to the olddy standing behind the disy.


    "Excuse me, may we get something special? This is our first visit here, and we want to celebrate it," Mason said.


    The olddy giggled when they saw us, "It''s rare to see young couples looking so romantic these days. Are you two dating?"


    "We are not¡ª" I was about to exin, but the olddy interrupted and started rambling.


    "Ah, what a pair of perfect young couple! You boy looks very handsome, and you girl looks pretty! You two must''ve been popr in your school, right?"


    Well, that was true for Mason, not for me, though. Bet she''d be surprised if I told her the truth since she seemed to be making her own assumption.


    Mason and I looked in the opposite direction, trying to avoid each others'' gaze while the olddy kept open rambling. I was embarrassed shy, I knew it sounded disgusting, but I actually got shy right now.


    "It''s so cute. You two are holding hands! Young folks these days don''t want to hold hands because they said it''s embarrassing!" The olddy chattered.


    I had just noticed that Mason was holding my hand the whole time. I yanked my hand quickly to separate myself from him. My cheeks reddened, thinking that Mason and I were enjoying our time, holding hands like a real couple!


    "Oh my my! Don''t be shy. Look at your boyfriend, he is so shy, yet he still wants to hold your hand!"

 Chapter 78 - My First Date (2)

    "Oh my my! Don''t be shy, look at your boyfriend. He is so shy, yet he still wants to hold your hand!"


    I wanted to confirm stuff, afraid that Mason might get upset because people got the wrong idea. I remembered that he never liked to get paired with a girl in his previous life.


    "We''re not¡ª"


    "It''s okay. She''s just nervous¡­" Mason said with a thin, shy smile.


    I gawked at his response, but the olddy continued her chatter with Mason instead. So I didn''t have a proper time to respond to his im.


    "Ahahaha! It''s okay! There are shy girls like that!" The olddy said. She turned around and checked on her own disy cake, "Since you two look so sweet together, how about that sweet mellow pumpkin cake?"


    The olddy pointed at an orange cute with cute maple leaves decoration. Of course, everything was edible.


    My eyes marvelled instantly. I never had a decorated cake as my birthday cake in my life. Well, in fact, I never ate any cake other than the one made by Mom.


    And yes, it was terrible, but I still ate it on my birthday to appreciate her.


    But then, I checked the price tag under the disy, and my excitement died down in less than a second.


    Because that pumpkin cake cost whopping 60 bucks, and it wasn''t even a big one, it was a medium one!


    What kind of rip off was this!?


    "W¡ªWe don''t need that one¡ª" I rejected the offer immediately. I only had friggin¡­ 20 bucks in my pocket, and I already used a little for bus fare.


    "I''ll take that one," Mason said lightly.


    "But¡ª"


    "No, it''s okay. I told you that I''ll treat you today, right?"


    The olddy was delighted. She told us to sit wherever we liked while preparing the cake.


    Mason and I sat on a side right beside the ss pane showing the street outside. It was still a peaceful morning today. I checked my watch, 9.30 A.M.


    Mason stared at me with his deep but beautiful ocean eyes, and I couldn''t help but get shy. Because it was so rare for someone to stare at me without any ill or perverted intention.


    "A¡ªAbout the cake, I''ll pay you half on Monday, okay?" I said. I still felt guilty because he bought me a 60 dors cake.


    "It''s nothing. I''ve saved enough money to treat you today," Mason rejected my initiative. He seemed to be very firm about treating me, although what I did to him was just washing his jacket.


    The olddy came with the pumpkin cake that had been sliced into four and redecorated to make it even more beautiful, alongside two hot drinks.


    "This is two hot pumpkinttes. These ones are a treat from me because it''s quite cold outside. I feel pity for this young man. He has been standing in front of the store for two and a half hours!" The olddy chattered.


    "Two and a half hours!?" I gawked in response.


    "N¡ªNo, it''s not like that¡ª" Mason tried to cover it up, but the olddy was too chatty for her own good.


    "When I cleaned the store at seven, this young man has been standing there, and he waited until you came, girl. I bet he is a lot more nervous than you, that''s why he came earlier! Hahahaha! Young love is so beautiful~."


    The olddy left us in an even more awkward mood than before. Mason lowered his gaze, but I could see that his ears were red.


    I didn''t expect Mason Hall. The lukewarm-perfunctory Mason Hall actually got embarrassed.


    "A¡ªAnyway, let''s just eat this. You''ve been dying to taste it, right?" Mason said.


    He picked one and put it in front of me.


    I stared at the pumpkin cake, and I wouldn''t lie that I really wanted to dig in. But I held myself and told Mason, "You should eat it first."


    "Huh, Why?"


    "Because you''re the one who bought it, it feels ethical for you to eat first¡­ I guess¡­"


    Mason frowned, but heplied and used the small spoon to eat a bit.


    "It''s sweet, a little sour and mellow. You should try it," Mason said.


    Thus, I dug the spoon into the cake and ate a big chunk. The moment that pumpkinnded on my taste bud, I was mind blown by the taste.


    It was sweet, a bit sour, and I could even taste a bit of salt in it, just enough to neutralize the sweetness. It was so soft and creamy as well.


    My body reacted instantly, like a little kid that was overly excited. I wanted to kick my legs and il around out of happiness. But I held it off as best as I could because this was out in public, and Mason was sitting in front of me.


    "Do you like it?" Mason asked.


    Like? I LOVE IT!!!


    "Mhm, it tastes nice," I replied.


    This was one of my childhood dreams, so¡­ when prompted with a question like that, I had no self-control over my expression.


    Mason giggled and said, "I''ve wanted to take you here for a while."


    "A while?"


    I wondered what he meant as ''a a while'' since we just knew each other in my current life. Besides, he must''ve been too busy to remember about a random girl like me.


    Mason paused for a moment, then replied, "Yeah, a while. I¡ªI mean, from that time when you washed my jacket, haha¡­."


    "Ah, I see¡­." I nodded awkwardly.


    What was I thinking anyway? People''s definition of ''a while'' could vary from one another.


    We ate two slices each and then stared at the empty street outside. The situation was surprisingly harmonious. We didn''t talk to each other because we enjoyed the time, not because we felt awkward¡­. At least that was what I feel right now.


    After a while, Mason put down his pumpkintte and asked, "Em, are you happy right now?"


    **


    *Please read Author Note, thank you*

 Chapter 79 - My First Date (3)

    The situation was surprisingly harmonious. We didn''t talk to each other because we enjoyed the time, not because we felt awkward¡­. At least that was what I feel right now.


    After a while, Mason put down his pumpkintte and asked, "Em, are you happy right now?"


    "Huh? What do you mean?" I asked. I found that question pretty weird. Of course, I was happy right now. I got to eat my first, and probably one of the most delicious cakes I had ever eaten in my life. I could also experience having a first real date with a boy, although I knew this date would lead to nowhere.


    But at least, it still counted as a date, right?


    "It''s nothing," Mason shook his head. He was about to say more, but he paused as if hesitating to just say it out loud.


    "I¡­ I want to make you happy¡­" Mason mumbled in a low, almost inaudible voice.


    ¡­


    I didn''t understand what he was thinking right now. But I should appreciate his effort to invite me here, so I told him, "Thank you for bringing me here. The cake is delicious."


    I wanted to say that it was my first time to ever ate something so good, but I didn''t want to sound too uncouth.


    "I¡ªI''ll bring you to all the ces you want to visit¡­" Mason mumbled again, though I could hear it clearly.


    This time though, I wanted to refuse him. Because I felt it was too sweet of him to talk about such a long term promise, even though there was nothing between us.


    I also didn''t want to be a girl who leeched on the boy over everything, especially when Mason told me that he had saved enough money to buy me a 60 dors cake. I still had enough conscience not to ask more since that meant he was also broke like me.


    "I don''t think you need to do that," I said. "You told me that you''ve saved enough money, right? That means you need the money more than me¡­."


    "Don''t worry about me. I can manage my own money. I just saved enough because I want to bring you here¡­" Mason said.


    He stared at me with his dreamy blue eyes, and I just tried to dodge his eyes. Mason''s eyes were too deadly for my poor heart!


    Even though I returned back in time for my revenge, I was still a teenage girl at heart. When a boy so handsome like Mason stared at me with his dreamy blue eyes, I couldn''t help but melt into a puddle.


    I got up before I acted like my real self and began to fangirl in front of him like an idiot, "I¡ªI will repay youter. Thank you for the cake. I''ll return home. Need to bath my dog, see ya¡ª" I turned around, wanting to leave as soon as possible, but Mason suddenly grabbed my hand and held it tight.


    "Why so early? At least¡­ apany me for lunch first?" Mason asked.


    ¡­


    "You told me that you just want to treat me cake¡­." I said, trying to reason. I didn''t want my heart to beat like a girl in love. I refused to know that feeling, not anymore. I didn''t want to be the same idiot as I was in my previous life.


    "But it''s just for lunch, aren''t we on a date?" Mason kept persuading me.


    Honestly, what did people do on their first date anyway? I saw it on Youtube and most adults'' first date with someone. They just came to a restaurant, had a talk, and left.


    Though they were adults, so I wasn''t so sure.


    Maybe it was just me who felt so awkward and fidgety around Mason. But I couldn''t help but panic when he started spouting those bullshit about making me happy.


    "Please? You can pick the ce," Mason kept persuading me, and I started giving up on struggling.


    Mason was polite enough to ask me for a lunch date, so¡­ it was like a continuation of this cake date.


    ¡­


    **


    "So, do you want to pick the restaurant for lunch?" Mason asked. He was walking beside me as we strolled together around the shopping district that became crowded as time passed by.


    "Restaurant? No¡ªno, we''re going to a cheap diner, and I will pay for myself," I said.


    "Huh? Why?"


    "Because you''ve been saving money to buy me that 60 bucks cake. I don''t have enough money to repay you now, but at least I have enough to buy myself lunch."


    "But I''ve saved enough¡ª"


    "Don''t push yourself just to make someone else''s happiness. I''m already happy that you bring me to eat that cake. You should save that money instead," I said, trying to give Mason a financial lecture 101.


    I was suffering badly in my previous life, so I got naturally thrifty with my money. I still didn''t know whether Mason was only pretending to be poor, because let''s get real, he looked expensive. Everything about him looked so expensive, he could use a trash bag, and it would still look great on him.


    And he looked well-groomed for a teenage boy, a big contrast to the other boys in my school.


    I looked around aimlessly, trying to find a suitable diner that was affordable enough for us. At this point, I might as well went to Burger King or McDonald for lunch.


    I could sense that Mason was staring at me instead of the road in front of him, "Em..."


    "Huh?" I didn''t pay attention at him, still busy finding good ce for us to eat.


    "... Nothing..." Mason said and he went silent again.


    I was about to give up until I saw a diner that sold pancakes and stuff, "Let''s go there."


    "Sure!"


    We arrived inside the diner, and it was actually empty. I knew it was shady since the beginning, but I got baited instantly when I saw that cheap promo board outside.


    We sat at the table near the ss pane just like what we did in the previous Cake shop and read the menu given by the waitress.


    I was about to make an order until I saw a silhouette of a girl at the edge of my eyes. I turned my head instinctively and saw the worst thing that could happen.


    "M¡ªMason, you should order first.. I have to go to the bathroom."

 Chapter 80 - My First Date (4)

    I was about to make an order until I saw a silhouette of a girl at the edge of my eyes. I turned my head instinctively and saw the worst thing that could happen.


    "M¡ªMason, you should order first. I have to go to the bathroom."


    I got up from the seat, and Mason looked confused, "Do you want me to order you anything first? So you don''t need to wait¡ª"


    "N¡ªNo, don''t order me anything. Just sit here, and I''ll return," I said.


    Yeah, thatst word was a lie. There was no way I would return here. Because when I nced outside, I saw that girl and her Mom was about to enter the diner.


    I dashed to the bathroom, afraid that girl would''ve noticed me first.


    No, I wasn''t afraid of her as a person, but I was worried that she''d spread a rumour about Mason and me in the school since she was a known backstabber and gossiper in school. She was the bitch Chrissy Miles.


    She was infamous in my previous life, though that stuff happened when we were in sophomore year. For now, she was just a bootlicker who approached anyone popr enough andtched on them.


    I peeked from behind the wall as I saw Chrissy came in with her Mom. Then her eyes darted at the only customer inside the diner. The incredibly handsome boy who was also the idol in our school.


    Chrissy gasped, "MASON!"


    I nced at Mason, who dropped his menu instantly. He was petrified when he saw Chrissy. I guessed he already knew that Chrissy was obsessed with him because I saw him flinching when Chrissy rushed to our seat and sat on my spot before.


    "Oh my god! Mason! What brings you to this cheap diner? I don''t think I''ve ever seen you eating in a shabby diner like this."


    "H¡ªHuh¡­" Mason replied reluctantly. I saw him taking his phone and text under the table, then my phone vibrated.


    I checked the text sent by him,


    ¡ª


    Mason: Em, where are you?


    Em: Toilet.


    Mason: Don''te out of the toilet. There is a pest here.


    ¡ª


    Oh fuck, I covered my mouth as I almostughed when he called Chrissy a pest. However, I understood that Chrissy might be the most extreme stalker Mason had in a school other than Jessica.


    ¡ª


    Em: Okay.


    ¡ª


    I heard Chrissy started chattering about everything else, "What do you think about my dress today? Isn''t it cute?" She covered her cleavage with her hands and acted innocent, "Oops, sorry, it must be quite a sight, hihi~."


    Ew.


    Eww.


    What the fuck!


    I checked Chrissy''s Mom, who sat at another table, and she seemed unbothered with it.


    "Why are you here?" Mason asked uninterestedly. I noticed his shoes started tapping the floor restlessly, signifying that he wanted to get out as soon as possible.


    "Me? I came here to apany my Mom for lunch. But don''t misunderstand, though, we''re not poor! My Mom said this cheap diner is the best in town, and I''m just thinking about trying out some cheap diner for the experience!"


    Ugh, Chrissy, I knew that you were also interested in that promo board outside. Because our family almost had a simr financial situation right now. I just refused to bootlick on people like Ashley or Jessica.


    It seemed that Mason really wanted to leave, but Chrissy wouldn''t let him. She kept chattering, saying unimportant stuff just for the sake of keeping Mason with her.


    "I have to go," Mason said. He got up, but Chrissy immediately clung to his arm. "Eh, where are you going? You haven''t even ordered anything. Do you have a date with another girl today?"


    Mason paused, then his eyes scanned around the diner and noticed me hiding behind a wall. I shook my head instantly and making X sign with my arm. I really couldn''t afford to get discovered by Chrissy right now.


    She would literally broadcast it on the school, and Jessica would target me instantly.


    I mouthed a sentence without making a voice, ''Go out now.''


    Mason looked lost, but he followed what I wanted and said, "No, I just have another thing to do."


    "Aww, really? Is it modelling again? Weekend study? Or movie casting? Maybe practising for your quarterback position?" Chrissy started inquiring more like a crazed stalker she was.


    I got creeped out because all those information were things I didn''t know about Mason until I was in senior year. But Chrissy easily remembered everything about Mason at the back of her head.


    "It''s nothing, please excuse me," Mason said as he tried to escape Chrissy. I understood that he was quite powerless against these girls because they were crazy as heck. I felt they would say thank you and begged for more if Mason pped the shit out of them.


    "Aww, okay then, see you on Monday, Mason baby~," Chrissy said flirtatiously. She became so brazen and shameless when there were no other students around. I remembered that she supported Jessica to chase Mason, although I knew she hated Jessica so much.


    Imagine what Chrissy would do to Mason if they were alone in a room.


    After Mason left the diner, I asked the waitress who had been eying me the whole time, "Excuse me, would you mind showing the backdoor? I have to leave as soon as possible."


    The waitress looked displeased, "I don''t know what problem you have, but I''m not taking part in this. Just go to the kitchen, and you''ll see the backdoor. Tch, teens these days have weird dramas."


    After the waitress showed me the backdoor, I got a call from Mason.


    I picked it up, and he immediately asked, "Are you still inside, Em?"


    "No, I left through the back door," I answered. "I''m behind the diner right now."


    "Great, just wait right there. I''lle," Mason said.


    I stayed silent for a moment, then I heard the sound of a car honk not far from me, alongside the chatter of people.


    I realized that it had gotten crowded, and I didn''t want to risk it.


    It might be a coincidence that we bumped into Chrissy in this cheap diner, but imagine if someone else from our school saw Mason and I walk together in the busy street? Mason was far too eye-catching for us to hide our identity. Even if he had covered his body with a jacket and half of his face with a mask, his dreamy blue eyes were enough to catch their attention.


    Just one picture from those bitches could ruin my high school life for the second time before getting all my revenge.


    "Stop right where you are, Mason," I said on the phone.


    "Huh?"


    "I don''t think we should continue our date," I suggested. Logically speaking, this wasn''t a good time, at least not anymore.


    "¡­ Why?" Mason asked on the phone. I could sense from his voice that he was hurt, but my safety was still my utmost priority.


    "Because if anyone from our school found out about us, and took a picture, then it''d be difficult for me to continue my peaceful life in school. I''m sorry, but let''s just end the date here. Thank you for the pumpkin cake. I''ll make sure to repay youter. Goodbye."


    "Wait, I can¡ª"


    Beep.

 Chapter 81 - My First Date (5)

    "I''m sorry, but let''s just end the date here. Thank you for the pumpkin cake. I''ll make sure to repay youter. Goodbye"


    "Wait, I can¡ª"


    Beep.


    I hung up the call before he could speak more. I didn''t want to hear his persuasion because that sweet voice would definitely get me hesitating about my decision.


    Thus, I walked away, leaving Mason Hall alone and ending my first date with a bit of a disappointment. Personally, I wouldn''t call it a disappointment because I had fun, and the main agenda was to eat at the cake shop anyway.


    I still taste the sweetness in my mouth. It was my first experience of eating an expensive cake, and for sure I''d remember that for a long time.


    I still felt a bit guilty for not appreciating Mason enough, so I texted him,


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I''m sorry that we have to end the date like this. But I''m afraid there''ll be more peopleing in. If there is someone from our school, then I''m doomed.


    ¡ª


    I didn''t want to sugarcoat anything. He should''ve known that his fans are crazy bitches that could bully anyone who got close to him. So I might as well avoid the danger now since I didn''t have enough resources to stick out, not yet.


    Then I got a text back,


    ¡ª


    Mason: I understand. I''m sorry that our date ends like this¡­


    Mason: I hope that we can have our second date soon¡­


    ¡ª


    Eh¡­ the second date was a bit¡­


    I wasn''t sure, really. It sounded too risky. Everything with Mason sounded risky. I didn''t know how to reply to that, so I just left it on reading and headed straight home.


    I walked on the emptier street to the nearest bus stop. Of course, I used my Google Map because I rarely went downtown.


    I passed through a shortcut, a smaller street that was quite empty. I gripped my phone as I looked around because the street was empty enough for a mugger to snatch my phone.


    ''Arrgghh! Mercy! Mercy!''


    ''Please forgive us! Arrrgghhh!''


    My body froze on the spot when I heard that scream of agony from a dark alley near me. I swallowed my saliva. I was about to turn back and used the main street instead.


    But then, I heard the other, rough and masculine voice other than those beaten thugs, and it was pretty familiar.


    ''WHO SENDS YOU? TELL ME BEFORE I CRUSH YOUR HEAD!''


    ''I¡ªIt''s anonymous! He ordered us to attack you with an online message and anonymous transfer! We don''t know him! Arrgghhh! Mercy! Please spare us!''


    That familiar voice¡­


    The curiosity got me. I tiptoed to peek from behind the wall to see who was fighting. I saw the back of a tall man with a broad shoulder. He was wearing a ck turtleneck, and just with one nce, I already knew that it was Logan Walker.


    He was clenching his bloodied fist, and in front of him, there were three thugs with horribly bloodied faces.


    Even from far away, I could sense the wrath that Logan exuded. If I didn''t know him beforehand, I wouldn''t expect Logan to be sixteen years old.


    He looked like he was experienced in street fighting, and he seemed to have a lot of enemies.


    The thugs whose faces were barely recognizable begged by grabbing Logan''s leg, "P¡ªPlease, I beg you, please don''t kill us! We''re just paid to do it! We have nothing against you!"


    ¡­


    I couldn''t saw Logan''s face since he was facing the other direction, but I could see his back loosened a little, a sign that he was about to let those thugs go.


    But then, I saw one of the thugs took out a pocket knife, about to make a surprise attack by stabbing Logan''s leg. I yelled spontaneously, "HE HAS A KNIFE! STEP BACK!"


    Logan reacted quickly and kicked the face of the man begging on his feet. He also kicked the knife with his boots and stomped on the wrist of the thug who was about to stab him before.


    I covered my mouth instantly. It was all spontaneous because I didn''t want him to get stabbed.


    The moment Logan turned his head in my direction, I dashed as quickly as possible to avoid his gaze. I didn''t want to get entangled with his problem outside of the school.


    I ran until I reached the end of that empty street back to the main road. I looked back, thinking that Logan might''ve chased me.


    Thankfully, he didn''t chase me, probably because he was still busy with those thugs.


    I went inside the bus and left as soon as possible, not wanting to leave a trace for Logan.


    I didn''t expect thatzy, good for nothing rich brat could actually fight fiercely. He was unscathed, but his enemies were beaten to pump.


    Though, I wondered about his enemies¡­


    I heard about money and ''send us'', meaning those thugs were just doing errands to attack Logan. But my question was¡­ who would pay someone to attack a high school boy? He wasn''t part of the Mafia, right?


    No, if he was part of a mafia group, he wouldn''t be so leisurely going to school with the rest of the normal folks. Even went as far as joining a club.


    At least that was what I saw from movies. I didn''t know if the real mafia group did that, though.


    Wait¡­ did Mafia still exist these days? It thrived in the 50s, right? The police nowadays should be capable enough to handle them¡­


    There were many questions in my head, but one thing is for sure, I didn''t want to mess around with Logan. He was rich enough to buy the whole room in a school, and he was also strong enough to beat three well-built men in a fistfight.


    "Good thing he is on my side," I mumbled as the bus closed the door, ending my first date with Mason in such a strange way.

 Chapter 82 - Sunday Investigation (1)

    I spent my Sunday doing nothing but staring at my phone. I kept staring at Mason''s text. Thest text was still him asking me for a second dateter.


    I left him on read because I didn''t know what to say.


    Of course, I loved to have a second date with him. He was gentle, fun, and of course, dreamy as heck. But at the same time, I also hated the fact that I had to act like a burr because I had to keep my watch everywhere, afraid that someone from our school might''ve seen us.


    It was just a simple date, and it was tiring already.


    Ah, maybe when I had enough resources, whether it was poprity and backing to fight Jessica, then I could do that. Though, Mason might''ve lost interest in me when that time finally arrived.


    "What makes him interested in me anyway?" I pondered. I wasn''t dense enough not to realize that Mason had an interest in me.


    If it was my previous self, I''d be head over heels, crying in tears, thinking that I had been blessed for life.


    But now¡­ well, I just wondered if this would be risky for my revenge n in the future.


    Speaking of the devil, when I wondered about Mason, I got a sudden text from him.


    I held my breath, afraid that Mason might feel offended due to my silence, ghosting him like some sort of popr girl in school.


    Unfortunately, reading his text didn''t make me feel better either.


    ¡ª


    Mason: Good Morning, Em.


    Mason: Are you free today? I need your help in school right now.


    ¡ª


    I frowned. This was Sunday, and the school gate was closed. I doubted a models student like Mason Hall would break the gate or climbed the tall wall.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: The school is open right now?


    Mason: Well, I got special permission, the perk of befriending the school guard, hehe.


    Mason: I need your help.


    Emmy: What help?


    Mason: I''ll tell youter in school, okay? Can you help me?


    ¡ª


    ¡­


    Suspicious.


    That was really suspicious of him to chat with me right after I ghosted him.


    But at the same time, I got curious and wanted to apologize to him about yesterday''s event.


    After a short consideration, I texted,


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I''lle, but I use my bike, so don''t wait for me if I''m toote.


    Mason: Don''t worry, we''re not in a rush.


    ¡ª


    I got up, wore my jacket and pants before going down to the first floor. I saw Mom was sitting while reading about some random fashion magazine.


    She nced at me and asked, "So, how''s the date going yesterday?"


    "It''s okay, I guess. We went to a Cake shop and ate pumpkin cake. That cake was a bomb, though," I said with a thin smile on my face.


    "And he doesn''t ask for more?"


    Well, if lunch counted as ''ask for more,'' I guess yes.


    But I just shook my head and walked to the front door, "Em, where are you going?"


    "Second date."


    **


    I went as quick as possible since it''d be rude for me to let Mason wait for too long. When I arrived at the school gate, Mason didn''t lie when he said that the gate was opened, presumably because he got the key from the school guard.


    I parked my bike, and when I was about to call Mason to know his position, a hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder.


    "WHA!" I jolted and turned around immediately.


    "Good morning, Em," Mason showed his gentle smile to me. He was wearing his sses again. "Thank you foring."


    "A¡ªAh¡­ yeah¡­." I saw that he was holding a big box with one hand. Thus I asked, "So, what are we doing here?"


    "I''m tasked by my captain to sort out few things in my club because we have to be ready for a match on Monday. So I asked the school guard for a key," Mason exined. "I want you to apany me because¡­ it feels nice to have apanion, I guess?"


    "Well then, let''s go. You want me to help, right?"


    "Yeah¡­"


    **


    Mason and I walked on the corridor heading to the club building. It was awkward at first, until I couldn''t bear it any longer and initiated a conversation, "About yesterday¡­ I''m sorry¡­."


    "Huh? Sorry? For what?" Mason asked.


    "Because I left you in the middle of our date," I sighed. "I just don''t want to risk it."


    "I understand," Mason smiled thin. then he mumbled, ''That means those pests need to be exterminated first.''


    "Huh?" I thought I heard it wrong, so I asked again, "What did you say?"


    "It''s nothing. I understand those girls are annoying and persistent. So you don''t want to risk getting bullied, right?"


    Oh, spot on. At least Mason understood my situation.


    Mason didn''t ask me for a second date either, probably because he didn''t want to pressure me. We just walked in silence until we arrived in front of the club building.


    Mason used the big key ring with many keys and picked the correct key to unlock the club building with only one try.


    Which got me suspicious since the only one who could pick the correct key in one try should be the school guard only.


    But I didn''t ask anything since I didn''t want to offend Mason.


    Click.


    Mason unlocked the front door, and we walked through the corridor. He went straight to his club, the American Football Club room and unlocked the door.


    He dropped the heavy box that he carried with one hand, and a loud THUMP was heard. I was startled. I didn''t realize that it was a heavy box since Mason carried it with one hand.


    He opened the box and sorted out few things. I approached him and asked, "So, what do you want me to do?"


    "Huh? Uhm¡­" Mason was thinking hard, and then he shook his head. "I can sort this myself. It''s not that difficult."


    Mason nced at me and then at the keyring with a lot of keys hanging in it.


    "Maybe you want to go to your club room? That keyring has all the keys of the clubs here.. You can use it to unlock your club room. Just be sure not to make a mess, okay?"

 Chapter 83 - Sunday Investigation (2)

    "Maybe you want to go to your club room? That keyring has all the keys of the clubs here. You can use it to unlock your club room. Just be sure not to make a mess, okay?"


    I was stunned, silly, thinking that I might''ve misheard it.


    "You¡­ you want me to take that keyring?" I asked.


    "Yes," Mason gave me a gentle smile and added, "Just make sure not to make a mess."


    ¡­


    "Thank you," I turned around and grabbed the key ring. Of course, I wasn''t stupid to use this keyring only to go to my club room. I didn''t know if Mason was deliberate or not, but there was no way in hell I would miss this chance.


    I quickened my pace through the corridor until I arrived in front of a big room with the sign on top of the door;


    - Boxing Club -


    I grinned and started checking the key one by one. It was pretty convenient for me because the keys had numbers on them, so it was easy to find the key.


    I put the key in and twisted it.


    Click.


    It worked!


    Damn, I really should thank Mason for giving me the key. I didn''t know if he was just an oblivious guy or a scheming one, but one thing for sure, he helped me in this mission to defeat Leah.


    I opened the Boxing club room, and nothing changed much since I entered and got kicked out on Friday.


    The room smelled like sweat and something funny. It was definitely what I expected from a club full of high school boys. I didn''t need to worry that someone might enter because this was Sunday. But I still couldn''t make a mess because I didn''t want Mason to get in trouble.


    I checked on few things, like the sandbags, the boxing ring, and other gym equipment that were definitely bought with Leah''s money. Because these looked brand new and expensive.


    I touched one of the bench presses and smelled my finger, then I retched immediately.


    "What the fuck is wrong with these boys?! Do they ever take a shower!?" Iined. I thought I could find any lead for my investigation, but it just smelled like a very terrible dried sweat. I couldn''t even describe the smell.


    After realizing that I couldn''t find anything even by examining all this sweat-drenched stuff in this club, I decided to go to the storage of this club room.


    Butt when I tried to open the door, I realized that it was locked.


    I tried to find the key for it, then I realized, "Oh fuck, I forgot the key of club storage is held by the leader of each club¡­."


    For example, the pottery club room had storage with only one key, and Logan was the owner right now. So I didn''t know what the heck he saved inside. It might be some guns or something since he was quite shady.


    I realized that all clubs have secrets and important stuff that nobody could ess other than the leader/manager/president or whatever you called them.


    I sighed, full of disappointment. I didn''t expect I might be so close to the truth, only to be stopped by a single door.


    I turned around and was about to check on other ces until I felt that I had stepped on something on the floor near the door.


    "What is this?" I frowned and looked down, then I saw a syringe. I was about to touch it, then realized it looked like it had been used before.


    So I crouched down and observed it. It was definitely a used syringe because it had a trace of dried blood at the tip of the needle, and there was a leftover liquid inside the syringe tube.


    I didn''t want to touch it directly with my hand, so I went to my club room and took a small paper bag and tissue I left in the pottery club room.


    I returned to the boxing club room to pick up the syringe and put it in the paper bag.


    I had a strong feeling that I knew what kind of secret Leah kept inside this club, but without proper evidence, there was no way I could use her.


    Thus I kept the syringe for further investigation and left the boxing room immediately.


    After locking the Boxing club room, I headed back to the American Football Club. I saw Mason wiping the sweat on his forehead. The box he carried before had been emptied, and when he saw me, he smiled and asked, "Done with your business?"


    "Y¡ªYes," I replied. I gave the keyring back to him. "Thank you, it''s a big help."


    "It''s not a big problem," Mason epted the key from me. "Just make sure to do it cleanly because we might get in trouble if the school guard knew that I''ve allowed someone else toe with me."


    I nodded.


    Honestly, I was still unsure about Mason''s intention. I felt like he knew what I was doing, but at the same time, he sounded oblivious enough that I couldn''t use him.


    So, for now, I would just pretend in front of him. I still didn''t know if he was an ally or an enemy, so I better be careful.


    After Mason was done with his task, we left the club building, and he locked the main door.


    As we walked back to the front gate, he asked, "Em, what''s inside your paper bag?"


    "Ah¡ªthis¡ª" I opened the paper bag for him. "Just some pottery tool. My president told me to bring it because these are the old ones in need to throw."


    "Ah, I see¡­."


    Of course, I wouldn''t be stupid enough not to do some cover-up for the syringe at the bottom of the paper bag, just in case Mason asked.


    "Ah, I see¡­."


    Mason went silent for a moment, then I could see with my eyes how his mood changed in less than five seconds.


    "About this president of yours¡­ it seems that you two are close enough to do his errand."

 Chapter 84 - Sunday Investigation (3)

    "About this president of yours¡­ it seems that you two are close enough to do his errand," Masonmented. He kept his gaze straight, but I knew that he was full ears on me.


    I found it weird that Mason''s mood soured so quickly when he mentioned the president of the pottery club. Because we weren''t even close enough to talk about it.


    So I just answered lightly, "That''s because he''s the owner of the club after he bought it. I can''t disobey him, or else, he has a full right to kick me out of the club whenever he feels like it."


    "You can juste to my club if you want. I''m sure they''ll let you in."


    Huh? Do you mean¡­ the American Football Club full of jocks? The club that was closely connected with the Cheer club? Do you really want me to join that kind of hell hole? I''d rather stab my back with the flower fence again.


    Of course, that was the narrative in my head. I only replied with, "I''m okay in pottery club. I''m not really good with sports."


    "You don''t need to do sport¡­."


    It seemed that Mason wanted to persuade me into joining his scary club, "I''m okay with my current, really."


    "It''s not because of that president, right?" He asked.


    His expression turned even uglier than before. His gaze sharpened, but he still looked straight. I had a feeling that he tried to hide his displeasure, but it was too obvious for me.


    I didn''t understand what he really wanted, his questions about my club were too much, and I didn''t even want to talk about it.


    But one thing for sure; no way in hell I wanted to stay because of that jerk Logan and all his shady stuff.


    "I seriously have nothing with him. He doesn''t even like the fact that I''m staying. But he still needs a servant to do club errands¡­." I sighed. "I feel like a servant than a club member, honestly."


    "Did he ask you to do dangerous stuff? Perverted thing? Unscrupulous stuff? Tell me," Mason continued his barrage of questions.


    Somehow, I just got used to him, so I answered, "No, no, and also no. He just told me to keep the club room clean."


    ¡­


    Mason finally zipped his mouth, but then he opened his mouth again to my annoyance, "If you want to join¡ª"


    "No," I cut his sentence, and he finally stopped talking for real this time.


    We stopped at the front gate. I took my bike and asked him before I left, "Do you use a bike or something toe?"


    "I take the bus," Mason replied. He suddenly smiled meaningfully, "What''s with that question? Do you expect me to have a car and personal chauffeur?"


    Yes.


    "No," I replied. "But your fangirls might think that you''re some sort of young master from a wealthy family. Because your bearing is very¡­ uh¡­ regal, I guess¡­."


    "Young Master? Huh¡­" Mason grinned at me in response. "Em, it''s better for you not to ask much. I''m just a simple person. I don''t have that kind of family, and my life is not that extraordinary."


    "S¡ªSure¡­" I replied nervously.


    Yeah, I''m not sure about that one, dude¡­


    You were quite shady, and I just couldn''t believe that you were just a simple person. My gut feeling told me otherwise.


    I felt like¡­ both you and Logan hid many things for me to ignore. Like seriously, can I have at least 1 unproblematic person in my life?


    All those narratives ran wild in my head, but I dared not speaking them. I just nodded and left Mason alone at the school gate.


    I turned my head for thest time and saw him staring at me with a smile on his face, but it wasn''t that soft smile he gave me.


    It was a smile and a gaze that gave me a shiver down to my spine. It was a silent signal that he watched everything that I did, every step and every idea I had.


    **


    I returned home and was greeted with Mom sitting with Grandma at the terrace. When she saw me, her face brightened, "Oh, there you are, my lovey-dovey girl! How''s the second date? Where did you go with him?"


    "To school," I replied.


    "School? That''s a rather unconventional dating spot¡­." Mommented. "How was he?"


    "Yeah, He''s such a sweetheart¡­."


    Too bad he hid so many things. I couldn''t help but stay vignt around him.


    "Ohh, what is inside that paper bag?"


    A suspicious syringe, I said in my heart.


    "It''s a gift from him. I don''t know what''s inside, though¡­." I replied.


    "Ooohh! What a sweet boy! Bring him home someday. I can cook food for you two, maybe for dinner?" Mom offered so kindly.


    Yeah, I wouldn''t let Masone to my house and eat my Mom''s cooking. I loved my Mom, but she was still a terrible cook.


    I excused myself and headed straight to my room. I washed my hand first because that syringe might have some disease in it.


    I used a tissue to take the syringe from the paper bag and put it on the floor. The trace of blood was so obvious at the tip of the needle, I wondered whose blood was that.


    "Maybe this thing has been injected into so many veins. I heard they used one needle for many people¡­."


    I wasn''t an expert on this, so I used the holy Google search with keywords.


    - Drug needle. -


    The Google image search showed one picture of a syringe that looked exactly like this, minus the blood. Now my suspicion was at least 50% confirmed.


    I still wanted to know more about this, but I had no experience in this. I never touched drugs in my previous life as well, so the only one I could ask right now was the one and only Logan Walker.


    I took a photo of the syringe and sent the photo to Logan, added with a caption,


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Do you know what this is?


    ¡ª


    He replied in the following minute.


    ¡ª


    Logan: A syringe?


    Emmy: I mean, do you know what kind of syringe is this?


    ¡ª


    It took at least five minutes before Logan texted me back.


    ¡ª


    Logan: How did you get that? Did you touch it with your bare hands?


    Emmy: Oh hell no, do you think I''m that stupid?


    Logan: Yes.


    Emmy: Don''t worry, the hate is mutual.


    Logan: Anyway, bring it to the club tomorrow. Don''t touch it with your bare hands. I can examine it.


    Emmy: You can? Hah, I know you''re a shady man!


    Logan: Speak for yourself, you disingenuous, evil, vengeful woman!


    ¡ª


    I clicked my tongue and used a tissue to put the needle back into the paper bag.


    I washed my hands again, just in case. Because this was the first time I handled such a thing. It felt strange and disgusting at the same time, but I knew things were never easy.


    I might have a stroke of luck with Kristen and Cerise''s case because I already knew beforehand that Kristen had a big secret, and Cerise was the secret-holder.


    But after that, I was all on my own in this harsh school life.


    It didn''t scare, though, in fact¡­


    It got me riled up. Taking them down one by one would be fun.

 Chapter 85 - I Got Tricked

    Monday came, and I went to school, attended ss, and did everything as usual.


    Well, I had to act casually to cover up my nervousness. I had that used syringe inside my backpack right now. Logan and I agreed to meet in the club room after ss. He said he could examine the syringeter.


    Honestly, I felt that Logan had a lot of secrets and problems outside of school, but he never told me anything. Not that he was obliged to do it anyway.


    I was just curious, especially after what I witnessed in that dark alley.


    He had someone¡ªor even many people going after him, even though he was just sixteen years old.


    I didn''t want to guess though, I didn''t want to assume something that might only worsen my anxiety..


    Besides, I had to focus on my objective right now, to investigate and collect enough evidence against Leah. I could push her into a hell hole.


    I walked to the club building after ss with the syringe on my backpack. As usual, I checked the schoolyard, and after making sure that Mason wouldn''t be able to spot me, I rushed to the club building.


    I headed straight to my club building. But when I passed the Boxing club room, a strong hand suddenly came out of nowhere and grabbed my arm tightly.


    He mmed my back to the wall, "Argh!"


    I closed my eyes, grimacing in pain, thinking that I had been attacked by someone. But when I opened my eyes, I saw Leah and two of her boys already standing in front of me.


    "So, uh¡­ what''s her name again?" Leah asked one of the boys behind her. The boy whispered, and Leah continued her speech, "So, Emmelyn, I haven''t heard from you since yourst club visit. Everything in my Boxing club is well managed, right? Don''t forget our agreement. You need to introduce me to that club president of yours."


    I knew that she woulde for this, sooner orter. Maybe she brought her boys to intimidate me so I could just say yes and yielded.


    But I didn''t want to yield when I was clearly disadvantaged here. I literally got nothing from my club visit. I had zero information!


    "It''s no deal, Miss Leah. Your club members are so secretive to me, especially that boy named James. He didn''t let me ask one question to other club members, and when I asked him, he just said it''s confidential."


    "Oh? Confidential? Tell me then, what were you asking before? As the manager of this club, I should have an answer for that," Leah said, but her gaze had a trace of maliciousness. I could sense that the boys behind her were also trying to intimidate me.


    I had no fear against them, though, since this was a public corridor and plenty of students were passing by.


    I was about to say, ''I asked them how could you guys be Leah''s ve?''


    But then I realized it would only kill me on the spot. So I rearranged the words, "I asked him about the method behind their solidarity, and they said it''s because you have your way to destress."


    "Then I asked him what kind of destressing method you guys are doing, but he refused to answer," I said.


    "Oh really? Is that really what you asked?" Leah scoffed, "Call James here. Let''s hear from him."


    James red at me and then asked, "What are you calling me for, Miss?"


    "You see, this girl said that you''re hiding our method to destress. Didn''t I tell you that you need to tell everything to her?"


    "Yes, Miss, I already told her that you treat us with meal often, and we''re pleased with it. That''s our way to destress," James replied, repeating the same fake ass answer he gave me before.


    Leah showed a smug face as she turned her head at me, "See? He tells the truth. I treat them with food almost every day, so they''re healthy and well-fed. That''s the secret behind our solidarity andpetitiveness."


    "Were you using us of something else? Tsk, tsk, Emmelyn, just because you''re too poor to provide for your club doesn''t mean that you can nder someone else," Leah taunted me even more.


    It seemed that she had seen through me since the first time I came for a club visit. I thought I was the one who yed her. It turned out I was the one who got yed.


    All she wanted was just contact for Logan, and she got it.


    "It''s a deal, right? I want to see that club president of yours. Give me his number," Leah demanded.


    Behind her, the two boys and James red at me simultaneously, pressuring me to just yield to Leah.


    Honestly, the best action I could do right now was just selling Logan out like before, giving his number to Leah.


    But at the same time, I knew that Logan would mock and take me as an idiot who got tricked so easily. He would see me as ipetent.


    Thus, I tried to find another method, at least a method to dy the inevitable until I coulde with a better n.


    "My president is also interested in you, Miss Leah. He said he''d give you his number after you two meet," I replied.


    "Oh? He wants to personally give me his phone number? That''s very interesting. Did you say something to him before?" Leah asked.


    "He already knew about you when I told him about it, and he said he has been interested in knowing you better for a while. But because you''ve been surrounded by many boys, he got discouraged."


    The lies flowed smoothly out of my mouth to convince Leah to release me for now.


    "Hmm¡­ that sounds fun," Leah was considering it for the moment, and she agreed, "Go tell him that we can meet alone whenever he wants to. I''m very curious about him as well~."

 Chapter 86 - Syringe

    "Go tell him that we can meet alone whenever he wants to. I''m very curious about him as well~."


    Ick.


    Ew.


    Leah could say something like that in front of her followers in public. It made me wonder what would she do to Logan once they were alone.


    I really shouldpensate Logan after this whole ordeal with Leah was over.


    "So, can I go now?" I asked. I was really ufortable being surrounded by a bunch of boys. No, not that kind of coquettish stuff.. I just felt disgusted for some reason.


    "Sure, tell your president that he should be bolder on his approach," Leah said.


    "S¡ªSure¡­"


    I quickly bypassed Leah and her boys and blended with the students on the corridor to make myself less noticeable. Though I could still feel Leah''s eyes staring at me from behind.


    I headed straight to the Pottery club room since I had considered it as my safe space despite that rich brat''s presence inside.


    The door was unlocked, but I didn''t see Logan anywhere. So I texted him.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Where are you?


    Logan: Outside, handling some stuff.


    ¡ª


    I got a quick reply from him, and I couldn''t help but frown. Whenever he said ''stuff'', I kept remembering that scene in the dark alley.


    What kind of stuff a high school boy would handle anyway?


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I''m in the club room. I brought that syringe with me


    Logan: Ok, I''ll be there soon.


    ¡ª


    I waited for about half an hour until that rich brat finally walked in. Surprisingly, Logan came in wearing a white tee and was sweating all over as if he had done a vigorous activity. That white tee didn''t help though, it exposed the nice abs under his white tee.


    Logan slicked his wet hair back and asked, "So where''s the syringe? Let me inspect it."


    ¡­


    "Where were you?" I asked out of curiosity, but Logan didn''t seem to take it kindly. He got so defensive against me.


    "So, we''re ying houses now? What are you? A worrying wife?" Logan mocked. "Stop asking about my stuff unless I told you about it."


    "Okay, okay! Geez, what an ass!"


    I was annoyed at him, but then I realized that I still needed his help, especially after I sold him out for the second time to save myself.


    I unzipped my backpack and took out the syringe with tissue. I put it on the floor for Logan to inspect.


    Logan crouched while observing the syringe. His brows furrowed after he examined the needle, "This has been used by plenty of people, and the people who used it might''ve been really out of their mind after few injections. Look at that trace of blood. They can''t aim anymore once they''re too high to function."


    Logan squinted and then continued his examination, "There is a residue inside the syringe¡­ this should be methamphetamine or crystal meth," he pointed at the very small residue that wasn''t noticeable unless you really took a look at it. "I think most of them are still inexperienced about this since they didn''t grind the crystal meth smooth enough."


    All of his examination from this syringe sounded too convincing for me to ignore. He was only sixteen and already knew way too many things. I got suspicious and squinted at him instead, "How did you know all this?"


    "I have my own experience dealing with it," Logan replied.


    "Wait, are you an addict¡ª"


    "NO," Logan replied, short and clear. "I just say that I have experience with it, but I don''t use it. Stop asking me a question, or I won''t help you anymore!"


    "Ish, so defensive for what?" I rolled my eyes. This rich brat was really not a good person to argue against.


    Logan took a deep breath, "How did you get this? This is damning evidence that could lead to someone''s arrest."


    I was considering whether I should tell him that I got it from my Sunday investigation while apanying Mason. But I couldn''t trust him either.


    I didn''t want to involve Mason in this, and there was no way I would trust someone who could beat three people in a fistfight without getting hurt.


    "I got it lying at the corner of boxing club room during my club visitst Friday. I didn''t tell you because I''m not so sure whether I should tell you about this or not."


    "And now you need my help?" Logan scoffed, full of contempt. "I know that you won''te to me unless you need my help, so disingenuous."


    "Isn''t that our agreement since the first time? We''re going to work for each other''s goal! What''s with your bad mood anyway? You seem to be so angry right now."


    "It''s none of your business!" Logan raised his voice at me. I jolted out of shock. This was the first time I heard him yelling at me.


    Logan was also as surprised as I was though, he massaged his forehead and apologized to me, "Look, I''m sorry. I just¡ªI have a difficult problem to deal with right now. I didn''t mean to yell at you like that."


    ¡­


    Honestly, the more he tried to hide his problem and identity, the more curious I got.


    "It''s okay if you need someone to talk about your problem. I''m always here to hear you," I used the typical sweet line used by millions of people, though my intention was to pry more on his problem.


    But Logan saw it through immediately and scoffed, "Heh, do you think I will believe you? You won''t even call me unless you need me. That already shows that you''re not trustworthy."


    Ugh, why did he keep mentioning my disingenousness anyway? Of course, I wouldn''t call him without any reason.


    Logan, who was in a terrible mood, finally took a deep breath and asked, "So, what will you do next? You already have this evidence, but I doubt you can just use them out of the blue. That''d only kill you."


    "I know. I need more time to make another n. But at least, we already know what kind of secret that club has," I said. Then I nced at him, a bit scared of Logan''s reaction after this.


    "So, that''s why I need your aid again¡­ just a tiiiny aid, okay?"

 Chapter 87 - Meow For Me

    "So, that''s why I need your aid again¡­ just a tiiiny aid, okay?"


    "Another one?!" Logan''s eyes widened. He looked pissed off for an obvious reason. "What is it this time? Did you sell me out again to make a deal with Leah?"


    ¡­


    "Wait, did I hit it right?" Logan''s astonished face only added more guilt to me. I also felt ashamed, but I had to use any means necessary to save myself.


    "Did you really¡ªDamn it!" Logan sat on the chair. He ruffled his hair frustratedly. But he said nothing, probably still trying to calm himself down.


    I knew it was my fault that I got tricked by Leah. I wasn''t someone who would dodge responsibility anyway. Though, I still wouldn''t want to admit my stupidity to get easily tricked by Leah..


    "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure you''ll get goodpensation in the future. I''ll do whatever you want, so it''ll be fair, okay?" I offered. That was the only thing I could do right now.


    "Really?" Logan finally looked at me with curiosity in his eyes. "Anything?"


    "Well, with terms of service, of course," I reasoned. "I can always help you with your n. You said that you need a girl to approach someone, right? Then I can be the right person for that job¡ª"


    "Meow for me."


    ¡­


    "I''m sorry, what?" I thought I misheard it. No, I definitely misheard it. There was no way he wanted me to¡ª


    "Meow for me," Logan repeated hismand.


    "Oh, is this a secretmand¡ª"


    "Meow. For. Me."


    ¡­


    Logan raised his chin, his taunting expression annoyed the hell out of me, especially when he scoffed and said, "I want to hear you meow like a cat for me. That''s my firstmand."


    Okay, I knew that Logan was a bit messed up, but I definitely did not expect that.


    And this was definitely an attempt to embarrass me, maybe small revenge after putting up so much trouble for him?


    "What are you waiting for? All you need to do is by meowing like a cat," Logan demanded me to hurry up.


    ¡­


    "M¡ªMeow¡­" I mumbled it and lowered my head, feeling ashamed of what I just did.


    "Huh? I couldn''t hear you, do it again, louder and give it more soul," Logan said. He leaned on the chair like a boss, looking at me with a taunting gaze and smirk.


    "Why do you want me to do that kind of thing anyway?" I protested. "I''m much morepetent than just making a cat sound!"


    "If you can''t even do a small thing like that, how could I believe that you''ll agree on following my order in the future? This is just a small task, and I see that you''re on the brink of failure," Logan replied, instantly turning my words against me.


    Now I couldn''t avoid him anymore, and I didn''t want to lose apetent ally like Logan. I just knew that he would be a great help in the future.


    ''It''s okay, Em. In the future, you''ll have to defeat a lot of enemies. You have to manage your resource well, including this rich brat. This is but a second shamepared to the benefit you''ll get in the future.''


    I said that in my heart, trying to steel my willpower and did my best impersonation of a cat meowing with an extra step. I heard men love this kind of Cat Maid kind of act on the Inte, though I doubted someone like Logan would like this.


    Ipleted it with a try-hard cute expression to make sure he stopped trolling me with a stupid request in the future.


    "Master~ Meeooww~~."


    ¡­


    I closed my eyes out of shame, but there was no reaction from Logan. I really expected him to insult me.


    ¡­


    Since there was no reaction, I opened my eyes slowly, only to find Logan Walker dazed while staring at me.


    "Yo¡ªAre you okay?" I asked while nudging Logan''s shoes with mine, trying to wake him out of his daze.


    Logan suddenly stood up from the chair and turned around. He insulted me while facing the other way, so I couldn''t see his face, "T¡ªThat''s so ugly!"


    "Bitch, you were the one who asked me to do it! You signed up for it, idiot!" I couldn''t help but yell at him back. What a heartless jerk! "At least appreciate it, bastard! You''re the first one to ever see me acting like that!"


    "Really?" Logan asked.


    "Yeah!"


    "T¡ªThen, don''t you ever show that kind of face and voice to other guys! It''s too ugly! Let me be the only victim!" Logan yelled, but I could feel there was a nervousness in his voice.


    "Hah! As if I''d do that kind of embarrassing act in front of other people! It''s because you demand me for stupid stuff, you jerk!"


    ¡­


    There was an awkward atmosphere between us, mostly on Logan because he didn''t even want to face me right now.


    Then he suddenly walked away to the door, and I asked, "Where are you going?"


    "I¡ªI need to wash my face, change my clothes too," Logan replied in a hurry.


    Thus, I was left alone, feeling sullied after acting like a maid in front of that bastard who called me ugly.


    Ugh, I swear I wouldn''t show that kind of face anymore in front of him. At least, I believed that Mason wouldn''t say anything when exposed to the same act.


    Logan returned with a ck tee after washing his face and hair. He looked at me for a second and then looked away immediately.


    I rolled my eyes. Yeah, Logan Walker, the hate was mutual.


    "So, what kind of problem did you put me into this time?" Logan asked.


    "Well, it''s not a big deal. I told Leah that you''re eager to meet her, and you WILL give your phone number to her," I answered. I thought Logan would yell at me again, or at leastined.


    But surprisingly, he just noddedposedly, "I can handle that, easy."

 Chapter 88 - Logan And Leah (1)

    "Well, it''s not a big deal. I told Leah that you''re eager to meet her, and you WILL give your phone number to her," I answered. I thought Logan would yell at me again, or at leastined.


    But surprisingly, he just noddedposedly, "I can handle that, easy."


    "Eh? Really?" I was startled by his willingness to go with my n. I thought I had to do something else to let him work with me.


    Now I wondered if that embarrassing cat maid act was actually working on him.


    "Yeah, it''s not that difficult," Logan said lightly.


    "But you have to give your phone number to that girl. She''ll most likely terrorize you, you know," I tried to warn him..


    Logan scoffed and taunted me, "Ohe on, you need to use your brain. I can always buy a new phone with a new number. So I can give that number instead."


    "You''ll buy a new phone just for this?"


    "Yeah, why not?"


    ¡­


    Sometimes, I wished I could be that rich to buy a new phone out of whim for this kind of n.


    "Do you want me to y nice to this girl?" Logan asked.


    "y nice?"


    "Seduce, coax or whatever you want. I can do that if you want to extract some information," Logan said. He sounded confident enough to make it believable. Something that a sixteen years old boy couldn''t possibly do.


    "She''s into you, maybe because you''re rich and handsome. You should use that to your advantage. Maybe y a little bit, make her think that you''re into her as well," I briefed him, hoping that he''d ept the mission.


    It''d be better if Logan could even use his charm to get a confession from her. Though, knowing how Leah could trick me, I bet she wouldn''t fall so easily.


    To gain control over the Boxing club, she must be smart enough to n everything. Nobody could systematically take over the whole club without any solid n.


    And Leah''s solid n happened to be using drugs to get them all addicted and followed all her orders, just to get their hands on that illegal stuff.


    Leah wasn''t an enemy I could take down easily without any help. I had to admit that she wouldn''t be my match if I wasn''t resourceful enough, using Logan as my pawn.


    "Rich and handsome... heh," Logan scoffed. "So, when will I meet that girl? I am the one who''s eager to meet her, right?"


    "Yes, you should approach her without a notice from me, make it sounds like you''re so eager to meet her," I said. I wanted Leah to at least get busy with Logan, so I could get more information in the Boxing club. "She should be in the boxing club currently. You should go now and ask her toe with you, don''t forget to turn in your phone recording or at least call me, so I can hear everything you said to her. Maybe we can get some proof in case she leaked few secrets."


    "You should ask her number first and tell her that you''ll chat with her tonight, make her feel important so she would prefer you over her other boy ves," I briefed Logan even further, hoping he would ept it.


    I was also worried about Logan. I had a doubt that he could execute it perfectly, knowing that he wasn''t a flirtatious type. He also said that he hated everyone, both man and woman.


    "Oh? You''re quite experienced in this kind of maniptive game. I wonder if you''ve manipted someone to do your bidding," Logan raised his brow. "One thing for sure, though, I wouldn''t be your pawn, Emmelyn Jones."


    Yeah, and you were my pawn now, Logan Walker. So shut up and do your job!


    That was what I said in my head, of course. I wasn''t stupid enough to say it out loud.


    **


    After briefing Logan, I pushed him out of the club room and told him to go straight to the Boxing Club. He had his phone on a call with mine, so I could listen to every conversation between Logan and Leah.


    I stayed inside the Pottery club building, silently listening to Logan''s footsteps on the phone call until he stopped and I heard a knock.


    ¡ªPhone call¡ª


    "Excuse me," Logan said. "May I know if Miss Leah stays here?"


    Pffftt! I almostughed when I heard him sounding so polite and kind. I had to give him credit for this. I didn''t expect him to sound proper.


    Then I heard another footstep, probably from a sneaker, because I could faintly hear the squeaking.


    "Yes, it''s me, Miss Leah Carpenter. Do you need something, hm~?" Leah replied. I could hear her attraction with her sweet voice. I swear she talked to me as if she was ready to maul me anytime.


    "Ah, Miss Leah¡­ My name is Logan. I''m the club president of Pottery Club¡ª"


    "Oh! So you''re the club president that girl has been talking about! Oh, of course I know it''s you, just look at your body. You fit the description she told me!"


    "Description?"


    "That girl told me that you''re handsome, tall, and buff. So she didn''t lie at all," Leah chuckled, and I could hear her voice getting closer to Logan. "She told me that the pottery club president has wanted to meet me."


    "U¡ªUh¡­ Yeah, actually, I''ve been watching over you for a while, but I can''t find the right moment. Because you''re always surrounded by many boys¡­." Logan said tly.


    Ugh, I wanted to yell at him for not being convincing enough. He didn''t sound like a boy in love!


    "Oh, they''re all my boys, my followers. I don''t like them romantically, though. They''re not my type¡­." I could sense that Leah was getting closer as I heard her whispering near Logan''s ear,


    ''But you, you''re just my type, handsome, tall, strong, and¡­ rich. That girl said that you''re into me, Mr. Rich President, is that true?''

 Chapter 89 - Logan And Leah (2)

    ¡ªPhone Call¡ª


    ''But you, you''re just my type, handsome, tall, strong, and¡­ rich. That girl said that you''re into me, Mr. Rich President, is that true?'' Leah whispered.


    I imagined Logan''s expression right now. Either he got turned on or got disgusted instead.


    I thought he would further show his ipetence by mocking Leah, but to my surprise, he actually sounded so convincing this time.


    "Just like what she said, I came here for you, Miss Leah," Logan replied.


    "Perfect, I want to know more about you. That girl said that you bought the whole club room for your personal use.".


    As expected, Leah was interested in Logan for his money, added with his good looks, it was an easy catch.


    Though I wouldn''t lie though, I would also want a rich and handsome boyfriend. If that was even possible in the first ce.


    "Actually, I''m not nning to go with you right now because you seem to be surrounded by a bunch of men¡­." Logan said, mentioning the Boxing club boys who were probably eyeing them right now.


    "Oh,e on, they''re just my subordinates. They won''t disturb us," Leah replied. I heard friction of two clothes near the phone call, which Logan ced inside his leather jacket pocket. It seemed that Leah rubbed his body on Logan''s chest. "Or maybe you want to go to a quieter ce? Hm?" Leah offered.


    "We can do thatter, but for now..." I heard another crackle on the phone, "Please write down your number on my hand. I''ll text you tonight."


    "Oh~ You''re going to take the initiative? That''s so bold~."


    There was a long pause until Leah said, "Okay, that''s my number. You can call me tonight, okay?"


    "Thank you."


    ¡ªPhone Call End¡ª


    I waited anxiously in the club room, waiting for Logan to return with Leah''s number.


    Then I heard his footsteps in the corridor, and Logan walked in with a pale, slightly bluish face. He looked ill, as if he was about to vomit anytime soon.


    I frowned over his expression and asked, "What''s happening to you?"


    Logan said nothing and took off his jacket and threw it on the ground, "She fucking rubbed her boobs on me, fucking nasty!"


    "Whoa¡­"


    I was astonished by his extreme reaction. I thought everything went smoothly, and he wouldn''t even care to touch¡ªor maybe sleep with Leah.


    Turned out, he got so disgusted, I saw him about to puke in front of me.


    Logan red at me, he looked angry, but after few seconds of eye contest between us, he calmed down and let out a deep sigh.


    "Here''s the phone number," Logan said as he showed me the phone number written on his palm.


    "Wow, I thought you''d fail the moment you meet her. I guess you have somepetence," I praised him while putting Leah''s number in my phone for future use. Though I still didn''t know what would I do next with her number, maybe I could ckmail her.


    Logan scoffed, "Of course, I''mpetent enough to do my job, unlike you who got tricked by that girl. Though¡­"


    Logan started retching and closed his mouth as if he was holding his vomit, "Urgh, imagining it makes me want to vomit my guts out."


    "Is it that bad?" I asked. "Do you have some woman phobia or something?"


    "I have people phobia. I hate when someone gets close to me, and that girl rubbed her boobs all over my fucking stomach!" Loganined.


    "Wow, I didn''t know it''s that bad¡­."


    And I didn''t know that someone could have people phobia. I hated people and human interaction too, but I wouldn''t be having a reaction like him.


    After Logan fully calmed down, he asked, "So, what''ll you do next? I''ll call her tonight and act all affectionate, but there must be a n here. I don''t want to waste my night just to call her like a good boyfriend."


    "Well, try to make her busy, okay? I''ve been searching for that one unhinged boy from that club. I''ll also continue to search for more information and evidence."


    "Don''t take too long, okay? I really hate talking with people," Logan said. "Let alone an overly horny girl like that. Those guys in Boxing Club has been eyeing me enviously. I bet at least half of them are into Leah."


    "Hnn¡­ are you not into her?" I asked. I was just making sure that Logan wouldn''t turn his back on me because he got attracted to Leah instead.


    Logan stared at me as if he had just heard something unbelievable, "Are you asking if I''m really into her? Into that girl? That drug addict?!"


    "W¡ªWell, I just want to make sure¡ª"


    "She''s not even a quarter of you, you idiot! She''s a solid 2 at best!" Logan yelled on my face.


    I was too stunned to react, and there was an awkward silence between us for few good minutes. Then Logan turned around and grumbled, "I''ll just leave now. I feel sick imagining that drug addict again."


    Logan grabbed his leather jacket and backpack, then he rushed out of the club room. I was too shocked and confused to react properly, especially from thest thing he said to me.


    I didn''t understand what he implied with that, but I guessed that meant he wouldn''t betray me.


    "What aplicated guy¡­."


    ¡­


    I checked the phone number that Logan just gave me. I wondered if I could use this number for something.


    I got up from my seat and picked my backpack. I left the Pottery club room and paced around the corridor, hoping to catch a glimpse of that druggie who got kicked out of the Boxing club with me before.


    He was so unhinged. I bet he was waiting for Leah to give him another drug. From what Logan examined, it seemed that Leah supplied them with crystal meth.


    I wasn''t a drug expert, but there was no way Leah could get her hands on that thing in a big batch unless she had some sort of connection.


    I paced through the corridor, thinking about the possibilities until I saw a man leaning on the wall under the stairs, and my eyes widened.


    It''s him!

 Chapter 90 - A Pitiful Drug Addict (1)

    I paced through the corridor, thinking about the possibilities until I saw a man leaning on the wall under the stairs, and my eyes widened.


    It''s him! It''s that druggie guy from Boxing club!


    I rushed to that guy. He seemed to be too absorbed in his own world that he didn''t notice me approaching him.


    "Hello," I tried to wake him up, though it didn''t seem to work. He kept on staring nkly at the wall in front of him while mumbling something inaudible.


    I realized that he wasn''t going to answer me without any stimnt. So I whispered, ''I got something that you want from Miss Leah.''


    The guy seemed to have regained part of his consciousness after I whispered about Leah. He reacted by turned his head on me and asked with hoarse, like a sandpaper voice, "M¡ªMiss Leah¡­ Miss Leah¡­"


    "Yeah, Miss Leah sent me to help you," I said gently, so I wouldn''t frighten him.. I remembered that he got afraid easily, especially when intimidated by those in the Boxing club.


    I observed this guy first, I could see the trace of his past prime from the muscle on his arm. But he was a lot thinner than those in the Boxing club. So I assumed he was one of the severe cases.


    "H¡ªHelp? I need¡­ I need the stuff, the¡ªthe chalk¡­." he said. "I need the chalk¡­."


    "Chalk?"


    I tried to guess what he meant by that. Maybe it was a street term for crystal meth or other drugs? But I assumed it was really about meth.


    "Yes, Miss Leah gave me the chalk you''ve wanted for so long, but you got to tell me few things," I tried to incite him with ''the chalk'' as the offer, although I didn''t have one right now.


    "What¡­ what question?" The guy asked.


    Honestly, I wanted to ask about his identity first. But I was afraid that he might get guarded when asked about personal information. So I might as well get some information about Leah and Boxing club instead.


    I looked at the corridor. After making sure that nobody was around, I pulled him to hide behind a wall, so nobody would notice us.


    "First, tell me, were you part of the Boxing club?"


    "H¡ªHuh?" The guy was spacing out for a moment and then nodded. "I was. I was actually the first one to get epted, but they kicked me out."


    "Really? Why would they kick you out?"


    "Because¡­ because I used it too much¡­ but I can''t help it, you know. It feels too good. It feels too fucking good! How am I supposed to continue after that! I can''t!"


    I backed out slightly when he started acting erratically. He started scratching his neck, face, hair, and arm.


    "See this?" He pointed at his neck, showing many wounds that got my body stiffened. "I do this when I don''t get the chalk. I really, really need it!"


    "W¡ªWhy did Miss Leah stop giving you the chalk?"


    "Because she said I''m too obvious, and she has to kick me out of the club!" The guy replied he was distraught when he mentioned the boxing club.


    Well, if I was in Leah shoes, someone like this guy would be kicked out immediately because he looked way too obvious to be kept around. He seriously needed rehab.


    The guy suddenly stared at me with his distraught gaze, and he asked, "Chalk. You said you have it. Give it to me."


    I swallowed my saliva hardly when facing this drug addict. At this point, I knew that I was too rash, too excited, that I forgot he was still a drug addict that might attack me out of frustration.


    I tried to find something that might distract him, then I remembered that syringe with crystal meth residue in it.


    I wondered if I should give it to him, but that was my only weapon right now. If I needed to give it to this guy, I wanted some information worth the trade, at least.


    "Calm down, I have your chalk," I unzipped my backpack and took out the used syringe. I showed it to him and waved it in front of his eyes. "See that residue inside the syringe? You can have it if you want~."


    The drug addict''s eyes sharpened instantly, he tried snatching the syringe, but I pulled my hand immediately.


    With a sweet but taunting smile, I said, "If you want this, we need to trade something first."


    "What is it? Man, if it''s money, I don''t have any. I''m broke. I''ve sold my parents belonging to buy more chalk," the guy said.


    "Wait, everything?!"


    "Yeah¡­" the guy replied. He lowered his head full of shame. "My parents will kick me out at this point¡­."


    My heart softened the moment he told me that. I felt pity for him because it looked like he was a good boy that got dragged into the hell hole by Leah.


    That woman might think everything was just a y. Because she had everything, including the full support of her rich dad in case, she got entangled with thew.


    But for those who got addicted to her ''chalk,'' they basically ended their high school career and their life. They had no way out unless they got rehabilitated as soon as possible.


    The fact that Leah could easily turn those promising young guys to be drug addicts without any remorse scared the shit out of me.


    A monster, she was a monster, just like the rest of them, those who bullied, tormented, and killed me.


    "Well, what I need from you is not money, but information," I said.


    The guy kept staring at the syringe dangling in front of him like a hungry wolf, "What information?" He asked.


    "It''s just a simple question," I said while I continued brainstorming the correct question to ask before he got too impatient and snatched the syringe. "It''s about Miss Leah."


    "Do you know how Miss Leah could get her hands on the chalk? And where did you guys usually hide to use this thing together?"

 Chapter 91 - A Pitiful Drug Addict (2)

    "Do you know how Miss Leah could get her hands on the chalk? And where did you guys usually hide to use this thing together?"


    The guy was stunned over that question, which I understood well. Because that kind of question would leak some secret out of his mouth.


    "Why do you need this information? You''re not an undercover cop, aren''t you?" He asked suspiciously. I didn''t expect him to still have some logic in his brain after so much torment, especially in front of the crystal meth he had wanted for so long.


    I chuckled when prompted with that question, "Do you think there is a fifteen years old undercover cop like me? That''s ridiculous, you know."


    "Then why do you want to know?" He asked.


    "Because¡­"


    I began to brainstorm again, trying to find a good reason so he wouldn''t get suspicious. After racking up my brain to its limit, I still couldn''t find a good reason for this.


    Should I tell him that I wanted to get closer to Leah, so I wanted to know more about her? That wouldn''t make sense.


    Or should I tell him that I wanted to catch Leah and put her in jail?


    Yeah, both choices weren''t possible.


    So thest thing I could do was¡­


    "Oh,e on, do you really need to know my reason?"


    "Huh?"


    "This is a trade between that information I want with this¡ª" I unted the syringe in front of him. "¡ªThis chalk residue inside. You want it, right?"


    "Y¡ªYes¡­"


    "Then just don''t ask me about other unnecessary things and answer my question! After you''ve given me the information I need, this syringe is yours."


    The guy swallowed his saliva as he kept staring at the syringe, "A¡ªAt least please tell me your name, so I can feel assured."


    OH, that one I could consider. Since I had the feeling that he would probably try to get something to threaten me.


    I was considering it for a moment, and I nodded to agree, "What will you do with my name?"


    "W¡ªWell, I just want to make sure that I can find you if I''m in trouble," he replied.


    Ah, that was risky. I bet if he knew my real name, he would ask people around and then find me to ask for more of those crystal meths.


    Or even if he didn''t, he''d still ask people whether they knew me, and my name would spread around, giving me visibility I was dreading to avoid.


    "Fine then, I''ll tell you after you answer one of the questions first. Do you know how Miss Leah got her hands on those chalks?"


    The guy was worried, but in the end, he yielded and gave me the answer, "She¡­ she has this guy outside of school. We don''t know his name, but he supplies Miss Leah. James is the one who helps Miss Leah to retrieve the chalk¡­."


    I squinted at him, trying to find whether he was lying or not. But he looked more scared enough for me to assume that he wasn''t lying.


    So Leah really had someone to supply her in a big batch, and her right-hand man was that James guy I met before. No wonder he got so defensive when I inquired about Boxing club, probably because he knew what I was after.


    Now I could further talk about this with Logan to form a n. Though, I had already brewed a n in my head right now.


    "Then, where did you guys usually hide to inject or snort the chalk?" I inquired more.


    The guy got scared for real and shook his head, "You haven''t even told me about your name¡­."


    "I will tell you after you answer all of my questions," I replied, trying to corner him. But this time, he didn''t yield immediately. He shook his head and demanded, "You haven''t told me your name. I can''t trust you¡­."


    Oh, for fuck sake!


    "Fine, my name is Chrissy, Chrissy Miles. You can always search for me if you want more chalk. I have a lot in me. You can ask some people to find me as well," I replied.


    "Chrissy Miles?"


    "Yes."


    What? Did you think that I would use my real name in this trade? That was stupid! It was way too risky, especially if Leah discovered about my trade with this guy.


    So I used the name of the person I hated the most currently. Yes, of course, I hated Jessica, but she was way too famous for being used as a fake name.


    And Chrissy was obscure enough for now, so it would be best to taint her name early, just to watch her struggle on her way to bootlick to the top.


    "Since I''ve told you about my name, now you owe me thatst question," I said. "Where do you guys hide to snort and inject your drugs?"


    The guy stared at the syringe and then replied, "In the storage room. We usually take turns inside with someone guarding outside of the door. Usually, it''s Miss Leah herself that guards outside with James."


    "B¡ªBut¡­ storage room in boxing club is not the main spot where they usually do it¡­."


    "There are other hidden spots?" I inquired further. The storage room inside the boxing club was obvious since I found the syringe near the door. But the fact there were other spots, now that was unexpected.


    "Yeah, but I don''t know the hidden spots. Because I''m never allowed to go there¡­" he replied.


    "Huh? Why aren''t you allowed?"


    "Because Miss Leah said I might die there, she didn''t want to take a risk to dump my body to some junkyard," he exined.


    ¡­


    I didn''t know what was inside his heart, but if I was in that position, I would be heartbroken by Leah''s words, even though it was the truth.


    I didn''t think I could retrieve more information from him, but at least that was enough to incite the n inside my head. I could discuss this with Logan, and he could use his charm to get more information from Leah.


    "Okay, thank you for your help," I said as I tried to side-step him.


    But this guy suddenly grabbed my arm and demanded, "The chalk, give me the chalk."

 Chapter 92 - A Pitiful Drug Addict (3)

    I didn''t think I could retrieve more information from him, but at least that was enough to incite the n inside my head. I could discuss this with Logan, and he could use his charm to get more information from Leah.


    "Okay, thank you for your help," I said as I tried to side-step him.


    But this guy suddenly grabbed my arm and demanded, "The chalk, give me the chalk."


    "Ah¡ª"


    I just remembered the syringe I promised him. It was in my hand, and of course, there was a trace of crystal meth in it. I could just give it to him and leave, but¡­


    I stared at him¡­


    His face had traces of violent scratches, his neck had holes around, and his eyes were red. He was spacing out most of the time. I could see the pain in his eyes, maybe he didn''t realize it, but he didn''t need this syringe..


    He needed help, a rehab definitely.


    Thus I put the syringe back in my backpack, and he reacted wildly by clenching my arm even harder, "That''s mine! You promised to give it to me!"


    "Do you really want that small amount of leftover meth? I can give you moreter," I said calmly and confidently, trying to convince him that I had this crystal meth.


    "You''re lying! Just give me that!"


    "Oh chill, I have a stock of chalk. If you want this leftover, you can have it, but I won''t give you moreter."


    ¡­


    The guy was contemting for a moment. Maybe he thought it was worth releasing me and waiting for an even bigger prize soon.


    In the end, he did release me and said, "I''ll wait for your promise. I know your name, so I can search you in case you lied," he threatened me.


    I almostughed when he said that because he knew me as Chrissy Miles.


    So if he tried to search for that name, the one who would take the responsibility was Chrissy. Well, at least it would taint her reputation and slowed her progress to bootlick to the top.


    I definitely remembered that Barbara hated druggies the most because she didn''t want to taint her reputation as the ''good girl.''


    This would hinder Chrissy''s step, so I could take her down easier. At least I didn''t want her to be Barbara''s ve too quickly.


    "Sure, you can just search me. You remember my name, right?"


    "Uh¡­ Chris¡­ Chris¡­"


    Oh, I guessed that drugs really ruin his short term memory, "Chrissy Miles. You search me if you need that chalk."


    "O¡ªOkay, keep your promise. Because I''lle to youter¡­" the guy said.


    Hahahaha! I wondered how Chrissy would react when a druggie suddenly came at her and asked for chalk. She would be the new gossip in the school!


    I nodded lightly and strutted away from him, leaving the club building and heading straight to the front gate to leave the school with my bike.


    **


    I returned home quitete in the evening, and my Mom had returned from her job.


    She was sitting, eating her failed dinner.


    She nced at me and smiled, "Oh, Em, wee home. Do you want my dinner? I made pasta." She said while showing the charred dinner.


    Today''s menu was burnt pasta, it seemed.


    I shit you not. She made burnt pasta and still ate it without even frowning. I started to wonder if my Mom didn''t have a taste bud at all.


    "I''m good, Mom. I''ll just cook something for myself," I said.


    "Ah, you should do that," Mom chuckled. She didn''t mind my refusal because she knew her food was bad. It was only her that could eat her own cooking, and me¡­ if I had no other choice.


    "How about Grandma? Did she eat already?" I asked while wearing an apron.


    "Oh, your Grandma said that she had a dinner already," Mom said. Her expression chilled as if she had just said something serious.


    "Already? Did she eat your¡ª"


    "No, she said the handsome man in red rose visited her in thete afternoon, and he brought food. He offered the food he brought, and your Grandma seems to have trusted that guy too much. She ate everything he spoon-fed," Mom reported. "I''m d that he doesn''t have a bad intention, like poisoning your Grandma. But that''s too much. Em, are you sure that he''s not your boyfriend?"


    My body chilled after I heard the report. That red rose man went as far as starting to get familiar with my family and always came whenever there was nobody inside the house except Grandma. He even started bringing food for Grandma, and she naively agreed to eat whatever he brought!


    I found this was too chilling, and I denied the usation immediately, "No, Mom. I have no boyfriend, and I''m not close to any boy right now."


    I wanted to count Logan and Mason, but then again, they weren''t exactly close with me. Mason was still busy with his training to be a quarterback, while Logan¡­ did Logan thing. I didn''t know what he did anyway.


    "Do you think we should set up CCTV?" Mom asked seriously. Honestly, a CCTV would be nice, but we were a bit too poor to install that right now. I knew that Mom was still saving money, and we still had to pay the health insurance, mostly for Grandma.


    We are always on a tight budget, though at least we didn''t need to use the food coupon anymore.


    "Installing CCTV is too expensive. It''s better to save it for now. I have his number, Mom. That red rose man, I''ll see what I can do."


    Mom sighed and nodded, "Well, you''re right. We''re still on a tight budget. We can''t possibly install CCTV, let alone putting it on our monthly bill."


    "Don''t worry, Mom. I will try to find a way," I said. I started cooking simple chicken broli for dinner.


    That red rose man got bolder every time he visited. I started to wonder if he wanted something from my family.


    Maybe I should ask my Grandma about more detail, so I might be able to catch him.

 Chapter 93 - Trespasser

    Maybe I should ask my Grandma about more detail, so I might be able to catch him.


    After I finished my dinner, I went upstairs and opened Grandma''s door. I saw her sitting on her bed, reading a book in full focus. It was one of her habits to pass the time. She would usually read an old romance book from her era.


    She didn''t notice me opening the door as she was too absorbed with her book. I didn''t call her immediately. Instead, I checked her room to see whether there was something amiss.


    I was the one who cleaned Grandma''s room once every three days, so I knew theyout of this bedroom really well.


    Since that red rose man always came when nobody was home except Grandma, I was afraid that he might enter the house. Knowing how senile Grandma was and put something around Grandma''s room, I might have to check other room after this as well..,


    After making sure that nothing had changed, I sat at the edge of the bed, "Grandma¡­."


    "Huh¡­ who?" Grandma turned her head at me and looked surprised, "Emmy, do you need something?"


    "Grandma, what happened today?"


    "What happened today? Hm¡­ I knit as usual. What is wrong?" Grandma asked. She looked worried.


    Honestly, I should be the one who was worried here. Because Grandma was old, and she was mostly alone in the house when Mom and I were busy outside.


    "Grandma, about that man¡ª"


    "Oh!" Grandma interrupted me so suddenly. She became lively as she put down her book and opened the drawer on the other side of the bed.


    She picked two red roses and gave them to me, "Emmy, that young man gave you these roses. Ah, it''s still fresh, thank god! I really forgot to put it in the vase!


    I stared at the roses Grandma handed to me. I still didn''t understand how Grandma could be so straightforward about it. A literal intruder came to her at random times, we didn''t know what his true intention was, and I doubted it was a pretty one.


    "Grandma, what did he do to you?"


    "Huh? Uhh¡­ he brought a lunch box. He said he cooked it himself. It smells so nice, so I can''t help to stare at it, haha¡­." Grandma recalled what she did with that red rose man. "He said that he brought the lunch box because he wanted me to eat a lot. He wanted to take care of Emmy''s Grandma, he said."


    Grandma looked so happy as she stared at me with ZERO worries about the strange things that she just said, "You''re so lucky, Emmy. He''s such a good boy. I hope I still have enough age to see you get married to him."


    What. The. Fuck?!


    What did that guy do to my Grandma? How did she favour that guy so much? He was a creep!


    "Grandma, I don''t even know his name! How can you be so assured with him anyway? He has beening to our house uninvited. He is basically trespassing!" I tried talking some sense to her. Because his reaction baffled me. If that guy really came to the house when I was in, I''d instead take a gun and shot him dead for trespassing,


    "Oh, he''s not trespassing, my dear Em. Whenever he showed up, I''m always the one who told him toe," Grandma imed. "He usually sat beside me and talked about random things."


    I couldn''t believe how easy Grandma made everything to be. I got frustrated as I wanted to shake some sense inside her. Maybe she had be too senile to realize how dangerous that man was.


    "Grandma, he''s too dangerous. Please call the police if he shows up again, okay?" I suggested her, hoping that he would take my advice.


    But she looked confused instead, "Why? He is not dangerous at all, Em."


    "I saw his eyes, it was so beautiful, and it looks so sincere when he stared at me," Grandma exined. "I also asked him whether he loves you or not."


    "Trust me, Em. When he said that he has been in love with you for so long, I really saw the pain and the sincere love he has for you in his eyes," Grandma added, and I got irritated instead.


    Eyes, eyes, eyes.


    Grandma kept talking about this sincere gaze that creepy trespasser had as if she could read someone''s heard just by looking at their eyes.


    I understood that my Grandma was senile, so I couldn''t really talk logic to her. All I could do right now was to prevent that guy from evering back again.


    "Grandma, just¡­ please follow my suggestion and report it when hees again, okay? We''re don''t have enough money to set up CCTV¡­." I said. I got up from the bed, that was all I could say to Grandma, other than that, maybe I should save some money by working part-time, and then I could buy CCTV or something.


    But Grandma suddenly said, "Oh, Em, you should see his eyes! You''ll believe me once you can see how much he loves you!"


    ¡­


    I turned my head at her. Since she kept repeating the same eyes, eyes, and eyes, I might get more information about this red rose man.


    "Grandma, since you stare at his eyes so much, do you know what is his eye colour?" I asked. There was plenty of suspicion in my head as to who this man might be.


    The eye colour might fit the physical description of some of the suspicious people on my list.


    "Oh, eye colour?" Grandma seemed to think hard to remember it. After a while, she nodded and replied, "He has a pair of crystal eyes. They''ll draw you in with the beauty in his eyes."


    "Grandma, I''m asking about eye colour¡­." I tried to redirect her back to the main question.


    "Green. His eyes are green like a pair of beautiful emerald¡­."

 Chapter 94 - Emerald Eyes Trespasser

    "He has a pair of crystal eyes. They''ll draw you in with the beauty in his eyes."


    "Grandma, I''m asking about eye color¡­." I tried to redirect her back to the main question.


    "Green. His eyes are green like a pair of beautiful emerald¡­."


    "Green eyes¡­."


    I was stunned, silly. I didn''t know how to react because that was way out of my expectation. I thought his eyes would be deep blue or ck, or maybe brown..


    But green eyes¡­


    I didn''t think I''d ever seen anyone with green eyes around me. Most have either blue, ck, or brown.


    Was it someone from another school? Since my circle was only around my high school.


    But I was mostly invisible by other students in my school, let alone those from another school. I had no friends, nor I talked with many people as well.


    But this guy suddenly knew my number, and he also knew about my deed of ruining Kristen and Cerise''s life. He also knew about my rebirth after my death.


    I wondered if he also came from the previous world I lived in.


    "Thank you, Grandma. I''ll return to my room now," I said to Grandma. She smiled and continued reading as I closed the door.


    I sat in my room, holding these two red roses as I thought about the red rose man. What was his true intention? Marrying me? What kind of medieval backward thought was that?


    He acted as if we had known each other for so long.


    But what made me even more suspicious was the fact that Grandma epted his lunch box easily.


    Grandma had a weak stomach, and she would feel sick if she ate few specific things that might bemon to regr people.


    Yet, that man knew exactly what my grandma could and could not eat. He was way too familiar with my family to ignore.


    And his green eyes¡­


    I really thought he had blue eyes, deep blue ocean eyes that would mesmerize you.


    Because I was suspicious of that School Prince''s behavior from the very start.


    Maybe I was just too paranoid when Mason became familiar with me, so I instinctively suspected him to be that obsessive red rose man.


    But Mason had deep blue, ocean eyes, while this man had emerald eyes¡­


    I was spacing out for a while until I got a text from the person I thought of right now.


    ¡ª


    Mason: Good Evening, Em.


    ¡ª


    I frowned. I tried to remember if I had some business with Mason. But after the first date and apanying him to sort out stuff in the club building, I didn''t remember that I had anything to do with him anymore.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Good evening¡­ do you need anything?


    Mason: Oh, I''m just curious about what are you doing right now.


    Mason: Have you had dinner?


    Emmy: Why do you ask?


    Mason: It''s nothing.


    Mason: Sorry if I sound weird. I don''t know how to strike conversation¡­


    ¡ª


    Honestly, Mason dide out as an inexperienced nervous boy right now. For a man who was hailed as the gentleman, the handsome, perfect heartthrob in high school, I didn''t expect him to be this clumsy.


    I didn''t answer his chat immediately. I suspected that Mason might be the culprit behind the red rose man, but I might be wrong because we were obviously not affiliated in my previous world.


    But I still wanted to see his reaction, so I mustered my courage and pressed call on his number.


    After two beeps, the line was finally connected. There was a long silence between us until Mason opened the conversation first.


    ¡ªPhone call__


    "G¡ªGood evening¡­ Em¡­" Mason asked nervously. I could sense that he was nervous as if he had never been on a call with any girl before, which was simply impossible for someone as popr as Mason.


    I should be the one who got nervous instead, but apparently, his nervousness eased me and made me a lot calmer than usual.


    "Did you need something, Em? U¡ªUh¡­ I''m sorry that I sound a bit nervous. I just didn''t expect you to call me," He admitted.


    His voice was soft and gentle. I knew that he was a soft-spoken person, but on the phone, his voice was actually a lot softer and nicer but still exuded that masculinity.


    It was like a gentleman trying to make youfortable talking with him.


    "It''s nothing¡­ I just want to call you¡­." I replied.


    "Really? Do you need anything?" Mason asked. "This is the first time you''ve called me. Are you really okay?"


    Honestly, I didn''t know why did I call him in the first ce. I had always suspected that the red rose man was Mason Hall because he acted so strange. And I wanted to catch him off guard or something. It was just my instinct to call him.


    But after I heard his gentle voice, his nervousness, and his concern for me, I felt ridiculous instead.


    Why would Mason Hall stalked me and disguised himself as the red rose man in the first ce? It didn''t make sense.


    I sighed, "It''s okay. I''m sorry for calling you. Thank you for your concern."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was another long silence, and I was about to hang up the call. I felt stupid for calling him for absolutely no reason. Mason might find me funny as well.


    I didn''t want to continue this clownery, but before I pressed on the red button, Mason suddenly said, "Em, thank you for calling me. I need it, really."


    "Huh? What?"


    Beep


    ¡ªPhone call End¡ª


    I was stunned by hisst words. Did Mason want to call me before I called him first? What for?


    I thought about it for some time, wondering if I should call him back if he needed something. But then, I realized that we weren''t close enough for me to know about his private matter¡­


    I held my curiosity to call him again because it mighte out as being nosy.


    I stared at the red rose again and sighed deeply. It seemed that I''d be stuck with this creepy, emerald eyes trespasser for a while.

 Chapter 95 - Doberman (1)

    I was sleepless for the whole night, thinking about that red rose man who haunted my family and me. And also about Mason, who was acting strange most of the time.


    I knew Mason was interested in me. It was very obvious. I wasn''t a dense idiot in a y/n novel on Wattpad.


    But I didn''t know why.


    Of course, we would be interested in someone because of something they had. Just like me, I was¡­ and still interested in Mason because of his image of a school prince and his breathtaking heartthrob visual.


    I knew that I had no chance to be with him. We were just too different. He was like a skypared to this dirt hole of me..


    ¡­


    "Ah,e on, Em. You know you don''t have that much self-confidence in the first ce, butparing yourself to Mason would only hurt you even more," I reminded myself.


    I already vowed to never get entangled with him in this life, but the fact that he actually asked me for a date and brought me to eat my very first cake¡­


    I was just a regr teenage girl with heart, okay? I couldn''t control what my heart desired¡­


    "Man, this sucks¡­." I cursed at my own idiocy. I didn''t want my revenge n to fail just because of my stupid heart.


    I decided to shower before bath just to calm myself down, and when I returned, there was a text from that rich brat.


    ¡ª


    Logan: Where are you now?


    Logan: Don''t tell me that you''re sleeping already. We haven''t go with that n.


    ¡ª


    Huh? n?


    ¡­


    OH! That n!


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Are you chatting with Leah right now?


    Logan: Yeah, let''s get this over with because I''m fucking disgusted with her text. Seriously, why am I putting myself with your stupid n?


    Emmy: Oh,e on, it''s not that bad.


    Logan: Dang it, whatever, just tell me what do you want!


    ¡ª


    I remembered the information that the druggie gave me before. It seemed that Leah had someone that supplied her with a big batch of crystal meth and perhaps with other drugs as well.


    I wondered if we could get more information about this from Leah herself.


    But it would be way too quick and too suspicious if Logan just asked her about it without any context.


    And the second information, about the secret ce where Leah usually hung out with her subordinate. It would be the best spot to trap Leahter, so the police would have any incriminating evidence.


    Though, I might also need to shake up few things to make them look even worse, especially for Leah.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Continue chatting with her. Make it sweet and saucy for her. Try to fake your affection for her. That will help a ton.


    Emmy: I don''t think it''s possible now. But wait until she trusts you enough, then I will direct you to the two most important steps here.


    Logan: Oh? Do you have something in your pocket now? I thought we would continue ying in the dark.


    Emmy: I know the way to catch her.


    Logan: Fine, I''ll y with your rules. Just make sure that it''ll be worth it in the future.


    Emmy: Trust me, it''ll be worth it for whatever mission you have. I can do things more efficiently than you think.


    Logan: Like that efficient Meow?


    Logan: *GIF sent*


    ¡ª


    I was surprised when he suddenly sent me a GIF of a cute ck kitten,plete with its crystal eyes, meowing at the camera.


    I was disgusted by his mockery. He definitely sent this to insult me for my embarrassing attempt to act like a cat maid for him.


    I decided to just insult him as well,


    ¡ª


    Emmy: *Gif Sent*


    Logan: What? Why are you sending a gif of Doberman to me?


    Emmy: Because you''re like a Doberman who obeys my instruction.


    Emmy: Now, good doggie, don''t forget to do a good job for the mission. Once you''re done ying, I''ll give you some dog treats.


    Logan: You!


    ¡ª


    Logan started spamming me with all his mockery and angry stickers that didn''t even budge me.


    I found it interesting, actually. I usually hated rich brat the most, and Logan was the richest and the brattiest guy, I had ever met. But for some reason, I didn''t find him annoying.


    Well, maybe because we were partners in crime, at least temporarily. I wasn''t sure if I should use him in the future or I might need to betray him.


    Logan stopped texting me suddenly. I suspected that he might continue ying with Leah''s heart right now. I had to admit that someone like Logan¡­ could easily get any girl with his handsome face, nice body, and money.


    It was quite surprising that he wasn''t as popr as Mason, but that was probably because he always looked so pissed and angry at anyone around him.


    And the fact that he wasn''t exactly active in ss, I bet he also paid the school board to give him good grades, so he wouldn''t skip ss.


    Tch, bribe.


    I waited for a while, thinking that Logan must''ve been trying his hard not to puke while chatting with Leah.


    It took about one hour until Logan texted me again, bringing the good news to me.


    ¡ª


    Logan: Ugh, I can''t deal with this anymore.


    Emmy: How is it? Did you get some worthy chat?


    Logan: No, but at least I can assure you that Leah Carpenter has been convinced, at least she''s definitely 100% want to rock me in bed.


    Emmy:¡­ I don''t think you need to send me a screenshot between you two


    Logan: *Screenshot sent*


    Logan: Toote, now you can see what kind of nasty shit she had sent to me.


    Logan: I''ll take a shower to wash that icky feeling. Hope you''re happy, Miss Meow.


    ¡ª


    Oh no, I had a bad feeling about opening that screenshot of text between Logan and Leah. I could just ignore itpletely, but that meant I would miss the opportunity to check any important information.


    Besides¡­ I was curious about what Logan said¡­


    After bracing myself, I clicked the screenshot from Logan to open it.

 Chapter 96 - Doberman (2)

    After bracing myself, I clicked the screenshot from Logan to open it. It was a long text between Leah and Logan. The moment I read the first sentence, I regretted it instantly.


    ¡ª


    Leah: So, my handsome Logan, when will youe to me and taste my pussy?


    ¡ª


    Hold on.


    WHAT. THE. FUCK!?


    No, seriously, what the fuck did I just read? And it was literally the first text between Logan and Leah.


    I really thought it was just some flirtatious moment between those two, maybe with a few tease as well.. That was supposed to do when you texted your crush, at least from what I saw in teen movies.


    But this¡­


    I didn''t expect Leah to be that thirsty. Maybe she was really fucking with all those boys in the Boxing club daily.


    Though, my usation was immediately rebuffed by their following texts.


    ¡ª


    Logan: Whoa, that''s so fast. I want it slow, so we can learn each other first.


    Leah: Ohh~ Mr. Rich President is a romantic, I see. Well, don''t worry, I''m also craving some romance. I''ve always been surrounded by those filthy boys, ugh!


    Logan: Filthy boys? Do you mean your club members?


    Leah: Of course, isn''t it obvious? They''re so gross. I don''t even want them to touch me.


    Leah: So it''s kay, dear, I''m still clean.


    Logan: I really thought you''d be more sensible to your club members. They look up to you.


    Leah: But that doesn''t mean I have to cater to them, right? They''re the one who needs me after all.


    Logan: True...


    Logan: Just like how I need you, I guess¡­


    Leah: Aww, so handsome and cute. Do you want me to send you a boob pic?


    Logan: No thanks.


    ¡ª


    Okay, I giggled a bit when Logan immediately refused that boob pic offer, or else I''d be traumatized to see Leah''s boobs right now. I sipped the water from the water bottle I brought to my room after bath and reading.


    ¡ª


    Leah: Well, that''s not so fun.


    Logan: I''d rather see it directly, maybe touch it as well.


    ¡ª


    "Pfftt!" Water came out of my mouth and nose as I read this. I wiped my nose with a tissue whilementing. "What the heck? That rich brat is a pro! I didn''t think he could take the initiative so Leah would feel wanted.


    Maybe I should give him apuse for this one.


    ¡ª


    Leah: Oh? So naughty~


    Leah: I don''t mind at all, maybe we should go on a date.


    Logan: Definitely, but I don''t like a regr date.


    Leah: What kind of date do you want?


    Logan: Maybe a more intimate date, like in a movie theatre or¡­ your house. Your house should be safe, right?


    Leah: OMG! Ahahahaha!


    Leah: Okay, okay, let''s just have fun in my home. I''m always home alone since my parents are always busy outside. I can''t wait to get on top of you~


    ¡ª


    Ah¡­


    Man, after reading these texts, I understood how Logan could feel sick in his stomach because I also felt nauseous somehow.


    For someone who hated people like Logan, this must''ve been a difficult task for him.


    Because Leah was thirsty as heck. I understood that Logan was handsome and rich, but this was a next-level thirst.


    Oh well, it could be a great chance for us because, with this, I could tell Logan to nt some evidence in her house, make her looked even worse once the police inspected her home.


    Of course, I wasn''t a Holy Mother that would forgive her out of all her sins. She was the one who beat me up badly on every asion in my previous life, making me a punching bag just for the likes of it, and her bullying only gotten even worse after she joined Jessica.


    I''d burn her in hell, to where she really belonged to. And I would do it my own way, even if that way was as hical as nting evidence.


    Thus, I called Logan after reading their texts. I had to brief him about what I found with that druggie, so we could n ahead in time, hoping that it would catch Leah off guard. Because she wasn''t really an easy target, she was also cautious.


    Now I really thought Kristen and Cerise''s case was just my dumb luck or an easy mode.


    After few beeps, Logan finally picked my call and asked,


    ¡ªPhone call¡ª


    "What?" Logan asked. "Did you read the text already? I''m surprised that you''re not nauseous."


    "Who said I''m not?" Iined. "I really didn''t expect her to be that thirsty. I guess she''s really into you, Mr. Rich president."


    "Of course, don''t you see how handsome I am?" Logan chuckled. "Also, call me Master Logan or Boss Logan now, and I''ll be more than delighted."


    "Yeah, not gonna say anything about that," I rolled my eyes. I didn''t want to boost his already inting ego even more.


    Logan didn''t seem to care about my reaction. He just chuckled and continued, "So, now that I have ess to her house, what are you nning to do? You have a n, right?"


    "Oh, I have a n, indeed."


    "Do you want me to search inside her house to find some evidence that she used drugs or has a deal with a big drug dealer?" Logan asked. "It''s quite risky, but don''t worry. I can handle it just fine."


    "Why would I risk you toe there and search frantically? That''s so inefficient and risky for your safety," I replied, giving him a logical answer.


    "Oh, so we''re ying pretend care now? Since when you''re afraid that I might get caught," Logan chuckled again.


    I clicked my tongue in annoyance. He really treated this as a game. I couldn''t sense any nervousness in him.


    "You don''t need to search for evidence," I said, and with a smirk, I added, "nt them."


    "Huh?"


    "nt the evidence of Leah keeping a lot of drugs inside her house. Try putting those drugs as much as you could, so we can use it to absolutely persecute her when the timees."

 Chapter 97 - The Red Rose Mans Help (1)

    ¡ªPhone Call¡ª


    "nt the evidence of Leah keeping a lot of drugs inside her house. Try putting those drugs as much as you could, so we can use it to absolutely persecute her when the timees," I exined.


    I really felt so cool because I could brief someone like Logan.


    "Oh~ That''s a great idea. I didn''t think that you coulde up with something so ingenious yet devilish at the same time," Loganplimented. I could hear him snickering across the phone call.


    "What''s so funny?"


    "Nothing, I''m just quite surprised that a pretty girl can be so malicious and ingenious," Logan said. Then he suddenly retracted his words, "Wait, that pretty girl part is just a fakepliment, okay? I don''t find you pretty at all. It''s just¡­ it''s just like that perfunctorypliment you give to your coworker. Don''t think too much about it, or it will stroke your pitiful ego!".


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I didn''t even say anything, but he started rambling nervously. Then, a long silence ensued between us. I thought Logan was too stunned, too impressed to react. It stroke my ego even more, but then he asked a question, "Anyway, that''s a great idea. But I have a question."


    "What is it?"


    "How could you get your hands on that stuff?"


    "Huh? What stuff?"


    "Are you an idiot or what? How could you get your hands on those drugs!? They''re illegal and costly, and we''re just high school kids!" Logan yelled out loud on the phone.


    I was stunned after I realized that one big ring problem.


    I was too focused on the n that I forgot I had to obtain the drugs first.


    But how? I had no connection for the shady stuff. I also had no money to buy it in the first ce. Heck, I bet in order to get enough money to buy a big batch of drugs, I had to sell my house first.


    And there was a risk of getting caught by the police¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    It was another long silence because I got tongue-tied, unable to respond to Logan''s question. I was stuck with this as well, and I had found myself at a dead end for the first time.


    As expected, this revenge n wouldn''t be so easy, especially knowing that my enemies weren''t stupid. That Kristen and Cerise''s n was an easy mode, a tutorial mode because they were so conveniently put together like a stack of Jenga that was about to fall with one flick.


    And I was the one who flicked the Jenga to ruin Kristen and Cerise.


    But my problem with Leah¡ªand with the rest of my bullies wouldn''t be so easy.


    I was thinking hard, trying to find a way to solve this problem to no avail. Then, I heard Logan snickering again, "So, our evil genius has met a big obstacle in front of her?"


    "Oh shut up," I replied annoyedly. He didn''t make this better either, but at least don''t annoy me even more!


    I could hear Logan chuckling again and said, "Well, I don''t care about nting evidence and stuff. It''s really interesting to see a pretty¡ªI mean, a totally average girl ying with fire. Tell me if you can find yourself a box of drugs for me to work with, HAHAHAHA!"


    ¡ªPhone call end__


    I stared at my phone screen. Logan ended the phone call just like that. I was still annoyed at him, but at the same time, I also wondered where did he get all those guts.


    Obviously, for me, I had experienced three years of hell before I returned back in time as a hardened girl.


    But Logan¡­ he was only sixteen, yet he could talk about nting evidence, sneaking around to find some clues inside Leah''s house. He didn''t even phase when he said that I needed to find some drugs to work first.


    He could also beat three grown men in that dark alley easily. It made me wonder what kind of background he had.


    He was no different than Mason, both of them were suspicious and mysterious, and both also tried to hide their background, even their true identity at this point.


    "Okay, Em, it''s time to think, think! You need to find a way to get that drugs!"


    Maybe I should steal some from those druggies in the Boxing club?


    ¡­


    Nah, I''d literally die if they found out.


    I couldn''t buy it either, no connection and no money.


    Maybe I should''ve used Logan again. He was rich, right? He could buy it with his money.


    But he didn''t offer me in the first ce. How in hell could I strike up that conversation about buying drugs? I also had the feeling that Logan might have a high tolerance for crimes, but he didn''t want to be involved in one as well, at least not as serious as supplying drugs.


    Mason? Oh,e on, Mason was such a goody-two-shoes. I bet he would be shocked and immediately called the police or rehab center when I asked him if he could help me find drugs.


    As I was stuck with this unsolved problem, I heard a text notification from my phone.


    I checked it out, thinking it was Logan again until I found the texter to be that number, the red rose man.


    ¡ª


    xx: How is it, my dear? Do you like the roses I gave you today?


    xx: Grandma has been feeling ill these days, right? That''s why I brought her good lunch, so she could eat healthier food.


    ¡ª


    Oh, for fuck sake, I was stressed out here, trying to find a way to get my hands on those drugs, but this man just suddenly popped out in my text and started texting creepy stuff again.


    I was in a bad mood, so I ignored him because I knew I''d definitely blew up if I catered to his creepy text.


    But then, he suddenly texted me again with a question.


    ¡ª


    xx: You don''t seem to be in a good mood today. Can I help you with something, my dear?


    ¡ª

 Chapter 98 - The Red Rose Mans Help (2)

    I was in a bad mood, so I ignored him because I knew I''d definitely blew up if I catered to his creepy text.


    But then, he suddenly texted me again with a question.


    ¡ª


    xx: You don''t seem to be in a good mood today. Can I help you with something, my dear?


    ¡ª


    I scoffed mirthlessly. This man still had some nerve to ask why am I not in a good mood. Did he actually think that trespassing my house, giving my grandma random food, and giving me roses like a creep would actually make me a happy girl? What kind of twisted fantasy he lived in?


    ¡ª


    Emmy: What kind of help a creep like you can do? Sneaking into my room?


    Emmy: Just go away and don''t chat with me anymore!


    ¡ª.


    I pressed send. I didn''t have time to y with him while I was still busy with this problem. I really needed to find a way to get those drugs.


    I bet if someone could read my train of thoughts right now, they''d really think that I was some messed up young druggie who was too addicted to function.


    Well, I honestly didn''t know if I was normal either. At least there would be no normal high school girl that wanted to nt evidence by putting drugs inside someone else''s house.


    Ding!


    I got another text from that creepy man. I clicked my tongue in annoyance. This man was just too persistent with his meaningless pursuit.


    ¡ª


    xx: Oh, my beautiful, Em, Don''t call me a creep, okay? You called me handsome and charming in the previous world. Why do you be so hostile now?


    ¡ª


    My blood ran cold whenever he mentioned the previous world. This man came from the previous world with me, but I had no memory of him, nor I ever called someone handsome and charming in thest world.


    After all, I never had any proper talk with a boy, and Kyle only used me as a bet.


    I decided to just ignore him because there was no point in chatting with a deranged creep.


    Ding!


    ¡ª


    xx: Just tell me if you want something, my dear. I have my own way and resource to help you.


    Emmy: Hah, what I want is something that a creep like you couldn''t have. Just stop bugging me and fuck off!


    xx: Is it about drugs?


    ¡ª


    My eyes widened when the red rose man suddenly guessed what I needed the most. And I doubted it was just a blind guess because that was way too specific and spot on.


    ¡ª


    xx: As expected, my fierce kitten. Do you need my help with drugs, right?


    Emmy: How did you know this? I''ve never told anyone about it.


    xx: That''s because we''re connected by heart, dear.


    Emmy: Stop messing around and tell me the truth.


    xx: Haha! Okay, that''s because I know you''re nning to take down Leah Carpenter, right? I''ve seen it, I don''t know how far you''ve progressed with your n, but you definitely need my help for supplying the drug to get her. Are you nning to nt some evidence?


    Emmy: How did you know this?


    ¡ª


    Fuck, this was way too creepy. I couldn''t even process how shocked I was right now. The hairs on my body all stood, shivered in fear as I felt this creep had me dancing in his hand.


    I didn''t want to trust him at all. He was a big walking red g!


    ¡ª


    xx: I have my own way.


    xx: So, do you need the drugs or not? I can give you a box of crystal meth, heroin, cocaine, or whatever you want. I can supply anything for your mission, as long as you follow my request.


    ¡ª


    I swallowed my saliva hardly, I felt like I was having a deal with the devil, and the devil seemed to be very excited to deal with me. He came right when I was in a clutch, not knowing how to progress further.


    And knowing there was no other way for me to obtain such dangerous, expensive and illegal stuff, I had to admit that I needed his help.


    I knew it sounded crazy, but this whole ordeal was crazy from the start, so there was no way I would turn around and retreat from whatever problem was in front of me.


    Since things hade to this point, might as well say fuck it all and take all the chance I had.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: What do you want for the trade? What is your request?


    xx: Excellent, my dear Em, I''m not a demanding man. I just need you to give me one thing and promise me the other one.


    xx: I will drop a box of crystal meth at your house'' back door at midnight. In exchange, you should put one of your belonging there.


    xx: it''s a fair trade, right?


    Emmy:¡­ why do you want my belonging?


    ¡ª


    Oh god, I really wished he would request something more normal than this. But this was just super creepy. I was just too disturbed to process this.


    ¡ª


    xx: You see, since you died in the previous world, my life has been nothing but suffering. I really want to see you again, to own you again.


    xx: That''s why I want to own one of your belonging. I will put it in my room, maybe put a frame on it?


    xx: Hnngg¡­ I won''t do that. That''d be too inconvenient. I wanted to touch it every day, after all.


    Emmy: oh shut it, just tell me what do you want from me? What belonging? Photo?


    ¡ª


    Okay, Em, take a deep breath.


    This guy might be a creep, but in this weird, twisted world, you had to use all your resources to get your revenge.


    So suck it up and ept whatever he wanted for that box of drugs.


    ¡ª


    xx: Why photo? That''s too cliche, darling.


    xx: I want to ask something a bit naughty. I don''t want you to feel like I''m a creep.


    xx: So I want you to drop me the clothes you wore to school today.

 Chapter 99 - The Red Rose Mans Help (3)

    ¡ª


    xx: Why photo? That''s too cliche, darling.


    xx: I want to ask something a bit naughty. I don''t want you to feel like I''m a creep.


    xx: So I want you to drop me the clothes you wore to school today.


    ¡ª


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡ª


    xx: You wore a id shirt, right? I bet you haven''t washed it yet. Drop it outside, at the back door. I''ll pick it up and rece it with a box of crystal meth.


    ¡ª


    Oh,e on! What kind of high-level creep can you be! Why would you want my sweaty-ass id shirt? You know, at this point, I''d rather give you my photo.


    Even my baby photo, I didn''t mind it!


    Wait, the baby photo sounded even grosser than before, never mind then.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Fine, do you want me to drop it now?


    xx: Yes, I bet Mom is already sleeping at this hour, right?


    Emmy: Stop making it as if he''s your Mom!


    xx: Darling, we''re going to marry in the future. Of course, I''ll call him Mom, just like how you''ll call my parents Mom and Dad.


    ¡ª


    Ugh, fucking creep!


    But what he said was true. Mom must''ve been sleeping at this hour. I checked the clock, and it was 10.30 already.


    I sighed, walked to myundry basket at the corner of my room, and then picked up the brown id shirt I used today.


    I smelled it and distanced my nose immediately.


    Ick, it smelled of sweat.


    Of course, since I used this for the whole day and used my bike, I got sweaty.


    It didn''t smell that bad, but I still hated it since I remembered some of those bullies tormented me for being a nasty, smelly pig.


    Yet, this one-man liked this kind of thing. What a sick man.


    I bet he was some ugly ass creep, no doubt.


    I opened my door room and peeked from the staircase, checking if my Mom was still watching somete-night show or not.


    Luckily, there was nobody in the living room.


    So I went downstairs and headed straight to the kitchen, where the back door was located. I unlocked the key and took a deep breath.


    Click.


    I opened the door slowly, peeking at what was outside in case that creepy man might be around.


    After finding it safe, I hung the shirt at the door handle outside and then closed the door silently.


    I locked the door again, afraid that he might break in and attack my family and me.


    I took out my phone and texted him.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I''ve put my id shirt outside.


    xx: Yes, I saw that, wait for about thirty minutes and open the door, okay? The box of crystal meth will be at the door for your use.


    ¡ª


    I wasn''t brave enough to confront him, but I also didn''t want to miss this moment because this felt like a totally illegal trade between us.


    But the trade wasn''t between money and drugs. It was a smelly id shirt for a box of expensive drugs.


    Strange, I knew.


    After fifteen minutes, I could faintly hear the firm footstep walking towards the door. I listened carefully but dared not open the door.


    I feared my own life, feared that he might bring a weapon and attacked me while I opened the door.


    After a while, his footsteps started getting further and further. I assumed that he was walking away from the door.


    I checked my phone to see if he had texted me. In another ten minutes, he finally texted,


    ¡ª


    xx: The box is at your door, my dear.


    xx: Thank you for the shirt, darling.


    xx: it smells like you, so wonderful. I really want to hug the real you. I really want to kiss the real you¡­


    ¡ª


    Ugh,e on, things were already bad right now. You didn''t need to make it even worse!


    I didn''t intend to open the door right now because I was afraid that he was still standing there. Maybe he was faking his footstep and was ready to strike me with a baseball bat or something.


    It was like a scene of horror, where I clutched my phone tightly and cowered in fear behind the door.


    I waited until exactly one hour, and when I opened the door slowly, peeking with only one eye, hoping that my greatest fear wouldn''te true.


    After being assured that everything was safe, I opened the door a bit more and saw a ck box on the mat.


    I sighed in relief and lowered my guard a bit. I opened the door a bit more and took the box inside.


    But when I was about to close the door again, I looked up and saw a figure in the dark of the night, standing quite far from my position.


    Although I could see nothing since it was really dark and there was no garden lighting, I could see that he was wearing a hoodie and holding my id shirt.


    I couldn''t see his expression, but I could sense that his eyes were glued at me, and he was smirking. I couldn''t determine whether he had malicious intent or not, but his smirk definitely perked up when our eyes met.


    I froze on the spot, my leg felt too weak, and I could not move nor react with anything. I lost all strength on my feet, thinking that I might''ve made a really terrible choice to open the door.


    But then, I heard the notification of an iing message on my phone. The man then turned around and walked away leisurely, leaving me terrified for another ten minutes before I regained my strength and closed the door silently.


    I locked the door and slumped on the ground. The shock was too much for me to handle. I never knew that being stalked like this was ten times scarier than in my stupid imagination.


    I slowly unlocked my phone screen and saw his text.


    ¡ª


    xx: Do you think I''ll leave so soon? I keep waiting until you open the door, darling. So I can see your beautiful eyes, hair, face before I return.


    xx: Thank you for the shirt. I''ll treasure it.


    xx: I love you.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 100 - The Red Rose Mans Help (4)

    ¡ª


    xx: Do you think I''ll leave so soon? I keep waiting until you open the door, darling. So I can see your beautiful eyes, hair, face before I return.


    xx: Thank you for the shirt. I''ll treasure it.


    xx: I love you.


    ¡ª


    The phone dropped out of my hand. I didn''t have any more strength to hold it. At this point, I felt like my world was spinning around, and I would faint anytime soon, but I tried to hold it because I might actually faint.


    And if Mom saw me fainting in the early morning with a box of suspicious stuff in my hand, then I''d be done for.


    Oh god, I didn''t know what that man wanted, but his method of trying to chase me was definitely wrong.


    I picked up my phone and that suspicious ck box that he gave me as a trade. I got up from the ground by holding onto anything I could grab right now. I didn''t want to stay here even longer, afraid that Mom might wake up for a drink and found me lying on the ground.


    I climbed the stair hardly and went to my room by opening the door carefully, afraid that I might too many noises.


    After everything had been settled, I put the suspicious box on the floor and sat on the bed, staring at it full of nervousness.


    The aftereffect of that shock was still lingering all around me, but I couldn''t stay like this for a long time. I had to check that box in case that creep lied to me.


    I took a deep breath and yanked myself to get up and crouched in front of the ck box. I observed it carefully and determined it was a medium-sized wooden box, probably around 7x7x7 inches, wrapped in ck stic.


    I picked the cutter from the drawer and sliced it open carefully. I unwrapped the wooden box and then opened the lid.


    I held my breath immediately when I saw a box full of crystal meth wrapped in stic.


    The meth hadn''t been grounded smoothly, so it was something that had just been taken from the big boss, the main drug dealer. Because for someone to obtain a whole box full of crystal meth, that red rose man must''ve been someone with great connection.


    Someone that was feared and respected enough to bring a box full of Crystal meth.


    Yet, he said he saw me wearing a id shirt to school, so that meant he must''ve been around me to see it.


    And when I saw his silhouette in the dark, I sensed that he wasn''t an old man. He was probably around my age.


    It was appalling, almost impossible, for someone at my age to have such a connection to obtain this kind of thing. I even doubted my own eyes when I saw his silhouette.


    But then again, I could turn back in time three years before my death. Nothing was impossible at this point.


    All I could do was roll with it and used whatever means possible to achieve my goal.


    After I fully regained my strength, I hid the box under the bed and then texted Logan in the middle of the night.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I got the stuff.


    ¡ª


    Surprisingly, he replied so quickly, so he hadn''t slept at all.


    ¡ª


    Logan: What stuff?


    Emmy: You know, that stuff.


    Logan: What? Tampon?


    ¡ª


    I choked on air when I heard his text. How in hell he suddenly became so clueless of what I meant! Did I really need to state it clearly? Where were the secretiveness and signnguage between us?


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Damn it! I mean the meth! I got the Crystal Meth! Why did you think it''s about tampons, WTF!


    Logan: What the fuck?! How could you get your hands on that thing so quickly? I really thought you''de to me and give up.


    Logan: And it''s logical when I said tampon because women are usually so secretive about it.


    ¡ª


    Ugh, he really had to joke at this time while I was having series of mini heart attacks from that red rose man. I wanted to curse at him, but I knew it wouldn''t give me anything but another hour wasted fighting with him.


    So I cut straight to the case.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I got a box full of Crystal meth, and it''s not even a small box. It''s literally a 7x7x7 inches box.


    Logan: ¡­ You need to tell me how did you get your hands on those. I really thought you were a cute kitten that can only growl, turns out you''re a lot more dangerous than I expected.


    Logan: Okay, emit that cute kitten part. It''s just autocorrect.


    ¡ª


    "Yea, sure, autocorrect," I rolled my eyes, but I didn''t care much about it. I didn''t want Logan to have a wrong opinion about me because it might affect our cooperation in the future.


    Or he might be nning to betray me if he knew that I was more dangerous than he thought.


    I didn''t have any emotional connection with him, but it''d be difficult to fight Logan.


    No, it would be impossible to fight him. He had a lot of resources, and he knew my secret as a wicked girl.


    He was also 100x physically stronger than me. I got nothing against him, at least not in this position when he already knew my real personality.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: The way I got it is not important. For now, you should at least know that I have the stuff ready, so we can carry out the mission.


    Logan: It''s a real concern, Emmelyn Jones.


    Logan: You have more than a drug dealer had for his monthly stocks! What kind of crazy shit did you pull to have that amount of Crystal meth?!


    ¡ª


    Ah, of course, he''d be curious about it. Any sane person would be alerted, and it was his right to question what I had since he was the one who would infiltrate Leah''s house.


    Now I wondered if I should tell him about that red rose man¡­

 Chapter 101 - Inspection

    ¡ª


    Logan: You have more than a drug dealer had for his monthly stocks! What kind of crazy shit did you pull to have that amount of Crystal meth?!


    ¡ª


    Ah, of course, he''d be curious about it. Any sane person would be curious, and it was his right to question what I had since he was the one who would infiltrate Leah''s house.


    Now I wondered if I should tell him about that red rose man¡­


    Honestly, I could just tell him that I got myself a rich, ultra-rich stalker.


    He magically knew my problem and need, then he offered to trade a box of Crystal meth with my used id shirt¡­


    Yeah, that didn''t add up at all. It was so weird, too weird even for me.


    ¡ª


    Logan: Answer me.


    ¡ª


    Logan urged me even more, which got me nervous, thinking of a way to make him believe my answer.


    After thirty minutes of not answering his question, my phone suddenly rang, and I saw Logan''s name as the caller. I held my breath and then picked up the call.


    ¡ªPhone call__


    "H¡ªHello¡­"


    "Emmelyn Jones, you better answer my question first! How in hell you can get that much Crystal Meth in a short time? I hadn''t even finished cooking my ramen when you texted me about that!"


    Wait, what was the rtion between his ramen and this crystal meth? That waspletely random.


    "Well, I don''t think you''ll believe me if I told you the truth¡­." I replied. "I mean, it''s just¡­ out of this world."


    "Just tell me, I will not work with someone who hides stuff from me. At least if it''s something that will involve me in the current n and probable future ns as well," Logan pressed me even more.


    I could sense that he was a lot more careful than he looked.


    When I first saw him, I thought he was just some random rich brat who was also reckless, a daredevil who didn''t give a fuck.


    But I was wrong. Logan was a lot more cautious than I expected. Made me wonder if he was also hiding his own secret, probably a nefarious one.


    "Fine, but you should trust me after I told you this, okay?"


    "Yeah, yeah, as long as you told me the truth," he replied.


    I took a deep breath and started exining on the phone, "So, I have been having a problem with a stalker. He keeps visiting my home and befriending my senile Grandma while my Mom and I weren''t home."


    "He always gave a red rose as a sign that he had visited my house, and I''ve been telling him to stop this or I''d be calling the police."


    "But he is so insistent, and all I can do is just to curse him," I exined long. "Until I hit upon this stumbling block, I really need the Crystal Meth to get enough fake evidence to frame Leahter on."


    "And you know it''s literally impossible for me to get my hands on drugs, let alone expensive drugs like that."


    "So that red rose stalker just texted me, saying that he could give me a box of Crystal meth in exchange for¡­." I paused and swallowed my saliva. I wondered if this was an okay thing to say because I knew damn well it wasn''t normal.


    "Exchange of what? Your nasty picture?" Logan asked impatiently.


    God, I wished it was that. I still wouldn''t give him, but it sounded less creepy than my sweat-stained id shirt.


    "No, he wanted the id shirt that I wore today," I replied.


    "You mean, that brown id shirt?"


    "Yeah¡­"


    Wait, how could Logan remember such a menial thing? Was he that observant about everything? Somehow, I suspected that he might be a detective of some sort, knowing how he was cautious and observant even to the menial thing like my shirt color.


    "And you gave it to him?"


    "Well, I have the drugs now¡­."


    "Fuck!"


    I was startled when Logan suddenly cursed for no reason. I wanted to ask what happened, but he suddenly yelled, "That bastard, why don''t you catch him?! Do you not have a kitchen knife or something?"


    "What the fuck, bro? Do you really think I dare to fight a dangerous man in the middle of the night? I don''t even know if he''s bringing a weapon or not!"


    "Tch, this is why being a pretty girl is a curse¡ª" Logan mumbled, then he suddenly retracted his words, "¡ªI mean, it''s a curse that you''re being stalked right now! That man has no taste! Who''d want to stalk someone so basic like you!"


    "Oh,e on! I don''t have time to argue with you! For now, I have the drugs ready to be used as our weapon to frame Leah!" I said gleefully.


    "Tch, whatever, just cut your contact with that creepy stalker. You should tell me your home address, so I can send it¡ªSend myself there! Who knows what kind of dangerous stuff that crazy man would pull just to have you?"


    Oh, I bet stuff wouldn''t be as dangerous as that, maybe just a gut feeling.


    True, I was scared to the bone, but my gut feeling told me that the red rose man wouldn''t just use the ghost face mask and go stabby-stabby on me.


    "So, what are we going to do with this box of meth? Can you even carry it when you visited Leah''s houseter?" I asked on the phone.


    "Tch, I haven''t told you if I consent to follow your n," Logan said.


    "Oh,e on! Don''t y the kind of game with me!"


    "Hahaha! Okay, okay, don''t worry about the n. I''ll be sure that Leah would not be able to escape the verdict once the police have arrested her," he imed confidently.


    I didn''t know where that burst of confidence came from, but I had to admit that I should''ve been fiercer and more confident, so I could intimidate random guys who dared to approach me.


    "But this is not a good way to tell my n. Let''s just talk about it tomorrow morning in the club building club."


    ¡ªPhone call ends.¡ª


    After that, Logan hung up the call. I liked the way that he just instantly believed me that I had a stalker that had supplied me with a box of Crystal meth. I really thought that we would have an argument or even a physical fight.


    That guy was just weird.


    I stared at the box full of meth on the ground. With this amount of meth, I could get busted and deemed a high profiled drug dealer.


    But Leah was the real drug dealer. She used this stuff to promote his position and make all of the Boxing club members obey all her rules like a bunch ofpdogs¡­


    I silently covered the box full of crystal meth and then put it inside my backpack. Logan said that he wouldy out his n once they were alone in the Pottery club room.


    "Alright, I really hope that you have a solid n, Logan Walker. Because I''m risking my life here."


    **


    <em>Author Note: Pupa has been busy with irl job and feeling ill these days. I will reduce the update rate for ss Viiness to 5 chapters a week until 1 November, I will return back to 10-14 chapters a week. I''m so sorry, thank you for your understanding. </em>


    **

 Chapter 102 - For Once Look At Me, Only Me (1)

    I put the crystal meth inside my backpack and went to school early morning with nervousness in my heart.


    I tried to act normal the whole time, afraid that any suspicious movement would alert those people, especially Chrissy and Ashley.


    Because for now, Chrissy was the only one that met me in one ss or two. While I remembered that Ashley had a science ss with me today.


    The first ssy English Literature went smoothly, and nobody suspected me bringing a literal box full of crystal meth. Logan said this amount of meth would be enough for you to at least get a life sentence in prison.


    Well, if I got caught somehow, I might as well end my life and hope I could be reborn again.


    I got a text from Logan at lunch.


    ¡ª


    Logan: Come to the club building with that thing now.


    ¡ª


    I frowned.


    I stored my backpack inside my locker right now because I just couldn''t handle the mental pressure of carrying such a risky thing. I was afraid that I might look too nervous and suspicious to some people.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Too risky. I don''t want to get caught when I''m walking there.


    Logan: You''re worrying about that now? When it''s literally in your bag?


    Emmy: Do you think bringing it to school is not a big feat already?


    ¡ª


    In the end, all I did was just argue with Logan over it, totally unproductive.


    I was enjoying my lunch alone when I saw a guy entering the school cafeteria. His bright aura was strong enough to pull people, so all heads turned around to see the man standing at the door.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "MASON!"


    "OMG, MASON IS EATING IN THE CAFETERIA?!"


    "MASONNN!"


    The deafening voices of her fangirls shocked me. They got up from their seat and rushed to flock around Mason like a group of buzzing bees.


    They started him with questions or even ttery. As usual, Mason just smiled perfunctorily and replied to a few questions with a lukewarm tone.


    Though I wouldn''t lie, it was surprising that Mason came to eat in the cafeteria. Usually, he ate alone under the big tree in the yard or simply disappeared until the next ss.


    I was also staring at him silently from my seat. I didn''t want to get involved there. Anything about Mason''s fangirls was just red gs waving around.


    He treated everyone like air. Literally, he didn''t even see their eyes when talking. Instead, his eyes scanned around the cafeteria andnded right on my seat.


    His expression brightened, and I had the feeling that he woulde in my direction as if he wanted to sit with me.


    I held my breath out of nervousness.


    What I feared the most finally came true the moment I had contact with Mason.


    For some magical reason, Mason actually stepped out of his horde of fangirls and walked towards me!


    ME!


    I got up from my seat immediately and walked in his direction. I saw that his fangirls were looking at him while he kept staring at me, who was walking in his direction.


    The moment we were so close to each other, he opened his mouth, "Emmy, let''s¡ª"


    I walked past him without even batting an eye, stunning Mason in the process.


    Then I just left the cafeteria from the main entrance and turned to hide in the bathroom immediately. I mmed the bathroom door and exhaled heavily, as I had been holding my breath since the moment I walked out.


    "Hah¡­"


    ¡­


    "Ah, damn it, that''s so close," I cursed lowly inside the stall.


    It was so close, though. If I didn''t act quick, Mason''s fangirls might''ve noticed him walking in my direction.


    "I should''ve told him not to talk with me in public¡­." I cursed my own stupidity. I just didn''t expect Mason to be so inconsiderate. Did he really not realize that he was the center of attention in this school?


    If he was giving attention to literally anyone? Those fangirls would bully that girl to death. Mason only carried me once to the infirmary, and it led to my death during prom night.


    I needed to call him tonight, so he would treat me like air in school to save my dear life!


    I was still catching my breath when I heard my phone notification again.


    Ding!


    ¡ª


    Logan: Fuck, that whore is in our club now!


    Logan: Come here and apany me, so she will leave. She''s staring at me perversely right now.


    Logan: I''m trying hard not to puke, for real.


    ¡ª


    ''Our'' club?


    So he now treated me as the club owner when he was in a tight situation right now?


    ¡ª


    Emmy: You mean Leah?


    Logan: Duh! Juste here now!


    ¡ª


    Ugh, I really just wanted to hide from both Mason and Logan right now. But Logan was calling for help, so I had to save him.


    I quietly left the bathroom and opened my locker.


    I picked the backpack containing the crystal meth and walked to the club, trying to act as naturally as possible.


    But when I was about to reach the club building, I felt a strong hand grab my arm, and before I could react, the strong hand pulled me.


    I could catch a glimpse of a man mming my body to the wall behind me, but before my head hit the wall, he quickly put his hand behind my head, acting as a cushion so I wouldn''t get hurt.


    "Ouch! Aw¡­" I grimaced in pain. My head might not hit the wall, but my shoulder was mmed hard enough.


    It took me a moment to recover, and I slowly opened my eyes.


    And at that moment, I hoped that I didn''t open my eyes. Because I saw the one and only Mason Hall staring down at me.


    I could catch a glimpse of anger¡­ or disappointment in his face, but then, he took a deep breath, and his expression eased again.


    He was seriously the master of fake smiles.


    However, when I saw him, my first reaction was to check our surroundings, afraid that someone might see us like this.


    "Stop looking around, Em. I''m in front of you."


    "For once, look at me instead."


    *<strong>Author note:</strong> Thank you for reading ss Viiness. I''ve been sick for the whole week, and reduced all my novel''s update as well. I''ve recovered now, but I still have to stockpile for more chapters before returning to daily schedule. I will start 8-11 chapters/week starting from 1 November.


    Thank you so much for your understanding, I hope you still stay around to see Emmy''s revenge.*


    *PS: You can checkment section if you want to see the new Official cover for ss Viiness :)*

 Chapter 103 - For Once Look At Me, Only Me (2)

    "Stop looking around, Em. I''m in front of you."


    "For once, look at me instead."


    I was stunned when Mason Hall suddenly mmed me to the wall and covered my body with his broad shoulder. I tried to slip out and run, but he grabbed my wrist, ultimately preventing me from escaping.


    I gulped when he stared at me with his sharp gaze, something that I didn''t think was possible for the always lukewarm Mason.


    His gaze was like a hawk who finally caught his prey, yet, I sensed something more than just that, something he tried to hide but still leaked a bit.


    I saw the gaze full of unhinged obsession.


    Though, I might be hallucinating since Mason was always the coldhearted nonchnt god who never took an interest in anyone. Despite our date before, I was still inclined to believe that Mason only saw me as a friend at best.


    "W¡ªWhat?" I asked. I turned around, trying to avoid his sharp gaze, but he didn''t allow me.


    He grabbed both of my wrists with his left hand and pushed it to the wall, then he grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look in his direction instead.


    "Why are you avoiding me, Em? Am I that detestable to you?" Mason asked.


    "What? You''re far from detestable!" I denied it immediately. I didn''t want him to have a wrong thought about us.


    "Then why are you avoiding me? Like in the cafeteria just now¡­ all I want is just to sit and have lunch with you¡­."


    "Is it really about that? Okay, release me first, and I''ll tell you the reason," I struggled again, trying to break free from his grip.


    "No," Mason replied curtly. I could feel how his grip tightened around my wrists. "Answer me first, then I''ll release you."


    "Ugh, fine," I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "Mason Hall, do you know how popr and loved you are? Do you know how crazy your fangirls are? If one of them caught us together, even if we have no rtionship whatsoever, I''d be done! They will fucking bully me to death!"


    And that one was literal because I had experienced death. After all, they identally killed me during prom night.


    And Mason never came to me, trying to save me after all the mess he made in my life.


    Maybe he didn''t even realize it in the first ce. He should''ve left me fainted alone during that cursed P.E ss. It should be okay for me to faint without anyone helping, rather than him carrying me in his embrace while rushing to the infirmary.


    Because what he did damage the hell out of my life!


    Mason was stunned when he heard my reason, and he slowly released my wrists.


    He stood in silence, staring at me full of guilt. I rubbed my wrist and pulled my sleeve, trying to cover his hand marks around my wrist. He was strong enough to leave marks on my wrist, apparently.


    "Are you satisfied with the answer now?" I asked because I felt he was so ridiculous asking me an obvious question.


    "I''m not satisfied, but I understand¡­" Mason said. He scoffed, "So it''s the same thing all over again."


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "It''s the same thing, always the same thing¡­ no matter how many times, always the same thing¡­" Mason mumbled. That sharp gaze disappeared instantly, but that gaze full of unhinged obsession became even more obvious. I could even see his beautiful blue pupil dted.


    Such a view was too alien for me, who was used to seeing the male god, school idol, quarterback, princely Mason Hall. He should be up there, acting nonchnt and mighty as usual, and stop disturbing me on my mission, seriously.


    "M¡ªMason? Are you okay?"


    Mason shook his head, and his usual lukewarm self finally returned. He


    "I''m¡­ I''m okay¡­" Mason replied with a thin smile, "I''m sorry for making you ufortable, Em. It''s just¡­ I feel sad when you suddenly avoid me. I thought I did something wrong¡­."


    "Oh, not at all, but you know¡­ you''re not just a regr student like me. You''re Mason hall," I said.


    ¡­


    "I understand. But we''re good, right?"


    "Of course, just¡­ don''t talk to me so freely in public, especially in school. Do you not realize how dangerous that''d be for me?"


    "Don''t worry¡­ everything has its time. I''ll make sure of it," Mason mumbled again.


    "¡­"


    Mason recovered from his weird behavior and then patted my head gently, "I''m sorry, Em. I''ll be careful next time. If you need anything, don''t hesitate to tell me, I''ll always be there for you."


    "¡­ thank you."


    Honestly, I didn''t want to get entangled with you at all. You''re a great guy, but you''re just too unreachable. It was a bit weird for us to go together, even as a friend or colleagues.


    "Where are you going now?"


    My heartbeat skipped when he asked that because I had just realized that I was carrying that box full of crystal meth in my bag.


    I got conscious instantly and replied a bit awkwardly, "T¡ªTo the pottery club room."


    "Hm? It''s still noon, and you''re already going there? You know club activities are allowed only after school, right?" Mason pointed out.


    Shoot, he got me. Now, I had to find a good reason for a justification.


    "It''s¡­ it''s my club president. He wants me to help him clean stuff in the club room because he broke a few things, apparently."


    Mason''s thin smile stayed, and he said, "I see, so that club president of yours make you work out of the club activity hours?"


    "N¡ªNo, don''t frame it a bad way. It''s just him telling me to do stuff because he''s the only one in the club right now."


    Mason scoffed whenever I mentioned the club president. He was obviously displeased, "He''s a weird guy, don''t get too close to him, okay?"


    "But he''s my club president¡­."


    "Logan, his name is Logan Walker, right?"

 Chapter 104 - For Once Look At Me, Only Me (3)

    "He''s a weird guy, don''t get too close to him, okay?"


    "But he''s my club president¡­."


    "Logan, his name is Logan Walker, right?"


    I felt my blood drain out of my body when he precisely guessed the name of the pottery club president. I tried hard to hide Logan''s identity because I felt like he didn''t want to get noticed by anyone in school except the school board, at least not his real name. Because he never even came to ss.


    "H¡ªHow did you know?" I asked, full of alertness and suspicion. I was afraid that Mason Hall might be inquiring about my life, including my club life in the pottery club with Logan Hall.


    He might already know about what I did to Kristen and Cerise and the current mission to take down Leah Carpenter.


    Mason''s grin didn''t falter at all. In fact, it became even wider than before, "Guess."


    "D¡ªDid you stalk me and my activities?"


    Of course, I knew that was logically impossible, but my gut feeling told me so.


    "Pu¡ªPuahahaha!" Masonughed freely as if it wasn''t something bad. "Of course not, Em. I''m not that crazy. I just want to give you a little scare."


    "You see, I''m the next quarterback, and by default, I''ll also be the captain of American Football Club next year. So the current captain gave me the list of a new president/captain/manager or whatever you want to call them of all clubs. I saw the Pottery club and saw the name of your president, including the member. Turns out, it really is a two-member club. I heard he bought the club room only for himself, right?"


    Goddamn, Mason literally knew almost everything that I knew about Logan. I think he knew more. He just didn''t want to show it, make it less obvious.


    "You see, Em. I don''t want you to get close to someone that might hurt you, so I asked around about his identity. Turns out nobody knows about him. At least no students seem to know his real identity. I don''t want you to get hurt¡­."


    I swallowed my saliva. Although I knew that Mason didn''t mean to scare me, I was actually scared by his skill. It seemed that I had underestimated hisworking skill. Maybe he was a lot smarter than I thought.


    "I¡ªI will try to protect myself, don''t worry," I said.


    "Good, don''t forget if you need anything, or you need help¡­" Mason reminded me the same thing again.


    "A¡ªAnyway, I''m going to bete. See youter, Mason."


    I turned to the left and walked away from him immediately. I could sense his eyes piercing my back with his deadly stare. But he said nothing even until he was out of my sight.


    I knew that he didn''t mean bad. I could sense that Mason had no ill intention. But for some reason, he started to scare the hell out of me.


    Really, we shouldn''t even talk in the first ce because the more you have a conversation with someone, the more your expectation about him change.


    After I calmed myself down, I got a text from Logan. This time, he urged me to arrive faster.


    ¡ª


    Logan: Seriously, where are you?


    Logan: Come here quickly, or I might identally p the hell out of this brazen bitch.


    ¡ª


    Oh no, it seemed that Leah became even more brazen than before. I started to wonder what kind of thing she did with Logan right now, definitely not reciting holy books or studying math.


    I rushed to my club room, and when I arrived there, I saw a scene I regretted seeing.


    I should have bleached my eyes after I saw Leah leaning on Logan, who was standing at the edge of the room, trying to force a smile while clenching his phone.


    While Leah was hugging him, wearing a thin shirt. It was too thin that I could even see her pink bra.


    "Logan,e on, we''re alone now. You can touch me freely if you want. I wouldn''t mind at all," Leah said.


    Logan said nothing but still forced a smile, he was definitely suffering right now, and I somehow liked that suffering face he had.


    It was like a man who was on the verge of pping the shit out of the bitch, but still tried to control himself.


    Thus, I walked in and cleared my throat to get their attention, especially Leah''s attention, "Excuse me, I''m here to clean up the club room," I said.


    Leah and Logan darted their eyes at me, and Logan immediately pushed Leah away from him.


    "Ah!" Leah fell to the floor and winced in pain. She red at me, who had interrupted her sexy times with Mr. Club president.


    "You''re such a pest!" Leah yelled. But she looked at Logan again and smiled sweetly, "You should''ve kicked this girl away. She just interrupted our time together, Babe~."


    "She is important for¡­ the club, yeah, for the club. She is the only member, and she takes care of the club when I''m out," Logan denied Leah''s request without hesitation.


    "Tch."


    Leah got up from the floor and grabbed her jacket to cover her see-through shirt. It seemed that she was well prepared to seduce Logan just now. Too bad I was there to stop her.


    "Well, I''ll wait for you tonight, babe~" Leah turned around, intentionally ignoring me. She walked past me and left the club room.


    After she was far away, Logan closed the club door and locked it. He rushed towards me with his tall and big body, as if he was about to eat me. His face was grim, and he yelled, "What took you so fucking long?! Did you know how much that woman do to me?"


    Somehow, since I had seen Mason''s scary gaze before, I actually felt that Logan''s supposedly angry expression was much tamer than Mason.


    Mason''s expression was scary. He was still breathtakingly handsome, but it made it even more terrifying that he could make such an expression.


    Well, of course, I wouldn''t say that Mason Hall stopped me on my way and then pushed me to the wall, preventing me from escaping before I answered his questions.


    So I just replied with,


    "Stuff happens on my way."


    "Ugh, fucking gross, seriously," Loganined. But he recovered fast when he saw me carrying my backpack, "Wait, inside that backpack, is it¡­."


    "Yes, it''s¡­ that thing."

 Chapter 105 - Planning

    "Wait, inside that backpack, is it¡­."


    "Yes, it''s¡­ that thing."


    Logan stared at me full of suspicion, especially when I just dropped the backpack on the floor and unzipped it. He watched over me and then asked, "You''re brave enough to bring that kind of thing to school."


    "What? You''re the one who told me to bring it to school!" I didn''t want to be the one who was at fault here because all I did was follow his order!


    "That''s just a test. I thought you''d refuse or at least maybe bring a few grams because it''s too risky! Damn, you''re far more daring than I thought," Loganined.


    I rolled my eyes annoyedly. I took out the box from my backpack and mmed it to the ground, "Here is your order, SIR!" I said sarcastically.


    Logan stared at the box suspiciously before walking towards it and crouched. He took something from his jacket pocket, a pair of ck gloves.


    I frowned upon seeing those surgical gloves, "You seem to be more prepared than I expected."


    "Of course, do you think I''ll touch a box of death sentence easily? I''m not an idiot like you," Logan replied while wearing the gloves.


    I didn''t want to argue more, so I just ignored his words. I watched how he skillfully checked out the box and then rubbed a few crystal meths with his fingers.


    He frowned and then looked up to me, "This is some high-quality crystal meth, only essible to the highest kind of drug dealer, or what we call as a drug mafia. What kind of connection do you have? Seriously."


    "Well, didn''t I tell you before? I got it from a creep who wants my worn-out id shirt in exchange for this crystal meth," I replied honestly. "Do you think I have enough capability to get this amount of high-quality meth without the help of someone else?"


    "Well, everyone has their own secrets. Who knows, you might secretly be a part of a high-ranking drug organization," Logan used me so lightly, so I wanted to bite back at him.


    "Including you, Mr. Mysterious, I know that you''re hiding a lot of things. So just shut up, and let''s discuss whatever n you have. Maybe we can get a great n for this."


    "Ugh, fine," Logan grumbled. "My initial n stays the same, we will start by nting evidence inside Leah''s house, and I will be the one who does that."


    "I also want you to nt the evidence in the Boxing Club room. I''ll give you a pair of gloves, so you don''t have your fingerprints around the stuff when the police would investigateter on," Logan briefed me.


    "And how do you think I can do that? Do you think I can just magically teleport inside their club room or what?" I found his idea to be ridiculous. I knew that nting the evidence inside Leah''s house was my idea, but not this ridiculous idea of nting evidence inside the club room.


    "You can get your hands on that syringe and a box of high-quality crystal meth. I bet you can also get inside that club room again and nt evidence all over," Logan said so lightly. "Oh,e on, I''m here working for you in a dangerous mission. I''m literally going inside Leah''s house to nt evidence, and you''re just going to sit around like a good little miss? Is this 1900? Medieval era? Why do you still want to act like a damsel in distress?"


    As much as I hated his guts, I knew that Logan was correct in this one. I couldn''t just sit around in this mission because the risk was great on his behalf.


    But I was thinking about the way to get into that club room unnoticed again. Thest time I did it, it was a pure coincidence that Mason wanted me to apany him because he had to sort out the stuff inside his club. I doubt he would do that again this weekend.


    Though¡­ maybe I could ask Mason one thing or two. It wouldn''t hurt to try and convince him, right?


    "I''ll think a way to do it," I replied. "Then, after nting evidence, I proposed for us to work for that grand finale that will bring Leah Carpenter and her gang of druggies down."


    "Grand finale? You make it sound so poetically viinous. What kind of novel are you reading?" Logan smirked, looking at me with interest in his eyes.


    I got embarrassed by his ridicule, so I snapped at him, "What? Now you''re going to ridicule me over something so simple? Oh,e on, Logan Walker, should I call you doggie from now on? Doberman?"


    "Hey, don''t be so hostile on me. I just think that it sounds interesting, really," Logan said. "And don''t call me doggie! I''m helping you with interest, okay? I want you to help me in the future as well."


    "Tsk, fine. Let''s just move on before we fight even more," I said. "Okay, about that grand finale, I want to set up a scene where we caught Leah and her gang red-handed during their ''recreational activity in their secret base. I want you to dig that information about the secret base, though."


    "And who will be the one catching them off-guard?" Logan asked.


    "The teacher," I proposed. I mean, that was the only possibility. I wanted to call the police, but that wasn''t really easy. I wanted to Livestream, but I didn''t think that was possible. There must be one or two people who watched over the group of druggies doing their recreational activity.


    "That won''t be enough. We''re talking about Leah after all, not just some random shrimp," Logan denied my idea. "We need to do it with a bang."


    "A bang as in?"


    "Let''s raid them with police squad, make them unable to cover anything, including Leah and her Dad," Logan suggested. "I know few people in the police force.. I can get them to raid the ce where the timees."

 Chapter 106 - Planning (2)

    "I know few people in the police force. I can get them to raid the ce where the timees."


    ¡­


    "Sometimes, I wonder what kind of secret you have behind me, Logan Walker," I squinted at him suspiciously. The more he talked, the more I had a question in my head about his true identity.


    He seemed to be convincing enough when he said that he had a connection with the police force. What kind of high school boy had a connection with the police force? Was his dad the policemissioner or what?


    "You shouldn''t ask about something you can''t afford to know," Logan gazed straight into my eyes. I could sense a bit of hostility from him, but I wasn''t scared at all.


    In fact, I got even more curious. I had nothing to lose anyway. A small threat like that wouldn''t scare me.


    "What kind of thing I can''t afford to know anyway? I''m just a small, insignificant high school girl that wouldn''t make any impact even if I know your secret," I challenged him.


    Logan''s expression turned ugly at a visible rate. He definitely didn''t like it.


    "Just stop asking and focus on your own stuff. I''m here to help, not to be investigated by an insignificant high school girl."


    I scoffed mirthlessly, "Fine, let''s just continue with our n. Since you said that you have a connection with the police force. Then I trust you to raid their hideout and catch Leah and her goons red-handed. So there is no way for her Daddy to save her ass now."


    "But first, we still need three things¡­." I pointed at the box of crystal meth. "You need to nt evidence in Leah''s house, and I will do the same in Boxing Club room. You also need to get the location of that hideout from Leah''s mouth. I''ve asked someone from her club, and he said only the selected one can gain ess there. And third, you also need to contact the police to raid the hideout during their recreational activity."


    I exined everything, and Logan only stared at me with a stupid grin on his face.


    "What?"


    "Heh, Emmelyn Jones, do you not realize the amount of workload I have to dopared to yours? I have three jobs while you only have one. I demandpensation in exchange for my service," Logan said.


    "Huh,pensation? What kind? You know I don''t have money."


    "Well¡­" Logan stood from the ground and walked towards me. He covered my body with his broad shoulder, giving me the feeling that he was trying to dominate me.


    "W¡ªWhat? Stay away!"


    "I want mypensation from you, Emmelyn Jones," Logan said with a devious smirk on his face. He kept walking forward, forcing me to take a few steps back until my back hit the wall.


    For some reason, this position reminded me of what happened between Mason and me because he also locked me in the same position.


    "You know, I will never work for free with anyone in my life. Everything has its price, is it not? And I am a lot more expensive than you think."


    "¡­ What do you want?" I asked. I stay guarded with my fist clenched. If this man was going to kiss me or, even worse, harass me. I would punch him right on the nose.


    Logan''s devious smirk grew even wider. He leaned in until our nose was about to touch, then he said, "Do me a favor and stop chatting with another guy, won''t you?"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Huh?" I thought I misheard it. "You want me to stop chatting with another guy? As if I have one in the first ce."


    "You don''t?" Logan looked surprised. "You seriously don''t have anyone you''re chatting with right now?"


    "Nope. What gives you the idea that I have someone else I''m chatting with right now? Besides, even if I do, what''s the importance of our mission? You''re not making sense at all."


    "That''s because you''re beauti¡ªUrgh! Whatever! Fine, I''ll trust what you say that you don''t have anyone you''re chatting with right now! Don''t chat if there''s any man who tried to approach you in the future," Logan warned me. "It''s¡­ uh¡­ it''s dangerous for an idiot like you!"


    "Okay, whatever," I rolled my eyes. Honestly, I was chatting with that red rose man and Mason Hall, but they didn''t count because I didn''t have any intention to befriend them in the first ce.


    Well, maybe Mason could be a bit forceful, I guess¡­


    "Fine, keep your words, Emmelyn Jones!" Logan warned again. I wondered what made him work up so suddenly, but I just nodded with a little shrug, what a ridiculous guy.


    In the end, we split the box of crystal meth in two. He carried half of the meth while I carried the rest back to the main building and finished the few remaining sses until evening. I saw Mason on the yard, still practicing like usual, apanied by the cheers of his ever-growing fangirls (and a few fanboys) that didn''t seem to know the boundary.


    I saw him ncing at me, and his eyes lingered around me, so I dashed as fast as possible to leave school.


    I wanted to chat with him tonight, hoping that he would help me somehow, though I wouldn''t tell him about my real n. I didn''t want to involve someone innocent here.


    **


    I was greeted by the sight of Grandma sitting on her rocking chair. When she saw me, her face brightened, and she showed me something in her hand, another red rose.


    "Emmy! That dreamy man told me to give you this today. He wants to show how much he loves you!" Grandma said, full of vigor.


    I stared at the red rose and asked, "Grandma¡­ didn''t I tell you not to ept that red rose man anymore?"


    "Huh? Why? He is a good man, Emmy. And he loves you unconditionally! I''ve never seen someone as sincere as him!"


    ''Well, Grandma, because that man was a frickin weirdo! He literally wants my id shirt in exchange for a box of crystal meth enough to send someone to their death sentence! Do you think that kind of man is trustworthy?!''


    Well, that was what I had inside my head, but I didn''t have the guts to tell her the real reason.


    I didn''t know what that red rose man did to my Grandma that made her so devoted to making us a match. Because she was always passive. Grandma''s health is failing every day in my previous life, and there seemed to be no way for her to maintain her health.


    But she looked so lively and healthy here, especially when talking about that red rose man.


    ¡­


    I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself and tolerating whatever shit that red rose man was doing because he was obviously a lot more powerful than what I expected.


    I epted the red rose and helped Grandma to get up and walk inside.


    Grandma was a lot healthier than usual. She could walk a few more steps without taking a break, which was miraculous for us.


    "Grandma, you seem to be healthier," Imented.


    "Of course, dear, I need to get healthy because I want to see your wedding with your future husband after all," Grandma chuckled happily while I froze on the spot for a while.


    Iughed dry in response and then started cooking for dinner. Truly, Grandma''s reaction to that red rose man only made me a lot more alert than before.


    What kind of powerful man he was? I really doubted that he was around my age, knowing his capability. But I saw him in the dark before, even though I couldn''tpletely see his face, I knew that he was around my age, probably a bit older.


    **


    I didn''t want to overthink that red rose man. There was something more demanding than caring about a stalker right now.


    I sat on the bed after taking a bath, fiddling with my phone. I was thinking about a good opening sentence to persuade Mason into giving me that key, so I could enter the Boxing Club room to nt those evidence.


    I knew that Mason waspletely oblivious about a devious n like these. Although I could sense that he was a lot deeper than what met the eyes, he was still a regr high school student in the end.


    "Maybe I should ask him whether he is going to practice on the weekend or not¡­."


    I readied myself and then pressed the dial on his contact.


    Then Mason Hall picked up the call after a few beeps.


    ¡ªPhone Call__


    "G¡ªGood evening, Em," Mason greeted me first. He sounded nervous and was vastly different from Mason that I met in the school today.


    "Hi, Mason¡­"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Okay, this was awkward. Mason was a lot more awkward than I expected. And I thought I was the quiet kid here.


    "E¡ªEm, did you have your dinner? I¡ªIs there something I can help?"


    "Ah yeah, I want to ask about something¡­.." I darted my eyes at the box of crystal meth on the table and assured myself. "Are you free on the weekend?"

 Chapter 107 - Planning (3)

    __Phone Call__


    "I¡ªIs there something I can help?"


    "Ah yeah, I want to ask about something¡­." I darted my eyes at the box of crystal meth on the table and assured myself. "Are you free on the weekend?"


    ¡­


    "Did I hear that right?" Mason asked. "You¡­ you''re asking me on a date on the weekend?"


    "Uh¡­"


    Did I identally send a mixed signal there?


    Oh no, I didn''t mean it that way. I was just asking whether he would be free to go to the school on the weekend like before. But if I said no right now, it wouldn''t have a pretty ending.


    I started remembering when we had our first date¡­ and my heartbeat elerated as my cheeks turned ruddy. I had to admit that Mason was sweet and caring. He was as nervous as I did, but he didn''t want to make me ufortable.


    He also looked as nervous as I was, but he still tried to put me first so I would have afortable first date with him.


    Ah¡­ what a gentleman¡­


    What? I was sorry for being stupid for falling in love again with Mason Hall. But when you treated a girl like that, how could I suppose not to feel anything? I might be vindictive and vengeful, but that didn''t mean that my heart was dead.


    "W¡ªWell, if you don''t mind¡­." I said, trying to y it out.


    "Oh, sure! I''ll empty my weekend schedule for you. Where do you want to go? Is it on Saturday?"


    "The ce is up to you, I just¡­ I just want to spend my weekend with someone, I guess¡­." I replied half-truth half-lies. Because I did want to spend my weekend with someone other than some Wattpad stories on my phone.


    "Oh, great! I''ll find a perfect date spot for us!" Mason sounded more excited than I expected. I guessed he really didn''t find me disgusting¡­


    My heartbeat started beating too loud for me to handle. But I tried to control it by clenching the edge of the bed as hard as possible.


    Though his enthusiasm only made me feel even more guilty as I knew I called him only to use him so I could enter the Boxing Club on the weekend.


    "B¡ªBut you have to help me for one thing before we go on a date," I said.


    "Sure! What is it?"


    "Uh¡­ can you apany me to the school before we go on our date?" I asked.


    "To the school on the weekend? Are you on detention or something?"


    "Oh, not that. I just want to go to my club on the weekend. Because I have to do an errand again¡­."


    "Oh¡­" In an instant, I could hear how Mason''s warm voice just dropped and turned cold the moment he heard about my club and errand. "Is it that useless club president of yours again? He seems not to treasure his only member. Do you want me to talk to the school board?"


    Ah, this Mason was a lot scarier, but definitely, someone that felt more familiar to me. His kind and gentle persona were nice, but this¡­ I felt like I was talking with the real person.


    "N¡ªNo, it''s just a small errand."


    "Well, I can always help you, Em. I can ask the school guard to give me the club building key, but if you have an errand with your club president, why don''t you ask him now? Tomorrow is still Wednesday, you know."


    Oh fuck, Emmelyn Jones, you''re an idiot!


    It seemed that I made a mistake by calling Mason way too early. I should be calling him on Thursday or Friday instead.


    But I was afraid that he might have a schedule that couldn''t get canceled if I called him abruptly.


    After I pressed my brain to find the most reasonable alibi, I replied, "W¡ªWell, my club president said that he can''t go to school until Friday, and he wants me to retrieve something from the Club building on Friday."


    "Then just go on Friday? School is still open, you know," Mason said lightly, but it put big pressure on me.


    "I¡ªI have to apany my Grandma because she had to do her health checkup in the hospital on Friday."


    "Really?"


    "Yeah¡­" I said while wiping the cold sweat on my forehead.


    Damn, Mason, please stop pressuring me like this!


    I heard Mason''s deep sigh before he said, "I will apany you to the Club building on the weekend, and then we can go on a date, deal?"


    "Deal."


    Mason seemed to be in a bad mood the moment I mentioned Logan. He was shy and giggly before, but now he just sounded cold before hanging up early.


    __Phone call end__


    Ah, I felt bad. I assumed Mason knew that I was using him to enter the Club building on the weekend¡­


    "I guess I canpensate him by uh¡­ cooking, I guess?" I said to myself.


    Well, now that I already got my ticket to nt the evidence in the Boxing club room, I wanted to know the progress on Logan''s side.


    Since he had a lot more to dopared to me.


    Thus I called him, and only after one beep, he picked up the call.


    __Phone Call__


    "Yo," Logan greeted me first. "Did you call me to ask about my progress with Leah?"


    "Well, isn''t that fairly obvious? I want to know whether you''re doing well or you''re screwing this up," I replied.


    "Heh, I should be the one who asks you first about your progress. I am far morepetent than you¡ª"


    "Bet, I already get my key to nt evidence in the Boxing Club room. How about you, Mr. Logan ''Oh-So-Competent'' Walker?"


    "Tch, I don''t know how you get that, but I bet you''re seeding because you use your charm," Logan said.


    "What charm? Of course, I use my proficient glib!"


    "You? A glib? AHAHAHAHA!"


    "STOP LAUGHING!" I yelled back to shut him up. "Anyway, I want you to stay hidden until the weekend. If it''s possible, I think you shouldn''te to school at all."


    "Is it because of Leah?"


    "Nah, it''s because I told my patron that my club president is off until Friday, so I have to do an errand on the weekend for him," I exined, showing him my alibi to get the key.


    "Well, I guess you do have a bit of talk there. Maybe you''re more than just¡­ uh¡­ ugly face."


    "Yeah, thanks for thepliment, Mr. Walker," I rolled my eyes whilementing sarcastically.


    "Fine, I won''t go to school until Friday, or maybe the whole week. I''m also avoiding Leah because she has been very thirsty. Just look at her chat¡ª"


    Logan sent me the screenshot of his text with Leah, and I couldn''t help but giggle upon his misfortune.


    Leah was definitely that type of girl who got way too confident because she had always been surrounded by boys. Did she really think saying, ''I''ve been a naughty girl, please discipline me?'' Will rouse someone like Logan?


    Well, perhaps it would work on regr guys, but Logan was a tad different. He didn''t even drool when Leah hugged him with that see-through shirt, let alone dirty talk.


    Maybe this guy was gay, though he said gender didn''t matter because he hated everyone equally.


    "Okay, I believe in you, Boss," I chuckled while continued reading their chat history. "But I expect you to be able to enter Leah''s house by the end of the week, correct?"


    "Yeah, you''ll see me enter her house to nt evidence while also obtaining that information about her secret base with her goons on the same week," Logan imed confidently. "And you can mark my words. I am a professional."


    I grinned when I heard his deration. I had to admit that Logan actually sounded cool when he had this kind of im upon himself.


    "Well, I believe in you, Boss Logan," I teased him a bit. "I guess your pain tolerance to Leah''s seduction has increased."


    "Ugh, not at all. I just lost my appetite every time I chat with her," Logan replied.


    Huh, that was kind of expected, actually. Logan had an extreme reaction when Leah hugged him, so I could see how he just lost his appetite whenever he chatted with Leah.


    Maybe I should alsopensate him for my cooking? That was the least I could do since I had no resources to gift him something else.


    "Well, Boss Logan, since you''ve been working hard to stomach all those nauseating chat with Leah, I''ll cook you something for once? Is that fair?" I offered, thinking it could at least ease his burden a bit.


    "Huh? Is that true? You can actually cook?"


    "Hey! I''m the only cook in my family! You''ll be surprised by my cooking skill. Even Gordon Ramsay would cower before me!"


    "Ahahahaha! Okay, okay, I believe in you. Now that you give me incentive, I''ll make sure this mission will be smooth."


    __Phone call end__

 Chapter 108 - Preparation: Raiding The Drug Queen Of DarthMorth (1)

    [Saturday Morning.]


    "Wow, Em, why are you making cookies today? Are you making this for your Mom?" Mom joked while watching me baking bunny-shaped cookies in the early morning.


    Honestly, I woke up at dawn and started cooking this stuff because I wanted to give it to Mason Hall.


    This was the least I could do for all the hassle I gave him. Mason agreed to apany me to the club building as he had already obtained the school key from the security guard.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I''ll give you something for your help before our date. Hopefully, you''ll like it.


    ¡ª


    That was thest text I sent him before I went into this baking frenzy. I wanted to create goodwill between us. I had a feeling that I would be entangled with Mason for a lot more in the future, so I might as well make us a good acquaintance to one another.


    "Don''t eat it, Mom. It''s for my date today. I already save yours there," I pointed at a bowl of cookies I made previously for my Mom.


    Mom chuckled as she snacked at her cookies, "Is this the same guy?"


    "Yeah."


    "You two must''ve beenpatible then," Mom giggled. "Tell me, is he still the same dreamy boy? You told me that he''s good dreamy to describe."


    "Uh-huh."


    "Hmm¡­ Em, you don''t seem to be nervous or expectant," Momined.


    This time, I stopped decorating my baked bunny cookies. I looked at her, "Well, Mom, maybe because I''m not really expecting anything romantic with him."


    "Then why are you going on a date if you don''t want to be his girlfriend?"


    "¡­ I don''t think he wants me to be his girlfriend and vice versa. I have something else to do, and I need his help, that''s all. These cookies are like¡­ my gift for him for all the trouble I gave."


    "Hm~ Okay then, I just want to say that love can bloom based on habit. Who knows, you get used to him and then start developing feelings for him."


    Honestly, I already developed a crush on him long ago. And I still had the same feeling right now, maybe even more than before, but that didn''t mean that I would be willing to jump into the fiery pit just because of him.


    Mason Hall was way too dangerous for me to date. I might as well stay single forever.


    **


    I prepared myself and checked the clock, it was already 9 A.M, and I had already promised Mason to meet him in front of the school gate at 10.


    So I hurried and picked my backpack. I put the half box of crystal meth and the gloves that Logan gave me before inside my backpack.


    Meanwhile, I put the cookies in a small tote bag instead. I was afraid that the cookies might get mixed with the meth if I put it in the same backpack.


    I rode my bike as fast as possible. I arrived at 09.45 A.M. Unsurprisingly, Mason was already standing in front of the school gate.


    He was wearing a navy sweater due to the cold autumn nowadays. I could see the cor of a ck shirt that looked proper on him.


    He was also wearing id trousers and didn''t wear contact lenses today. His thick sses really gave a different light of him in my eyes.


    I stopped my bike in front of him, and he greeted me first with a smile blooming on his handsome face, "Good morning, Em. Did you have a good sleepst night? You seem to be more energized than usual."


    Ah, I wouldn''t lie that Mason''s blooming smile was like a breath of fresh air for me. He never showed his real smile in front of his fangirls.


    I bet his fangirls would die because of a heart attack if he saw this blooming smile.


    Now speaking of fangirls¡ª


    I looked around, trying to find if there were any hidden fangirls behind the bushes. I shit you not. There were cases in my previous life where the fangirls actually hide somewhere to follow Mason''s daily life like a creepy, no-life desperate girl.


    "Don''t worry about them. I already created a fake schedule for the day. They''ll not find us today," Mason interrupted. He seemed to already know my worry and took preemptive measures before things got out of control.


    I took a deep, relieved breath andmented, "Your fangirls are seriously rabid."


    "Haha, they are, but I can''t do much in this line of work¡­" Mason smiled thin and showed me the ring full of keys. "Let''s go. You said you want to go to your club room, right?"


    I nodded and then followed him as he unlocked the school gate. I parked my bike and headed straight to the club building.


    We were quietly walking in the corridor, and a fleeting curiosity got me, "Anyway, Mason, I''ve been dying to ask one thing."


    "Hm? Yes, Em?"


    "About your fangirls," I gulped as I thought it would be inappropriate. But my curiosity took control, "Do you really like them around you? The number of fangirls you have seems to increase every day."


    "I want them to die," Mason replied with a smile on his face.


    I was shocked, especially since he didn''t show that fake smile. He genuinely showed a light smile to me while saying that.


    "I hate them with all my fibers. I told you once that I prefer apany of one, right?"


    "R¡ªRight¡­"


    "Good, now you know my answer. Never see them as a threat. They''re nothingpared to you," Mason said ruthlessly. He opened his mouth slightly as if he wanted to say something more, but in the end, he just shook his head and kept his silence.


    I didn''t dare to ask anymore though, I was actually scared that I might disturb him. I did feel a bit of pity for his fangirls though, they dedicated their life to Mason, but Mason didn''t even see them as human.


    For some reason, I felt that Mason was a lot more open about his heart to me right now. I could see the real him, or at least a persona he never showed to other people.


    He was¡­ a lot colder than I expected.


    We stopped right in front of the club building. Mason unlocked the door and gave a key ring to me. But before I snatched it, he raised the key ring to make it unreachable and asked, "Do you need my help, Em? Don''t worry, I won''t mess up whatever errand you''re doing."


    "Y¡ªYou don''t need to. It''s just a simple errand. I can do it by myself," I replied, afraid that Mason might''ve seen through my lie. I dodged his dark gaze.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    A prating silence happened between us for a while until Mason sighed and gave the key ring to me.


    "Then I''ll keep watch here. Remember, dear Em, don''t make a mess, okay?"


    "A mess? I will never! You know I just want to do an errand in my club room, right?"


    Mason had a thin smile on his face as he nodded, "I believe you, now go because I want to have a long date with you after."


    Mason stood at the door while watching me walk in the corridor, forcing me to act normal, and first unlocked the pottery club room.


    Since I was forced to stay inside my club room, I might as well prepare myself for the mission.


    I wore the gloves first to avoid any fingerprints and then prepared the crystal meth.


    For some meth, I put it in small ziplock stic bagsst night, while the rest, I nned to just smear it around to create that careless effect.


    I peeked from the door, and after I didn''t see Mason standing at the door anymore, I sneaked out of the Pottery club room to the Boxing Club room.


    I unlocked the door and took the key ring with me, then closed the door from inside. I was afraid that Mason might check the corridor again and saw me entering another ce instead.


    The Boxing club room was spacious as always, and nothing had changed since thest time I entered this ce.


    "Alright, it''s time to y as the devil here."


    I grabbed a handful of crystal meth from the box. I then spread it on the floor carelessly, making sure it looked messy enough so nobody would notice it was nned evidence.


    I also rubbed the crystal meth on the gym equipment, door handle, and also bench.


    After ensuring that I had spread enough, I took out the small ziplock stic bags containing meth inside.


    I put one near the entrance, three bags under the ring, and two near the storage room.


    I also intentionally opened some of the ziplock to make it as if it had been consumed a bit and just dropped there.


    After everything was done, I looked around to observe my work. I was confident enough that nobody would notice unless they really took their time looking around for the trace of meth, which the police would do.


    I fished out my phone and then took a picture. I wanted to show my hardworking to one guy who kept taunting me because he thought I was too chicken to do this mission.


    Snap.


    "Okay, and¡­ send."


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Yo, look what I did, you will be surprised at how efficient I am. How about your progress? Shouldn''t you be in her house right now?


    Emmy: Picture sent.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 109 - Preparation: Raiding The Drug Queen Of DarthMorth (2)

    ¡ª


    Emmy: Yo, look what I did. You will be surprised at how efficient I am. How about your progress? Shouldn''t you be in her house right now?


    Emmy: Picture sent.


    ¡ª


    I chuckled after sending the text to Logan. I thought he would reply with a few stickers and emojis as always, but he suddenly texted me with something else.


    ¡ª


    Logan: Get out now.


    Logan: Someone is watching you.


    ¡ª


    I frowned. Today was literally weekend. The only one who woulde to school was Mason and me today.


    So I texted him back,


    ¡ª


    Emmy: What do you mean? The only one here is me right now.


    Emmy: And don''t start with ghost bullshit. I''m not buying it.


    Logan: No, idiot, just check the photo you just took and see the shadow in the window.


    ¡ª


    My heart skipped the moment Logan exined what he saw. I checked the picture I just took immediately, and I followed his guide by checking the window.


    What he said was true. There was a shadow of someone''s shadow near the window. The club building had running electricity 24/7, so few clubs didn''t turn off their lights.


    The Boxing club apparently didn''t turn off the light outside, so whoever stood under themp would have their shadow cast.


    I saw the shadow of someone standing under themp near the window in the picture, and my eyes darted at the club window across my position right now.


    My heartbeat quickened as I rushed to the window and checked who was watching me, but there was nobody there when I opened the window.


    Not even a trace, nor a shoe print, which was strange because the ground was a bit wet after the rainst night.


    ¡­


    I gulped as my head started to imagine the worst thing possible. Maybe I would die tomorrow since I got discovered trying to nt evidence around the club.


    Or maybe¡­ maybe it was Mason?!


    Maybe Mason already knew what I was doing and decided to peek at my activity here, nting evidence in the Boxing club room.


    I gulped once more, I didn''t want anything worse than this, so I quietly left the Boxing club room and returned to the Pottery club room. I washed my gloves with water before throwing them away to the trash can in the corridor.


    I returned to Mason, who was supposedly waiting outside of the club building.


    I thought I could catch him red-handed. Despite all my fears right now, catching him red-handed meant that he had seen everything, and I might have to strike a deal with him.


    ¡­


    If that was possible in the first ce, knowing his clean reputation, that''d be impossible.


    "Mason, I''m done¡ª"


    I was stunned when I saw Mason sitting outside of the club building. He was dozing off believably.


    "Mason¡­" I shook his shoulder lightly, and he woke up.


    "Ah¡ªOh, Em, are you done with your errand?" He asked.


    "Yes¡­ how about you? Did you fall asleep while waiting for me?"


    "Ahaha¡­ not really asleep. I dozed off," Mason yawned and stood up from the bench. "Since I want to spend my time with you today, I put some of my photoshoots schedule yesterday. I had to do photoshoots untilte at night, so I got a bit sleepy right now."


    "Maybe I should drink coffee, haha!" Mason chuckled lightly.


    I stared at him and couldn''t find any trace of a fake act there. And I was quite sharp to see through someone''s fake act.


    I nced down at his shoes, expecting his shoes to be dirty since he walked to the grassy patch just to peek at me nting evidence.


    But his shoes were actually clean enough to give him a silent alibi.


    Now I was in a big dilemma myself. I didn''t know if Mason was really the culprit or innocent.


    If I confronted him right now and it turned out he wasn''t the one who peeked at me, he would definitely get suspicious and think that I had misused the club key ring to enter another club room illegally.


    And if he was actually the one who peeked at me¡­ why?


    Why would he do such a thing?


    My mind was a mess right now. But in the end, I decided to act dumb, as if nothing happened between us, and we left the school silently.


    I decided to park my bike behind a big tree in front of the school and picked it up after my date with Mason ended. We waited at the bus stop near the school and went to the city square together.


    Mason said that he had a special spot for us. I agreed with everything that he said with one note, "Please don''t bring me to somewhere expensive. I don''t want to burden you."


    Masonughed and dragged me around the street until we stopped in front of a cafe. I was stunned when I read the cafe''s name.


    ''Cat Cafe Marmde.''


    "Mason, this¡­"


    "Ehehe¡­ this is a cat cafe, of course. I''ve been dying to bring you here for a while. Let''s go in," Mason said as he dragged me inside.


    I was stunned, silly. I couldn''t react when I saw the number of cats inside the cafe from the ss pane. They werezing around, grooming themselves, ying with the toys, or even climbing the cat tree and the table.


    They also had various breeds, from British Shorthair to Sphynx.


    Strangely, the ce seemed to be empty, too empty on the weekend. I had this illusion that Mason had booked the whole cafe only to enjoy our date, especially when I saw the staff who bowed at him kindly and respectfully.


    But he said that he wasn''t that rich.


    Now that got me even worried, afraid that he had spent his hard-earned money only to treat a half-assed girl like me.


    Mason and I entered the cat cafe, and the strawberry scent just wafted in my nose. It smelled sweet and fuzzy at the same time.


    ''Meow.''


    ''Meeeoow.''


    ''Meow, Meow¡­''


    The cats greeted us, and some were circling around our legs. Mason picked a ck cat and rested it on his shoulder, while I picked a yellow-blonde fluffy cat with blue eyes which somewhat resembled Mason.


    We sat at a table, and the staff gave us the menu. I looked around and then asked him while he was checking the menu.


    "Mason, did you book the whole cafe only for us?"


    "Huh? What makes you think like that?"


    "Uh¡­ it''s just quite impossible for a cat cafe in the middle of the shopping district to be empty on the weekend," I said.


    "Well, maybe we''re just lucky. Do you think I have enough money to buy the whole cafe or the whole building?"


    ¡­


    I never said anything about buying the whole cafe or whole building¡­


    "W¡ªWell, you could book the whole cafe¡­."


    "I also don''t have that much money," Mason sighed. He patted the spoiled ck cat who slept on hisp. "The money I got from modeling isn''t much, and I used that to pay for my small apartment rent and to live."


    "I''m sorry, Em. Hopefully, I can get more money in the future to bring you to a better ce," Mason said.


    "No, no! You don''t need to! I''m just curious," I refused his generosity. "In fact¡­ I should thank you for bringing me here," I smiled thinly while rubbing the chin of the fluffy yellow-blonde cat.


    Mason grinned, "I''ve been dying to bring you here, Em. You like cats, right? This is the perfect ce for you to y with as many cats as possible."


    "Huh? How do you know I like cats?" I frowned. I never said anything about wanting to have a cat. But my Mom wouldn''t allow any pets in our house because they might be too expensive to keep, especially if they got sick and stuff.


    "I think many people like cats. I just saw through you that you''re a cat person," Mason said smoothly, clearing any doubt in my heart,


    "Ah, true, I want to have a pet cat. But my Mom doesn''t allow me¡­." I sighed.


    "That''s unfortunate," Mason said. "But my date spot today is correct, right? You seem to be stressed out these days, so I thought, going to a cat cafe will help you de-stress."


    De-stress, huh?


    That words reminded me of Leah and her gang because their way of de-stressing was quite extreme.


    Oh well, this wasn''t the time to think about those crazy druggies.


    "Thank you, Mason. You really know how to make me happy," I said sincerely. This was actually the perfect dating spot I wanted. It made me feel fuzzy all over.


    "Of course, I know how to make you happy, Em," Mason smiled mysteriously. "As long as you''re happy, then I''m even happier."


    Mason ordered an Ice coffee, he was about to order a snack for us, but I stopped him, "Hold on, you shouldn''t order a snack. Because I bring my own."


    "You did?"


    "Yes," I said while taking out a box of bunny cookies from the tote bag. "This is my treat for you.. I made it myself."

 Chapter 110 - Preparation: Raiding The Drug Queen Of DarthMorth (3)

    Mason ordered an Ice coffee, he was about to order a snack for us, but I stopped him, "Hold on, you shouldn''t order a snack. Because I bring my own."


    "You did?"


    "Yes," I said while taking out a box of bunny cookies from the tote bag. "This is my treat for you. I made it myself."


    Mason was stunned when I put the box of bunny cookies on the table, and he was even more surprised when I opened the box, and the fragrant smell of cookies hit his nose.


    I made the cookies in bunny head shape, of course,plete with a colorful bead as eyes and cute bunny face.


    "You¡­ made this for me?" Mason asked as if he didn''t believe it.


    "I mean, it''s more believable than me buying it from the store, right? I didn''t have money to buy cookies from the store anyway, so I made it myself. I''m sorry if it''s not up to your standard," I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms defensively. I knew that he was popr. Thus, he got a lot of cookies from his fangirls.


    "No, that''s not what I meant," Mason carefully picked one bunny cookie from the box and observed it, "You¡­ you really did this much for me?"


    "W¡ªWell, this is the least I could do. I don''t know how to repay your help."


    "This is more than enough, Em," Mason said. "I''m willing to do anything if you keep giving me this as my reward."


    "Eh?!" I was surprised by his statement. I observed his eyes, and he was still fascinated by the cookies.


    I knew it was surprising for a girl like me to actually make cute stuff, but was it THAT strange?


    "It''s so beautiful¡­" Mason said as if these cookies were more valuable than jewels. "And it''s so cute¡­."


    "Hah, I¡ªI might not look like it, but I also like baking, you know," Iughed dry. "I bet you didn''t expect someone like me to be able to make something so cute. But I''m actually a great cook, and I''ve been baking stuff in my free time. Even though I don''t look cute¡ª"


    "You''re cute," Mason suddenly interrupted me.


    I was stunned, "W¡ªWhat did you say?"


    Mason smiled and rested his chin at the table. He looked up to me at such a bad angle because, at that angle, he should be able to see my double chin.


    Yet his words were contradictory to my expectation, "You''re cute, Em. No matter which angle I see it, you still look very cute."


    "¡­"


    I could feel my face getting hotter, and I hid my face behind the menu, "C¡ªCan we just stop with this cookies stuff and order something instead?"


    "Ahaha! Okay, sorry for making you embarrassed," Mason said. "Can I have all these cookies for myself? I want to eat it in my room too¡­."


    "S¡ªSure, now stop mentioning this. I just want to do something for you as my gratitude."


    "Okay, haha!" Masonughed heartily, and we continued our date in the cat cafe by ying with cats and eating snacks. Mason said that he didn''t want to eat all the cookies right now, though, because he also wanted to eat them at his apartment instead.


    So he just ate three cookies slowly and then closed the box. I gave him the tote bag, so he could carry it home. It was the first time for me to see how a man like Mason could look so happy. He even got a bit sentimental and shed a little tear like a dramatic lead in a romantic-drama movie¡­


    "Seriously though, it''s just a cookie¡­." I said before parting my way with him. "I can make you moreter if you really like it."


    "Really? You''ll make more only for me?"


    "Sure," I nodded lightly. It wasn''t too much trouble anyway.


    Mason hugged the box of cookies tightly in his chest, like a dragon guarding a treasure, "You might not know how important this is for me, Em."


    Yeah, I didn''t know and didn''t understand. It was literally just a box of cookies.


    "Thank you so much for making this for me. We never have the chance before, right?" Mason said.


    Now hepletely lost me. Sometimes I wondered what was in Mason''s head.


    "W¡ªWell, we''re not that close before. You seem to be busy with your activities and getting surrounded by those fangirls. I just saw you once or twice¡ª"


    Lies, I actually watched you a lot of times from afar because I was afraid that your fangirls would bully me even worse than before.


    "We''re not that close before, huh¡­." Mason''s smile dimmed, and he forced a bitter smile on me. "Yeah, we''re not that close before. I''m d that we''re close now, Em."


    Well, we weren''t exactly close right now as well. But you do you, champ.


    We went separate ways as he took a different bus than me. I returned to the bus stop at school and picked my bicycle.


    Today''s date was¡­


    "It''s quite nice, I guess," my cheeks reddened again as I pedaled my bike faster, and I arrived home in the evening. I wouldn''t lie that Mason was the type of gentle and dreamy man, a perfect boyfriend type.


    My maiden heart was still too weak when seeing that certain type and Mason happened to be all I wanted.


    I put my palm on my chest, and the warmth still lingered inside.


    Mom was busy with her job as she greeted me with a big smile on her face, "Oh ho, how''s the date, Miss Jones?"


    "It''s okay, Mom," I replied.


    "Just okay? Your red cheeks said it''s more than okay, haha!"


    "Okay, it''s¡­ more than okay¡­." I admitted, then I rushed to my room because I couldn''t handle my own embarrassment.


    I threw my weight on the bed and stared at the ceiling. My mind was still hazy from today''s date. I even forgot about the problem with my mission, that someone was watching me.


    Mason truly had a hypnotizing aura around him. Even in this second life, I was still not immune to it.


    His words still lingered in my head as well¡­


    ''You''re cute, Em. No matter which angle I see it, you still look very cute.''


    Ah, Mason Hall, you truly didn''t know the pain I experienced in the past life, so you could say that easily.


    You were the one who indirectly caused me to suffer. You should just let me rot when I fainted during that P.E ss, so I could maintain my status as a nobody.


    Now you got even closer to me, and I didn''t know how to avoid you.


    I closed my eyes and fell asleep until I heard my phone ring loudly.


    I rubbed my eyes and checked the caller, and it was Logan Walker.


    I looked up, it was only 9 P.M.


    __Phone call__


    "Hello?"


    "You idiot! Why are you sleeping at this point?! You just got discovered by someone when you nted those evidence!" Logan yelled, and I regretted putting my phone too close to my ear.


    "I don''t know. I rushed to the window and saw nobody, there''s not even a footprint, and it''s a wet, grassy patch. Maybe it''s a ghost or something," I replied half-assedly.


    "What?! Dang it, how could you just give up like that?!" Logan yelled again. "Who came with you to the school today?"


    "Uh¡­" I was wondering whether I should just say it. I didn''t want anyone to know that I went with Mason. But Logan and I were partners in crime. We shouldn''t hide stuff, especially when it was important for our mission.


    "It''s Mason, Mason Hall."


    "The new quarterback of the American Football team?! You spent your weekend with him?!"


    "Yeah¡­"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "That''s the man. He is the one who''s peeking on you from the window. I''m positive of it," Logan suddenly deduced without any discussion.


    "W¡ªWait, how could you just use him that easily? That''s so not you!" I didn''t know what made Logan suddenly be so hostile. He was usually cold-blooded and logical with his n. "Besides, he has a solid alibi. He''s been dozing off outside of the club building, and his shoes didn''t even get wet!"


    "Why are you taking his side now? I''m positive that he''s the culprit!" Logan insisted. "Just listen to me and don''t get too close to him, okay?"


    "Oh,e on, he''s a lot less threatening than you, honestly," I rolled my eyes as Imented.


    But Logan didn''t seem to take that kindly. He became silent, and the situation became way too awkward between us. I didn''t mean it in a bad way. I just meant that Mason looked so docilepared to Logan, who looked and acted like a wild dog most of the time.


    "A¡ªAnyway, how about your progress? I''ve nted my evidence, but there don''t seem to be any activity on your part."


    "Ah, don''t worry, I''ll do it tomorrow morning."

 Chapter 111 - Preparation: Raiding The Drug Queen Of DarthMorth (4)

    __Phone Call__


    "A¡ªAnyway, how about your progress? I''ve nted my evidence, but there don''t seem to be any activity on your part."


    "Ah, don''t worry, I''ll do it tomorrow morning."


    "Huh? You''ll do it tomorrow morning? Did you already set up a date with Leah?"


    "Ugh, please don''t mention her name. It''s just so disgusting every time I try to chat with her," Logan retched realistically, so I guessed his disgust towards Leah was genuine.


    He then sent me a screenshot of his chat with Leah. And I couldn''t help but chuckle when I saw the content of the chat. At this point, Logan''s disgust towards Leah became more of a meme for me.


    "Hihi, you''re working hard, Boss Logan."


    "Shut up! Don''tugh. I''m trying my hardest there!"


    I read the chat screenshot between them while still on call with Logan.


    ¡ª


    Logan: Babe, I''ve been thinking about this.


    Logan: So, can I visit your house tomorrow morning?


    Leah: Oh my! You''ve been ying hard to get for so long, and now you want toe to my house? You''re such a tease, babe~


    Logan: So¡­ can I?


    Leah: Of course! My Dad isn''t home. He''s busy for the whole two months in the UK. We can have our time for the whole day~


    Leah: I bet you''re longsting, right?


    ¡ª


    "Pfft¡­ AHAHAH! She asked whether you''re longsting or not!" Iughed heartily, making fun of Logan, who was more disgusted than he was embarrassed.


    He didn''t argue with my statement. I guess there was stuff even for someone like Logan that was deemed inappropriate or downright embarrassing.


    "Alright, sorry for that. It''s also quite surprising for me," I said. "So you''re going to her house tomorrow morning?"


    "Yes," Logan replied, full of confidence in his voice. "I will nt the evidence when she''s readying herself for whatever shit she wants to do. I already expected that her house should have a lot of CCTVs, so I told her to disable the CCTV because we''re going to do it in the living room together."


    "Woah, smart," I praised him.


    "Of course, I am. I''m not an idiot who got caught by someone while nting evidence like you!"


    "Hey! That''s so uncalled for!"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was another awkward silence for a moment until I asked him, "So¡­ you''re going to really give yourself to her? You two are going to do it?"


    "What? Are you kidding me? Do you think I can get hard when seeing someone like her!?" Logan raised his voice. "I can''t even look at her face without feeling nauseous!"


    "Then how could you go there, nt evidence, and then go out without even doing it with her?" I couldn''t find any way for him to ever enter and exit safely while nting evidence without touching Leah.


    But Logan seemed to be calmer than I expected, "Don''t worry about that. I''ll show you that I can do it without much problem."


    "So you must wake up early tomorrow morning, and I''ll put you on a call. So you can listen to whatever I''m doing with Leah and how I can nt the evidence without waking up the sleeping dragon," Logan chuckled.


    "Ehh, just be safe, alright? I mean, Leah is not just some regr girl¡­ what if you get hurt because of this mission?"


    "Aww¡­ are you worried about me? Who would''ve expected as a heartless girl like you could say something nice to me¡ª


    Beeeep.


    __Phone call ends__


    I hung up the call early because I couldn''t listen to him talking about ridiculous stuff.


    Who even cared about him anyway? Seriously, he was definitely the type of man with a humongous ego!


    I tucked myself in as I finally took a rest from a long day. I wanted to sleep earlier because I was actually excited about what Logan was going to do next.


    How could he enter Leah''s house and do all those stuff without making out with her?


    I closed my eyes, eagerly waiting for tomorrow morning.


    **


    [Sunday Morning.]


    I woke up early only to see a text from Logan.


    ¡ª


    Logan: I''m heading to that girl''s house right now.


    Emmy: Good luck, you should call me so I can listen to everything.


    Logan: Sure.


    ¡ª


    After about fifteen minutes, I got a call from Logan, but there was no sound other than his own footsteps.


    __Phone Call__


    Logan pressed the doorbell a few times, and I could hear the door open alongside the excited greeting from Leah.


    "Wee, my handsome bad boy!"


    "Hi¡­" Logan replied lightly. Even from one listen, I could already sense that Logan wasn''t into Leah at all, but maybe Leah had been disillusioned with her own thought, that she expected all men to just fall in love and kiss her feet.


    "So~ Do you want toe in? I already told the maid that she doesn''t need toe today. And the CCTV was disabled yesterday, so all is good. Nobody will know what we''re doing today~."


    "That''s good. Can Ie in now?"


    "Sure!"


    I could hear their footsteps as they entered Leah''s house.


    "Do you want to watch some Netflix first or go down to the business?" Leah asked. Then I could hear the sound of fabric rubbing against each other, and Leah''s voice got clearer.


    So I guessed she was leaning on Logan''s chest right now, "Why don''t we enjoy this first? It''s no fun to just do a quickie and be done with it, right?" Leah said with her seductive voice.


    Honestly, whenever I tried to imagine Leah with this kind of coquettish act, I started retching in disgust. Because I remembered how ruthless she was in my previous life.


    She told her goons to beat me up just because Jessica told her to do it, and she didn''t hesitate even after I begged her to stop. I was beaten by at least three men back then, and all of them were from the Boxing Club.


    I returned home with bruises all over my body. Thankfully, my Mom and Grandma had already passed away back then, so I didn''t need to hide my bruises.


    The same ruthless Leah was now trying to seduce a man, how disgusting.


    "True, you should prepare yourself first. Have you taken a bath? How about that sexy lingerie you''ve been talking about? I want to see it."


    "Ohhh~ So you''re a lot more excited than I am. Damn, I know you like it rough and kinky~ Just wait here, okay? I will take a bath and prepare myself first."


    "Actually, can I use your kitchen? I can cook a snack and mix some drinks for us to enjoy," Logan asked.


    "Sure!"


    I could hear Leah humming as her voice got farther and farther, and I couldn''t hear her anymore. I listened silently, and then Logan said, "I''ll show you soon how I can freely nt evidence without even trying."


    I scoffed, thinking that Logan was being boastful for no reason. Even though the house''s CCTV had been disabled, that didn''t mean Leah would just let him off so easily.


    Especially now that she was preparing herself for the good time with Logan, even involving lingerie! We were still a minor here. How could she have ess to those?


    Or¡­ well, it was Leah anyway. She could do anything with her daddy''s money, just like Ashley.


    I could hear the faint sound of Logan humming with kitchen utensils being used. I was still in silent mode, afraid that Leah might''ve popped out of nowhere and heard me speaking from the phone.


    I thought this could be the best time for Logan to rush himself and nt the evidence as quickly as possible around Leah''s house.


    But he seemed to take his time. I even heard the faint sound of him snacking on chips.


    Goddamn, his calmness actually gave me anxiety here.


    It took a while until I heard the loud voice of Leah again, "Babeee~! I''m done with the preparation! Do you want to see?"


    "Ugh, I''m going to see her in lingerie. Remember this, Emmelyn Jones, I will demand a bigpensation for the mental trauma you gave me. You''re truly despicable," Logan said in a low voice.


    What? Why me? He was the one who agreed to do this mission and help me! I would also do the same for whatever he wanted to do in the future as well!


    "Sure, I bet you''ll look sexy, Leah."


    "Ahaha~ I am~."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Urk!"


    I could hear Logan was stomaching his nausea. I bet the image of Leah in lingerie would forever be nted in his poor mind. I wondered if he''d be traumatized with women in the future.


    "How is it? Do I look good?"


    "Y¡ªYou look amazing, Leah¡­." Loganplimented half-heartedly.


    "Then what are we waiting for? Do you want to watch a movie first or what? I''m ready, you know~."


    "Actually, I have made some snacks and drinks for you. I think we should watch something first, and you must try this drink.. It''s my favorite."

 Chapter 112 - Preparation: Raiding The Drug Queen Of DarthMorth (5)

    "Then what are we waiting for? Do you want to watch a movie first or what? I''m ready, you know~."


    "Actually, I have made some snacks and drinks for you. I think we should watch something first, and you must try this drink. It''s my favorite."


    "Oh? You made this for me?"


    "Yeah, but be careful. It''s very heavy in alcohol."


    "A~ My handsome bad boy is so caring to me. Don''t worry. I have a high tolerance for alcohol. I wonder if this is a bribe so you can touch me moreter on, hm? Honestly, you don''t even need to bribe me if you want more. You''re definitely my type~."


    "¡­"


    I muted my microphone and thenughed, satisfied. Poor Logan was truly suffering right now, and I couldn''t help but chuckle whenever I imagined the pain in his eyes.


    "Okay, okay, I''ll drink it," Leah giggled. Then I could hear the back sound of some random movies in the background, so they were going to do their real Netflix & chill, Netflix first, then making out.


    This was the part when I got curious and nervous at the same time. Because I doubted Logan could ever escape without making out with Leah.


    "You can start touching me, you know¡­." Leah seduced and half demanded. Obviously, she was so thirsty for Logan, but Logan didn''t seem to be making any move.


    "I''ll prepare myself first. Where''s the toilet?"


    "Preparing yourself? Hm, if it''s just condom, I have in few sizes, you know~" Leah chuckled. "Oh well, it''s near the kitchen. I''ll be waiting."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was a long silence on the phone. I couldn''t hear anything except the sound of a click.


    And then, I heard Logan whispering on the phone, "Yo, you there?"


    "I am," I replied.


    "I''m going to lock myself in this bathroom because the effect would take a while."


    "Huh? What effect?"


    "The drink, of course."


    "What did you do with the drink?"


    "I spiked it, of course."


    "YOU WHAT?!"


    "Ssh! I''m still waiting for the drug to kick in!" Logan said lightly. As if what he did wasn''t illegal in the first ce.


    He literally spiked the drink of a woman so easily. Now I wondered if he had done this to another woman before, and he was only 16!


    I only saw that stuff in the movie, and he already did this so professionally!


    After more than ten minutes, he finally unlocked the bathroom door and walked back to Leah. I could hear the back sound from the movie.


    Then I suddenly heard Logan speaking out loud, "Okay, the drug works. She''s in a deep sleep right now."


    "Wait, are you serious? You really spiked her drink?! That''s a crime, you idiot!"


    "Oh,e on, do you think what we did isn''t illegal? Both of us are trying to nt false evidence on someone''s property. Both of us are trespassing if that''s the lightest sentence you want to hear," Logan defended himself. "Besides, do you want me to really make out with her?"


    "Well¡­ no¡­"


    "Then don''t protest my method! I''m using the safest and most efficient method right now! If she''s unconscious, I can nt the evidence freely!"


    ¡­


    I hated to admit it, but he was correct. Logan really knew what he was doing. Despite his nefarious method, Logan really knew how to execute his mission clean and efficiently.


    Unlike me¡­ who got caught by some random person whose identity was still unknown.


    "Okay, I''ve used my gloves. It''s time to nt evidence," Logan said.


    I silently listened to his continuous humming as he was doing his mission to nt false evidence. Hemented from time to time, though.


    "Oh, this girl is actually quite talented. There is a medal for an uh¡­. Volleyballpetition in middle school, her team won first ce, it seems."


    "She had a lot of pictures with her parents when she was a kid, then it all turned into pictures of only her and her rich dad. I guess her parents were divorced."


    "¡­"


    Leah and I had simrities, but I went with my Mom while she went with her Dad. I didn''t know what happened, but a broken marriage always led to a broken kid. That might be the reason why she turned to drugs.


    But what she did waspletely evil. She ruined the life of many promising youngsters. Those who got addicted would have their life robbed for a long time.


    ¡­


    Okay, I sounded too righteous just now. But I still wouldn''t justify her action just because she had a bad experience. So I steeled my heart and said, "Don''t forget to put the crystal meth in some ces easily discoverable by the police, especially in her room."


    "Sure," Logan chuckled.


    He continued humming, and I couldn''t help but ask, "Boss Logan, did you¡­ spiked many girls drink before?"


    "Huh? Why do you ask?"


    "I''ve never seen someone at my age so brazenly spiked a girl''s drink¡­." I said with honesty.


    "Well, what do you think?"


    "¡­ I think you did it plenty of times¡­."


    "Hah! So what if I did?" Logan scoffed. "You know nothing about me, Emmelyn Jones. I have a lot to work for."


    "As 16 years old?"


    "Yeah, there is stuff you don''t need to know," Logan said.


    "Did you¡­ use it to¡­ ugh¡­ do I really have to say this?"


    "To knock girls up?"


    "¡­ I mean, it''s possible¡­."


    "Heh, I did it a lot, but I didn''t do it to do anything to girls. Didn''t I tell you many times that I hate women?"


    "Do you like men?"


    "I hate men too. I hate them all. The hatred is equal on both sides. They all disgust me" Logan chuckled in the end.


    I felt a bit offended, thinking that Logan also hated me by default. I didn''t want to be the one who looked like I needed him the most, "Heh, don''t worry, I hate you too!"


    "¡­ You¡­ really don''t like me?" Logan asked.


    "Yeah! The hatred is equal on both sides! Hah!"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "W¡ªWho would like a disingenuous and evil girl like you? Tch, I pity anyone who falls in love with someone like you! Don''t worry. The hatred is equal on my side too!" Logan yelled out loud as if he didn''t want to lose against me.


    But the silence in-between made me wonder what was in Logan''s mind just now.


    We continued talking until he was done with his mission to nt false evidence around Leah''s house. He said that he put enough in Leah''s room, at least enough to make sure that Leah couldn''t get her way out even with her Daddy''s help.


    "Do you want to see her right now? I can always open the cam," Logan asked.


    "Huh? You mean, her fainted-lingerie wearing-self? No thanks, I''m not into that," I refused.


    Logan only chuckled lightly and then took a pic of something before sending it to me.


    I was a bit afraid of opening it, but when I clicked on the picture, it was just a pic of a suction cup.


    "What are you going to do with this?" I asked.


    "A suction cup I bought in eBay. I need to make a fake kiss mark on her neck, so she thinks I at least gave her a souvenir before leaving."


    "But she''ll think that you did something to her while she was unconscious!" I tried to warn Logan, but Logan was definitely courageous enough, so he just chuckled upon hearing my response.


    "Don''t you see, this is the way for her to be less suspicious the moment she wakes up. If she wakes up with me vanished, she will think that I tricked her and just want to rob something."


    "It''ll be dangerous if she starts searching around her house. This is my way to shift her attention," Logan exined.


    ¡­


    I was speechless, knowing how ingenious his idea was. It was immoral, nefarious, but it was totally effective!


    After making a fake hickey, Logan took a picture of something else, a handwritten note.


    -


    You fainted after one drink? I thought you said you have a high tolerance for alcohol.


    I will leave now. I gave you a souvenir before I left. We can do it next time.


    Goodbye.


    -


    That was the content of the note, "Alright, everything is set. I''m leaving. I''ll hang up now. Remember, tomorrow is the only day we can execute our n before someone discover the false evidence. I''ll persuade Leah to tell me her secret base with her goons tonight, and we will raid it tomorrow morning when they''re there."


    "Understood," I agreed with his n. What he said was aligned with my n. There was no other day except tomorrow.


    Logan was quick and decisive on his mission. It made me wonder¡­ what kind of 16 years old could do this without even hesitating, not even once.


    He looked like a professional, someone who had done this countless times.


    "Logan Walker¡­ who are you?" I pondered for the whole day.

 Chapter 113 - Leah Carpenter Finale: Raiding The Drug Queen Of Darthmorth (1)

    [Monday Morning.]


    I woke up early for the big day today. This would be the day when Leah Carpenter and her goons would be arrested for her heinous crime of being the Drug Queen of Darthmorth.


    And this would also be the day where I got my revenge on one of my bullies. This would be the second victim of mine, and more would being after this.


    I got a text from both Logan and Mason today, but the contents of their texts were so different, like earth and sky.


    ¡ª


    Mason: Good Morning, Em. Have a good day today.


    Mason: I ate all the bunny cookies yesterday, now I''m craving for more. Would you bake more for meter? I''ll treat you for another date in exchange, haha.


    Mason: Sticker Sent.


    ¡ª


    I couldn''t help but smile a bit when I got the text from Mason Hall.


    He sent me a cute bunny with a sparkly eyes sticker, which instantly reminded me of him. I tried to ignore all this strange sensation in my heart. I wouldn''t lie that Mason was truly the sweetest guy, the dreamy prince that everybody wanted, including me.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I will make some for youter if you want it.


    Mason: Sure! Thanks em!


    ¡ª


    A, so cute!


    Ah, Mason Hall would truly be the death of me!


    Then I checked Logan''s text and rolled my eyes annoyedly.


    ¡ª


    Logan: Yo, wake up, youzy ass.


    Logan: We''re going to do your heinous deed today.


    ¡ª


    Ugh, he really couldn''t greet me with better words.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Yeah, yeah¡­ sure.


    Logan: What''s with the low spirit? I''m here to help you.


    Emmy: Then what do you want me to do?


    Logan: Maybe try to sound kinder to your literal benefactor here?


    Emmy: ¡­


    Emmy: Thank you so much, Master Logan~ I cannot do this without you, meow meow~


    ¡ª


    Urk.


    That was gross. I actually gagged a little.


    I thought Logan would ridicule me after that, but he didn''t say anything and continued with our mission instead.


    ¡ª


    Logan: I chatted with herst night, and she told me about her secret base.


    Logan: Picture sent.


    ¡ª


    I checked the screenshot that he sent and read the text between him and Leah.


    ¡ªLogan & Leah Text¡ª


    Leah: Picture sent.


    Leah: Look at this, darling. Is this your doing? Hm~ you''re such a bad boy~


    Logan: Yeah, that''s the least I could do. I didn''t know that you have a low tolerance for alcohol.


    Leah: Aww, I didn''t know either. I usually have a high tolerance for alcohol. You know that I can do more than just alcohol, right?


    Logan: I can''t wait to meet you again. Do you have a secret hideout for us to spend our time together?


    Leah: Oh~ then, do you want to join my boys and me in our recreational activity? It''ll be fun, and we can do it at my houseter on.


    Logan: Sure, I''m up for everything. Send me the address, and I''lleter. I have something to do today.


    Leah: Location sent.


    ¡ª


    I read the location that Leah sent to Logan and used Google Maps to locate it.


    Then the map was directed to an abandoned building in a quiet neighborhood. I passed this neighborhood before, and the houses were mostly abandoned. Because it was quite far from the city.


    After receiving the coordinate, I texted Logan to proceed with our n.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: So you''ll call the police to raid this ce, right?


    Logan: No, I will assist them in silence. Because I will also raid the whole building with the police.


    Emmy: Huh? You will do what?! You will raid it?!


    Logan: Of course, I won''t go with the police while raiding the building forcefully. I wille earlier and set up cameras at some spots, so we can get a nice recording of Leah and her goons getting arrested on the spot.


    Logan: I will send the videos to you. And you know what to do next, right?


    Emmy: You mean sharing it on social media?


    Logan: Send it anonymously to someone gossipy. It will be sure to be a huge beatdown that Leah will not be able to recover in any social circle.


    Emmy:...


    Logan: I bet you''re thinking of the same, right?


    ¡ª


    Damn, Logan really knew what I was thinking.


    That was exactly what I wanted to do, just like what I did to Kristen before.


    Teenagers were very prone to their social status among their friends. For most, it was the way for them to feel validated and important.


    So this form of social punishment would always work, especially to us, the teens.


    ¡ª


    Logan: Okay, I''ll call youter. I need to rush to that secret hideout and set up cameras before the raid happens.


    Logan: The raid should happen around 11 or 12. Leah told me that she will go there at 10 with her gang.


    Emmy: Hold on, so I don''t need to do anything? You literally want me to sit like a good little princess until you get everything done? Ugh¡­


    Logan: You did a lot before, don''t you remember? You investigated, collected evidence like syringes, getting crystal meth, and many more.


    Logan: You alsoe up with the genius idea of nting false evidence. With this, Leah will not be able to escape her conviction despite being a juvenile.


    ¡ª


    Huh, he actually paid attention to what I was doing the whole time? I really thought that Logan would take credits all by himself.


    Didn''t expect him to praise me¡­ sort of.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: It still doesn''t sit right with me. This is my personal mission, you know.


    Logan: You can do one thing.


    Emmy: What is it?


    Logan: You said you would cook something for me. Do that as my reward, and be a good cat maid for your master, hmm~?


    Emmy:¡­


    Emmy:¡­


    Logan: Nevermind, I was just joking. Ugh, so gross. Why did I say that?


    ¡ª


    Yeah, why did you say that? Logan really gave me the illusion that he genuinely liked this ''Master and his Cat Maid,'' and he actually wanted me to be his Cat Maid!


    Ugh, I really couldn''t imagine a rough guy like Logan to prefer this kind of cute stuff!


    "So unfitting," Iined. I checked on Mason''s chat and then chuckled, "He sent me another bunny sticker. So cute~."


    **


    I went to school after taking a bath. I was thinking about anything relevant to this mission other than being a sitting duck who waited for Logan to execute the n.


    But I couldn''t find any. All I could do right now was sit and wait for Logan to send me the video of Leah and her gang getting raided by the police.


    It felt weird that I had topletely rely on someone for this mission because I thought I would be alone in my life.


    But this was actually a good step.


    That meant I had someone I could trust and work with, which was Logan Walker.


    I still didn''t know his background because he was definitely a lot more than meets the eye.


    But at least, he was smart and strong, definitely a great partner in crime.


    I wondered if I could also recruit people in the future, just like Logan.


    Jessica Lambert¡­ I might''ve taken down some of her potentially powerful underlings in the future. But she could always recruit anyone else, and there was no way I could take down the whole school with me.


    All I did was just make sure Jessica didn''t be this indestructible powerhouse in the senior year, where nobody dared to fight against her anymore.


    Even now, nobody in first grade dared to fight her, and she was already infamous to the sophomores and seniors.


    So to take her down, I had to recruit potential people in the future who might be able to work with me.


    Just like Logan.


    He was really the lifesaver. I wished he wouldn''t fall in love with anyone shortly, so he would be free to cooperate with me without any pest lurking around.


    Boys usually stopped caring about anything else when they got a girlfriend, right? It was troublesome, really.


    Now I imagined what did it feel like to date someone like Logan¡­ and I shuddered reactively. It was¡­ ugh, no, I couldn''t even think about imagining a date like him.


    I guessed I was more inclined to have a natural crush on a boy like Mason Hall. The type of man who could really treasure you like the most expensive diamond.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Okay, Em, stop imagining about Mason Hall Wattpad again.


    I parked my bike and then walked to my first ss, History. Then I identally saw Jessica Lambert walking side by side with Mason in the corridor. Jessica looked proud that she was walking with Mason, but Mason still had the same perfunctory smile on his face.


    I went straight to my ss to make sure that Mason didn''t see me.. This was the crucial time for me not to get noticed by Jessica twice, or my high school life would be over instantly.

 Chapter 114 - Leah Carpenter Finale: Raiding The Drug Queen Of Darthmorth (2)

    I continued checking my phone during lunch break. I kept waiting for any new text from Logan to pop up on my notification. I wouldn''t lie that I got worried something might''ve happened to him while doing his mission.


    Did he get caught by Leah''s goons and then beaten to a pulp?


    Did Leah notice something was wrong and decide to leave before she got caught by the raid?


    Did Logan decide to double-cross me and take Leah''s side instead? Falling to her temptation and was currently enjoying his time doing recreational drug activity with Leah and her goons.


    There were so many possibilities in my head that only got me worried even more. I kept checking the time as well. Logan said the raid should happen on 10-11 A.M.


    But it was almost 1 P.M without any news from him.


    I should''vee with him to that abandoned building, so I could see it with my own eyes.


    As I was eating a snack for lunch, I heard a notification from my phone.


    Ding!


    I reacted quickly by grabbing my phone and checking the one who sent it.


    ''Logan!'' I yelled, full of expectation and mirth in my heart. I was excited when I saw a text from him. Not that I like him or something, but he was the one who carried the mission right now.


    ¡ª


    Logan: Yo, it''s all done.


    Logan: Everything has been done, clean and quick. Do you want to see the video?


    ¡ª


    I was stunned. How could he say that so easily after beingte for more than an hour? I was worried about him!


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Wait, wait, what about you? You make it sound so easy. I was dead worried that something might''ve happened!


    Logan: Oh? Do you care about me now?


    Logan: Hmph, don''t think your fake attention will get you somewhere! I don''t need your phony care!


    Emmy: ¡­ What are you talking about? I''m just worried that you might not be able to execute the mission!


    Logan: Oh¡­


    ¡ª


    There were a few minutes of silence between our texts, and I took the initiative to ask for the video.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: So, where''s the video?


    Logan: Video sent.


    Logan: Video sent.


    ¡ª


    I clicked the first video. It was shot from above, which I assume was the spot where Logan set up his cameras. It showed Leah sitting on a chair while five boys were sitting on the ground, sharing one syringe for five people.


    ¡ªVideo 1¡ª


    Leahzily leaned on the chair, busy texting someone on the phone, which I assumed was Logan, since Logan said they were waiting for him.


    "Miss, who are you chatting with?" One boy asked while he was smoking something, which I assumed was weed.


    "Hm? It''s a new guy, that club president from Pottery club. He''s such a hunk, I want him to ravage me," Leah said so lightly.


    I was shocked, but her goons didn''t even faze when she said that. They just chuckled and added, "Miss, why don''t you do it with us? We''re always free here."


    One boy started touching Leah''s thigh, and Leah just pped that boy''s face in response.


    The boy didn''t seem to react much, like an obedient dog. He just looked up at Leah silently.


    "You guys are trash. I want someone rich and handsome for myself," Leah replied with a sneer on her face. "Besides, you guys aren''t fun to y around. I have the feeling that Logan Walker has a lot more behind his cold exterior. I bet he is a wild beast in bed, hihi~."


    "Oh Miss, why not Mason Hall, the new quarterback of the American Football team? That guy is crazy popr. I don''t even think it''s possible!"


    "Yeah, I heard a rumor that he fucked all of his fangirls. Damn, what a beast."


    Leah went silent immediately and shook her head with a sh of fear in her eyes, "Mason is not someone to mess around with. All of you, don''t ever try to mess around with that guy."


    "Huh, why? I was thinking about giving him some lessons so he would humble down a bit. What do you think, Miss?"


    "Don''t touch him," Leah shook her head quickly. "I can''t tell you the answer, but do not touch him."


    "Well, we''re on your side, Miss. We will follow whatever you want!"


    They continued their ''recreational activity for more than thirty minutes until the video stopped.


    ¡ªVideo 1 end¡ª


    Now I was the one who got curious about Leah''s statement.


    Leah was, by all means, a powerhouse in the school. She had powerful backing because her Dad was rich. Before discovering her secret as the drug queen of Darthmorth, I really thought that Leah''s influence was a lot bigger than Jessica''s.


    Still, it was weird that Leah became Jessica''s ve in the end, but that wasn''t the point.


    I knew that Jessica was devious with her method. She must''ve done something simr to what she did with Kristen to make Leah obey her.


    But I was wondering about her statement about Mason.


    She said not to mess around with Mason Hall to her goons full of strong Boxing club members, as if Mason was such a scary existencepared to them.


    There was nothing wrong with Mason other than his perfect image though, I still couldn''t find any w with Mason despite having two dates with him.


    Well, he could sound condescending and downright scary sometimes, I guess¡­


    Was it about his fangirls? Mason''s fangirls were like rabid dogs who would bite and maul anyone who dared to get close to their beloved idol. I was one of their victims in my previous life. I got it the worst, perhaps.


    It made me wonder if I had missed something about Mason or whether he was someone I should be careful with.


    Because I honestly didn''t catch any malicious intention from him. At least, from what I sensed, he didn''t have any intention to hurt me or whatsoever.


    ¡­


    I shook my head to eliminate this strange feeling in my heart. Then I clicked on the second video that Logan sent.


    ¡ªVideo 2¡ª


    This video must''ve been taken at least an hour after the first one because those five boys were already lying on the dusty floor as if they were about to die anytime soon.


    They were high and didn''t do much other than mumbling about some incoherent stuff.


    But Leah was still sitting on the chair and chatted with Logan. She looked bored because she expected Logan toe as he promised.


    And then, the loud bang on the door surprised Leah. She darted at her left and widened her eyes.


    Because of the camera angle, I couldn''t see the police until they yelled out loud to Leah and her goons, "THIS IS THE POLICE! HANDS UP AND STAY IN YOUR SPOT!"


    Leah was stunned, but she couldn''t run because one of the boys was hugging her feet.


    She kicked that boy''s face, but he hugged her feet even tighter.


    I saw the police rushing towards them and surrounding Leah and her goons.


    The boys didn''t do anything, though, because they were too high to even think, so there was no struggle from them.


    Leah was scared for a moment, no¡ªIt was more of a shock than fear.


    Because after five minutes trying to process what was happening here. She calmed down instantly. She probably knew there was no way out in this, so she just rolled her eyes on the police and then called someone on the phone.


    "DROP THE PHONE!" One police yelled at her to no avail.


    Before the police could snatch the phone, she red at him and said, "You have no right to take this. I will call my Dad first, and you will regret it!"


    After the call was connected, Leah''s voice turned soft instantly, and she whined, "Dad¡­ Daddy¡­ I''m in a bit of trouble here¡­."


    "Um~ You see, I''ve been forced by my friends in school to do drugs, and the police has raided us. They want to take me now¡­."


    "Un? Me? Drugs? I didn''t do it! I''m clean! Daddy, please help me. I''m scaredddd!"


    "Yes, yes, I''ll be waiting¡­ you want me to follow them for now? Well, okay, please return here as soon as possible, Dad. Okay, ~ Bye, dad~."


    Leah hung up the call and sneered at the police.


    "You should catch these guys. They were doing heavy drugs here," Leah said. "But not me though, look at me. Do I look like someone who''s doing drugs right now?"


    The police were silent, but they didn''t lower their guard down. Few of them finally carried the boys one by one while Leah was still sitting on her chair leisurely.


    "What? You can test me if you want. You''ll not see any trace of drugs in me. It''s them who forced me toe, and I''m just too scared to report this!" Leah said confidently.


    Then Leah was taken by the police without any struggle the video ended.


    ¡ªVideo 2 End¡ª

 Chapter 115 - Leah Carpenter Finale: Raiding The Drug Queen Of Darthmorth (3)

    After seeing the second video, I was convinced that my fight with Leah was yet to be done.


    Leah was a lot more influential than someone like Kristen. She had powerful backing, as strong as Jessica and Ashley. And with few sweet talk, acting spoiled to her Daddy, her Daddy would summon a powerfulwyer and get her out without much problem.


    Then there was no point in me doing this if Leah could just get a free out-of-jail card from her Dad.


    I texted Logan to find an answer,


    ¡ª


    Emmy: She seems to be so confident that she''s clean from drugs.


    Logan: She is probably clean from drugs now. Leah is not an idiot like her goons. She rarely consumes it, and she seems to also know the correct dose, so those things will get flushed out of her body after a few days. The test might show a low value of drugs inside her body.


    Logan: She knows her shit.


    Emmy: Damn¡­


    Emmy: There is no way her Daddy would let her get arrested, especially since he could just hire some prolific attorney to get her out easy.


    ¡ª


    After I sent the text, Logan called me so suddenly.


    I searched for a quiet ce so I wouldn''t get discovered and decided to hide behind a tree while calling Logan.


    ¡ªPhone Call¡ª


    "Where are you right now?" Logan suddenly asked.


    "Huh? I''m uh¡­ I''m hiding behind a tree near the club building. What can I do for you?" I volunteered to take part in this. "Based on the possibility, it''s so obvious that Leah could slip away easily, and I don''t want that. She might start hunting us, especially you. I bet she was suspicious of you now, Logan."


    Logan suddenly chuckled lightly, as if he had just heard a funny joke, "What''s so funny?" I confronted him. I didn''t find the situation funny at all. It was actually nerve-wracking, knowing something terrible might happen to Logan.


    I was quite safe, to be honest. Since I put Logan as my front man, facing her directly, he was the one who got exposed to the danger more.


    And I wouldn''t lie that I got worried if something terrible happened to Logan when he was doing my errand¡­ I didn''t know if I could forgive myself.


    "So you''re worried that Leah might do something to me?" Logan asked.


    "Duh! She''s not just some random high school girl!"


    "Ahahahah!" Loganughed even harder. I wanted to p the shit out of this guy for his audacity tough during tough times like this. He literally didn''t even know how much danger he was facing right now.


    "Don''t worry, Em. I''m not that weak. I can handle her threat myself¡­ if that actually happens," Logan said. "But this is where your n of nting false evidence would be our trump card."


    "Trump card?"


    "You idiot, you just nned and executed something so ingenious without even realizing it? I don''t know if you''re a genius or lucky fool!" Logan scolded. "I already told the police to fully search in her house to find evidence, and also the Boxing club, since she was the manager there."


    "So I will need your help here," Logan said.


    "What help? I''m ready," I epted eagerly. I didn''t want to be the sitting duck here. This was still my personal feud with Leah. I wanted to participate in her downfall.


    This was my revenge, after all.


    "Okay, so the police wille to school soon to search for more evidence of Leah''s involvement in drugs. The target is the Boxing club building."


    "I''m afraid that Leah might''ve texted her goons in the Boxing club to clean the entire club room, so they wouldn''t get caught. Because Leah manages the Boxing club, so there is no way she doesn''t know the stuff happening inside her own club."


    "I want you to distract them and nt more evidence to secure our victory," Logan instructed.


    "Hm¡­ I don''t think directly going up and close to those boys is possible. I can''t enter their club because I don''t have the key anymore, remember?" I said.


    I quickly thought of a better way and then muttered, "Maybe I can just nt some more evidence in the trash can near their club? And maybe outside near the window, so it will look like they''re throwing all of the evidence in a hurry, thinking they wouldn''t get caught as long as they got rid of the drugs inside their club room. It is also a safe move for me because I don''t need to literally get inside that dangerous club just to nt evidence again."


    "Logan, I think the police will automatically search for the surroundings as well, including the trash can, don''t you agree?"


    ¡­


    "Wow, you know more than I expected," Logan praised me. "That''s a good n. I''ve been thinking of a safer way for you as well. Go to our club room. I didn''t lock it since thest time I went there. I saved a few of those crystal meths inside a blue ceramic vase. I put it there just in case we need it. There is also a pair of gloves there."


    "Got it, I''ll wait until the next ss starts, so I can go there and nt evidence in the trashcan and outside of the Boxing club''s room window," I agreed upon his n. This was the least I could do rather than being idle.


    "Remember, be careful, don''t get caught, and stay vignt," Logan warned me. Before he hung up, I interrupted him first.


    "Wait, I want to ask something!"


    "What?"


    "About your mission in Leah''s secret base¡­ why don''t you ask me to go with you? I''m tougher than I look," I asked.


    "It''s nothing about that. I know you''re not like the other girls, and this one is legit," Logan sighed deeply before continuing, "But this ce is dangerous. The situation might get out of hand. Who knew Leah might''ve set me up. If I''m the one who gets caught, I can fight by myself. But if you''re here as well¡­."


    "I don''t want something bad to happen to you, Emmelyn Jones. That''s why I go alone," Logan replied sincerely.


    Ba-Dump!


    My heartbeat skipped a bit after he said that. I wouldn''t lie that he sounded so cool just now. Turned out, even someone devious like Logan Walker could say something so sweet.


    "Aww, you''re now caring for my safety as well?" I turned his usual words against him as a little tease, but he replied defensively.


    "D¡ªDon''t think too far, though. I just don''t want you here because you''ll be a burden! I can fight on my own, but you''ll probably cry and beg me to save you! I don''t have time to save your weak ass!" Logan suddenly yelled at me,pletely erasing all the sweet stuff he had said before.


    I rolled my eyes out of annoyance. Of course, he was still the devious Logan Walker. What did I expect anyway?


    I was also embarrassed because my cheeks felt hot after he showed a bit of care to me. So I countered him as well,


    "D¡ªDon''t think too highly of yourself! Who wants your care anyway? I can handle stuff on my own! You devious man!"


    ¡ªPhone call end¡ª


    I hung up the call and sighed. Truly, I wanted to have at least one normal conversation with Logan, but then again, this was Logan we were talking about. He always had something bad to say to me.


    Still, he was my benefactor. I didn''t think I could do anything against Leah without his help¡­ and Mason''s help.


    Mason might''ve not realized it, but he was the trigger, the key for me to discover the secret behind that boxing club room.


    "Well¡­ both of them yed big roles in this one. I guess¡­ I''ll try to be less dependent next time. Having someone to help me was awesome, but I couldn''t help to feel less satisfied with my revenge, and I also felt indebted to Mason and Logan right now.


    I waited until the school bell rang. The students stopped their lunch break and returned to the ss. But I waited behind the tree until almost all students had left the club building, leaving it empty until the school hours ended.


    I sneaked my way to the corridor. My eyes continued searching left, and right just in case I saw the security guard or school janitor.


    But the club building was empty, to my relief.


    I breezed in the corridor, thinking it was all safe until I heard a familiar voice call me from one spot. A man called me softly while standing at the door of one club, American Football Club.


    "Ah, Em? Why are you here?" Mason Hall called me and walked towards me.. I froze on the spot as I could feel his strong body standing behind me. "Does that club president of yours give you another useless errand?"

 Chapter 116 - Leah Carpenter Finale: Raiding The Drug Queen Of Darthmorth (4)

    "Ah, Em? Why are you here?" Mason Hall called me and walked towards me. I froze on the spot as I could feel his strong body standing behind me. "Does that club president of yours give you another useless errand?"


    I held my breath out of nervousness. He was standing behind me, and I could sense that he was displeased. Probably because I was doing another ''errand'' from the club president.


    I turned around and faced the smiling Mason, "M¡ªMason, why are you here?"


    "Why am I here? Of course, because I''m the new quarterback of the American Football Club. I''ll be the new captain next year, so I have to do many things outside the ss," Mason replied. He leaned because he was taller than me until his back bent, and we were at the same eye level.


    "What about you, Em? You know the ss already starts in the school building. Why are you here?" Mason asked again.


    Somehow, his smile was a lot more terrifying than the regr perfunctory smile he showed to his fans.


    This was the smile of someone who could rip your face while still having a smile on his face.


    Though, I still sensed no hostility towards me. But maybe if Logan was here, Mason would want to rip Logan''s face instead.


    "T¡ªThere is something I need to do in my club," I lied. Afraid that Mason might inquire, even more, I took a step back slowly, "I¡ªI have to go now, so I''m not toote for the ss after this, see youter¡ªAH!"


    I turned around and walked away because I had to finish this mission before anyone from the Boxing club or police came here.


    But Mason didn''t let me. He suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me into his embrace.


    This was the first time for me to ever get this close with Mason. There was no barrier between us, just the shirt, and my chest was pressing against him.


    I looked up to stare at his dreamy but deep blue eyes. He didn''t react much except give me a sincere smile. It was a bit strange that he didn''t even flinch when our body got this close, and he did this so naturally as if he had embraced me often before.


    "You seem to be in a rush. Is there something I can help with? I don''t think this is rted to your club, right? A simple errand can be der," Mason said.


    "I¡ªIt''s nothing important, Mason. Please let me go before someone else saw us," I struggled lightly to get away from his embrace to no avail.


    "Oh, don''t worry, there is nobody at this hour except us," Mason chuckled. "Besides, if there is someone who dares to say something about you, I''ll make sure they''ll regret everything in his life."


    Ba-Dump!


    I silently stared at Mason''s deep blue eyes and sensed that something wasn''t right. I didn''t think Mason Hall could ever say something so scary like that.


    He sounded like someone who had a lot of secrets, and it was a life-threatening one.


    But before I could process what was happening, I heard the footstep of someoneing from the main door of the club building.


    I started struggling wildly, afraid to get caught in this position, "M¡ªMason, Mason! Release me! I need to go now before the time runs out!"


    Mason frowned and was fairly surprised after he heard that I was in a rush.


    "Oh, so you''re in a rush? It''s just the security guard. Why are you acting so panicked, Em?"


    I got even more worried since the security guard would usually patrol around to find students trying to skip the ss by going to the club.


    This was bad, really bad. I didn''t know when then the police woulde either. If I couldn''t execute this mission sessfully, Leah might not get a heavy sentence because what could pull her down was the conviction that she was ruining the poor youth in the Boxing club as the manager and the drug dealer.


    "M¡ªMason, I seriously have no more time. Please don''t hold me like this, or I might fail!" I begged with Mason. I didn''t know if he realized what I wanted to do the whole time because his face eased after I admitted that I had a mission.


    "You could just say it to me. I can always help, Em," Mason finally released me from his embrace. He stared at me with a grin on his face. "Let me help you, okay? I''ll hold that security guard until you''re finished with whatever you''re doing."


    Somehow, this reminded me of what he was doing before. He helped me hold the security guard so I could stick as much chat history as possible to take down Kristen Suite.


    I still couldn''t trust Mason because of our history in my previous life. I didn''t want to involve someone other than Logan and me with this dangerous mission, and I wasn''t sure if he''d believe what I did.


    "T¡ªThank you, Mason," I said as I rushed to the pottery club room.


    "You can always pay me with your cookies," Mason said with a chuckle, and I finally lost him and the security guard.


    I went directly to the Pottery club room and took everything I needed from Logan''s instructions on the phone before.


    I wore the gloves and then picked the small box of crystal meth hidden inside the ceramic vase.


    It was conveniently packed in many small stic bags as well, "Heh, that guy really knows how to do stuff. He even prepares this," Imented.


    I checked the corridor before I went out from the Pottery Club room to the Boxing Club.


    The door was locked, of course, and when I peeked from the window outside, I could see some of my false evidence had been rubbed off. But it seemed the ones I carefully hid hadn''t been touched.


    Meaning nobody has noticed it yet.


    I still had to do this, though, just to give more realism to the scene.


    I checked the trashcan near the Boxing club room door, and after realizing that it was empty, I checked the one from the Tennis club room directly facing it.


    "Okay, this one has trash in it."


    I switched their trashcan before putting a few stic bags of meth inside. I did this to make it less suspicious to the police. If the trash is filled, that means it looks like there was some activity in the Boxing club room before, making sure it looked natural enough.


    Then I went out from the backdoor. I throw the rest of the crystal meth near the Boxing club room window. I also opened some of the stic to create an even more realistic image of someone who had been using it before.


    After everything had been set, I took a picture of the scattered meth and sent it to Logan.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Picture sent.


    Logan: Oh, nice, the big batch of crystal meth inside Leah''s house is the same in the boxing club room.


    Logan: I''m sure the police can connect the dot easily. They''ll use this to use Leah Carpenter because there''s no way someone who is ''innocent'' carries that big amount of crystal meth inside her house.


    Logan: And those in the Boxing Club room will definitely lead to a mass drug test for everyone inside the Boxing Club. I''m pretty sure you know there is no way out with Leah now.


    Emmy: Yes, I''m also assured that her dad cannot save her right now. Because if the police know that Leah is the one who supplied those in the Boxing club.


    Logan: Correct, there is no way out for the drug dealers.


    Logan: Especially with that amount of crystal meth enough to carry someone to a death sentence.


    Logan: Though, I don''t think they''ll kill a juvenile. At least she will rot in jail for a few decades.


    Emmy: Perfect.


    Logan: Whoa, so malicious. Oh well, just return to ss now, or hide in the Pottery club room. I got informed that the police would check the boxing club room in about thirty minutes. They''re arriving.


    ¡ª


    I didn''t think there was any point in me going to ss when I would be punished. I might as well wait in the Pottery club room for the police toe and inspect the Boxing Club room.


    I returned to the Pottery Club room and waited until there was a footstep from afar. I peeked at the corridor and saw at least five adult men wearing police uniforms walking in the corridor. In front of them, the school principal was holding the key ring.


    "Sir, you should trust me. There is no such thing as drugs in this school. There might be few delinquents, but those who got caught using drugs will get punished severely!" The school principal said.


    The police, who seemed to be the leader, shook his head, "Let us inspect the club first, and then we can decide."

 Chapter 117 - Leah Carpenter Finale: Raiding The Drug Queen Of Darthmorth (5)

    "Sir, you should trust me. There is no such thing as drugs in this School. There might be few delinquents, but those who got caught using drugs will get punished severely!" The school principal said.


    The police, who seemed to be the leader, shook his head, "Let us inspect the club first, and then we can decide."


    School Principal sighed before finally giving up and unlocking the door of the Boxing Club room. They all went inside the room to investigate. I didn''t know how the investigation started inside the club room and got curious.


    So I sneaked out of the Pottery Club room, tiptoed in the corridor, and stopped right in front of the Boxing club room. I crouched under the window so the police wouldn''t see me, but I listened to their conversation with the School Principal.


    "Sir, look at this?"


    "What? What did you find?"


    "It''s¡­ it seems to be crystal meth, sir¡­."


    "WHAT?! CRYSTAL METH?!" The captain''s eyes raised out of shock. "GO SEARCH THIS ENTIRE ROOM, HOW COULD THEY GET CRYSTAL METH?!"


    Then I could hear the sound of things getting thrown, smashed to the floor, and also crushed.


    It sounded like the boxing club room had been thrashed into absolute menace.


    "Sir, I found one!"


    "I found one as well, Sir!"


    "There is one here, Sir!"


    More reports from the subordinates made me wonder if they actually found everything that I nted before. Because that''d be fantastic if they did.


    But I doubted it was enough to convict Leah.


    "S¡ªSir, that must''ve been a mistake, I would never¡ª"


    "Principal, do you see this crystal meth? This thing is destructive! And your students have this in their club room!"


    "We caught some of them in an abandoned building, and they got caught red-handed using drugs. They can''t even resist when we read their secret hideout!"


    The School Principal finally shut up after that. The proof was crystal clear that Leah and Boxing club had consumed illegal drugs daily. It was almost impossible to avoid this conviction.


    "Sir, there is a call from the ones in Mr. John Carpenter''s house."


    "Okay, I''ll pick it up," the captain said.


    "Hello? Yeah¡­. WHAT?! HOW MUCH DID YOU FIND IN HIS HOUSE?!"


    "What the¡ªHOW COULD SHE OWNS THAT MUCH?!"


    The leader''s voice thundered in the club building. I bet everyone would hear this if they were here.


    Based on my prediction, the police must''ve already found out about the drugs in Leah''s house. I bet Logan already informed them beforehand.


    "Yes, we found a lot here, but not enough to convict her if she has her Dad''s backing. Mister John Carpenter is quite influential, and the fact that she''s a minor¡ª"


    The moment I heard that Mr. John Carpenter, Leah''s dad, was quite influential and Leah was a minor, I knew the police would have difficulty taking Leah down despite her crime.


    This kind of crime was a truly dangerous one, too dangerous that nobody should rot in jail for this. Because we didn''t know how many youths had been ruined by Leah at this point.


    I looked at the trash can in front of the boxing club that hadn''t been inspected. I was worried that they might miss this one since it contained a lot of meths inside.


    So I peeked from the window, and after making sure I could do this without getting caught, I took a broom and then pushed the metal trashcan until it fell.


    nk! nk! nk! nk!


    The sound of metal crashing and bouncing on the ground alerted everyone. I rushed to escape as quick as possible. And then hid behind the wall before I got caught.


    My chest was rising up and down out of nervousness, but I was satisfied when the police rushed to check on what had happened, and their conversation continued.


    "Oh god¡­ Sir, there is a lot more crystal meth in this trashcan!"


    "This is too much, Sir! It''s crazy!"


    "What the¡ªGo search around the club building as well! We cannot miss anything here!" The police captain ordered, and they rushed to inspect everything even more.


    After some time, some of them returned with another evidence, "Sir! There are a lot outside, near the window! This club literally has a lot of drugs around! This is unbelievable! How could they get ess to these!?"


    "This is horrible. I''ve never seen something so evil like this in my whole career. How could fifteen years old have all of these drugs and probably share it with the club members."


    "S¡ªSir, what are you going to do next?" I heard the School Principal sound so nervous.


    It was understandable, though. If Leah''s case went viral on social media or even got covered in the local newspaper, the School''s reputation would be tainted.


    "We have enough proof that Leah Carpenter as the manager of this club, has a big role in this. And we will also hold a mass test for everyone in this Boxing club to see whether they''ve consumed these drugs or not," The police captain replied. "But there is definitely no way out in this one, Principal. Prepare for a wave of protests from the parents because it won''t be pretty."


    **


    After ensuring that things went smoothly as I expected, I returned to the Pottery Club room and checked my phone.


    Turned out Logan had texted me a few minutes ago.


    ¡ª


    Logan: How''s stuff going in the club building?


    Logan: Everything went well here. The police had collected almost all the false evidence I had nted before. There is no way Leah wiggles out of this despite her daddy''s money.


    ¡ª


    Oh, that was what I expected as well.


    Actually, Leah could be convicted with just the proof in her house. But the false evidence found in the club building would further strengthen the conviction. Because Leah Carpenter was the manager of the club. She must''ve known about everything happening inside.


    It wasn''t difficult to connect the dots that she was the one who supplied the drugs because of the evidence found in both her house and the club building.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: So everything is over? Leah is 100% convicted now?


    Emmy: I won''t rest until Leah has fallen. She deserves that, for real.


    Logan: It''s over for us. There is no way for Leah to wiggle out if it''s not some kind of miracle.


    Logan: I''ll keep you updated with the case in the police station, don''t worry.


    ¡ª


    I kept wondering what his connection with the police was. Because he seemed to be able to contact them easily and go in and out to see the progress of Leah''s case.


    That was some next-level connection.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: How about those who got involved? I mean, the druggies.


    Logan: If they''re tested positive, they''ll be sent to a rehabilitation center.


    Logan: At this point, that boxing club should be disbanded for an indefinite time. Maybe it''ll reform back after a few years because this is such a big case.


    Logan: Emmelyn Jones, you''re ying with fire here. You really have no fear.


    ¡ª


    Heh, I had no more fear because I''ve experienced torment and death in my previous life.


    Death was painful, of course. But rather than being afraid of death, I was more afraid of living with regret.


    I''d rather go and throw all my life to fight until I was all bones to get what I wanted than hiding, crying in the dark, and bing the punching bag of everyone I met.


    Because I''ve experienced that before, and I didn''t want to experience it the second time.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Please keep me informed about what is happening in the police. I want to make sure that Leah got what she deserved.


    Logan: So vicious.


    Emmy: What? I don''t care about your opinion, you know. I''m here to do what I want, and I will help youter.


    Emmy: Remember, we''re basically a partner in crime here.


    Logan: Yes, yes, Miss Jones. It''s not like I hate your vicious side. It''s very interesting, actually.


    Emmy: Interesting? What do you mean?


    Logan: Nothing, don''t mind me. I''ll stop chatting with you now. I''m going to the police station to see what''s happening. I''m still around Leah''s house right now.


    ¡ª


    I stopped chatting with Logan after that. I still hid inside the club room until the next ss started. And when I came out of the club room, I got a picture sent by Logan on my phone.


    It showed Leah, sitting alone in the investigation room. She leaned on the chair while crossing her arm like some sort of boss girl.


    Her face looked more annoyed than scared, which made me wonder if she knew that she couldn''t get out of this easily. At least there was no free out-of-jail card now, despite her Daddy''s help.


    I had a smirk on my face as I imagined the fate that awaited Leah. She might not be able to get a death sentence, and she was still a juvenile.


    But she would definitely spend half of her life behind bars¡­


    And I feel¡­


    satisfied.

 Chapter 118 - Leah Carpenter Finale: Raiding The Drug Queen Of Darthmorth (6)

    Thest ss was suddenly canceled as the students saw many police cars parked at the front gate. The Police stormed into the school and then checked from one ss to the next.


    "Guys, you''re not allowed to leave until the police finish their investigation," Mrs. Andrew said as she peeked at the corridor.


    The students inside Mrs. Andrew''s ss were shocked, but not me. Because I had expected this to happen.


    At this point, the Police must''ve collected enough evidence that Leah had been supplying drugs to the students. They would be taking anyone from the Boxing club and probably the seniors who already became alumni of the Boxing Club.


    Nobody was safe from this, but I got surprised when police came to Mrs. Andrew''s ss and then called someone, "I''m here to find a student named uh¡­ Chrissy Miles. Is Chrissy Miles here?"


    "Huh?" Chrissy flinched out of fear, especially when the rest of the ss turned their head at her instantly. They had the same shocked expression because Chrissy had no rtion with Boxing Club at all.


    "Are you Chrissy Miles? Then get up ande with me," the policeman said.


    Chrissy shook her head out of fear, "W¡ªWhat did I do wrong, Sir?"


    "You''ll knowter, juste with me first," the policeman insisted, and Chrissy got even more defensive.


    "No! I did nothing wrong! I don''t want to go!"


    "You''ve been involved in this, just keep your silence ande with me," The policeman was still patient enough to persuade Chrissy.


    "No! I don''t even know what''s happening right now?! What did I do!?" Chrissy got up and backed off to the corner of the room, refusing to go with the Police.


    There was an obvious terror on her face, which made me wonder if she also had the same fear in my previous life.


    Because Chrissy seemed to be such a daredevil before when she bullied me.


    Perhaps hanging out with Jessica and Ashley really boosted her fragile ego. She thought she was invincible in the school.


    Too bad I wanted to hinder her until I could find a good way to take her down.


    "Calm down, you''re not being arrested. It''s just for some questioning."


    "No! I know nothing about this!"


    "Tch," the policeman called someone from outside, and two bulky policemen walked towards Chrissy and held her arms, "Come with us," they said.


    "No! I did nothing wrong! I did nothing bad! Aaarrhh! Helppp!"


    Chrissy started kicking around, trying to resist her arrest to no avail. She was then taken away by the Police, leaving the rest of the students stunned for what just happened to Chrissy.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "W¡ªWhat just happened?" One student mumbled as she saw Chrissy struggling, kicking around trying to break free.


    "Mrs. Andrews, what happened?"


    "Uh¡­ there is a big problem, guys. It''s better to stay still for now and wait for the announcement," Mrs. Andrews said.


    Everyone was in panic and confusion because Mrs. Andrews refused to say the real problem.


    Heh, all but me, of course. I didn''t know what that guy said to the Police, but it seemed effective enough for the Police to bring Leah with them.


    The person I was talking about was that kid from the boxing club who got kicked out for being too obvious, the one who asked for more ''chalk.''


    I told him if he wanted more of those, he should ask someone named ''Chrissy Miles''ter.


    I guessed he also got caught and told the Police that Chrissy Miles was also involved.


    After thirty minutes, there was an announcement from the school speaker.


    **


    "Test, this is an announcement from School Principal for all students to leave the school now. I repeat all students have to leave the school now!


    **


    The confusion and panic started seeping inside everyone''s mind. Honestly, if I was in their position, I would also freak out. Especially when you saw one of the students get dragged by the Police for a crime.


    Mrs. Andrews allowed us to leave, and most students went directly to their locker, taking some of their belonging before leaving the school as soon as possible.


    I checked the school official page on Instagram, and thements were crazy. Everyone asked what was happening, and some fake ount started making fake news about a bomb and stuff.


    But what caught my attention the most was ament from an ount saying,


    ¡ª


    OMG, guys, I got a leak from someone in the club building. There are police lines around the Boxing Club room!


    ¡ª


    I grinned as I continued walking to my bike. Everything went a lot better than I expected. Leah and her goons in the Boxing club had been eliminated, and there was no way for them to return clean after this.


    As I was about to leave the school, I got texts from Mason and Logan at the same time.


    So I checked Mason''s text first, because¡­ well¡­ reasons¡­


    ¡ª


    Mason: Did you know the Boxing Club has been surrounded by the Police right now? It seems dangerous, Em.


    Mason: You should return home soon. I''m afraid something big might happen.


    ¡ª


    Ah, even in this ''dire'' situation, Mason still remembered me. I texted him joyfully.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Yeah, I heard that rumor. I wonder what happened¡­


    Mason: I''m not sure. But I''m just d that you''re not involved. Since the time frame coincides with you rushing to your Pottery club room.


    Mason: Anyway, I''m going home soon, since they forbid me to go to the club today. See you tomorrow, Em!


    ¡ª


    For some reason, I had the feeling that Mason knew something about me, at least about the thing that I was doing right now.


    But he always looked so innocent and clueless that I wasn''t sure if it was just a farce or he was truly clueless as he showed.


    I decided not to answer hisst text because I was afraid that I might misspeak and spill something so important.


    Then I checked Logan''s text, as I expected. It was the update of what was happening in the police station right now.


    ¡ª


    Logan: I can''t video them, but I can send some pictures that I took secretly.


    ¡ª


    I checked what was happening with Leah by checking the pictures that Logan sent.


    The first picture was a bunch of boys lined up to do a drug test one by one. I recognized some of the faces, although not all.


    And they were definitely Boxing Club members.


    Honestly, even without any test, everyone could determine many of them were already heavy drug addicts. They were going straight to the rehabilitation center at this point.


    I also saw that guy who asked me for chalk before.


    I felt pity for him because he looked like a good guy who got thrown into the deep pit.


    But there was no better way to save him other than putting him in the rehabilitation center. He could barely think when I talked to him. All in his mind was just that crystal meth. He needed that rehabilitation the most.


    What made me wonder was the fact that Leah wasn''t in the picture here.


    It seemed that she was separated from the rest because the Police already suspected her to be the drug dealer.


    Then I saw the second picture, and my guess was correct.


    In the second picture, I saw Leah''s arrogant and daring expression faltered in front of the crystal meth shown by the Police.


    I could clearly see the horror on her face, so I assumed that she knew she fucked up real bad now. Despite her Daddy''s influence, at least she wouldn''t just get out freely without repercussion. She would get her punishment.


    And then I scrolled to the third pic. I thought it would be another picture of Leah.


    But it was actually Chrissy who struggled like crazy. She was way too panicked for someone innocent. Which would only make everything seem to be a lot more suspicious than it should be.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Why did you take a picture of Chrissy Miles?


    Logan: Well, because I know she''s not rted to this case at all. The only ones who know about this mission are you and I. So I bet you''re the one who did something here, right?


    Emmy: I did. I used her name when that drug addict student asked me for chalk in exchange for the information about Leah and Boxing club.


    Logan: Oh? That''s so ingenious and devious. I guess she''s also one of your enemies, right?


    Emmy: I''ll take her downter. But tainting her name right now will absolutely slow down her social climb in the school.


    Logan: So your aim is to ruin her reputation first? She doesn''t look intimidating to me.


    Emmy: It''s better to spray the roach before it can fly, right?


    Logan: Tsk tsk, how evil. You sound more like a viiness now.


    Emmy: I am. I am a ss Viiness, remember that.


    Emmy: I''m going now. Please inform me about the progresster.


    Logan: Sure thing, Lady Emmelyn Jones.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 119 - Leah Carpenter Finale: Raiding The Drug Queen Of Darthmorth (7)

    The school announced a day off the following day for an unknown reason on the school''s official website and Instagram. Although I knew exactly what was the problem.


    I got news from Logan. He had been watching closely to Leah''s case. Histest update was Leah''s father, Mr. John Carpenter, who finally came to the police station where Leah was detained right now.


    He came with a convincingwyer, at least convincing enough in my eyes.


    ¡ª


    Logan: Leah is still in investigation. She''s not as confident as she used to, though. That false evidence really worked out in our favor.


    Logan: She can''t exin all those fake evidence, but she cannot deny her involvement.


    Emmy: That''s good. Can you send me a video of some sort?


    Logan: hold on.


    ¡ª


    It took a moment until Logan texted me back, sending two videos that were most likely taken consecutively.


    I clicked on the first video, and it showed Leah with two police officers sitting face to face.


    Their expressions were solemn, but Leah seemed to be confused more than scared.


    ¡ªVideo 1__


    One police officer mmed dozens of crystal meth ziplock small packs. It was so many even for adults to have, let alone a teenager like Leah.


    "Now tell me, Miss Leah Carpenter, how in hell you have the possession of this dangerous crystal meth? It''s a high Quilty one as well. It''s incredible someone at your age has this kind of drug."


    "In a big batch!" the other police officer added. "Miss, you''re in big trouble, you know that, right?"


    "I don''t know! Do you really think that I''m the one who owns all these drugs?! Do you think a high-school student like me would keep that much?" Leah tried to im her innocence to no avail.


    Of course, that didn''t make sense because Leah never saved that amount in her house! That was a stupid move!


    "But we found this in your house, Miss Leah. You seem to hide a lot in your bedroom because we found a lot there."


    "We also found many hidden inside vases in your luxury house. As in how you can get your hands on these dangerous, illegal drugs, I think we both know the answer."


    "You''re the daughter of Mr. John Carpenter. Your Father is a sessful businessman and a single father. I think it''s fairly obvious that you''re blessed with a lot of money to purchase these drugs somewhere."


    Leah was speechless. What the police officers said must''ve been correct. She obtained those with her Daddy''s allowance. She was uncontrolled and unmonitored. It wasn''t difficult for her to connect with the dealers and buy a big batch, making her a VIP customer for them.


    Leah gritted her teeth out of frustration. She mmed the table as well and yelled out loud, "I don''t know what this crap is! I never bought these crystal meths! Didn''t you test me before? The result came out negative, right? I do not consume illegal substances!"


    "But your members do. We''ve tested everyone rted to Boxing Club, and 90% of the ones active under your management as the manager has tested positive for the use of drugs."


    "Miss Leah, do you think we will use you without proofs?"


    "But those proofs are bogus! Fake! You guys are trying to trap me!"


    "Miss, we don''t need to trap you because everything is right in front of our eyes. There is no need to deny the obvious!" The police officers seemed to start losing their patience at Leah''s persistence.


    "I DID NOT DO IT! I DID NOT BUY THAT MUCH CRYSTAL METH!" Leah snapped out of fear and confusion. "I refuse to speak until I meet my Dad and thewyer! You guys are just trying to frame me here!"


    __Video 1 ends__


    I was a bit stunned by how persistent Leah was. She was obviously scared, but she was still strong enough to stand on her ground and refused to admit it until her Daddy andwyer came.


    Though, it made me wonder if she was brave by default, or was it because she knew her Daddy would bail her out no matter how.


    I got curious since Logan said that her Daddy andwyer hade, so that meant the second video must''ve shown the presence of Mr. John Carpenter.


    __Video 2__


    "Daddy!" Leah jumped from the chair and hugged her Daddy, who just came with awyer following them. She hugged him tightly and thenined, "Daddy, these people are trying to frame me for a grievous crime! They''re trying to make me the mastermind! I was forced to join the people in my club because they said they''d beat me if I didn''t join them. Even my drug test is negative!"


    "I know, Leah. Let Dad handle this, okay? All you need to do is to answer honestly with all the questions, and you''ll be alright," Mr. John Carpenter said.


    He red at the police officers and sat on Leah''s seat before, "Exin to me what the hell is happening here!"


    I thought the police officers would falter before a man like Mr. John Carpenter, but they didn''t.


    In fact, they got even braver than before and took another seat for thewyer to sit.


    "Mr. Carpenter, before you use us of framing your daughter, you should know the report that we got from our investigation yesterday."


    One police officer put all the evidence of crystal meth packs in one box and then mmed it on the table, right in front of Mr. Carpenter''s face.


    Both Mr. Carpenter and thewyer were stunned when they saw the number of drugs on the table. Even someone like Mr. Carpenter knew how much was that.


    "As you can see, this amount of drugs is enough to pull an adult to life sentence, or even worse, death sentence," the police officer said.


    "And this amount of high-quality crystal meth is expensive and difficult to get unless you have direct ess to the highest dealer, the mafia," the other police officer added.


    "And apparently, your daughter owns all of these. We couldn''t believe it at first because the fact that a 15 years old can get her hands on this was just unbelievable."


    "O¡ªOf course, it''s unbelievable! Do you think my daughter has that much money to buy this? She''s still underage and in high school!"


    "Y¡ªYes! How could I get that much?!" Leah, who was standing behind Mr. Carpenter''s seat, added.


    "We thought like that too at first, Mr. Carpenter," the police officer sighed. "But we searched in two different spots, the Boxing Club room, where your daughter bes the manager of the club, and also your luxurious house."


    "Apparently, there are dozens of crystal meth packed in small ziplock bags, scattered everywhere, including the trashcan and under the window. It''s a shocking scene even for us."


    "Well, it''s because that boxing club is a bad influence on my daughter! She''s tested negative, and she''s a new manager to that boxing club! It must''ve been tainted way before my daughter joined!" Mr. Carpenter insisted.


    "We''re not done yet, Mr. Carpenter," the police officer said solemnly.


    "We also thought it might be a mere coincidence that your daughter got involved in this. But when we searched through your house, we also found the exact same substance, mostly hidden under vases and a lot of them in her bedroom."


    "Now you exin to me, how could a 15 years old hide that much high quality, dangerous crystal meth inside her room? Does it magically transported there?"


    "Or do you, Mr. John Carpenter wants to admit that you''re the one who put that amount of crystal meth inside your house. That amount is enough for a life sentence or even death sentence."


    Mr. John Carpenter was stunned by the second report, he turned his head at Leah, and Leah shook her head fervently, "I SWEAR, IT''S NOT ME!"


    "Stop denying it, Miss Leah Carpenter. We''ve interrogated all of the members of the Boxing Club separately. They all said the same thing, the manager of Boxing Club, Miss Leah Carpenter, is the one who has been supplying them with drugs known as chalk, another term for crystal meth."


    "They also said that they shared the same syringe when injecting the drugs into their veins. All were taught by Miss Leah."


    "Mr. John Carpenter, I know you love your daughter, but we have proofs enough to get an absolute guilty verdict from the judgeter," the police officer said solemnly. "No matter what your renownedwyer does, there is no way Miss Leah Carpenter can escape the guilty verdict. Her action has harmed the lives of many youths, alongside her possession of dangerous drugs enough to give someone a death sentence. Although, since she was a juvenile, she''d probably get a very long sentence instead."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Mr. John Carpenter stayed silent for a long time. He kept staring at the box of crystal meth on the table and nodded in silence.


    "I''ll try my best to cooperate, officer. But you know I''m a father. No matter how bad my daughter screwed up, I will not leave her."


    "D¡ªDaddy?! Why did you say that? Do you not believe me!?"


    "Silence, Leah! What you did is beyond my expectation! I''ll try my best to save you, but you can''t expect to bail out easily!"


    __Video 2 ends__

 Chapter 120 - Leah Carpenter Finale: Raiding The Drug Queen Of Darthmorth (8)

    ¡ª


    ''Psshh, do you know that Leah Carpenter got arrested for drugs possession?''


    ''Uhh.. that''s old news, dude. 90% of members in the boxing club have been arrested, and most got rehabilitated. Boxing club has disbanded because of them.''


    ''Yeah, I don''t think we will have a boxing club for years toe.''


    ''I know that. I mean, they said that Leah Carpenter is the one supplying the drugs!''


    ''I mean, she is the manager. Of course, she is the one who supplies the drug to the whole club.''


    ''Man, it''s so scary knowing someone like her lives around us.''


    ¡ª


    I overheard the gossips of students in the corridor as I walked past them. They were whispering so loudly that anyone who walked past them must''ve overheard that as well.


    One week has passed since that big event of the police raiding Leah''s secret hideout and searching for evidence in the school and her house.


    It was so scandalous that a local newspaper already covered it, despite the protest from the school board.


    And the news got even more infamous once the trial for Leah Carpenter was held in private yesterday. Though nobody knew what the verdict was, I got it from Logan.


    He reported that Leah was sentenced guilty and would be facing her life in juvenile jail until she was old enough to enter the real one. For the years, it was 20 years in prison without any chance of parole.


    And that sentence was easy enough since the police got more reports from parents whose kid joined Boxing Club and experienced an overdose. Fortunately, he was saved and is still treated in the hospital right now.


    The teachers and Principal tried to cover up this incident, but it was to no avail. Because everyone could see it right now through social media and whispers in the air.


    That Leah Carpenter, the manager of Boxing Club, was secretly a drug dealer who had ruined the life of almost all her club members.


    She even had her own name here,


    ''Drug Queen of DarthMorth.''


    It was such a befitting name that I couldn''t help but chuckle whenever I heard someone call her that. There was nothing but satisfaction in me, of course.


    I really love the fact that she finally got what she deserved, and she got it 10x worse than I imagined.


    I wanted to visit her in the juvenile center, as she is still underaged, so she can''t be put in jail.


    But she would eventually get moved to Jail after she reached the mature age of 18.


    But Logan told me that I shouldn''t show up in the police station because everyone in the police station is on a witch hunt right now because they''re hunting the real drug dealers, the ones who sold the drugs to Leah.


    But they hit a dead end when they realized the one behind this was a secret organization. It would be an even bigger problem for the government, not only for them.


    ¡ª


    ''Hey, how about that girl?''


    ''Huh, which one?''


    ''You know, the one who got dragged with the Boxing club members. I heard she got released because she''s innocent. But how could an innocent girl get caught in this big problem?''


    ''Oh, you mean Chrissy? Chrissy Miles?''


    ''Sshh, not too loud, what if someone hears us?''


    ''Okay, okay. They said Chrissy Miles is innocent. But someone imed that she also distributes drugs to the Boxing club.''


    ''That''s not really surprising, though. I heard she''s close with Leah Carpenter.''


    ''But that girl is close to anyone. She''s close to Ashley too.''


    ''Maybe she''s is just trying to mix with the popr girls. That''s why she befriends them all.''


    ''And she befriends Leah? Hihi, that''s what you get for trying to bootlick those people!''


    ¡ª


    I also overheard the rumors about Chrissy after what happened with her before.


    Who would''ve expected my n to slow down her social club turned out to be way too effective. She got arrested and then investigated for a long time before she was released.


    But by the time she was released, everyone already knew that she had gotten involved in this.


    The rumors started spreading around, and nobody wanted to befriend her after that. Funny how everyone could just turn their back after one unconfirmed rumor, just like what happened to me in my previous life.


    But strangely, she still came to school after that, ignoring all the hate, and continued to try and bootlick Ashley and Jessica.


    Even stranger, Ashley and Jessica epted her in. What kind of magic does that bitch have, seriously?


    But at least, she wouldn''t be a quick social climber like in my previous life. It seemed I needed more than this to take her downter.


    Speaking of other stuff, Mason and I became frequent chatter privately. Because I found himfortable to chat with. He was very kind, caring, and overall a gentleman. Who wouldn''t fall for him anyway?


    But at least, we still maintained this status of a close friend. He didn''t seem to have any romantic interest¡ªat least from what I saw right now. Because he hadn''t confessed anything to me.


    And for that one guy¡­


    I sighed as I read the text from Logan Walker, who might as well stay on reading forever.


    He acted so proud and demanded I give him some kind of reward for all the sessful work he did for me.


    ¡ª


    Logan: So, what kind of reward will you give to me? Remember, I do not work for free.


    Logan: Heck, why would I work for free to someone like you? Hmph, you''re not even worth the pain! Just because you''re slightly more beautiful than the other girls I have ever met doesn''t mean that I''ll work for free!


    ¡ª


    Okay, he just said work for free twice. And who wanted to be called beautiful by him! There was a reason why I felt hot and shy when Mason called me beautiful.


    But when Logan called me that, I felt nothing but a will to challenge him!


    I must take down this annoying rich brat!


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Okay, first of all, I already told you that I can be of good use in the near future when you want me to infiltrate or find any information regarding the girl you''re aiming for!


    Emmy: Second, who the heck wants to feel indebted to you! Just tell me, what do you want? I''ll make sure to do it as long as it''s not money!


    Logan: Hey, I''m rich as heck! Keep the money for yourself and save it for your university or something!


    Logan: Okay, fine. If you want to repay me, then meet me in the club room after ss tomorrow. I''ll be waiting there.


    ¡ª


    Huh, that was quite easy. I thought it''d be another round of me bickering with Logan all over again.


    But he actually wanted to meet me tomorrow? Alright then, I had to prepare that thing I wanted to give him, the cookies.


    **


    I started baking at dawn because today was still a school day.


    Unlike the cookies I made for Mason that shaped like a bunny and mostly mixed with vani, Logan''s cookies were mixed with choctes, and shaped like a dog, a Doberman face to be exact.


    I went to school early and went straight to the Potter Club room. I didn''t know where to put this box of cookies.


    I baked too much, and the box didn''t fit my locker. So the only ce to put this was the Clubroom.


    I picked the key hidden behind a potted nt and then put the cookies on the table.


    As usual, I went to ss, waited until the school was over, and headed back to the Pottery club room without informing Logan.


    I went inside and was astonished when I saw a tall man with a ck turtleneck sitting on the table and snacking at the box of Doberman chocte cookies I made for him.


    Logan turned his head in my direction and raised his brow, "Hey."


    "¡­ Why did you eat that?"


    "Huh? Because it''s here? I mean, this is for me, right?" Logan said brazenly. He continued snacking as if there was nothing wrong with it. "You know what, you''re probably the best baker I''ve ever met. These cookies are fantastic."


    I sighed and drew near him, "You should''ve waited for me. So I can say something nice before giving it to you, damn it!"


    "Something nice? Uh¡­ I don''t need you to say some fake sweet words," Logan shrugged¡­ and continued snacking.


    "I just want to say thank you, you idiot. This mission is a sess, and I can''t do it without your help," I said truthfully. "I know that cookies might not be enough¡ª"


    "¡ªYeah, you''re right. It''s not enough at all. It tastes awesome, but definitely not enough," Logan interrupted me brazenly¡­ and continued snacking.


    "I demand something more than just these cookies, and why does it shape like a Doberman?! Is this an indirect mockery?!" Loganined¡­ still snacking.

 Chapter 121 - Important Person In My Life (Logan Ver.)

    "I demand something more than just these cookies, and why does it shape like a Doberman?! Is this an indirect mockery?!" Loganined,¡­ still snacking.


    "Seriously, if you want toin, at least stop snacking the goddamn cookies!" I yelled out loud, annoyed with hisint and the crunch whenever he ate another cookie.


    Logan paused for a moment while staring at me and then ate another cookie so shamelessly. He didn''t even put me in his eyes.


    "Hey! At least say thank you, goddamn it! I baked that since dawn!" I kept pressuring him, and Logan finally stopped munching.


    "Wait, you really baked this? I was being sarcastic when I praised you for making good cookies," Logan said seriously. Did he just say that I am a goddamn phony?!


    "How do you think I can get a big can of cookies, huh?!"


    "Buying it? I mean, this tastes a lot like the cookies from my favorite patisserie," Logan said. He looked at the cookies and cleared his throat lowly, "W¡ªWell, I guess this one tastes a lot better than my favorite. I guess this can be my favorite now."


    "¡­ you really think that I have enough money to buy a can of goddamn cookies?!" I was shocked by the brattiness of this rich kid. I thought after knowing him more, it could shed some of those bratty, rich talk.


    But nope, he was still the same one.


    "Oh, yeah, I forgot that you''re poor as heck," Logan hummed for a moment and then said, "Do you want me to pay this? Just name the price, and I''ll buy it. If it''s possible, I want to order a lot from you as well, so I can keep it as my favorite snack whenever I''m stressed."


    ¡­


    Okay, thatst line was actually tempting.


    Logan Walker was filthy rich. Imagine the amount of money I could get by ripping him off. Maybe one can for a grand? Hm¡­ two grands still sounded logical in his ear, I bet.


    But I wasn''t someone who cooked for money. I only started cooking because I wanted to take care of my Mom and sickly Grandma, and I would continue doing so.


    Whenever I cooked, it was for someone whom I deemed important in my life.


    "Sorry, but I have to turn that offer down," I refused.


    "Huh? Why? I thought you''re so broke and need money," Logan shrugged and continued snacking.


    "Well, I do. But you see, I cooked or baked only for those I deemed important in my life," I said truthfully. "I don''t cook for random people, and I''ll continue doing so."


    Logan suddenly stopped snacking and stared at me with his deep and somewhat scary eyes.


    Although I didn''t sense any form of hostility there, I was still stunned and somewhat scared, "W¡ªWhat?"


    "So, does that mean I''m important in your life as well?" Logan asked.


    "Well, kind of," I took a step back and dodged his eyes. "I feel like we can be a good partner in crime for a while, and you are morepetent than I expected. And¡ª"


    I got stunned and speechless when I saw a big shadow suddenly engulf me, and I looked up.


    Logan suddenly jumped and stood in front of me. He took a step forward, so I took a step back, "W¡ªWhat? Don''t scare me like that, damn it!"


    My back finally hit the wall as Logan leaned in and cut my way from escaping. In some way, what he did was very simr to what Logan did, but at the same time¡­ very different.


    Because Mason felt rough, he didn''t have any bad intentions at me, but Mason still handled me roughly.


    But when Logan gently held my wrist and pushed me until I couldn''t escape, I could feel the warmth exuded from his body that made me feel weak.


    "You really mean it?"


    "W¡ªWhat?"


    "You really mean what you said, right? About me being someone important in your life¡­."


    "I told you already, we can be a good partner in crime for a long time. I have a lot I want to do, and you naturally have your own mission, right?"


    "I do," Logan said, still looking at me with his hot but gentle gaze.


    "You''ve seen mypetency, right? I''m not that bad to be your partner in crime," I proposed. I didn''t want to be seen as weak, so I mustered my courage and looked up, directly staring at Logan''s hot gaze once more.


    The moment our eyes met, I sensed that Logan''s gaze softened even more. He was still the same, scary man, but I somehow realized something more than that in Logan.


    Turned out, Logan could also make this gentle expression.


    His thick eyebrows, deep gaze, and light smell of tobo.


    I disliked smokers most of the time, and I still disliked Logan for that.


    But somehow, this light smell was strangely masculine and attractive.


    "You just want me to be your partner in crime?" Logan asked meaningfully. "I¡­ I could do so much more."


    I didn''t quite understand what he meant by that, and I didn''t want to get involved with him more than just a partner in crime because he had a mysterious background that looked dangerous.


    "I want you to be my partner in crime."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Logan sighed and finally released me. He distanced himself and returned to the table, sitting on it and continuing snacking.


    "So, what''s your answer?" I asked nervously.


    "I''ll be your partner in crime, naturally. You''repetent and ingenious at times, though. You''re a fool mostly," Logan replied.


    "Hey! What does that mean?!"


    Seriously, he just knew how to light up my fuse. But I guess it was also good for me because I needed someone to bicker within this harsh school.


    Logan snickered, "I mean, you truly didn''t realize that your n of nting false evidence is seriously the key of this case. Without that, we won''t be able to take that brazen bitch down."


    "You still called her brazen bitch? I thought we were over that."


    "Huh, it will never be over. You don''t know what I saw when I went to her house. She was wearing some scantily d lingerie¡­ it was so gross, I thought I''d puke right to her face."


    "Was it that bad? She''s still a regr girl, you know¡­."


    "Heh, I hate it. I fucking hate that kind of woman or man. So whenever I interacted with one, I just can''t handle my urge to vomit," Logan said.


    I never saw someone so hostile towards a girl who showed her body so she could getid in front of him. I think most boys would jump on Leah and start doing this and that.


    It made me wonder what kind of experience Logan had that made him so grossed out by that.


    "Oh well, it''s all over now, at least."


    "Good," Logan nodded. There was silence between us for a while until he said, "If you need something, or you want my assist, just call me, and I''ll help as much as I can."


    "Huh? I can just meet you daily here, right?"


    "You can''t," Logan shook his head and continued snacking. "I have a mission to carry out soon. I won''t be in school for a while."


    "Huh?! So you''ll leave just like that? How about your attendance¡ª"


    "I bribe that greedy Principal, of course," Logan replied so easily. As if what he did wasn''t illegal. "It''s not hard as long as you have money, and I have tons to spare."


    "¡­ Damn you, rich people."


    "Heh, so that''s why, if you need something from me, just call me, and I''ll help you. We''re a partner in crime, remember?"


    "Yeah, we are¡­." I replied. "What''s that mission of yours anyway? You have so many secrets. I feel like talking to an agent or something."


    "It''s not really your problem, and I don''t think you should know it. It''ll only bring you endless trouble if they found out about you," Logan said. He finally got up from the table while carrying that big can of chocte cookies in his hand, "But I''m a man of my words. Despite my mission, I''ll still help you whenever I can, until my return, of course."


    "That''s why¡­." Logan slowly walked towards me and gently patted my head, "Don''t get carried away with your desire. I don''t want to find you dead the moment of my return."


    I was stunned, silly, unable to process what was happening. This was the first time someone patted my head other than my Mom and Grandma.


    Logan walked away from me. I was still freezing on the spot, didn''t turn my head when he stopped near the door, "Thanks for the cookie, I''ll treasure it, a partner in crime."


    "Though, I don''t n to stay as your partner in crime forever, though," Logan said. "See youter, Emmelyn Jones, my ss Viiness."


    And with that, Logan walked away from me, leaving me alone here, still processing what just happened.

 Chapter 122 - Important Person In My Life (Mason Ver.)

    Logan walked away from me, leaving me alone here, still processing what just happened.


    I was standing silly for a good while until I recovered. I didn''t have anything in mind except for one thing¡­


    "He doesn''t n to be my partner in crime forever? Why? Am I ipetent?"


    That thought suddenly gued and carried as I left the pottery club room. I was actually nning on a full-blown long-term partnership with Logan Walker.


    Despite his mysterious background, he was a lot morepetent than I expected when I first met him. I thought he was just a rich brat with a handsome face and good body.


    But now he said he didn''t want to be my partner in crime for a long time? Why?


    I was walking in the corridor in a daze until I stumbled upon the scene of Mason getting chased by his ever-growing fangirls and fanboys. The moment he saw me from afar, he charged straight up towards me, making me shocked.


    "W¡ªWha¡ª"


    It was toote for me to react when Mason suddenly grabbed me by my was it and carried me like a sandbag on his shoulder.


    Whoosh!


    "M¡ªMason, put me down!" I struggled, but Mason continued running away, making a big distance between him and his fangirls.


    We stopped after we hid behind the Boxing club room because nobody dared to goe here.


    Mason was trying to regte his breath after that dash, still with me on his shoulder.


    "Excuse me, Mr. Hall. I think you identally brought someone in the corridor," I said sarcastically.


    "Oh¡ªAh! I''m so sorry!" Mason finally put me down gently, "Did you get hurt?"


    "No, but why did you suddenly pick me up and dashed like that?"


    "Uh¡­ it''s just an instinct, I guess," Mason said. He looked guilty.


    "Instinct?"


    "Y¡ªYeah, you see, I was running away from those obsessed girls. I thought they might target you instead if I ran to your direction, so I picked you up out of instinct and brought you here to hide," Mason exined awkwardly.


    "I¡ªI''m sorry if it doesn''t sound logical. I did it out of instinct¡­."


    I sighed and patted his shoulder, "It''s okay, Mason. I was just shocked. So you''re here to hide from your fans, huh? I guess you got so popr nowadays, Mr. Quarterback."


    I said that only to tease him slightly, but who would''ve expected that Mason reacted hostilely. As if what I just said was incredibly offensive.


    Mason''s gaze darkened, and he said, "Em, I told you that I don''t like them, right? In fact, I really hate their existence to the point that I want them to disappear."


    "I''ve never been the one who likes attention from them in the first ce," Mason said. From his voice and expression, I concluded what he uttered just now was all truth.


    The disgust and the contempt were so obvious. It was something that I had to get used to the more I knew about Mason.


    He still had that princely appearance, aura, and expression. But the more I knew him, the more I knew that Mason disliked anyone who tried to get close to him.


    At some point, Mason and I were actually quite simr. We were loners who disliked interacting with people, but the difference was that nobody really wanted to approach me in the first ce.


    Mason''s princely aura made him a chick ma. No matter how much he tried to hide or act humble, everyone would naturally gravitate towards him.


    If this was a web novel or something, I guessed he could be the male lead character. Because his aura was simply so bright.


    "Okay, okay, Mason. I''m sorry for mentioning that. I''m just trying topliment you."


    The fangirls lost their tracks on us as I could hear their frustrated yell, calling Mason''s name like obsessed fangirls chasing the life out of their idol.


    After things calmed down, Mason sighed in relief and then looked at the police lines surrounding the boxing club room, even the outside, because apparently, they found a lot of drugs outside of the window as well.


    "I still can''t believe the whole boxing club members got rehabilitated and expelled out of school," Masonmented innocently. "That Leah Carpenter is really malicious. Apparently, they found out that she had been keeping a lot of drugs in her house and in the club!"


    "Y¡ªYeah, that''s so crazy¡­." I mumbled. Honestly, I was still scared that someone might know about what I did with Logan to take Leah down.


    It was cruel but necessary toplete the mission.


    "But you see, I feel like it doesn''t make sense," Mason hummed as he walked around the crime scene, making me nervous that he might find something.


    "W¡ªWhat do you mean?"


    "Well, I''m just wondering. I heard from the rumor that Leah Carpenter has high-quality crystal meth in a big batch, enough to give someone a death sentence. She was saved because of her Daddy''s connection, and she was also underaged."


    "I feel like, even for someone like Leah Carpenter and all her money, she wouldn''t be able to get that much high-quality crystal meth in a big batch, knowing how expensive they are."


    "How¡­ how did you know that they were expensive, Mason?"


    "Hm? What''s with your surprised face, Em. Of course, it''smon sense, right? High-quality stuff means it''s expensive, and we all know that drugs are really expensive in the first ce," Mason replied lightly.


    "Why are you asking, Em?" He tilted his head innocently at me, making me too nervous to tell him the truth.


    "I heard Leah''s father is rich. Maybe she has enough money to pay it."


    "That''s impossible. Her dad would definitely question her purchase. Besides, she can be a drug addict for so long without his father knowing, it''s either child neglect or Leah Carpenter just sessfully obtained and consumed these drugs, even sharing it," Mason deduced. "I feel like both are wrong. There is another theory."


    Oh Lord, please stop! Just stop! You''re making me sweat bullets!


    I protested in my heart, afraid that his small investigation might lead to the truth.


    "Honestly, it sounds a bit crazy, but it''s definitely possible," Mason uttered his deduction and suddenly said, "I think the evidence has been nted by someone else to frame Leah Carpenter."


    I froze on the spot after hearing his extremely urate deduction.


    "The amount of high-quality crystal meth lying around, and evening being thrown outside of the window and to the trashcan," Mason said. "It''s very weird for them to save and stock that much. Knowing they are addicts, they wouldn''t be able to control themselves, right? They''ll use all those high-quality crystal meths for their own recreational activity from long ago."


    "So my deduction is¡­ Leah Carpenter is still guilty for the crime shemitted, but I don''t think she''s the one who owned those high-quality crystal meths. She must''ve been framed by someone else, maybe as an act of revenge."


    "How about it, Em? Do you share the same opinion as me?"


    Honestly, I was just too mesmerized and astonished at the same time after knowing how smart Mason was.


    Thus, I nodded low, afraid that he might''ve found out about me.


    "D¡ªDo you still have something to say? I''ll leave now. I think your crazy fangirls must''ve left already," I turned around and then tried to walk away.


    But the moment I tried to walk away, Mason suddenly grabbed my wrist and said, "You should stay with me for a moment. I want to invite you to attend something."


    "Huh? An invitation?"


    Mason looked embarrassed, and then he took out something from his small backpack and handed it to me.


    It was a small invitation to attend an American Football match for free, and I could see the name of my school American Football Club as one of the parties joining the match.


    "You¡­ you''re going to a match as a quarterback?"


    "Y¡ªYeah, this is my first match as a quarterback too. I can''t ask my parents toe and see me, of course. But I still want someone to look at me when I''m in the match. That''s why I want you toe."


    ¡­


    It took a moment for me to process what just happened. Mason Hall wanted me to attend a match to support him?!


    "W¡ªWhat a second, why would you want me to be your supporter?! Don''t you have someone else?" I protested.


    I wasn''t being unsupportive, but I had never been in that kind of match before, and I thought we weren''t close enough for me to be the one he invited!


    Mason shook his head pitifully, "Well, you know that I''m not a social butterfly in real life¡­."


    Mason stared at me with his dreamy blue eyes. He didn''t say anything, but that begging eyes spoke thousands of unsaid words.


    I sighed, "Fine, I''lle. But I want to ask something¡­."


    "Oh! Do ask out!"


    "Why do you act so familiar with me like this, Mason? We barely know each other, right?"

 Chapter 123 - Important Person In My Life (Red Rose Mans Ver.)

    "Why do you act so close with me like this, Mason? We barely know each other, right?"


    Mason was stunned for a moment. His smile faltered a bit, but not out of anger. It was¡­ out of sadness.


    Strangely, I could sense the sadness in his eyes as he lowered his gaze.


    He smiled bitterly and nodded, "You''re right. We barely know each other. I''m sorry if I''m getting on your nerves because of my familiarity."


    "No, that''s not that I meant¡ª" I didn''t want to make him sad. I was just asking out of curiosity and carefulness. We couldn''t truly trust anyone, right?


    "The me is on me. I''m sorry for acting so familiar around you," Mason apologized, but he still hadn''t answered the real question.


    "You haven''t answered my question, Mason. Why did you act so familiar to me?"


    "¡­ it''s something that I need to keep for myself, Em," Mason smiled thin. "But I have no ill intention to you. And I hope you don''t feel ufortable around me."


    "I don''t¡­." I replied. Truthfully, I didn''t feel ufortable around Mason. He was kind and gentle. I was just trying to be careful with anyone I interacted with.


    "Ah, that''s relieving," Mason nodded. He turned around and said, "I have to leave now. I''ll text youter, okay?"


    "Wait, Mason¡ª" I tried to pry more. He still hadn''t answered my question. In fact, I felt like he was dodging it. "Just tell me why do you act kind around me, at least."


    "¡­" Mason looked over his shoulder and gave me a grin, "Because you''re an important person in my life, Em."


    "I''ll leave now. See youter."


    I was stunned, not knowing what he meant by that. I could only stare at Mason as he continued walking away from me until he disappeared from my sight.


    Truly, I didn''t know what was in Mason''s head. He was such an enigma, even more than Logan.


    If Logan was hiding his secret because it was his personal mission, I felt like Mason was hiding something from me, something that should''ve been our secret together.


    But maybe that was my gut feeling. I had no contact with Mason prior to my high school life anyway.


    In aplicated mood, I returned home and was greeted with Moming home early. She cookies something for herself, knowing that I wouldn''t eat her dinner.


    "Ah, Em, wee home," Mom said while she was eating her dinner.


    "You''re early today, Mom," I said as I took two eggs from the fridge for my dinner. "Did Grandma eat her dinner?"


    "She did, but¡­." Mom looked hesitant. "She ate the dinner sent by someone. It was apparently an order from a fancy restaurant that came to our house."


    "Huh? Sent by someone, don''t say that someone is¡ª"


    "Yeah, it''s the same guy who keeps sending roses¡­." Mom sighed. "I keep telling your Grandma that it''s dangerous to eat something given by a stranger. But she insisted that she knows this mysterious man, and he has a good heart."


    ¡­


    This was sickening. I didn''t know what to do with Grandma anymore. Maybe she did get too old to even know the danger of a stranger.


    "Go and talk to her after you had dinner," Mom said.


    I nodded and made myself two soft-boiled eggs before going up.


    I knocked on Grandma''s door and then opened it.


    Grandma was busy reading another book, and when she saw me, her smile bloomed, and she said, "You''re home, Em."


    I sat at the edge of the bed, staring at my Grandma in the eyes, and asked, "Grandma, did you eat something from that man again?"


    "Oh yeah, he sent me my favorite food from a restaurant. He also sent a bouquet of roses. But I think it''s supposed to be yours, Em," Grandma smiled at me. She pointed at something behind me.


    I turned my head and saw a bouquet of red roses, "There is also a note for you."


    I stared at the rose for a while and then turned back at Grandma. I wanted to scold her for epting that crazy man, but I knew she wouldn''t listen. I didn''t even know what had gotten into her head.


    I sighed and got up from the bed. I took the bouquet of roses and excused myself, but she grabbed my wrist before I left.


    "Oh Em¡­"


    "Yes, Grandma."


    "Don''t waste that man. He is truly in love with you. You''ll be happy with him," Grandma said, showing a warm smile at me.


    Yet my heart was cold when I heard that. I didn''t know if I wanted to marry a man who could supply me a box of high-quality crystal meth enough for a death sentence.


    But I just nodded to appease Grandma and then returned to my room with the bouquet of roses in my hand.


    I closed the door and then checked on the red roses.


    I saw the note hidden between the roses, took it out, and read it.


    ¡ª


    To my future wife Emmelyn Jones:


    Congrattions on your mission. I know you can ruin that bitch''s life, just like how she ruined yours in our previous life.


    That bitch deserves so much worse. Do you know what I did with her once you left me alone, broken in our previous world?


    Oh-ho-ho, I don''t want to tell you, but it''s definitely not pretty~


    Don''t worry, darling. I''ll make sure her life in the juvenile jail will be as miserable, or even worse, maybe she''ll kill herself in the jail!


    I''ll make sure everyone who ruins you¡­ will have the same fate, just 10x worse!


    With love,


    Your husband.


    ¡ª


    I threw the bouquet to the floor and stomped on it repeatedly. I felt sick at him, but at the same time, I was terrified.


    He said that he wanted to help me, but his method was way too extreme and crazy.


    As I was trying to control myself, my phone suddenly rang.


    I thought it was Mason or Logan, so I took the phone and then checked the caller.


    Blood drained out of my body instantly the moment I saw the name disyed on the screen.


    Red rose man is calling.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I swallowed my saliva hardly. I didn''t know what he wanted, but I knew it wouldn''t be pretty, so I picked up the call.


    __Phone Call__


    "H¡ªHello?"


    "Ah, my dearest Em. I''m d that you picked up."


    This was the first time for me to hear his voice, and I was stunned.


    He sounded¡­ young, probably around my age. He also sounded familiar, but I couldn''t remember. In fact, it might as well be a gut feeling because I just felt that his voice was so familiar to me.


    But he had this deep voice from someone around my age, deeper than most teens and deeper than Logan or Mason.


    "Dear Em, do you know why I called you?"


    ¡­


    I kept my silence. I was too nervous about speaking because this was the first time someone actually stalked me like this. It was terrifying.


    "Well, look outside from your window," he said.


    I immediately turned my head and checked on the window, and the blood drained out of my body the moment I saw a man standing outside.


    He stood under the gardenmp, so I could see his outfit. He was wearing a ck hoodie, jeans, and half of his face was covered with a mask, only leaving the eyes that were looking up to the second floor in my direction.


    He had beautiful green eyes, but it didn''t take away the creepiness at all. In fact, I was so spooked that I almost dropped my phone.


    "Oh, babe, don''t get too scared of me. You''ll break my heart~."


    ¡­


    "Oh well, I know you''ll be scared when I call you. But it''s okay, truly. Just seeing you alive and well is already a bliss for me."


    "Because in our previous life, I was heartbroken when I saw your corpse in the school during prom. You''re wearing that cute pink dress. I was too heartbroken because I nned to confess at prom and nned to make you my fiancee after high school ends as well¡­."


    "But after seeing your corpse, I went insane, Em."


    "Hehe, I know it sounds crazy, and I don''t me you for being scared of me. But remember I did this for you, and I know you''lle back to me when you need my help."


    "Congrattions for what you did to Leah Carpenter. She deserves it. I know you can do item, as expected from my cute and cunning viiness."


    "I''ll make sure that Leah Carpenter suffers in juvenile jail, and if it''s not enough for her to hang herself, then I''ll make sure her life will be even more miserable in the real jail once she got older, hahahah~."


    ¡­


    Honestly, that was my aim in the beginning. But I thought giving her a long jail sentence was enough.


    But this man who kept giving me red roses¡­ was on another level of ruthless. He was simply insane.


    "Keep doing what you like, my dear Em. I''ll always support you no matter what because we will be together in the end, right? Remember, you''re the most important person in this life, and in the previous life as well."


    Beep.


    __Phone call end__


    Author note: This is the end of World 2! Thank you for reading so far! <3


    Please checkment section for Mason and Logan''s character appearance, just to give you better immersion ;)

 Chapter 124 - A Gay Sissy (1)

    Two months have passed since that Leah Carpenter incident. She was locked up in juvenile jail after and would serve in real jails after she was 18+.


    The news about it finally died down, alongside the protests from the family whose sons were rehabilitated from drug addiction.


    The school''s name was already tainted, though, but this was the only public school around. Unless they wanted to pay an exorbitant about of money for their children to move out and go to private school, they were stuck here with the rest of the people.


    Meanwhile, I was tasked to take care of the pottery club room alone. Logan said that he had paid for the ownership of the club room for three years straight, so there was no need to worry about getting kicked out.


    Truly, he was rich beyond my measure. It made me wonder if he was the son of a CEO or something.


    Oh, speaking about Logan Walker.


    Yeah, that kid just disappeared after meeting me for thest time and took that can of cookies.


    He said that he had a mission somewhere else and told me that he would help me no matter what as long as I called him.


    Truthfully, I was still hesitant about what I''d do next. Since I had taken down Leah and Kristen, that meant from the original DarthMorth Queens, there were only 6 left.


    Jessica Lambert as the leader, Cindy, Chrissy, and two more from the junior next year.


    Honestly, I wanted to take down Chrissy. I thought she would sumb to obscurity after she got entangled with Leah''s case. But she was thick-skinned enough to keep bootlicking Ashley and Jessica.


    She was like a leech that refused to let go.


    Funny enough, Jessica and Ashley still allowed her to hang around after.


    So I couldn''t just take her down. I couldn''t find any case or n, at least not yet.


    Meanwhile, Mason and I became sort of friends¡­ at least from my point of view.


    It might be my imagination. But I had a feeling that Mason wanted to be more than a friend with me¡­ maybe¡­ a good friend?


    I wasn''t sure either, but he kept asking me for a date. I dared not think that he wanted to chase a romantic rtionship with me. I thought we both knew in tacit understanding that we were basically heaven and earth.


    He was way too popr for his own good. I attended his match before and was surprised by how many fangirls flocked the seat and continuously cheered on him loudly.


    And that amount of fans continuously increased by days.


    And now, I just texted him as I sat alone outside of the abandoned Boxing club room, near the window.


    Because of the case, nobody dared toe here. Maybe they were scared to get involved, or those spooky ghost stories about ghosts in the Boxing club room or whatever.


    I just found this ce to be quite rxing since I could rest without anyone disturbing me.


    I read the text from Mason again and sighed deeply.


    ¡ª


    Mason: Em, I just finished the casting.


    Emmy: So, how is it? Did you get the role?


    Mason: I did, but not as the male lead. I¡­ uh¡­ I rejected the offer as the male lead.


    Emmy: Huh? Why? Youpletely fit that male lead part!


    Mason: I don''t want to draw too much attention to myself. At least not now, so I asked to be the supporting cast instead.


    ¡ª


    This was what caused me to feel annoyed at Mason. He had everything to get sessful early on, but he didn''t take it. This is also what happened in the previous life.


    Mason also got cast as the male lead in this teen rom movie. But he refused and took the supporting cast role instead.


    That supporting cast turned to be the favorite character, more popr than the real male lead!


    That was because the one who yed it was Mason Hall! His charisma alone was enough to overshadow the rest of the cast!


    I got curious and asked his reason.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Why are you doing that, though?


    Emmy: You have the chance to make it big so early¡­


    Mason: Hm? Did you forget that you''re the one who pushed me to audition for this?


    Mason: I didn''t really want it¡­ but since you''re the one who asked me, so I auditioned. I don''t want to be the male lead because he has a lot of scenes, and I''ll be absent for a long timepared to being the supporting cast.


    Mason: I don''t want to go for months without seeing you.


    ¡ª


    My cheeks turned hot in an instant. The reddish hue didn''t disappear for a long time until I evened my breath.


    Really, Mason could sound so sweet without him realizing it. No wonder he had a lot of fans.


    Though, about that audition. It was indeed me who searched for it and gave it to Mason.


    Because I got anxious when Mason suddenly became passive with his potential and didn''t audition out of his free will. This small teen rom movie was the start of his career as a young actor in their previous life.


    If he missed this, I''m afraid he would continue living his secluded life.


    So I helped him. I counted this as my way to help him since he also helped me a lot to take down Leah and Kristen. Though, I didn''t think that he realized his involvement in those two cases.


    "You should thank me, Mr. Young Actor. You''ll be popr soon and would often leave the school to do scenes for your movies. You''ll be popr and get many endorsements, including real advertisement endorsement," I said while reading the text.


    I didn''t know this feeling inside my heart. But I wanted Mason to soar high as he should like in the previous life.


    Maybe I was also his fangirl, although I didn''t have any intention to im him to be mine. But I wouldn''t lie that I had an interest in his face, his gentlemanly demeanor, and his warm smile.


    I sighed while rereading the chat. I was sitting on the ground and then folded my legs. I leaned on the wall behind me and continued rereading my chat with Mason.


    Deep down, I knew my admiration and attraction towards him hadn''t died down.


    I thought it would, but he just kept popping around me in this life and even treated me so kindly. I was an idiot anyway, and I couldn''t control what my heart desired.


    I continuedmenting over my own feeling until I heard a whimper and footsteps approaching my position.


    No, I wasn''t scared of a ghost at all. I was literally dead and brought back to life. If there was a ghost in real life, I might as well be one of them right now.


    "Help¡­ please help me¡­."


    That voice sounded so weak and pitiful, so I followed the source and was surprised¡­


    Because I found a boy who looked so weak. He was wearing a tattered sweater during this winter season, and I saw blood seeping from his mouth. It seemed that he had been beaten badly since his face was all blue and bruised.


    I approached him carefully and crouched, "Hey, are you okay?" I asked.


    The man slowly raised his head and looked at me with his blurry eyes. The shock doubled when I actually recognized this man.


    Noah Jameson.


    This man was infamous in my second year of high school¡­ because of one thing.


    Barbara ''Barbie'' Cornwell outed his sexual orientation as gay. So he got called out by everyone as the gay sissy.


    He got so ashamed, and lonely and then¡­ he killed himself when he was in his senior year.


    I got the story, and I saw his face once on the Instagram page.


    Yes, he was a sophomore right now. The incident happened next year around the same month. From the rumor, he hung himself in his room, just like Helena did.


    He did it out of depression after the endless taunt of being called Gay Sissy.


    At that time, I thought he was just weak ass sissy.


    I wouldn''t lie that I also judged him because I also got bullied every single day, and I didn''t even think of killing myself.


    But after looking at his wounds, maybe the situation was a lot moreplicated than I thought.


    ¡­


    Okay, now I felt guilty for being judgmental and bitchy at him.


    "Are you okay?" I asked, pretending that I didn''t know his name.


    Noah stared at me in a daze. He seemed too weak to get up, so I helped him sit and lean on the wall.


    I took out the tumbler in my bag, there was still warm water inside, and I gave it to him.


    "Here''s warm water. You should at least drink," I patted his shoulder and helped him drink the warm water.


    His hand was shaking for even holding a tumbler, "T¡ªThank you¡­" he said with a low voice. "I¡­ I need to leave now¡­."


    "Wait, just sit down and rest first, and also¡­." I stared at him deeply.. I also got curious about what happened. "What happened to you?"

 Chapter 125 - A Gay Sissy (2)

    Noah''s hand was shaking for even holding a tumbler, "T¡ªThank you¡­" he said with a low voice. "I¡­ I need to leave now¡­."


    "Wait, just sit down and rest first, and also¡­." I stared at him deeply. I also got curious about what happened. "What happened to you?"


    Noah hesitated. He shook his head and smiled bitterly, "It''s nothing serious¡­."


    Of course, I knew why he refused to tell me. It was about his secret as a gay. I didn''t have anything against that since I believed love is love, as long as both parties consented. But I knew plenty of people who opposed it and even dehumanized someone with a different sexual orientation.


    "Uh¡­ you''re beaten like this, and you still said it''s nothing? Oh,e on! Do you need to die first before telling me?" I protested.


    Noah chuckled lightly, "That''s funny. Because I don''t think I''ll ever tell anyone¡ªnot anymore."


    "Not anymore, huh?" I sighed. I sat at his left side and introduced myself, "Oh well, my name is Emmy. I''m still a junior here."


    "A junior?" Noah looked surprised. "Why are you here? Juniors usually don''t dare toe here."


    "Well, because I''m avoiding my bully right now," I replied. Of course, I was lying. I had no bully in this life because I was avoiding them. Though, I wasn''t sure of what would happen next.


    But one thing for sure, if anyone dared to hurt me, then I''d hurt them back 10x worse.


    Noah zipped his mouth instantly. He lowered his head and shook it lightly, "Ah, so we''re the same."


    "The same?"


    "Well, I was hiding from my bullies too. But they found me and beat me up real bad. They ended up tossing me here because a teacher is heading in our direction¡­."


    "Ah¡­"


    I went silent immediately. What he experienced was the same as I got back then. Whether it was girls or boys, the bullies in various forms and sizes, they would still beat you up ruthlessly.


    And usually, the reason behind that was either too petty or so unimportant.


    I didn''t know how tofort him after I heard his experience. We were like two people in the same suffering, sitting together trying to keep our sanity in check whilementing our fate.


    "Since you refused to tell me the reason, may I know who beat you up?"


    "It''s my childhood friend. I think of him as a best friend, but it turns out he is one of them."


    "One of them?"


    "The¡­ the one who hates my kind," Noah replied with hesitation.


    "Did you¡­ tell something to this ex-best friend of yours about your secret?"


    "Yeah, I thought he''d take it kindly and continued to be supportive. But he didn''t. He hates me instantly, cursing me because I''d go to hell for it."


    "So he bullied you instead?"


    "Yeah, he ganged up with his friends and beat me up often. He also taunted me for it. I keep asking him why, what was his reason for beating me up badly."


    "But he never tells me the reason. I''m just a sandbag at this point¡­."


    I saw him start trembling again. I couldn''t hide the fact that I had some pity for him. Because he seemed to be a fine guy, only because of his sexual orientation, people bully him to suicide.


    "Ah, I don''t know if I should continue school or not. I''m tired of getting bullied¡­."


    "You can''t tell your parents?"


    "They don''t care. They don''t even care if I went home like this. They''re busy with their divorce paper anyway¡­."


    Ouch.


    His situation was bad. The more I heard from him, the more I felt like he and I had a lot inmon.


    "A¡ªAnyway, thank you for listening to me. But I need to go now."


    "You haven''t told me about your name," I said.


    "My name is Noah. I''m a sophomore already, one year above you. But you don''t need to be scared of me. I''m just a bullied kid," Noah smiled bitterly.


    He tried to get up, but his body was injured. He couldn''t even stand for more than two seconds. He staggered and fell to the ground.


    I caught him before his face hit the ground and sat him down again, "You''re terribly wounded. You should rest first, but not here. This ce is too cold. I have a safe ce for us."


    "A safe ce?"


    "Just follow me."


    I propped him to get up and helped him to the Pottery club room.


    The corridor was empty these days because not many people wanted to join club activities during cold winter, especially those who did outdoor sports.


    I unlocked the door and let him rest inside.


    The club building didn''t have heating, but the students could put their own heating inside.


    I asked Logan to send a heater for the club room, which he sent about three days ago.


    "T¡ªThis is a pottery club room, right?"


    "Yep."


    "Uh¡­ are we allowed to be here? They said that pottery club room is owned by a rich kid¡ª"


    "That rich kid is my president. Don''t worry, he doesn''t bite."


    Well, he didn''t bite, but he definitely chomped those who dared to go against him, Logan looked intimidating enough without saying anything, d he wasn''t here, or Noah would be terrified.


    Noah sat near the heater for warmth. I poured a cup of hot tea for him and then let him rest first.


    This was the least I could do because I kept remembering what happened to me in my previous life when I saw him.


    I was also beaten and thrown by a few people whose faces and names I remembered clearly. That time, I had no one by my side, not even the teacher who cared for me, because I didn''t have any guardian.


    So whatever happened to me wouldn''t change anything, even if I died right in front of their eyes.


    Since no one helped me back in my previous life, at least I could help Noah to escape his hell.


    I sat in front of him and asked again, "So, mind telling me what really happened?"


    "I can''t. I really want to tell you something, but I know you''ll hate me for it," Noah refused. He looked anxious for an obvious reason.


    I didn''t think someone like Noah would tell me about his secret as a homosexual. He was too traumatized because of what his ex-best friend did to him.


    "Don''t worry about it. You''re a sophomore, and I''m just a junior. Our circle is different, and I have no bad intention to you."


    Heh, circle. There were three members in my friend circle, me, me, and I.


    Noah lowered his head for a long time. The silence between us was quite serene, I suppose. I knew it was hard for him to tell such a big secret to a random stranger.


    I was about to drop it. I''d think of a better way to get him telling the secret. I didn''t want to stress him out after the traumatizing incident.


    It was also my fault for being too eager.


    "Hey, if you don''t want to¡ª"


    "Your name is Emmy, right?"


    "Uhh.. correct."


    "Well, Emmy, my secret¡­ I''ll tell you."


    "H¡ªHey, if you don''t feel like it, you don''t need to. Sorry for being pushy¡­."


    "No, not at all. I also want to tell this someone. I don''t know if you''ll hate me or not after this. But¡­"


    "If you really hate me, then let me leave this club room in peace, and may we never know each other again, okay?"


    "I''m all ears whenever you''re ready," I said, sitting with a solemn face in front of Noah.


    I knewing out like this to a total stranger was difficult. But that was what he proposed. We were just strangers. If I disliked the truth, I might as well pretend we never met and continue to be strangers.


    He cleared his throat and stared at my eyes intently. He took a deep breath and uttered his secret slowly but surely, making sure that I heard everything.


    "Emmy, I''m a homosexual¡ªa gay. I don''t like girls, and I''m in love with someone¡ªa man, of course. I cannot help my own feeling because it''s so strong in my heart."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "S¡ªSo, is it goodbye? I know it''s difficult to stomach. You don''t need to force yourself," Noah said. "I''ll leave now. Thank you so much for your help and hospitality here. I hope you forget about what happened today."


    "Huh? Why forget? Your secret is¡­ you''re gay, right?"


    "Y¡ªYeah¡­"


    "Well, you can''t change what''s inside you since the beginning. I don''t see any problem as long as you don''t do something illegal."


    "Wait, you''re not disgusted?" Noah asked, full of surprise on his face.


    "Disgusted? Why?" I frowned, acting I was baffled. "This is 2016, and someone still thinks being gay is shameful? Oh,e on!"

 Chapter 126 - A Warm Heart Inside A Cold Steel

    "Wait, you''re not disgusted?" Noah asked, full of surprise on his face.


    "Disgusted? Why?" I frowned, acting I was truly confused. "This is 2016, and someone still thinks being gay is shameful? Oh,e on!"


    Noah was stunned, he lowered his head, and I could see tears dropping on the floor.


    His body was visibly shaken, and the tears streamed on his cheek before falling to the ground. I could hear his low sobs, he was holding a lot, and I couldn''t do anything other than stay silent.


    I wasn''t someone who could sympathize easily. I mean, my heart was dead at this moment.


    Nobody pitied me in my previous life, so I numbed my heart until it became a cold-hearted piece of terrible artwork shaped by torment, bullying, and many more.


    But that didn''t mean I waspletely heartless. When I saw the struggle in Noah, I could see someone like me. Those who had been tormented to the edge of suicide.


    Slowly, I stretched my arms and hugged Noah. He flinched the moment our warmth mingled into one, but he didn''t refuse me either.


    "Everything will be okay. There are people who will ept you for who you are," I said. I was telling him everything that I wanted to hear back then. I wished someone would do this to me, but nope.


    I was all alone even in myst breath.


    But it was quite ironic that I was the one telling someone about all theseforting words I wished to hear.


    "You see, life is difficult, and both of us know that. But believe me, you will do just fine."


    "But nobody wants me¡­." Noah murmured in agony. I could hear his pain. Maybe it took one tormented soul to know the other.


    I sighed and patted his head, "I do. And I believe there''ll be more people in the future. All you need to do is continue to continue living."


    "Don''t you want to see yourself in the future, free from all the stigma surrounding you?"


    "I do¡­"


    "Then you should stay alive and see whates next, okay?"


    "Emmy¡­"


    "Hm?"


    "Howe you feel so warm? How do you know that I¡­ I''ve been thinking about that¡­."


    Well, because I knew you''d hang yourself a year from now, of course. Since we were entangled right now, I didn''t want that to happen.


    But I had to disagree about me being warm. I was just trying to be a decent human being here.


    "I''m not warm," I denied curtly. I didn''t want to be seen as weak, so I absolutely refused to be called ''warm.''


    "You are¡­" Noah chuckled lightly. "I can feel that you have a good heart."


    "Oh, stop with that nonsense, will you?"


    "Nope, you''re a warm person, Em," Noah insisted. "I can sense if someone has a good heart or not. You''re warm¡­."


    ¡­


    Oh well, if that was what he wanted to believe. I was definitely not a good or warm person.


    In fact, I did believe that I was a terrible person, just like the rest of my bullies.


    But at least, I didn''t hurt anyone randomly just because. I returned back in time to avenge whoever wronged me.


    I finally released him after he stopped crying. I was relieved when he gave me a thin smile.


    "Thanks for epting me, Emmy. I don''t ask much from you, but can you help me with something?"


    "Help?"


    "Yeah."


    "Sure, I guess¡­."


    "Can you be my friend? I¡­ I have no more friends. To have someone I can talk with will feel nice," Noah said.


    ¡­


    Oh, that felt weird, I wouldn''t lie. To have someone asking you to be his friend, I wasn''t used to it.


    Even with Cerise before, it was me who asked her to be my friend. She was my first and only friend for my whole high school life, but I didn''t want to keep her in this life.


    She wasn''t worth all the trouble she brought into my life.


    I paused for a moment, thinking about what profit would I get from befriending Noah Jameson.


    Honestly, I didn''t know much about him except for his case of suicide and bullying in my previous life.


    ¡­


    Ah, fuck it! I didn''t know if my move was correct or not, but I didn''t have the heart to reject him.


    "I can be your friend, sure," I answered.


    "Can I join this club too? I don''t have any club right now," Noah asked again. "Who is the club president? I''ll ask for his permission and application letter."


    "Uh¡­ I don''t think you can join for now," I said as I remembered that Logan hated anyone but me. I doubted he wanted any member here. "The club president is absent for a long time for¡­ student exchange. So I''m technically the only one here, and I can''t give you an application letter because I don''t have the power to do so."


    "Ah¡­ that''s unfortunate¡­." Noah looked sad again and lowered his head.


    "But you can alwayse here, you know. I''m the only member. It would be nice to have someone here in my free time."


    "Sure! I cane here every day if you want!" Noah said.


    It was funny that he became a lot calmer around me, even though his face was still blue and bruised right now.


    "Okay, I think this club has a first aid kit. Let me help you," I got up and searched for a first aid kit.


    After finding it, I helped Noah by cleaning his wounds and patting his bruises with antiseptic. He winced a few times, but I forced him to bear with it.


    I was quite proficient with the first aid kit since I usually helped clean the wounds and bruises made by my bullies.


    "By the way, who beat you before?"


    "Oh, they''re from my grade. They''re sophomores like me. I don''t think you know them."


    "Then you can just tell me freely since I have no affiliations with them, right?"


    "¡­ There are three people, including my ex-best friend. Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson. They''re good friends, and I was Thomas'' best friend. Well, that was what I thought because we known each other since childhood."


    I was stunned the moment he told me about the names of that trio.


    I knew those three because they were Barbara ''Barbie'' Cornwell''s goons.


    Well, more like they were whipped for Barbie and had been fighting for her for their entire high school life.


    It seemed that Barbie loved ying with their hearts though, they became blind, and when Barbie told them to beat me up because I was an eyesore¡­ they did it ruthlessly.


    Even more ruthless than Leah and her goons.


    Because Leah''s goons were influenced by drugs, so they beat me out of their hunger.


    But these three men¡­ not only did they beat me up badly. They also cut my hair forcefully, making bad patches here and there with scissors. Because Barbie wants proof that they did it.


    So they cut my hair three times¡­


    I thought I wouldn''t be able to fight them until I got enough support.


    But after knowing they also beat someone like Noah¡­ I wouldn''t lie that my blood boiled out of wrath.


    The anger got the best of me and made me act out of impulse.


    As I treated Noah''s wound, I asked him, "Do you know about those two, Jorge and Jackson?"


    "I do. Actually, I knew all of them because we lived in the same neighborhood. I was just closest with Thomas, Jorge and Jackson are just neighbor to me, nothing more."


    "But you treated Thomas like your best friend?"


    "Because our families were close, and his house was really close to mine. You know, childhood friend stuff¡­."


    ¡­


    I didn''t expect I''d find someone naive even after getting bullied to hell and back.


    Did he really think Thomas still saw him as a friend? No wonder Thomas took thating out moment from Noah terribly.


    Well, it was done already, so we couldn''t do much about it.


    But it seemed that our interest could align with some words from me.


    "Hey, do you want to stop the bullying from Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson?" I asked.


    "Well, of course. I want them to stop, but can we do anyway?" He sighed deeply.


    "Of course, there is always a way to solve anything. Since you can''t ask them to treat you like a human being, how about we do something to them instead. You know that old saying, kill or be killed."


    "Kill¡­ or be killed? W¡ªWhat do you mean, Em?" Noah looked scared with my proposal. Of course, any sane person would feel so wrong after hearing it.


    "You know that you''ll keep getting beaten until you graduate if you only let yourself be a sandbag for their interest," I had a small smirk on my face as I was ready to drop the bomb.


    "How about we break their limbs, make sure they will nevery their hands on you anymore."

 Chapter 127 - Take Them Down

    "How about we take them down, make sure they will nevery their hands on you anymore."


    Noah jolted and distanced himself from me. He stared at me with confusion, as if he had just heard something so ridiculous.


    I gave him a thin smile. I knew it must''ve been shocking for him to hear someone say stuff about ''taking them down so easily.


    "W¡ªWhat do you mean, Em?" Noah asked


    I shrugged lightly and sat on a chair. I crossed my legs and replied, "Isn''t it quite obvious? You don''t want to be a sandbag forever, right?"


    Noah shook his head slowly.


    "Now tell me what you''ll do in order for them to stop?"


    Noah was stunned and stared at me. He opened his lips but didn''t seem to be able to get an answer, and in the end, he just sighed and lowered his head weakly.


    "Exactly, do you think you can just ask them to treat you nicely, and they''ll say yes? This is not a kindergarten when the teacher can tell you to be nice to each other, and you''ll obey."


    "Oh, don''t even think about reporting it to the teacher in high school. You''ll get bullied even worse than this, and the teachers won''t give a shit about it."


    "High school is like a jungle, where the oldw of survival to the fittest applies in allyers from junior to senior year," I smiled thinly while exining the simple rule of high school to Noah.


    "If you are slightly different, or just overall look weak, they''ll bully you to hell and back. So it''s better to just take them down before they be the source of your pain for your whole life."


    Noah lowered his head, which I believe that he knew my words were valid. Of course, for regr students, some might think that high school wasn''t that bad. Because they weren''t the ones who suffered.


    For those who suffered, high school was hell that''d haunt them for the rest of their lives.


    "Do you want to survive or not?" I asked his real intention. I didn''t want a wishy-washy person around me because I remembered Cerise and her antics.


    "I want to survive¡­." Noah replied.


    "Good, how about we form an alliance?"


    "Alliance?"


    "It''s nothing serious. I just want you to help me. In exchange, I''ll help you take care of those bullies."


    "W¡ªWhat kind of help? I don''t think I can help you in anything¡­."


    "Oh, we''ll seeter, but let''s try to find a way to take these three traditional bullies down, okay?" I said.


    Honestly, I didn''t know what Noah was capable of. I didn''t know about his life, but I believed anyone had their own worth. I definitely would use his helpter on in some way.


    Besides, taking down these three bullies, Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson, was sort of personal to me. Because they also beat me and cut my hair just to present it for Barbie Cornwell.


    So it was like killing two birds with one stone. I got my revenge while getting an ally that might be useful in the future.


    "Okay¡­" Noah said. "L¡ªListen, Emmy, I don''t really know what we will do, but I hope it won''t endanger you. Since this is my personal problem¡­."


    "Oh, don''t worry, I''m insisting," I chuckled. "Now, now, you said that you''re childhood friend with Thomas and also live in the same neighborhood with all of them, right?"


    "Indeed, we live in the same neighborhood. Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson have always been the neighborhood bullies since we were in elementary. But I was ignorant before, thinking since it wouldn''t hurt me, then it doesn''t matter¡­."


    "Well, now that you''re aware since you got beaten up," I nodded. Then I continued inquiring about these boys. "Did they ever do something that breaks thew? Maybe something dangerous?"


    "Well, from what I heard, they got into trouble with the police because they trespassed Old Ruth''s small garden in herwn and desecrated all the flowers that Old Ruth had been taking care of."


    "They were reported and got to domunity service by helping Old Ruth to rent the flowers, watched by the officers, of course."


    Yeah, that didn''t help at all. Because that was just a case of delinquents doing delinquent stuff. It wasn''t worth the hassle for the polices.


    What I needed was a case so severe, like what Kristen and Leah did. Especially Leah, what she did was absolutely crazy and dangerous, a perfect recipe for disaster.


    "It''s quite crazy they did that, though¡­." Noah added.


    "Huh? Crazy? Isn''t it just delinquent stuff they did? From your story, they seem to be the bullies and troublemakers since they were very young."


    "Well, the case with Old Ruth isn''t the first and thest. It''s just the one that got caught by the police. They made so many troubles in the past that I lost count. And the funny thing is¡­ they''re doing it based on dares made by anonymous in their Facebook back then."


    "Huh? What do you mean?" That one got me interested. Dares? What kind of dares?


    "They''re kind of¡­ nuts. Back in middle school, they''d take dares from friends or someone anonymous that send them a private message in Facebook."


    "They''d do it and posted it in their Facebook, but not anymore once we''re in high school," Noah poured more and more information about those three bullies.


    I continued listening. I had a feeling this could be my weapon against them.


    "Nowadays, they just did everything for the thrill, including bullying me¡­." Noah lowered his head again,menting over his fate, it seemed. "I keep asking them what''s my fault, and they just didn''t have a clear answer. They just said they hate gays and disgusted with me¡­."


    "What they said might be true¡ª" I replied, and Noah looked at me instantly with an astonished expression.


    "Y¡ªYou think I''m a disgusting gay?"


    "Hey, not that one!" I denied. "It''s the one when they just bullied you randomly because you''re gay. I don''t think they have any clear intention in the first ce."


    "Really?" Noah didn''t seem to take that kindly. "I think they did it because someone asked them¡­."


    "What do you mean?" I frowned.


    "W¡ªWell, I thought it''s because someone paid them to do it¡­ or maybe Barbie Cornwell asked them to beat me up for whatever reason¡­." Noah tried to find his own reasons, which I found quite intriguing. "Since they only take orders from two things, either Barbie Cornwell''s order because all three of them are in love with her, or with money."


    Of course, I knew the first one. Because it was Barbie, who told them to beat me up because I was an eyesore.


    But I didn''t know they also took orders based on payment.


    "They''re willing to do anything as long as they get paid?"


    "Yeah, but they act like some kind of expensive service. Even they charged a lot of money to do something¡­." Noah replied. "They even have this crazy service in an online brochure, let me show you."


    Noah took out his phone and then showed me an online brochure that got the point across easily;


    ¡ª


    Three guys service, ready to do anything with enough payment, call this number XXXX.


    ¡ª


    ¡­


    Three guys service? Ready to do anything? That¡­ that sounded gayer than what I expected.


    "How did you get this online brochure?" I asked.


    "They shared it in the group WhatsApp, and it spread everywhere. People thought it was just a joke, so nobody really paid any attention to it except a few people."


    "I saw it firsthand, Emmy. I saw them beating a junior because they got paid to do so. Thomas forced me to see it because he thought my expression would be funny¡ªwhich was true, I was horrified," Noah said.


    "They¡­ They are seriously going to do anything?"


    "Well, it depends on them whether they''ll take the request or not. But you have to get the money first to do it, and their fee starts from¡­ a grand."


    "A GRAND?!"


    "Yeah, a thousand dors, that''s the initial fee¡­ unless you''re some rich kid, you wouldn''t be able to afford their service."


    ¡­


    Noah sighed, full of woe, "You see, Em. It''s kind of impossible to stop them. Since nobody really took them seriously, even the teachers. They only see those three as troublemakers¡­."


    "Yeah, that''s true, Noah. But that doesn''t mean it''s impossible to stop them," I rebuked his statement. As someone who also suffered bullying, I had enough vengeance to find any way possible to get my revenge.


    "In fact, everything that you told me just now is a good key. It''s our key to take them down," I said.


    "Huh? What do you mean, Em?"


    My lips perked up slightly as I already imagined what kind of n I could do to take them down, and I believed I already got the rough idea.


    "We are going to trap them, Noah."

 Chapter 128 - Another Offering

    "In fact, everything that you told me just now is a good key. It''s our key to take them down," I said.


    "Huh? What do you mean, Em?"


    "We are going to trap them, Noah."


    "T¡ªTrap!? You''re going to trap them?!"


    "Why are you so shocked? It''s the best way to take them down. I''lle up with a nter, but for now, I think you should endure it," I said.


    Noah looked hesitant, but he nodded obediently in the end, "Well, I''ll most likely try to hide in here, so they won''t just find me and beat the heck out of my body."


    "Yeah, that''s a good idea. This ce is a good hiding spot because nobody dares toe in uninvited," I said, assuring Noah that he''d be okay in this club.


    I wasn''t sure if Logan would mind, though. I didn''t think he needed to know about Noah staying here. He said that he hated humans so much, whether it was men or women. I bet he''d terminate whatever mission he was doing right and return here just to kick Noah''s ass away from his safe space.


    It was just¡­ very Logan, from what I imagined.


    Noah and I changed phone numbers so we could stay in contact after this, "Don''t forget to tell me if you see anything important, or you discover something that might help for this. I''m here to help you, Noah."


    "I''ll try, Em! You know, talking about you sounds like I''m talking to a queen! Hehe~"


    "A queen?!" I was stunned by his statement. Nobody ever called me a queen, and I found it weird as well.


    I preferred to be called the Mistress of Evil, like Maleficent, hehe.


    "Yeah, you sound so maic. You also sound so bold! Honestly, staying with you make me feel safe. You''re also beautiful. I bet there are a lot of men lining up¡ª"


    "Okay, stop. You don''t need to sweet-talk your way out. I will help you nheless," I interrupted him, unable to listen any longer.


    "But I''m not sweet-talking my way through¡­.'' Noah mumbled though I could still hear him.


    **


    Noah and I stayed inside the pottery club room for a while until it was almost dusk. He had to catch thest bus, and then we separated.


    I returned to the house at dusk, with the sight of Grandma already entering the house.


    Mom hadn''t returned from her work yet, which was kind of regr at this point. She''d often stay on her shift untilte at night during busy days. Luckily, the overtime payment justified the pain.


    "Grandma, did you have your dinner yet? It''s cold today. I can make some warm porridge if you want," I said to Grandma, who was sitting on the sofa, watching some random tv show.


    "Ah, no need, dear. I''m full," Grandma said with a smile on her face. "Your future husband went here this afternoon, and he brought my favorite chicken and corn porridge."


    I halted my step immediately. I turned my head at her and red from behind.


    I didn''t want to repeat the same words over and over with my Grandma. Because I knew she''d just ignore me, whether it was due to her stubbornness or dementia.


    But I couldn''t help to get frustrated by my Grandma.


    "Grandma, why do you like him so much? He''s literally a stranger. And I don''t even know him."


    "Oh, Emmy, my dear, you don''t need to hide your rtionship with him. He already told me that you two have been dating for about three months now."


    "I never¡ª" I choked on air as I couldn''t believe that creepy man could say something like that so brazenly. As expected from a creep.


    "Also, your boyfriend is so good-looking. I told him many times that he should star in a movie! But he just refused! Em, go tell your boyfriend to do casting for films!"


    ¡­


    I sighed and then helped Grandma to her room, so she could rest. I made her a ginger drink to warm herself more because today''s wind was chilly.


    I returned to my room in aplicated mood. Because there was a sh of crazy idea in my mind just now about that red rose man.


    That guy must''ve been ultra-rich since he could get a box of high-grade crystal meth so easily.


    It made me wonder why would a rich guy like him do something crazy like stalking.


    But that wasn''t my first concern right now. I had an idea, but that idea needed me to use a lot of money. Because the only way to trap those three, Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson, was with money, lots of it.


    Of course, I couldn''t get my hands upon 100 bucks easily, let alone 1000! How in hell I could get that much when I wasn''t allowed to do part-time?!


    So my idea was¡­ get some money from that creepy red rose man to trap the three stooges.


    "But will I actually call that creep and ask for money?" I asked myself. Because the answer was fairly obvious, honestly.


    I was afraid that he''d ask for something crazy in exchange for money. He asked for my worn id shirt in exchange for the box of crystal meth. Who knew what he''d ask in exchange for money?


    Bra? Could be.


    Panties? Possible.


    Socks? Depends if he had a foot fetish or not.


    See? Anything was possible with that guy, and the more I think about it, the scarier it got.


    "Should I call Logan instead? I mean, that rich brat is annoying as heck. But he still has the money," I thought.


    ¡­


    Forget it. I didn''t want to be a financial burden for him. Thest chat I got from him was like¡­ a week ago. And he said that he was on a very serious mission, that''s why he was unable to call or text me often.


    No, I wasn''t sad at all, of course.


    And no, I didn''t miss him.


    Hmph!


    I continued thinking about the possibility, and then I got a call from someone. My heart jumped when I saw the caller.


    It was that dreaded stalker, the Red rose man.


    I hesitated whether I should pick up the call or not. I remembered thest time he called me, so I darted my eyes towards the window and looked down.


    After realizing the red rose man wasn''t standing outside, I was relieved and picked up the call.


    __Phone Call__


    "Hello?"


    "Ah, my sweetheart Emmy! Why did you pick up sote?"


    Sote, my ass! I was only letting the phone ring for a while before picking up the call from him!


    ''Why did you call me?" I asked straight to the point. I didn''t want to y nice with him.


    "Hm? I just missed you, my darling," the red rose man said boldly. "I keep dreaming about all the time we had lost in the previous world. I should''vee to your life sooner. I was sote that I broke down when I saw your corpse."


    "Your death broke me, Emmelyn Jones. It got me worried that something might happen to you in this life as well."


    "Oh, don''t worry about your bullies in thest life. I didn''t leave that world without taking some sweet revenge."


    "Oh, you should see the face of Kristen Suite when I hang her body upside down and cut her neck just enough for her blood to get drained out of her body."


    "Hehe¡ªjust imagining it got me so excited! I can handle them all in one swoop, but I don''t want to ruin your mission, Em. This is your personal vengeance after all!"


    ¡­


    Oh my god, this man was fucking crazy! I was astonished by how crazy he sounded just now. He didn''t even faze when he said that, proving this man was a total psycho!


    "You know, if you need my help, all you need to do is ask, and I''ll surely help you in all kinds of matters! But of course, everything has its price, is it not?"


    ¡­


    Yeah, he was right. Everything had its price. He asked for my worn id shirt in exchange for that crystal meth.


    Of course, it was an extremely advantageous trade on my side, but the ufortableness that came afterward kind of bnced the trade for me personally.


    "So, what do you think, Em? I know you need resources right now. I can always give you anything with a small exchange. Just call it a token of gratitude," the redress man said.


    ¡­


    I was contemting whether I should ept his offer or not. At this point, I had given up on questioning how in hell he knew I was in dire need of something.


    He literally jumped with me to this world after my death. He might be magical enough to actually know everything that I did every day.


    I took a deep breath and then said, "What do you want?"

 Chapter 129 - Another Offering (2)

    __Phone Call__


    "What do you want?" I asked warily. I had the feeling this creepy man would ask for something even crazier than before. So I had to prepare myself for any answering from him.


    "What do I want? Hm¡­ depends, actually," the Red rose man replied. "You see, I want to have anything about you. Because you''re my beloved. But I also want to know what do you want first. My request will align depending on what you want."


    "If it''s something easy like a box of crystal meth, I could just ask for simple stuff like your worn id shirt¡ªOh, by the way, you smell so good, babe. Unfortunately, your scent and warmth from that id shirt have been long gone," the red roe man rambled even more.


    Okay, you could NOT be creepier than this. He literally sniffed the hell out of my id shirt that had my sweat stain in it. That was so gross!


    And Grandma said that he had such a handsome face that he should star in a movie? That was ridiculous! He would be one hell of a creep in the celebrity circle that dated every girl he met!


    Now, I was thinking about what I actually wanted.


    I didn''t expect the red rose man would throw the question back at me.


    What do I truly want?


    I wasn''t sure myself. Because I was still in the nk about the case of Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson. I needed to investigate more with Noah.


    But I had a rough guess of my own.


    "If I say that I want money, can you do it for me?"


    "Hm? How much? Give me your number."


    "What do you mean how much?" I backed off immediately after he replied so easily. I knew he was rich, but I didn''t expect him to just say it so lightly.


    "I mean, I can give you any amount you want, my baby. But that''d depend on the amount. If you just want something like¡­ say, a hundred thousand dors, I can give you right now. But if you want a million-dor, then you''ll need to wait for a while because I need to find a way to get the cold hard cash, since you don''t have a bank ount, right?"


    ¡­


    Don''t tell me he actually had a literal 1 million dor. How in hell a young man around my age could own that much?! What kind of rich parents he has?!


    "So, just tell me how much do you need, and I''ll consider the reward that I want."


    ¡­


    "I''ll think about it first, and then I''ll tell you the amount I need," I said due to my unpreparedness. This red rose man was definitely ready for any amount that I said based on his confidence.


    But did I really need that money?


    ¡­


    Yeah, I did. Honestly, my family was poor, and with that money, I could use it to help my mission take down those three stooges, Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson.


    But my mom would definitely get suspicious if I suddenly had that much money to help the family. Of course, she wouldn''t suspect me to have suspicious trade with this crazy man.


    But I bet she''d think that I sold my nude picture online or whatever.


    And that was only the first reason. The second one was the red rose man.


    I didn''t know what he wanted. I was afraid that he''d make even more dangerous requests in exchange for everything that I wanted.


    I needed to be careful as I didn''t want to take the risk.


    "Sure then, darling," the red rose man said. "Oh, about that man you met behind the boxing club room. His name is Noah Jameson, right? He killed himself next year if I remember correctly."


    "What are you going to do with him, darling? You know that he''s gay, right?" The red rose man asked.


    I was stunned when he could recall what I did with Noah today, "Wait, how did you know?!"


    "Hm? Isn''t it obvious that I''ve been keeping my close watch over you? I just want to make sure that you''re always safe in your mission."


    No, I was feeling unsafe because of what you said just now, you madman!


    "You¡­ did you stalk me every day?"


    "I have no day off about you, dear. I want to make sure that you''re always by my side. I cannot leave you after what happened in the previous life."


    "But I don''t see anyone¡ª"


    "Ahahahah! Oh my cute Em, I have my eyes everywhere, and I know everything you did. I allow you to do anything as long as you end up with me in the future. Because we''re destined to be together, dear."


    Click.


    __Phone call end__


    I ended the phone call abruptly out of fear and threw the phone away because that guy was just too scary for me to handle. He literally knew everything, EVERYTHING that was I doing, and still let me off as long as we would be together in the end.


    What kind of sick idea in his mind for me to date, let alone marry him?! Even a minus IQ person knew they should avoid this obsessed red rose man.


    Of course, I could not believe that crazy guy, but at the same time, I also knew that he was the key for me to win against Leah before. And he would probably be my key to continue winning against all the odds in the future as well.


    I decided to just end the day by taking a bath and then returned to the bed, trying to close my eyes. But that horrible image of a man standing outside while looking up, staring at my window, was haunting me. So I continued checking the window before I was assured and fell asleep.


    **


    I got up very early today because I couldn''t sleep for too long remembering that red rose man.


    I got a text from Noahst night, and it seemed that he got some details.


    ¡ª


    Noah: Em, I got a few details about Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson.


    Noah: Can I meet you after ss today? I want you to see this.


    ¡ª


    Oh? I was curious about what he found out about those bullies. I replied with a simple yes and went to school today.


    I went early today because I had nothing to do at my house.


    Besides, I wanted some peace for myself. So I walked around the corridor in a daze,


    I didn''t know if that red rose man was truly watching over him literally every second. But I preferred to believe that he was just bluffing. There was no way he could watch over me 24/7.


    But that also raised a question in my head.


    If that man could watch over me in school, does that mean he was also a student here?


    Wait, wait, wait! He did tell me that he saw me dying during prom night. And prom night was only essible for the senior. So that narrowed the possibility to literally any man in my current batch!


    That sudden realization hit me hard as I got nervous that anyone might''ve been eyeing me right now.


    "Could it be that he was around me?!" I looked around warily until I spotted someone stretching on the field.


    Our eyes met, and the man''s eyes brightened instantly, "EM!"


    I was shocked when I saw Mason jogging towards me and greeting me kindly. "Em, I miss you so much!" Mason said as he tried to grab my hand.


    I hid my hands behind instantly, afraid that someone might find out that Mason was holding my hands. Despite us probably being the only people here.


    "W¡ªWhy are you here, Mason?"


    "Eh? To go to school, of course?"


    "I mean, why are you training in such cold winter¡­."


    "Oh, I just feel so cold, so I start stretching and jogging a bit," Mason smiled kindly at me. The smile that he never showed to anyone.


    "What are you doing right now, Em?" Mason asked.


    "Nothing¡ª" I shook my head. I didn''t want the focus to be me because I was afraid Mason would start digging into my intention. "How about that movie casting? I thought you were epted already. Shouldn''t you do your scene right in a studio right now?"


    "Oh, don''t worry about that. The director scheduled our shooting, and it''d take about two weeks before it''s my turn," Mason replied. "Thanks to you, Em. You open the way for me to be an actor."


    "Of course! That''s your destiny after all!" I replied, full of pride.


    "Destiny? To be an actor? But I''ve never been starring in any movie before¡­."


    I held my breath instantly, realizing that I might''ve identally told Mason about his life in my previous timeline.


    "N¡ªNothing, I just think that you''ll look so cool as an actor. You have an actor''s face," I tried topliment him more to shift his attention.


    And it worked, it seemed, because there was a tint of redness on Mason''s cheeks, "You really think so?"

 Chapter 130 - Out Of OUR League

    <strong></strong>


    "N¡ªNothing, I just think that you''ll look so cool as an actor. You have an actor''s face," I tried topliment him more to shift his attention.


    And it worked, it seemed, because there was a tint of redness on Mason''s cheeks, "You really think so?"


    I was stunned by his reaction. He got a lot of simr praises, but I''ve never seen him acting so shy with a blush on his cheeks.


    "Do you think that I''ll be a good actor?" He asked again.


    "Uh¡­ indeed¡­" I nodded. Honestly, by the time it was senior year, Mason was already so popr that it was difficult to go to school normally.


    I thought he''d do homeschooling instead, or at least take one year break before returning to senior high school. Because he was so busy with movie shoots and advertisements.


    His face was everywhere, literally, and all social media was flooded with his image. He became the icon of teen-idol two years from now.


    Which was deserving, of course. Despite my reluctance to get close to him, I knew that Mason was a talented actor and just a winner in life overall. He had everything a man wanted, money, poprity, and good looks.


    So, even though he indirectly caused my bullying to worsen in myst life, I know he didn''t mean it. And I knew we had no entanglement.


    It was just¡­ a simple butterfly effect, I guess. It wasn''t his fault, it was fated.


    "I think you should know that I fully support you to be an actor, a celebrity. Though, I don''t think you need my support, knowing the amount of fans you have already," Iughed dry, trying to make an unsessful small joke.


    Mason looked even happier and meeker than before. He looked like a white bunny with his shy expression. At least that was the image I got from him.


    "Y¡ªYour support means a lot to me, Em¡­" Mason said. "You know, I''ve thought about it and always reject any agency or people who wanted to cast me because I don''t think celebrity life suits me."


    "But since you said that I can be a great actor, then so be it. I''ll do it," Mason said earnestly. It gave the illusion that he was doing this solely because of my request.


    Which was crazy. Honestly, imagine if someone like me had power over Mason Hall, that''d be the biggest plot twist ever.


    "Will you be happy if I be famous, Em? I don''t want to disappoint you anymore¡­" Mason mumbled, but I could still hear his words.


    "Uh¡­ of course, I''ll be happy if you be famous, Mason. You said that you''re still struggling to work part-time, right? You said you saved money so we could go on a date¡­." I still vividly remember that Mason said he saved a lot of money just to make sure he could take me somewhere nice.


    I didn''t want to be a burden for him. But he kept insisting on taking me somewhere nice for our unintentional date most of the time.


    "Besides, why are you saying that you don''t want to disappoint me anymore? You''ve never disappointed me, Mason," I added. In this life and previous life, Mason had nothing to do with my demise, at least not intentionally.


    Mason smiled bitterly and nodded, "I''m happy that you say so Em¡­."


    We continued chatting until it was 7.30 AM.


    I intentionally avoided him because I didn''t want anyone to notice us, and Mason was still grieving over it. Because he told me that it was alright, and he''d protect me from anyone who dared to harm me.


    But that was kind of¡­ unreliable. He was busy, always busy. So I didn''t think he''d have the time to protect me. Besides, my n in this life was to get my revenge, and after that, I didn''t care much about what''d happen to me.


    Thus, I attended my sses as usual, but something was off at thest ss. Because I could sense that someone had been eyeing me, and I perfectly knew who she was.


    It was Chrissy who eyed me like a wolf ready to devour anyone. I didn''t really care about her though, in this situation, our social standing in this school was the same, or hers probably lower than mine.


    And when thest bell rang, Chrissy suddenly came to my seat and red at me, "You, Emmy, I saw you talking with Mason today."


    I was startled when she suddenly brought up about Mason, but then I just remembered that Chrissy was probably the creepiest stalker Mason had.


    She was basically obsessed with him, although she still didn''t want to admit it, probably because Jessica was also eyeing Mason.


    So I shrugged and asked, "Yeah, so?"


    "You know that he''s out of your league, right? Don''t even think about dating him," Chrissy said.


    "Mhm, I know that," I repliedzily. I didn''t really take her seriously.


    Like, who the heck would take her seriously in the first ce?


    "Well, if you know that, then you should stay away from him. I mean, you know that you''re undeserving, right? Your face is so¡­. Okay-is. You''re using worn-out id and jeans, and your phone is literally an old phone from four years ago."


    "You''re like a beggar in front of him, just saying, sis. Someone got to humble you down, right?" Chrissy said with her usual condescending tone.


    I wasn''t even surprised she could say that. When I was her ''friend'' in my previous life, she also made the same condescendingment about my body to make me feel like shit.


    I took everything at heart back then, and I regretted all of it. Someone like Chrissy, she didn''t befriend you because she liked you. It was because she thought you were easy to trick or popr enough to climb.


    "And? Why are you so concerned about me talking with Mason? Did you actually know what we were talking about, or you''re just peeking from somewhere and acting like a stalker?"


    "That¡ª" Chrissy got tongue-tied immediately. I knew it was her weakness. Because she was afraid that Jessica would target her if she found out that Chrissy was also eyeing Mason, just like what Jessica did to me before.


    "What? Can''t answer a simple question? Why are you so concerned about Mason?"


    "It''s¡ªIt''s not your problem!"


    "Well, then stop pestering me about Mason. You don''t even know what we were talking about," I replied calmly but sharply. "Do you think Mason and I are dating or what? We''re just talking about club stuff because his club had some request to my club president."


    Of course, that was a tant lie. But that was enough to check this bitch Chrissy Miles.


    "Or, may I assume that you''re interested in him? Oh my, Miss Chrissy Miles, aren''t you friends with Miss Jessica? That''d certainly be scandalous if Jessica knows, right?"


    "L¡ªLies! You''re spreading lies! I''m not even interested in him! I just want you to know that you''re way out of his league!" Chrissy was startled, bbering out of panic. At least that was what I saw.


    "You don''t need to remind me about that. Any sane person knows that he is out of OUR league," I smiled thin at her, making sure she listened to me. "So better note at me out of the blue and start spouting random shit. Or I might as well tell Jessica that you''re stalking Mason Hall, hm?"


    "You!" Chrissy''s face was red with anger, but she couldn''t say anything and just gritted her teeth. She turned away and left the ssroom by stomping her feet.


    I shrugged. Someone like Chrissy was like a side quest in a game. Taking her down wasn''t the main mission because she wasn''t important. But when you did it, it''d definitely be interesting.


    I got up and checked my phone. As expected, I got a text from Noah. But surprisingly, also a text from Mason, so of course¡­ I checked Mason''s text first, hehe.


    ¡ª


    Mason: Thanks for the encouragement today. If you need any help, do tell me.


    Mason: I want to take you on a date again. When will you have time, Em?


    ¡ª


    Eh, the question was¡­ when will YOU have a time, Mr. soon-to-be popr actor.


    But I didn''t want to sound too free. Besides, I still had things to do, especially taking down these three stooges first.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Depends on you. I''m free on the weekend.


    Mason: I''ll try to finish my scenes as soon as possible, so we can have a date again. Looking forward to it, Em¡­


    Mason: Sticker sent.


    ¡ª


    I chuckled at the cute white bunny sticker he sent. Then I checked Noah''s text and found only one intriguing text.


    ¡ª


    Noah: I''m waiting in front of your club room, pleasee asap. I''m afraid they''d see me here. Oh, I''m also here with some useful information that might help us in uhm¡­ our mission.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 131 - Investigating Assault

    ¡ª


    Noah: I''m waiting in front of your club room, pleasee asap. I''m afraid they''d see me here. Oh, I''m also here with some useful information that might help us in uhm¡­ our mission.


    ¡ª


    I got interested, so I rushed to the club room. I also didn''t want him to get beaten up before I could even reach him. I wanted to build trust with Noah because he was my key here.


    He had ess to many things I didn''t have. Since he was also in one neighborhood with the three stooges and Barbara.


    I might as well asked about Barbarater.


    I walked in the corridor and saw Noah leaning beside the door, reading something on his phone with full focus. Though, based on his movement, it seemed that he did it to avoid sticking out in this crowd.


    I walked in and tapped his shoulder. Noah jolted and almost dropped his phone out of shock, "E¡ªEm, you could give me a heart attack!"


    I chuckled and unlocked the door.


    Noah and I came in and closed the door instantly. I didn''t know what made him so anxious, so I asked, "Okay, Noah. Calm down. You look nervous as heck."


    "I can''t just calm down, Em. Because I got an information that might be too dangerous."


    "Huh? Too dangerous?" I got even more intrigued. "Do tell."


    Noah looked around warily, and he drew near me. He reached my ear and whispered, ''I got a rumor that the three stooges got hired to¡­.'' Noah hesitated for a moment. I could sense that his body was trembling as he continued sending his information, ''They got hired to beat up and harass a girl in my batch. They did it already, and she was extremely traumatized because they groped her after beating her.''


    ¡­


    What. The. Fuck.


    No, seriously, what the fuck did I just listen to?


    They sexually assaulted a girl?! How could some mindless prank turn into physical assault, and now sexual assault?!


    What kind of sick prank they were pulling here?


    I backed off from Noah out of reflex and asked, "Is this rumor correct? Do you have real proof?"


    "I mean, sexual assault is a terrible crime, so we can''t just outright use someone of doing it without any proof," I said. As much as I trust Noah, I didn''t want to make a stupid move. There was no room for error in here.


    Noah hesitated and shook his head, "I¡­ I don''t have any proof, Em¡­."


    "Then why are you telling me this?"


    "I mean, I got the rumor in the online gossip page of my batch. But it''s just mostly rumored¡­." Noah said I could see that he was guilty of giving iplete information. Despite his effort, though, what was the point of giving a baseless rumor?


    ¡­


    Unless¡­


    "Is there no information about the victim?" I asked. That small idea popped into my brain. I knew this kind of rumor rarely had any real evidence because the victim would be too ashamed and scared toe in most of the time.


    Besides, she might''ve been traumatized to evene to school.


    And that was my clue!


    "There is no information, sadly¡­." Noah replied weakly.


    "Then, is there someone in your batch who just suddenly disappears without any notice?"


    "Huh? Disappear?" Noah frowned. "Let me recall¡­."


    ¡­


    It took a moment until Noah suddenly gave a surprised expression and nodded, "There is one! I talked to her a few times before, but we''re not that close. But I remember that she''d alwayse to the sophomore cafeteria and sat alone."


    "But she just suddenly vanished about a week ago. I have no more information about her, though, since I''m not close with her."


    "Then, does she have any good friend we can contact with?" I asked eagerly.


    "W¡ªWhy are you asking this, Em? Is this important for our mission or what?"


    "It is, Noah. Believe it or not, I think that girl is the one who got sexually assaulted by those three stooges," I delivered my guess. "When someone got sexually harassed or assaulted, most of them will try to hide instead of reporting it to the authority."


    "Because they are ashamed by what happened and scared that people would ridicule them for being easy and stupid," I exined. "So we need to meet this girl. What''s her name?"


    "Elise," Noah replied short.


    "Then we need to meet Elise some way, or at least get her contact," I said, giving a new path to our plotting.


    Noah was stunned, and he suddenly asked me, "Howe you know all of this, Em? About what happened to sexual assault victims¡­."


    "Ah¡­ I¡ªI just watch a lot of documentaries on YouTube about it¡­." I replied, dodging his eyes because what I said was aplete bull.


    There was another reason¡­ a real reason I refused to remember because it happened in myst life and was too traumatizing for me. I didn''t even want to imagine it, not anymore.


    "I see¡­" Noah nodded, seemingly epting my answer without more questions, which made me feel relieved.


    "Do you know anyone close to Elise then?" I asked again, redirecting the topic to the real problem here.


    "Well, she does have a best friend, her name is Mona, and she''s uh¡­ my neighbor as well¡­" Noah said.


    "Damn, how could you have so many neighbors in here?"


    "W¡ªWell, this is basically the only public school around, and the government already assigned everyone in my area to put their children in this school. We can''t do much¡­."


    "Well, I don''t have Mona''s contact, but she''s working as a waiter in her parents'' cafe in the city. We can always go there if you want¡­ on the weekend, of course."


    Oh, weekend? I tried to recall whether I had anything to do on the weekend¡­ and I did.


    Well, Mason told me this morning that he just got his first front payment for the role in that teen movie as a supporting cast and wanted to treat me something nice downtown.


    But I could always tell him to meet in the afternoon instead, right?


    So I could go with Noah in the morning to investigate. I believed it''d be more effective that way, like killing two birds with one stone.


    "We should investigate, Noah. I think we can get good information there," I said. For a case like this, I wanted to see more and get more information before making some moves. Like what I did with Leah, I investigated first before jumping into the action.


    Now, I sounded more like a detective than a vengeful ghost.


    Noah agreed with my request, and that was the only information he got for now. It was more than enough, though. At least we could get a lead on this.


    We sat idly, waiting for people to leave the corridor, so it wouldn''t be so crowded when we left because of anxiety reasons, of course.


    Noah got up and looked around the club room. My eyes followed him as he checked each porcin vase, "I didn''t know that you''re passionate about pottery, Em. It''s so rare for people to like this thing, right?"


    "Honestly, even I don''t have any interest in pottery," I replied truthfully.


    "Huh? Then why are you here?"


    "Because there is no other member except my club president here. So I don''t need to deal with the bullshit other clubs have to face," I replied.


    I remembered my time in the biology club before and thepetition, especially with Albert. He was so ambitious that he threw away my biology research paper submission, so he''d have no contest at all.


    ¡­


    Yeah, I''d get him soon, definitely.


    "So, you joined for the convenience?" Noah asked.


    "Indeed."


    "How about these vases? They look so intricate and amazing!" Noah praised as he wiped the rim of one of the vases.


    "Well, most of them were from the graduating seniors, and newer ones are made by my club president. He is actually a very talented potter if I can say," I still remembered how Logan used to make pottery whenever he wanted if he was stressed out.


    It was his own way to cope with something that made him stressed out, maybe a mission that I wasn''t allowed to know.


    "I see¡­" Noah nodded. He checked the one made by Logan, thest one before he disappeared out of this school for his whatever mission, and then said, "Em, is this made by your club president?"


    "Uh, yeah, that one, he made it about¡­ 4 months ago," I replied.


    "Hmm¡­ he looks like a very delicate guy. Just look at the ornate motive he made for the vase," Noah startedmenting like some porcin expert. I only chuckled because I knew that Logan was faaaar from that delicate word.


    He was rough, and well¡­ kind of edgy.


    Then Noah looked surprised as he saw something at the bottom of the vase, "Em, there is an initial here."

 Chapter 132 - Investigating Assault (2)

    "Em, there is an initial here."


    "Huh? Initial?" I frowned when he said that. I never checked the vases, as I just stored and wiped them every few days to keep them clean because Logan made them intricately and seemed to treasure those vases. I felt bad if I didn''t take care of those vases.


    "Yeah, there is an initial at the bottom of the vase," Noah reported. He used his phone shlight to check the initial and then showed a surprised face, "Uhmm¡­."


    "What? What did you see?" I asked curiously.


    "The initial is¡­ LLE?" Noah said.


    I was confused, and my frown got deeper, "LLE? What does that mean?"


    "I''m not sure, but people usually put that kind of initial for their names or someone they loved," Noah exined, which got me even more confused.


    "I don''t think he has any love¡ªI mean, I don''t even think someone like him can fall in love, huh¡­." I still imagined how disgusted Logan was when he touched Leah, which was obviously an attractive girl on her own.


    "What''s his name?"


    "Uh¡­ Logan," I replied. I didn''t want to give Noah the full name because I knew everything about Logan was confidential.


    "Logan? So¡­ LLE¡­" Noah was thinking for a second and then said the most ridiculous thing I''ve ever heard, "Maybe it''s an acronym for Logan Loves Emmy?"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "EW, WHAT THE FUCK?!" I reacted wildly as I heard that. That was the most impossible and probably the cringiest thing I heard this year.


    "Logan is not that type of man. He is¡­ uh¡­ he is probably the most loveless person on the. You''ll understand what I meant!" I denied it immediately. No, just imagining LLE as Logan Loves Emmy¡­ that guy would be too braindead, cringe, and idiot to do that, right?


    Noah giggled, looking at me with a mischievous grin on his face, "You might think so, but who knows the inside of his heart? You know Emmy, you cannot measure the depth of someone''s heart."


    ¡­


    Well, what he said was correct. Nobody knew what was inside someone else''s heart. Even I had many depths inside my heart.


    "Hehe, so who knows whether this club president of yours¡ªuhh, Logan, might actually like you," Noah suggested.


    I started imagining it and shivered, "No, that can''t do."


    I just saw him as an imposing figure that would be beneficial for me in the long run.


    But¡­ imagining a man like him,petent, cunning, rich, and strong¡­ well, that wouldn''t be bad, I guess.


    "Em, your face is red."


    "Huh? Must be because of the heater," I said. I didn''t know why that imagination of Logan made me a bit weird.


    Noah smiled at me meaningfully and finally dropped the matter, much to my relief.


    "Okay, so we''re going to Mona''s family cafe on the weekend?" Noah asked excitedly. "You know, this makes me feel like a detective! Dang, so cool!"


    "Haha, we''re not there to be a detective. But we do need to know what happened to Elise right now since it''s impossible to contact her."


    "Sure! Do you want me to pick you up?"


    "Huh? You have a car or what?"


    "I do!"


    ¡­


    Now I wondered if I should take his offer.


    But then again, I was afraid that he''d get known around my neighbor, especially when someone like Chrissy lived not far from me.


    If she saw this, she''d start spreading some crazy rumors that might put me in the spotlight.


    So I refused his offer, "It''s fine. Let''s just meet downtown. I''ll use the bus instead."


    **


    We left the club room after the corridor got emptier.


    I cooked for dinner and went straight to my room. I had one person I wanted to call tonight.


    Thus I searched for his contact and dialed.


    __Phone Call__


    "H¡ªHello, Em¡­" Mason''s sweet and gentle voice was like a melody to my ears. He sounded shy for whatever reason.


    "Mason, good evening," I greeted him first. At this point, I didn''t really have any nervousness about chatting or calling him. He was actually more nervous than I do.


    "I''m calling you for uh¡­ um¡­ about your date offer this weekend."


    "Oh! Will you go on a date with me then?!" Mason''s excited voice made me smile, and I replied.


    "I will. But promise me not to go to an expensive ce," I warned him. "I won''t ept you spending too much money on me."


    "Eh¡­ but I want to¡­"


    "No, no, I don''t want you to feel like I''m leeching. I might be poor for now, but that doesn''t mean that I want to take advantage."


    "You should use that money for yourself first, Mason," I said.


    There was a long silence on Mason''s side, and then I could hear a light giggle from him.


    "Huh? What''s wrong?"


    "No, it''s just¡ªyou''re so understanding and caring, Em. I can''t help to feel happy¡­" Mason replied.


    I didn''t understand what that meant. I just didn''t want to feel burdened because he kept spending money for me. I wasn''t worth that much. At least, it''d be a total waste to take me on some expensive date. I had epted that since the beginning.


    I preferred somewhere simple and nice because I wanted something affordable enough for me to buy for myself.


    Might have to ask Mom for a small allowance, though¡­


    "I''ll think of a better ce for us. Thank you for epting the date, hehe," Mason said with a light giggle. Somehow, whenever I saw Mason, I just saw this cute white bunny that I wanted to hug and cuddle.


    Why? Well¡­ I was still attracted to Mason. I wouldn''t lie¡­


    "So, what time we can go on a date? Can we start from 8?"


    "Wha¡ªwhat would you do at 8 during winter?" I was surprised.


    "Ah, I just want to spend more time with you¡­."


    "Ahh, let''s just start at lunch, okay? Let''s meet downtown at noon, so we can have lunch together," I said.


    "Okay, sure, Em¡­."


    __Phone call ends__


    **


    I woke up early morning. Today was the weekend, the day I''d go downtown with Noah to investigate about this girl named Mona that''d give me the lead to Elise.


    I did all this to take down those three stooges, Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson.


    I also had a date with Mason in the afternoon.


    "Mom, can I borrow some money? I have a¡­ uhh¡­ a date today¡­." I said.


    Mom, who was watching a show, turned her head at me and looked from head to toe. She grinned and winked, "Oh-ho, Miss Emmelyn Jones seems to have a frequent date these days. You should take that boyfriend of yours here and introduce him to me."


    "Haha¡ªNo, it''s not a romantic date. I don''t have a boyfriend right now."


    "Huh? Then why did youe if he''s not even your boyfriend?"


    "Uh¡­ because he asked me? I just don''t have the heart to refuse¡­."


    "That means you have at least a bit of interest in him," Mom deduced. She took some money out of her pocket and gave it to me.


    "Go and have fun. Don''t worry about Grandma. I''ll take care of her. I have a day off today," Mom said.


    "Thanks, Mom."


    I checked the money that she gave me, and it was 30 dors.


    Wow¡­ this was a lot! Damn, I totally would save this forter.


    I went by bus and read the text from Noah because he was already waiting. I checked Google Maps to direct me to his location.


    "Noah! Oh¡­" I was pleasantly surprised by his outfit when I met him. He was wearing a blue sweater that looked¡­ thin.


    He still looked good, though, but in this winter¡­ that looked so ufortable.


    "Uh¡­ you sure you''re okay wearing that?" I asked.


    "You''re here finally. Let''se inside, Em. I''m dying out of cold right now."


    "Then why are you wearing it?"


    "Because it''s rare for me to go to the downtown, and I want to look good. It might not be suitable for winter, but I still look dang good though~" Noah giggled happily as we entered the cafe.


    I looked around the interior and got this¡­ warm, professional aura around. It wasn''t surprising when I saw a few people still working in front of theirptops here.


    Honestly, it was more of a coffee shop rather than a cafe.


    We sat near the window, waiting for the waiter.


    I whispered to Noah, "Where is Mona?"


    "It''s the one handling the register right now. She''de to us soon, don''t worry."


    I turned my head to observe Mona. She was quite tall, with brown hair and a serious gaze. That gaze you often saw from an adult, so I guess she had worked here for so long that she just acquired that kind of look.


    ¡­


    Now I''m jealous.


    I wanted to work part-time, but I wasn''t allowed by Mom. She said that I should enjoy life more.


    Mona finally finished handling the register and came in our direction.


    She put down the menu but was surprised when seeing Noah, "Whoa, why are you here, Noah?"

 Chapter 133 - Investigating Assault (3)

    "Whoa, why are you here, Noah?" Mona asked. She nced at me and then smiled, "Are you Noah''s new girlfriend?"


    "Uh¡­" I looked at Noah, asking for an exnation because I was so lost here.


    Noah scratched his head and replied, "She is my friend today because we want to ask a few things."


    "¡­ well, you know that I''m busy working nowadays, right?" Mona said it seemed that she tried to dodge us today. I was more intrigued by this weird rtionship between her and Noah, though.


    They seemed to be closer than I expected.


    "Oh,e on, we are here because I can''t contact you. Did you block my number?" Noah asked.


    "Well, sort of. Don''t take it personally though, I did that to anyone I am over with," Mona replied.


    Now the way they chatted reminded me of¡­ a couple, well, maybe an ex-couple?"


    "That''s why we came here today because we want to ask you something," Noah insisted. I was still stunned by his rxed nature around Mona.


    "Fine, I''ll talk to you guyster. Just order something first, so I can justify talking with you guys for a few seconds," Mona said.


    We finally ordered something and then waited for Mona to finish her work, probably also waiting for the cafe to be less crowded, so she could rest and talk with us.


    We waited for almost two hours until we had to order another cake and warm tea until the cafe got emptier. Mona finally walked in our direction.


    She already put down that apron acting as a cafe uniform and then sat with us.


    "So, what do you guys want to know?" Mona asked. "I mean, if it''s about my job here and whether someone would report my parents for working a minor, then just shut it. My parents will just say that I am helping them. It''s not childbor if I don''t get paid."


    Yeah, that wasn''t childbor. That was child very.


    I nced at Noah, signaling him to start the conversation since he was the one who knew Mona better than me. They were neighbors, too, right?


    "Well, we are here to get some information about¡­ Elise," Noah said.


    "Elise?" Mona frowned after hearing that name. She became defensive immediately, shown by her body gesture that seemed to back off from us. "What do you want to know? Then my answer depends on that."


    "We¡­" Noah gulped, then darted his eyes at me, urging me to speak instead. I knew this was something that would be better talked about between girls, so I nodded and told Noah, "You can leave first, Noah. It''s a girls'' talk."


    Noah left the cafe and waited in his car, so I could speak with Mona.


    Mona seemed to be more rxed with only me here, "Phew, thanks for taking him out. Elise''s problem is too sensitive to be talked with boys. It''s so severe as well."


    I nodded, "My name is Emmelyn from junior batch this year. I came here with Noah because I heard that his friend named Mona knows what happened with Elise?"


    "Why do you want to know about Elise''s case anyway? Wait, how did you know it in the first ce? What connection do you have with her?" Mona continued asking me.


    I understood and even praised her intention, though. She was being guarded and careful about her best friend''s secret.


    I wished I had someone like her in my life, a best friend who could keep my secret, unlike Cerise, who would act so dependent and trustable. But turned out, she would sell me out just to save herself.


    I didn''t want to conceal my intention because I guessed both of us already knew the root of the problem, "I want to know more about what those three bastards, Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson, did to her. I think we both know they are the culprit, right?"


    Mona was surprised. I could see that she was also grieving with this problem. She let out a deep sigh and replied with a lower voice, "At least you believe what those three bastards did to my best friend."


    "Do tell in detail, don''t worry, you and I have the same hatred to them."


    Mona took a deep breath and started her story, "It was around a month ago, Elise is my best friend, and she''s not really the type who clicks well with many people."


    "Elise is a frontal and blunt person, and she doesn''t need anyone to support her statement, even if it''s controversial. Because she knows what she said is a fact. That''s why I can hang out with her because both of us aren''t really the type to y a childish game like Barbie and her goons."


    "It was about a month ago, she told me, that she had a small argument with a girl from her ss named Natasha. It was just a small argument in Elise''s opinion because Natasha ising to the ss sote, like¡­ thirty minutes before the ss end, kind ofte. She just brazenly entered the ss while ignoring the teacher. When the teacher confronted her about her behavior, all she said was, ''Sir, I have something else to do than your useless ss. My dad is a donator in this school. You know you''ll get in trouble for scolding me, right?'' And the teacher was literally powerless against her."


    "Then, Elise just blurted out in front of her face, saying, ''Your Daddy''s donation won''t save you from failing this ss.'' And then everyoneughed at Natasha."


    "Natasha didn''t want to lose, and both of them argued, even though everyone was already in Elise''s side at that point. Because what Natasha did was simply ridiculous and rude to the teacher."


    "But Natasha didn''t take this kindly. She wants to give Elise a punishment. That''s why she hired those three bastards to eat up and shame Elise."


    "I don''t know the exactmand that Natasha gave to them. But those three bastards wouldn''t do anything that wasn''t in their agreements. They are like high school hitmen, ruthless and money-oriented."


    "But they did beat Elise up when she was walking back after school. And after she beat her to pulp¡­." Mona paused, thinking of the horrible thing she''d say next. "They stripped her shirt and fondled with her breast and inner thighs."


    "Elise was already too weak after she got beaten up, but she could hear theirughs, and she knew it was those bastards, Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson."


    "She couldn''t fight anymore, and after she recovered, she fixed her shirt and walked to her room. She never wants to speak about what they did to her, especially the sexual assault part¡­."


    "How about her parents? Did she tell her parents?" I asked.


    "No, she doesn''t want to. Because she knows her parents would report it to the police and make a big ruckus about it. She doesn''t want the entire school to know what she had been sexually assaulted because she''s afraid of getting bullied because of it."


    "But in the end, the pain and guilt got inside of her, and she started having some mental issues. She doesn''t even want to go out of her room because she''s so ashamed and scared. I am the only one who can go inside because she won''t allow anybody else¡­." Mona exined.


    "They want to take her to a psychologist, but she just refused and became a social recluse. She told me yesterday via a call that she will drop out of school because she can''t handle the pain."


    "I already told her that she should at least report those three bastards to the police. But you know what''s going to happen, right?"


    "They will get expelled at best?"


    "Yep, and believe me, Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson don''t care much about it in the first ce," Mona exined. "We live in the same neighborhood, and I know those three. Even if they get expelled, they will find some way to just y around and screw more people''s lives."


    I understood what she meant by that. People like them wouldn''t care much about getting expelled. They''d just find a way to y around again, and even worse, probably would target Elise for reporting and expelling them.


    "That is the problem with Elise right now. I''m d that someone other than me believes in her story," Mona said. "I just can''t believe how much pain she bears right now. And I don''t know how to help her!"


    "I know how to avenge Elise. Well, it was a primitive method, but it would work. Of course, I need your help too, Mona."


    "Huh? Me? What kind of help do you want? And why do you want to avenge her in the first ce?"


    "Well, Noah also has problems with them. They are bullying and beating him as well," I had to drag Noah in this because Mona seemed to have some attachment to Noah.


    "Ah, even Noah got bullied, huh? That''s weird."

 Chapter 134 - Investigating Assault (4)

    "Well, Noah also has problems with them. They are bullying and beating him as well," I had to drag Noah in this because Mona seemed to have some attachment to Noah.


    "Ah, even Noah got bullied, huh? That''s weird."


    "Weird? What''s so weird about bullying?" I asked. I didn''t expect Mona to say that, honestly.


    "Well, it''s just that¡ªI never expect Noah to be bullied¡­." Mona said.


    "Huh? What makes you think so?" I remembered what Noah looked like when I first encountered him. He was lying on the ground with bruised and even bloodied face. He was beaten to a pulp. He was the definition of a bullied kid.


    "Because he is kind of¡­ an observer? He doesn''t really care whether someone got bullied as long as he is safe. He''s pretty invisible to be noticeable by those bullies," Mona informed. "But don''t be too harsh on him, though. He is not a bad person at all. He''s just like a regr guy. I just never expected him to get bullied.


    "Huh, I see¡­."


    I mean, there was nothing wrong with being a bystander. I knew not everyone could stand up against the bullies.


    But I wouldn''t lie that I had some grievance and disappointment towards them. All they did was watch me getting beaten up by those bullies without doing anything.


    They probably sympathized with me, but they were either scared or didn''t care because they weren''t the ones who got affected.


    Anyone wouldn''t care about anything as long as it didn''t affect them. That was the harsh truth I learned before.


    Noah was just like the rest of those people until he got bullied, then he could finally connect with me.


    "Then, can you help me by giving me Elise''s contact? I want to help them both, Noah and Elise, since they are bullied by the same group," I asked.


    Mona hesitated and shook her head, "I¡ªI don''t think Elise wants to talk about it, seriously. She''s very traumatized about it. If she knows that I''m telling someone else about her problem, she''ll probably break our long friendship¡­."


    "Besides¡­ it happened a month ago. She didn''t report it to the police immediately, and the scars have faded. Although she''s left traumatized for life, it''d only be a baseless usation, right?" Mona made a solid point there. Because the wounds had faded, there was no way to prove it.


    But I didn''t want to give up now. I would find a way to use her testimony.


    "Without her report, it''ll be hard to take those three bastards down. It''s almost impossible even," I insisted. I knew it might sound inconsiderate, but Elise''s report would definitely burden those threeter on when I could find a good way to trap them.


    Mona stared at me and sighed, "You are so convincing. I can''t help but say yes¡­."


    "Fine, I''ll give you her number. But promise me that you''ll take care of those jerks, so all of Elise''s suffering will be worth it¡­ at least," Mona warned me, and I nodded full of confidence.


    I already swore to myself that I''d get my revenge, no matter how.


    Mona finally gave me Elise''s number, but she warned me, "Don''t call her immediately. Try to text andfort her first. I''ll tell her your purpose, so she wouldn''t block you."


    "Thanks, Mona," I nodded with a slight smile, "I promise she''ll get her revenge."


    Mona smiled at me and then giggled, "So, about you and Noah. You two have been dating for a while?"


    "Huh? Dating?"


    "Yeah, dating. You don''t need to hide it from me. I know what type of person Noah is. He is very guarded about his heart, it''s been a while since we broke up, and he''s yet to get another girl."


    "Whoa, you guys¡ª"


    "Hehe, yes, we were. Noah and I were a couplest year. We broke up about four months ago because I got so busy helping my parents here, and he said we should break up. We were better as friends instead," Mona said. "He''s a good boyfriend, but we do fit better as friends instead."


    ¡­


    Nah, it wasn''t because they didn''t fit as a couple. That was definitely because Noah was gay.


    But it still shocked me that he had a rtionship with a girl before. Maybe he just didn''t want to hurt her in the long run after knowing his sexuality.


    After talking with Mona, Noah returned inside and paid the bill before leaving with me. We went inside his car to discuss what I found.


    "So, I finally got Elise''s number, but we shouldn''t rush this. We know that Elise must''ve been traumatized by what happened to her."


    "Indeed," Noah agreed.


    "So I got Elise''s number, although Mona told me not to rush her. And I agreed with her because it must''ve been really traumatizing for her."


    "Indeed," Noah nodded.


    "So I will start chatting with her slowly, and after I could get at least a bit of her trust, I want to tell her about our mission. Don''t worry about your secret. I won''t tell anyone," I said. "Remember, Noah, we NEED to get Elise in this mission. Her testimony would definitely put worse verdict to the judgeter on," I briefed him.


    Noah nodded again. He looked a bit guilty and looked down slightly, "I''m ashamed¡­."


    "Ashamed? Why?"


    "Uh¡­ you just look so professional and fearless, as if you''ve been doing this for a while, Em. I feel like I''m a deadweight here¡­" Noah said. "Oh, by the way, that''s a great idea. I''ll follow whatever you want me to do. This is the least I could do."


    "Well, do me a favor and exin how in hell you could date Mona for one year?"


    "Ah¡ª" Noah choked on air. He looked nervous and scratched his head, "Well, it''s just me trying to discover my sexuality. I wasn''t sure if I was truly gay before, so I dated Mona because we''ve been close friends since freshman year."


    "But it didn''t work out because I discovered that I was into men exclusively about four months ago. I don''t want to trap her to be my girlfriend despite me having no sexual attraction to her," Noah exined. "Is that enough?"


    "I see," I nodded. It was a wise move since he didn''t have any attraction to her anymore. "One more Noah¡­ Mona told me that you''re pretty invisible before you got bullied."


    "Ah, that''s¡­ that''s true¡­." Noah confirmed with a grieving face. "I mean, I''m just like the rest of the people here. I don''t know what to do when I see someone getting bullied, so I just¡­ watch¡­."


    "Now I''m in that bullied position, and I disappointed at myself for ignoring those who got bullied¡­."


    I took a deep breath after hearing his exnation, "It''s okay. I just want to know whether you had bullied someone directly before."


    "Anyway, all you need to do right now is to survive, okay? I''m going to contact Elise, and hopefully, things will go smoothly."


    "Sure thing, Boss."


    Noah and I finally finished our meeting today, and I left his car. I checked my watch, and it was already 11.00 A.M.


    I promised Mason to go on a lunch date first with him somewhere nice and cheap, so I called Mason''s phone, only for him to reject the call.


    "Huh? Why did he reject my call?" I wondered. I tried calling him again, but this time, someone suddenly snatched my phone from behind.


    I turned my head immediately, ready to strike whoever grabbed my phone because that was my only ''wealth'' right now.


    But when I turned my head, I was stunned by the sight of a handsome man in front of me.


    He was wearing a thick white jacket due to cold weather today, and he was wearing a beanie hat, something I never saw him wearing.


    But that didn''t hide his beauty at all, though. He still had the same dreamy blue eyes behind that sses, and his smile was still the same sweet smile that''d intoxicated countless girls.


    "Good afternoon, Em," Mason greeted me first.


    "A¡ªAh, Good afternoon, Mason¡­." I snapped out of my daze and greeted him back. "Why didn''t you tell me that you''re around already? And don''t startle me like that!"


    "Hehe, I''m sorry, I just want to tease you a bit," Mason said. "Anyway, I''m sorry for looking very ordinary today. The weather is really cold. I can''t handle it."


    "Oh, I thought you''re good with cold¡­."


    "I am, but only when I''m exercising. That''s why I''m sorry for dressing up like this for a date¡­."


    "No, no, you look cool and handsome. It''s good this way as well because you''ll attract less attention," I patted his firm chest. "And it''s fine, don''t you see what I''m wearing right now?"


    "You''re still beautiful no matter what you''re wearing, Em¡­" Mason stared at me with his gentle and warm gaze, giving me assurance that his words were an absolute truth.

 Chapter 135 - A Winter Date With Mason Hall (1)

    "You''re still beautiful no matter what you''re wearing, Em¡­" Mason stared at me with his gentle and warm gaze, giving me assurance that his words were an absolute truth.


    My cheeks reddened because of his sincerepliment. I shook my head, trying to dispel this weird feeling in my heart, but I wouldn''t lie that his words really made my heart racing.


    "S¡ªStop making a ridiculous joke. Let''s just go!" I said, trying to switch topics because it was too embarrassing.


    Mason only smiled at me, and we walked through the cold afternoon with restaurants on our left and right. I nced at Mason, who still walked with me, looking straight, and that got me curious, "So¡­ any idea where we will be going today? I mean, our lunch date. If you don''t have any n yet, let''s just stop by and eat McDonald''s instead."


    "No, no, I have a good ce for us," Mason said. He grabbed my hand so suddenly and then put it inside his jacket pocket. "It''s so cold today. My hand is freezing¡­."


    He held my hands inside the jacket, sharing the warmth as I felt that his hand was abnormally cold. I flinched a bit and asked, "Mason, are you sure you''re okay today?"


    "Huh? Why do you ask? I''m perfectly fine," Mason replied.


    "Your palm¡­ it''s frozen cold, it feels like you are¡ª"


    "A vampire? Hehe, will I look more attractive to you if I''m a vampire?" Mason chuckled at his own little joke. But that wasn''t what I wanted to say. What I wanted to say was¡­ his hand was so cold, I thought he was a corpse.


    ¡­


    But Vampire sounded more usible, I guess.


    We continued walking, and I got worried that someone from our school might see us like this. But it wasn''t for long because Mason suddenly stopped in front of a restaurant. I looked up and saw the name of the restaurant, "Ramen¡­ house?"


    "Uh-huh, It''s cheap. I eat here often when I want to eat alone. Because it''s not really a trendy ce for teens," Mason exined. "Or is it not on par with your taste, Em?"


    "No, no, it''s totally fine. But I don''t know how to use chopstick¡­." I replied shyly. "I never eat Japanese food before¡­."


    "Ah, so this is your first time eating in a ramen restaurant? Then would this be one of your unfulfilled dreams?"


    I choked on air as he worded it like that. But it waspletely wrong, though. Basically, I never had any ramen in the restaurant, only the store-bought that tasted so nd.


    But it was indeed one of my unfulfilled dream, as simple as it may sound. Because my life in the previous timeline is just so¡­ bleak.


    I nodded shyly, and Mason got excited, "Whoa! It seems that I hit the jackpot again this time! First the cake, second cat cafe, today ramen restaurant! Maybe this is destiny, Em!"


    "K¡ªKeep your voice down. What if someone from our school knows!"


    Mason zipped his mouth, but he still had the same smile. He dragged me inside, and we sat in one seat.


    Everything felt Japanese authentic here, and the delicious, rich smell of ramen wafted in my nose.


    "Just order anything you want. It''s my treat today," Mason said.


    "Wha¡ªI told you that I will pay! Don''t worry, I have money today," I said as I checked my pocket and then realized that I had spent 20 bucks on Mona''s cafe because we had a long talk, and I felt guilty if I didn''t order more.


    Now I was down to¡­ 8 bucks since I paid 2 bucks for bus fare here.


    ¡­


    Damn. I''m broke again.


    Mason seemed to know what just happened and shook his head, "I insist, Em."


    "No, I can just order uh¡­ this green tea¡ª"


    "You need to eat. It''s our lunch date, right?"


    "Ugh, Mason, you''re wasting too much on me."


    "It''s not wasting if I like doing this for you, Em."


    "What? You like wasting your money to treat me some food?"


    "I like spending my money for you," Mason said bluntly. He was so straightforward about it that it caught me off guard.


    "Mason, you¡­ you''re also broke, right? Why would you waste so much money on me when you can use it to¡ªI don''t know, save it for the future or something? I''m not worth that much, Mason¡ª"


    "¡ªNo, you''re worth the world¡­ you''re worth everything in my life, Em¡­" Mason confessed. But there was a bitter smile on his face as he finished his sentence as if he was holding a grievance in his heart.


    I was too stunned to speak. My jaw dropped as I realized that Mason was basically confessing to me.


    This was the first time someone confessed to me so sincerely, and I wouldn''t lie that I got butterflies in my stomach.


    But I knew it was just wishful thinking to have Mason as my boyfriend. It was all my unfulfilled fantasy¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    We were in this dead silence for a long time. I was actually waiting for his next words because I thought he''d ask whether I wanted to be his girlfriend or not.


    Although, if that actually happened¡­ I didn''t even know what to say anymore.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I took a deep breath and exhaled to calm myself. As expected, it was just Mason and his sweet talk. Of course, someone like Mason wouldn''t ask me for a date despite my wishful thinking.


    "I''ll order the cheapest ramen today," I said as I pointed at the most affordable ramen.


    "You sure you don''t want more? I can pay¡­" Mason suggested.


    "I''m already d that you bring me to this ramen restaurant, Mason. Because I''ve never been in a ce like this before¡­." I said. "Besides, I don''t want you to waste your money. You''re still young, Mason. It''s better to save your money first."


    "But¡ª"


    "If you want to treat me something better, then you should work hard first and be rich, so you can treat me better food in the future, how about that?" I said. Really, I didn''t want to burden Mason too much. He had been way too kind to me this whole time. I didn''t want to take advantage¡­ at least not in this kind of situation.


    Contrary to my expectation, Mason''s cheeks actually reddened, and he nodded, "You''re so understanding, Em¡­ I promise to treat you good food and make you happy in the near future."


    ¡­


    Hold on, that wasn''t what I intended. I didn''t need him to make me happy because I didn''t n to live after getting all my revenge on those bullies.


    He made it seem like I had a future¡­ with him.


    We ordered the ramen and waited for a moment because the ramen restaurant was empty today. The order came in quick.


    The richness of the ramen in front of me made me salivate, but I was surprised after finding out there was no fork, only ceramic spoon for the soup and chopstick.


    Mason slid his butt so he could sit beside me and took a pair of chopsticks, "I''ll teach you, Em."


    Mason started teaching me how to use a chopstick but putting them in-between my fingers. I could feel his gentle breath tickled on my neck, and I shivered.


    I felt like he yed with my fingers while teaching me how to use a chopstick, but I dared not call him out.


    After giving a quick lesson on how to use a chopstick, it wasn''t hard for me to adapt, and I ate slowly in silence while Mason also did the same.


    We stole nces at each other from time to time, and I could see the faint blush on his cheeks whenever our eyes met.


    When I saw Mason like this, he looked more grounded than I imagined in the Instagram or ads. Andparing this to the quarterback Mason Hall with his endless line of fans that made him look so majestic, I felt a sense of closure between us.


    After lunch, Mason ordered a matcha ice cream for us, and he shyly said, "I¡ªI only have enough money to buy one. Let''s eat it together, okay?"


    ¡­


    Okay, that was smooth. Especially when the matcha ice cream came with two spoons.


    We ate the matcha ice cream slowly, the heater in this ramen restaurant added with the cooking made the air a bit hot, so this matcha ice cream was perfect for dessert.


    I was enjoying the ice cream mindlessly, enjoying every bite until Mason suddenly broke our silence, "Emmy¡­."


    "Yes?"


    "Did youe here alone?"


    "Huh? Why do you ask something so obvious? I came here by bus. You know I don''t have a car¡­." I replied.


    Mason stared at me for a while and then nodded, "I see, that''s good then. But there is something that has been bugging me for a while¡­."


    "Huh? What is it?"


    "You just came out of a car with a man inside, Em.. I saw it."allnovelfull

 Chapter 136 - A Winter Date With Mason Hall (2)

    "You just came out of a car with a man inside, Em. I saw it."


    I froze on the spot, realizing the possibility that Mason might''ve seen me with Noah inside the car. Because I spent a while inside his car, and he probably saw meing in and out from Mona''s cafe too.


    I didn''t want him to get suspicious that I might''ve nned something with Noah. Nobody should know that I was nning to take down those three bastards, just like I did with Kristen and Leah before.


    Since I couldn''t trust Mason, I didn''t want him to know that.


    I held my breath out of nervousness. I stopped eating the ice-cream immediately and put the spoon down, "Uh¡­. Yeah, what about it?"


    "What about it?" Mason''s gentle smile faltered as his gaze darkened at me. I still hadn''t sensed any hostility towards me, but I could sense that he was hostile towards someone else.


    His aura also changed from a warm, huggable aura into a... malicious man. I didn''t know how to describe it, but it was terrifying for me, who had seen it a few times.


    "M¡ªMason?" I tried calling his name to no avail.


    He was staring at me for a while and got me nervous, so I looked down, "I¡ªIs there something wrong?"


    "Oh, nothing at all, Em¡­ it''s just¡­ I wonder about the identity of that man¡­."


    "He--He is unrted to us, no need to know about him," I said because I didn''t want to drag Noah into this.


    "Unrted? Why are you so concerned about covering up for him if he''s unrted?" Mason asked again, continuously cornering me.


    "That¡ª" I felt like a woman that got caught cheating by his boyfriend. I got tongue-tied because I didn''t know how to answer it.


    Noah and I had a mission, and I refused to let anyone disturb this. Because if Mason knew this, it might also identally leaked Noah''s sexuality, which was a top-secret for now.


    "Why don''t you answer me, Em?" Mason chuckled mirthlessly. "Are you dating him? Though, I don''t think he is into that."


    "I have nothing to answer, Mason. I doe out of his car, but it''s for an entirely different matter. I¡­ I have something to do with him."


    "Something? Did he threaten you?!"


    "N¡ªNo, it''s just our personal mission together. Because I promised to save him from something," I replied.


    Honestly, I still didn''t understand why did I had be so obedient in front of Mason. Maybe it was just his aura that was too strong that it made me unable to refuse him.


    "Save him? Don''t you know that he is¡ª" Mason paused midway and took a deep breath, "Okay, I trust you, Em. But make sure that you''re not going to hurt yourself, okay?"


    "Mason, why are you doing so much just because of this?"


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "I mean¡­ we have nothing between us, right?"


    Mason looked surprised for a moment, he bit his lower lip, but I could see that he was triggered by my words. He wanted to say something, but he zipped his mouth again.


    "I¡­ I have nothing to say, Em," Mason said with a grievance in his face. "It''s moreplicated than you think, but you will understandter¡­."


    "But still if And if that guy¡­ or anyone dares to harm you¡­ then I will make sure they will¡­."


    ¡­


    Okay, Mason was definitely something else when he got pissed off. I didn''t want to get into his bad side whenever I saw a part of Mason''s true face being unveiled in front of me.


    But it didn''t terrify me as it should. It was actually preferable for me personally. Because I disliked all the lukewarm behavior that he showed in front of his rabid fans.


    "Don''t worry about it. It''s just a small matter," I replied.


    Mason smiled and nodded, "I understand, Em."


    **


    Mason and I left the ramen restaurant after we were full. We stood in front of the restaurant and looked around, trying to find a better spot to continue our date.


    Since I was so full after going to Mona''s cafe and then eating Ramen, I refused when Mason asked me to go to a cafe to eat again.


    "Honestly, Mason¡­ it''s not really the best day to have a walk, don''t you think?" I said. "The weather is cold today¡­."


    "Yeah, you''re right, Em. Do you want to y arcade or something? Let''s go¡ª"


    "I can''t let you pay for everything. Let''s just end the date here, okay?"


    "¡­ Okay."


    "Thank you for today. I''ll definitely repay you. Though it''s not really with the money, since I don''t have any for now. But I can always bake you more of those cookies¡­."


    "Oh, yes, yes! Please bake me more of those cookies!" Mason reacted unreasonably excited as I offered that.


    "Then, I''ll give it to you on Monday, if you''re going to school¡ª"


    "I will! I will go to school!"


    Damn, was it that good of a baker? How could he look so happy with just simple cookies?


    But that wasn''t a problem at all. With that cookies, I''d feel less guilty about having a date with Mason and getting treated every time.


    We went separate ways, but I could see him still staring at my back as I walked away.


    I knew that Mason could feel scary, creepy, or whatsoever. But I also had this sense that he didn''t mean bad to me. At least he was never hostile to me.


    Besides, he had indirectly helped me in my first two targets, Kristen and Leah. I saw no harm in being close to him other than his crazy fans.


    **


    I returned home by bus and checked the clock, it was already 5 P.M.


    "How''s the date, Miss Jones?" Mom teased as she greeted me when I entered home.


    "It went well, Mom."


    "That''s great. So, can we know the name of this boyfriend of yours already? I''m actually very curious, you know."


    "No, I can''t tell you his name," I shook my head. "Well¡­ I''ll tell you his nameter on because I''m not sure if we''ll start dating or not."


    "Aw, shucks, I was excited about nothing¡­." Mom sighed. "Oh well, don''t forget to tell me. But don''t tell your Grandma, though. You know how obsessed she is with that mysterious man."


    "Ugh, I understand," I said. I returned to my room with only one thing in mind.


    What kind of approach would be good for me to reach Elise? I knew it might sound easy, but approaching someone who got sexually assaulted wasn''t easy. Most of them tended to bury the wound deep inside, not letting anyone know about their struggle because they were afraid to be stigmatized.


    How did I know¡­ because I was¡­


    "No, don''t think about it, Em. It''s better if you forget about that incident entirely. There is no use of remembering that¡­." I shook my head as I denied a memory that almost came to mind. It was also my coping mechanism because I didn''t want to remember the horrible sexual assault I experienced in my previous life.


    I took a deep breath and started texting Elise. But I kept deleting paragraphs because it didn''t sound genuine enough.


    So I started imagining what would I want to hear when I got depressed and scared of life after I got bullied and sexually assaulted in my previous life.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Hi Elise, my name is Emmelyn Jones, a freshman, and I got your number from Mona, your best friend.


    Emmy: You can ignore me if you want, but please read this text because you''re worth everything in this world. You might think that you don''t have any worth anymore after it got stolen by those three bastards.


    Emmy: But you''re¡­ you''re worth everything, your life is important, your happiness is important. I understand because it takes one to know one.


    Emmy: Please cry if you want to cry. You don''t need to hold it back because I know the pain. That excruciating pain slowly eats your heart. Take your time if you want some time alone, but remember, some people care for you. Mona kept telling me how she''s worried about you.


    Emmy: I am here because I want to help you. I know you can''t live normally until those bastards got what they deserved.


    Emmy: Elise, take your time and then text me back if you want my help. I will surely help you.


    ¡ª


    I dropped my phone and crawled to the bed. I kept remembering my previous life as I texted Elise, those dark days when I couldn''t even sleep without crying first.


    It was so depressing that I wished I had enough guts to kill myself, so I could end my own endless torment.


    That scar on my body might''ve faded a long time ago, but the scar in my heart would forever be engraved no matter how many rebirths I did. allnovelfull

 Chapter 137 - Logans Suggestion

    I fell asleep and woke up in the middle of the night with a headache. I checked the clock, "Two in the morning¡­ ugh, this is why I don''t sleep early¡­ most of the time."


    I got up groggily from the bed and washed my face in the bathroom. Then I returned back and checked my phone.


    As expected, there was no answer from Elise. I knew it wasn''t easy to persuade a sexual assault victim, so I won''t pressure her for now. I can still proceed with my current n with Noah. What I wanted with Elise was just her testimony, so it''d make it harder for those three to escape juvenile centerter on.


    But then, I saw a text from a man right when I unlocked the screen. I opened the text and read it.


    ¡ª


    Logan: Yo.


    Logan: Sleeping already? Heh, as expected from yourzy ass.


    ¡ª


    Dang it, this guy still had the audacity to insult me out of nowhere in the middle of the night! So I texted him back out of spite.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Howe you can''t answer my call or text me back when I need you to handle some administration in the pottery club, but you can still insult me in the middle of the night!


    Logan: Heheh, I''m so stressed right now. That''s why I''m chatting you up.


    Emmy: So¡­ your way of destressing is by insulting me?


    Logan: No, I have another method.


    ¡ª


    My heart jumped when he suddenly called me out of nowhere. I was about to reject his call, but then again¡­ this might be the best time to ask for his advice.


    Logan had a lot of experience. Although I didn''t know how the hell he could get those experiences, getting some suggestion from him wouldn''t hurt.


    So I epted the call, and we had this long silence before he opened the conversation.


    __Phone Call__


    "Miss me?"


    "Dang it! You disappear for months, and that''s your first sentence?! How shameless can you be!?" I yelled at him annoyedly. He seriously needed to get his mental checked. How could someone be that shameless and overconfident?!


    "Hahah! Don''t get so worked up. I mean, I miss you a lot¡­ so¡­" Logan paused for a moment. "A¡ªAnyway, that''s not important. I just want to call you because I''m bored and stressed right now."


    "Honestly, what are you doing right now? What kind of mission does a 16-year-old have to handle? Mowing neighbor''swn?" I asked and joked at the same time.


    "I wish it''s that simple¡­." Logan sighed. "My mission is about something dangerous. As much as I want to tell you about it, I don''t want to risk your life, Em."


    "You''re¡­ important¡­." Logan mumbled, but I could hear it on the phone.


    "Huh? Important? Me? For what? For your mission?" I started questioning what he said just now.


    "N¡ªNothing! Just forget what I said before. I must''ve been too tired these days!" Logan suddenly rebuked. "Anyway, what are you up to these days? Someone like you must''ve found a new target, right?"


    "Well¡­ yeah¡­" I confirmed. "Actually, I want to take down three people at once, and it won''t be easy."


    "Huh? Three people? Damn, Emmelyn Jones, you''re so vicious and evil!"


    "Well, thank you for thepliment¡ªif that''s not backhanded," I rolled my eyes.


    "Who are these three people?"


    "It''s from the sophomore ss. They are a bunch of bullies who beat up my new friend¡ª"


    "A new friend? You can get a friend?"


    "Hey! What does that mean?!" I raised my voice again. "Do you think I''m that anti-social? Besides, he is a good man and kind too!"


    "HE?!"


    "Yeah, he. He''s a man."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Did you¡ª"


    "He''s gay."


    "Okay, never mind."


    I could hear Logan let out a relieved sigh as if he had been holding his disagreement for a while.


    "So, do you already create a n to take them down?" Logan asked.


    "Well, roughly, yes. Noah found out about their service. They''re basically hitmen. They will bully or assault any students as long as they get paid. They don''t even hesitate to sexually assault a girl after they got paid a sum of money," I exined the current situation.


    "I''m nning to use this to my own advantage. I''m nning to take advantage of this service by trapping them."


    "Trapping them?"


    "Yeah, I haven''t nned a good trap to set, but if I can get them expelled, or even worse, put into the juvenile center or jail, then I consider it done."


    "Then, any rough idea of a good trap for them?" Logan asked again.


    ¡­


    "Hehe, then let me give you advice on a good trap against them."


    "I''m all ears," I said as I listened to Logan''s words.


    "Ever heard of¡­ wrong ce at a wrong time?"


    "Huh? I mean, what does that connect with my current mission?"


    "You should put someone in the wrong ce, at a wrong time, and let those three bullies enter the trap."


    "¡­ I still don''t get it," I shamefully admitted.


    Logan sighed and continued exining, "Put someone you don''t like in that ''wrong ce at a wrong time.'' And then let them watch the whole scene of those bullies doing what they are paid to do."


    "That someone will definitely shit a brick, and at that point, he or she will report it to the police, school board, or at least record the whole thing and share it in social media."


    "Any of those works in your favor, and those bullies will get expelled or jailed in less than a week, trust me."


    I tried to connect the exnation from Logan and the current mission, and the lightbulb finally popped in my head, "OH! So, what you mean is¡­ I put another person as a witness and created a scenario of involuntary witness in the wrong ce, at the wrong time. Those three bullies will have to chase and beat them to silence them, right?"


    "Yes, and if you can find someone important enough as that involuntary witness, then those three people will have to face charge they can''t escape."


    "Someone important, hm¡­." Okay, I seriously didn''t expect this conversation to evolve into big progress in my n.


    I mean, I knew Logan was experienced, but he was THAT experienced in this field as if he had been doing this for so long.


    Now I had to think of someone important to be the involuntary witness. I was about to put Chrissy as the involuntary witness in the wrong ce, at the wrong time. But then again, I remembered that she was nothing important. She didn''t have any worth except being a bootlicker and social climber.


    I needed a student with enough influence, so those three bastards would have to beat and threaten that person, or else that person would report everything to the police.


    And I had to make sure to give those bastards a mission that was too dangerous and might lead them to jail, but with big money as a reward.


    A mission that was high risk, high reward.


    "Now, I will let you start thinking. I''m sorry I can''t help you with this one. I''m still in this dangerous mission," Logan said.


    "It''s okay. Thanks for helping me, Logan. Good luck with the mission," I said.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Just that?" Logan asked. I really thought he would hang up the call after that. "You''re just going to say thank you as my reward for giving you a genius idea to take them down easily?"


    "Ugh, fine, what do you want? Remember, I don''t have money," I warned him.


    "I have enough money to buy the whole school if I want, haha!" Logan''s arrogant, bratty voice somehow infuriated me. "Just cut the crap and tell me what do you want as a token of gratitude?"


    "Well, I''m not demanding. You can start with giving me sincere encouragement. Because I''m so stressed out right now, a small encouragement wouldn''t hurt," Logan suggested, and I could only agree with that.


    "Ugh, fine," I cleared my throat and started giving him a small encouragement. "Logan, you can do it. I know it''s hard, but you can do it, fighting¡­ yay¡­."


    "What the¡ªI want a sincere encouragement! What you did is a half-assed encouragement that got me even more exhausted than before!"


    "What kind of sincere encouragement do you want, honestly?"


    "W¡ªWell¡­ the one when you be a cat maid¡­ or whatever¡­ I don''t care¡­." Logan said in a soft voice. I almost missed it.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I seriously wanted to smack his face right now. But I was the woman of my word, so I cleared my throat again and closed my eyes to prepare myself.


    Then when I opened my eyes, I had an entirely different persona.


    "Meow~ Master Logan, are you tired? Stressed? Why don''t you rest with me, Master Logan? You should stay strong and finish the mission! Then you can meet me, and I will give you a kiss-kiss, nyaaa~."

 Chapter 138 - Taking Out This Torment (1)

    __Phone call__


    "Meow~ Master Logan, are you tired? Stressed? Why don''t you take a rest with me, Master Logan? You should stay strong and finish the mission! Then you can meet me, and I will give you a kiss-kiss, nyaaa~."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "SAY SOMETHING, IDIOT!" I yelled out loud after that embarrassing act I had to do just for this arrogant brat to feel satisfied.


    "Uh¡­ I¡­ I uh¡­ Uhm¡­" Logan suddenly stuttered as if he was too shocked, even though he had heard me doing the same thing twice. It was almost like a habit at this point. "I¡ªI don''t know what to say¡­."


    "Ugh, if you don''t like it, just say so!"


    "N¡ªNo! I like it so much¡ªurn!" Logan held his voice after he said that.


    Weird, it seemed that he got nervous and giddy right now.


    Or maybe he really was?


    "Wait, do you¡­ really like it?"


    "¡­ thanks, and good night."


    Beep.


    __Phone call ends__


    I was shocked that Logan suddenly thanked me and hung up just like that. He didn''t even say that he liked it.


    Damn, what kind of man was he? At least if you didn''t like it, just say some fake sweet words, so I would feel less embarrassed!


    "Ugh!" I threw the phone and went downstairs to the bathroom for a ss of water. After I returned with a ss of water, I heard a notification from my phone.


    I thought it was Logan again with whatever he was doing right now. But when I checked it, it was actually¡­ Elise!


    She actually replied to my text!


    So I put down the ss of water and started checking her text.


    ¡ª


    Elise: Emmelyn Jones.


    Elise: Do you really know what it feels like? To feel so worthless and disgusting, you can''t even sense your own body.


    Elise: To feel that your body is too filthy, you can''t even look in the mirror anymore.


    ¡ª


    My hands trembled as I read her text. It was short, but what she said connected with me immediately. Because that was what I felt in my previous life.


    Because I felt so disgusted with myself that I couldn''t even look at myself in the mirror.


    No matter what kind of apparel I wore would make me feel like a whore, because I let myself get touched by that man¡­


    I gritted my teeth, refusing to recall that incident. It was so traumatizing that I didn''t want to remember it anymore.


    But that was also one of the reasons why I started stuffing myself with junk food, hoping that my fat body would make me feel less ''slutty'' of myself because it was my body that attracted them.


    At least, that was what I thought before. After recalling it again, no matter what kind of shirt you wear, if someone already had an uncontroble perverted thought, he would molest you in some way possible.


    I collected my courage to continue texting.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I know that feeling. I have experienced it¡­ firsthand.


    Emmy: That''s why I''m reaching out to you. Because I know that you need help right now.


    Elise: What kind of help do I need? Nobody will believe me since the physical wounds have faded. Although my heart will never forget what they did to me.


    Emmy: I cannot erase that bad memory in your heart. But I can help you to relive the torment instead.


    Elise: Relieving?


    Emmy: I can help you take revenge on them, on those three bastards who dared to assault you both physically and sexually. I will make sure they suffer fate worst than just getting expelled.


    Emmy: They will pay.


    ¡ª


    My hands continued trembling as I texted her. It was the surge of anger from inside my body that exploded whenever I remembered the terrible things that happened to me in myst life.


    When I saw the same thing happen to other people, I couldn''t help but get my blood boiled.


    Nobody deserved to be treated like that, or they''d turn into someone like me, who had nothing to look up for in the future.


    I waited for her new text, but she just left it reading without replying.


    I waited and waited until I almost fell asleep, then I got another notification.


    ¡ª


    Elise: You''re a girl, right? How would you fight them?


    Elise: They are a bunch of jocks ready to beat you to death. I''ve experienced it as well, firsthand.


    Emmy: We might be girls, but that doesn''t mean we cannot defeat them.


    Emmy: I don''t have the strength of a bull or something, but I have my brain. I will take them down with a well-executed n. Do not worry about it.


    Elise: Are you sure? I would pull out immediately if you failed¡­


    Emmy: Don''t worry, you can save yourself first if I fail. Honestly, all I need from you is your testimony. Because I will make sure that they will rot in jail for physical and sexual assault.


    ¡ª


    I started thinking about the involuntary witness again. I had to find someone that could fit that role. Since Chrissy was too useless, she was out of the list¡­ lucky her, for now.


    I was thinking of Jessica or Ashley. But they were way too untouchable right now.


    I mean, what kind of trap I could put on them so they''de to the spot and see those bastards doing some crazy stuff?


    Besides, I didn''t know if those two would freak out and start running away or got interested and helped the beating as well.


    Though, my guess would lean on the second one. I bet Jessica or Ashley would only look at those three stooges in interest and then ignore them or probably participate.


    So they were also out of the pool.


    I was thinking of Barbara ''Barbie'' Cornwell.


    But then, I also realized she wasn''t any different than Jessica.


    If she was able to order Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson to beat the crap out of me, she''d probably participate in the trap.


    "So I need someone I hate enough, but also doesn''t have much malicious thought. So he or she would be a real involuntary witness and probably scream and run away," I said to myself.


    I started thinking hard, but I couldn''t find anyone right now.


    Then I started thinking out of the box, hoping that I could find someone to use in this trap.


    But my thought process was disrupted when I got another notification from Elise.


    ¡ª


    Elise: So you want me to testify when they got caught?


    Emmy: Indeed.


    Elise: ¡­ that means you will be doing everything alone up until that part, without my help. Then what''s the point of you asking me?


    Emmy: Wait, are you willing to help more?


    Elise: As long as I''m safe while you''re doing whatever you want, then I will help in any way possible.


    Elise: You''re right. I cannot delete this memory from my mind and heart. But I can avenge myself, so I will feel less burden in my heart, at least I wille out victorious in the end.


    Elise: This is the only way to lessen the pain, rather than letting them living free without restraint, and would probably take another victim just like me.


    ¡ª


    Wow, damn, that was quick.


    I mean, it was quite understandable, though. When you were filled with rage and resentment, you wanted to take a shortcut to defeat whoever you have such hatred on right now, so you could feel better about yourself.


    I could sense that Elise was truly determined to avenge her torment. It was such a nice fuel in this mission.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Alright, do you want me to call you? It''d be easier to exin my n if we could have a call right now.


    Emmy: Besides, it''d mean less evidence, just in case I got caught.


    Elise: Alright.


    ¡ª


    I stared at Elise''s contact on my phone and then pressed the green call button.


    After a few beeps, she finally picked it up, and we had a long silence between us.


    __Phone call with Elise__


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Hello?" I initiated the conversation first.


    "Emmelyn Jones¡­ right?"


    "I am," I sighed out of relief. I thought she would be a lot harder to talk with. Because if it was me, I''d definitely shun anyone who tried to reach out to me because I was self-deprecating and isting.


    Since I knew Elise wouldn''t initiate any conversation between us, so I had to take the step, "Elise, are you sure you want to talk about this right now?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Because¡­ because you''ve been hurting for so long. I know that feeling. So I don''t want to pressure you if you think you''re not ready¡­."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Emmelyn Jones, or can I call you Emmy for now?"


    "Yes, you can."


    "Emmy, that experience is traumatic for me, indeed. I have been locking myself in my room and onlye out to eat with my family in silence because I don''t know how to handle this."


    "That feeling is eating me from the inside, and I don''t know how to vent this¡­ until you give me the idea just now."

 Chapter 139 - Taking Out This Torment (2)

    ¡ªPhone call¡ª


    "Emmy, that experience is traumatic for me, indeed. I have been locking myself in my room and onlye out to eat with my family in silence because I don''t know how to handle this."


    "That feeling is eating me from the inside, and I don''t know how to vent this¡­ until you give me the idea just now."


    What idea? An idea to screw it all?


    I wondered by myself, but since Elise was now on my side, things should be a lot easier.


    "So you''re willing to help me, right? In any way possible," I asked, hoping that she''d ept it and ensure our victory.


    "Yes, in any way, I will help you."


    ¡­


    Wow, I had to admit that I wasn''t this strong. When I was in her position, all I could do was cry andment my fate because that was the only thing I could do back then.


    If only I had her courage and bravery, maybe stuff would be slightly different in myst life.


    "Then, I will exin everything first, including my n," I said. I cleared my throat and started exining everything that was in my head before, including the one I discussed with Logan.


    "So, you know that they ept the request in exchange for money, right?"


    "Indeed, I was¡­ one of the victims," Elise replied.


    "They don''t have any set of limitations of what kind of stunt they would pull in exchange for money, but I bet they could always refuse something if the pay wasn''t worth it."


    "That''s why I nned to make them do an absolutely crazy shit that wouldnd them in jail if they got caught, in exchange for a big reward."


    "But that request will be a trap for them. I''m nning to trap them in that request, though I haven''t thought of a good trap yet," I exined. "But I do have an idea of something called the involuntary witness."


    "Involuntary witness?" Elise asked.


    "It''s basically a witness that identally saw everything involuntarily because she or he was in the wrong ce, at a wrong time."


    "That involuntary witness will be our key. If we can get someone who could be baited to be our witness, then our victory is assured."


    ¡­


    There was no answer from Elise''s side, so I asked nervously, "Uh¡­ any question?"


    "Wait, let me sum it up," Elise hummed for a moment. "So you want to trap those bastards, Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson, in their own dangerous stunt and have someone be an involuntary request that identally witnessed everything?"


    "Indeed," I confirmed.


    "But that involuntary witness¡­ if he or she reacted wildly, wouldn''t that force those bastards to chase after the witness and beat him or her up? I think even worse, they will use scary threats so they wouldn''t get caught."


    "That is also the n," I confirmed again.


    "¡­ do you want to hurt this involuntary witness badly?" Elise sounded hesitating. Which I understood because what we were talking about was dragging an innocent victim here.


    "Yes, that is exactly my n. But the thing is¡­ we shouldn''t drag someone who never hurt us in the first ce. And we can''t also drag someone unimportant because we want that involuntary witness to go to the police."


    "We can''t also drag girls like¡­ Barbara Cornwell, if you know what I mean," I mentioned Barbie because she was a sophomore just like Elise, so Elise must''ve known her antics.


    "Ah, I understand¡­."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was a long silence between us until Elise suddenly gave her own idea, "I don''t think we can use students in this. Because the police or school board will see this as regr bullying, and those bastards will get suspended at most."


    "Why don''t we use someone more important than just a student¡­ like a teacher," Elise said. "If we can get a teacher as our involuntary witness, then the possibility of those bastards to get expelled or put into the juvenile center would be higher because violence against teachers is unforgivable."


    "And that teacher must look weak and fragile, probably a short woman, because it will make them look really bad in the court. You know, it''d be sensational news to see three strong high school students beating up a helpless little female teacher. That''d definitely put pressure on the school board or, even worse, the judge in the court to put a heavy sentence to those three."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Holy shit, I hadn''t thought of that before. That idea was fucking genius!


    If we used a teacher instead of students, then the school board, or even worse, the court judge would have to put a heavy sentence in Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson, or they''d face bacsh from people.


    It made me wonder when Mona said that Elise was blunt and how she checkmated that girl in her ss. I had a feeling that we could work together as a team.


    And I was mind blown by her strength and ideas. She was definitely a partner-in-crime material!


    But¡­ I had no idea of any teacher that we could use in this. Of course, I knew that none of my teachers in this high school cared whether one or two students got bullied. Most of them just teach and leave. Some even ignored any real fight happening in front of them.


    "Honestly, that is a perfect idea, Elise," Iplimented her first to make herfortable around me. "But I have no rmendation of any teacher with our preferred appearance. And also, we cannot just take a good teacher who never hurts anyone to be our victim, you know that, right?"


    "Uh¡­ I have, actually," Elise said. "I don''t think you''ve met her yet, because she teaches sophomore. But she fits that criteria perfectly, and she is¡­ a total bitch."


    "Who?"


    "Miss Alba, Brittany Alba," Elise mentioned. "She is an English teacher, and believe me, she loathes every girl, humiliates and bullies them because she sees them not as a student, but as apetitor."


    I tried recalling when I was a sophomore in myst life. I didn''t have much recollection because sophomore was the most fleeting moment.


    At that time, I was beaten up left and right, every day felt like nothing, and I was numb through any pain. Because my Mom and Grandma died at the start of sophomore year, and everything after that felt like a dream instead.


    But I continued recalling this teacher called Brittany Alba¡ªuntil I remember that short English teacher in her early 30 who tried to mingle with any hot male students.


    She basicallytched in any male student that looked hot, mostly the jocks.


    She would also join any conversation between male students, making herself part of the conversation. All I saw was an attention whore who wanted to be the center of attention for the boys.


    And how could I remember this one teacher? Well, I recalled the time when she tried to touch Mason inappropriately.


    Yes, it was Mason Hall again.


    That guy was way too handsome and popr for his own good.


    I remembered seeing her trying to push Mason to a tree and tiptoes, trying to kiss him on the lips. This happened behind the school. The location wasn''t far from my usual hiding spot where I parked my bike because that ce was like my safe space so my bike wouldn''t be destroyed by some bullies.


    Though, I recalled that she failed because Mason just pushed her and left immediately. Too bad he never reported her, probably because he didn''t want trouble.


    Miss Brittany Alba never talked to me, nor did she ever see me as a threat. Maybe because she thought I was way lower than her in terms of attractiveness. She did get catty with Jessica and Ashley, though, since they were more physically attractive.


    Now I wondered¡­


    "Elise, do you have any problem with Miss Brittany Alba?" I asked.


    "W¡ªWell, kind of¡­." Elise replied. "It''s partly because of my sharp tongue, as usual, I guess. But what I said was the truth."


    "What did you say to get you in trouble with her?"


    "It''s because she keeps flirting with a male student during her ss. Everyone was ufortable with her, but nobody dared to say anything because she is a teacher."


    "I was so annoyed by her shamelessness to take a seat and literally sit beside that male student and leaned on his shoulder while reading a text passage in the book."


    "She also giggled and flirted with the male student periodically, that male student looked so anxious and scared, so I called her out."


    "And¡­ what did you say?" I asked impatiently.


    "Uh¡­ In the middle of the ss, I told her to stop acting like a teenage girl because she is a 33 years old woman. And I also told her to start teaching seriously because we won''t learn anything listening to her flirting."


    "Wow, Elise, that''s vicious, no wonder she hates your guts¡­ nice."

 Chapter 140 - Taking Out This Torment (3)

    "Wow, Elise, that''s vicious, no wonder she hates your guts¡­ nice," Iplimented Elise for her ingenious idea. She really turned a very rough and somewhat messy n into a good n here.


    It made me wonder if Elise had an experience of dealing with something like this in the past. Because she was just so well-versed.


    My suspicion grew. As someone who had experienced getting backstabbed in my previous life, I didn''t want to experience the same thing after what happened.


    "Elise, may I ask something?"


    "Hm? Do ask."


    "You seem to be well prepared in this. I wonder if you have an experience of scheming someone before."


    "Ah, that¡ªI mean, you can say that¡­." Elise admitted. "But not exactly scheming, I don''t think you need to know¡­."


    This.


    This was what I hated the most when someone sounded so wishy-washy about her own decision. Because it reminded me of Cerise and her weak-willed personality.


    She acted as the most bullied kid on earth but wouldn''t even think twice about ditching you when someone tried to bribe her with something, even something as cheap as empty sweet words.


    "I can''t work with someone who keeps a secret with me, you know. I''m here to help, but if I feel insecure because of something, that''d definitely affect our cooperation," I said ruthlessly. I refused to work with someone that might hurt me in the future. "That''s why to be clear and honest, Elise."


    Elise gasped and paused for a moment, "I''m sorry, I was just surprised. But if you want me to tell you, I can do that. It''s just more embarrassing than scary¡­."


    "Embarrassing?" I frowned. What kind of scheme would be embarrassing? I wouldn''t call my previous schemes to take Kristen and Leah as embarrassing.


    "I never actually scheme against anyone. It''s just my imagination. I have animosity against anyone who hurt me. I just can''t forget if anyone ridiculed or insulted me."


    "That''s why I kept making scenarios in my head and nned it intricately. While it''s only a fake scenario, but it was enough to make me feel better about myself."


    ¡­


    "O¡ªOkay, I believe you now. No need to exin more," I said. Now I know why she was embarrassed because I was also like that in my previous life. Since I couldn''t do anything against those bullies, I just made a fake scenario in my head, murdering them one by one like an edgy kid.


    When I recalled it again, I couldn''t help but get embarrassed as well. Mostly because I was just a coward who couldn''t do the real thing in real life.


    "Okay, let''s summarize our n together," I mentioned. "So we will start by making a risky but highly rewarding request for those bastards. When those bastards finally epted it, then we could set up a good ce for the ''ident'' to happen with that involuntary witness."


    "After that involuntary witness saw something she shouldn''t, then she''d probably freak out, and those bastards would be forced to chase that witness to beat her up and threatened her not to report this."


    "And of course, it''ll be our job to record everything and send it to the police and school board, making sure they would get expelled at least. Since they ruined my life, then they should be ruined as well," Elise added. She sounded so malicious, which I understood because she must have felt tormented by that physical and sexual assault. "I will not be relieved unless we can take down those bastards because they have ruined me, so I shall ruin them too!"


    "How about that girl who paid those bastards to beat you up?" I asked. I didn''t remember her name, but Mona mentioned her once.


    "Oh, you mean, Natasha?"


    "Ah, yes, that girl."


    "She''s kind of tricky, you know¡­ because she is one of the popr girls in my batch right now, and she''s allied with Barbie Cornwell. If we want to take her down, then we need to face Barbie too."


    Oh perfect! Just absolutely perfect!


    Because I also wanted to take Barbie down, that would be hitting two birds with one stone.


    It seemed that Elise hadn''t realized the three bastards were allied with Barbie because they were all enamored by her beauty.


    So they would do anything for her.


    "Do you not know that Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson are all Barbie Cornwell''s admirers?" I leaked it to her. I mean, she was literally in the same batch with Barbie and the rest of those people. How could she not know?


    "Wait, they what?!"


    "I mean, I got it from rumors that Barbie has a lot of men around her, so it''s not really surprising those stooges be her admirers as well."


    "I mean¡ªI know she''s popr and stuff, but I never heard about that¡ª"


    "I mean, the evidence is already clear, right?" I started creating a scenario in my head to influence Elise. I needed to make our interest aligned to take down Barbie as well.


    "Clear?"


    "Yes, do you think those bastards would ept Natasha''s request? Beating a girl and, even worse, sexually assaulting her is not an easy task. I bet they also have hesitation in their hearts," I said. This was a logical exnation. I doubted Natasha didn''t get any external help. "From what I heard, even the smallest task needs 1000 dors for them. Do you really think Natasha could get more than a thousand dors easily?"


    Of course, thatst sentence was just a wild guess. I just remembered that nobody beat Leah and Ashley in terms of money. Of course, there were plenty of rich kids in my school, but nobody topped those two, even for our seniors.


    After Elise told me that Natasha and Barbie were close, I basically summarized it in my head.


    "You know, I suspect that Barbie Cornwell participated in this. I bet Natasha asked Barbie to convince those bastards to take the mission to beat you before. With Barbie asking them personally, I don''t think Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson would refuse. She probably told them there would be more than just money from Natasha as a reward," I said, hinting that she might''ve used her body as a reward, maybe let them peek or at least kiss them.


    It was what Barbara ''Barbie'' Cornwell did in myst life. From what I heard after they beat me up, they said they''d get a kiss from Barbie.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    After listening to my assumption, Elise seemed to be in a shocking state. I waited until she opened her mouth again, and the first thing she said was, "That makes sense¡­."


    "See? It does make perfect sense!" I convinced her. "Both Barbie and Natasha were ountable for your assault. They did it together to ruin you. That''s why, if you want to make sure you will have a normal school life again, then we must take down Natasha and Barbie together."


    I was hoping that Elise would agree immediately, but she actually hesitated, "Honestly, the reason why I only targeted those three bastards, because I don''t think I can actually take Natasha and Barbie down. Natasha''s Dad is a constant donator in the school, while Barbie has an army of boys behind her, ready to do her bidding."


    "Oh, so you''re afraid we cannot do it?" I asked. I got challenged by her statement. Because I had taken down someone as big as Leah before, I had enough confidence that I could do the same with those bastards.


    "How about this, Elise. We will see whether this mission of taking Thomas, Jorge and Jackson is sessful or not. If it''s not sessful, then you can draw out of the mess, and I will take all ountability for what happened."


    "But if it is a sess, then promise to work together with me to take down Natasha and Barbie together.


    I waited until Elise epted the offer because my gut feeling was sad that Elise would be a great female partner-in-crime that might understand me more than Logan.


    I mean, I liked Logan¡ªnot in romantic ways, of course. I just like how efficient andpetent he was.


    But I also wanted someone who could connect with me on a personal level.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Emmy, why are you so eager for this revenge, and why do I feel like you''re actually targeting Barbie here?" Elise suddenly asked.


    I choked on air because what she said was absolutely shocking for me. Because she could perceive through my glib.


    Elise was definitely a good catch if I could take her on my side. She wasn''t an idiot like Cerise.


    "What makes you think like that?" I challenged her.


    "Because from your voice, I could tell that you got fired up when talking about Barbie Cornwell. So that''s why I assumed that you have a personal grudge against her.. That''s why you want to make this a bridge for you to do it, am I right, Emmy?" Elise asked.

 Chapter 141 - Taking Out This Torment (4)

    "Because from your voice, I could tell that you got fired up when talking about Barbie Cornwell. So that''s why I assumed that you have a personal grudge against her. That''s why you want to make this a bridge for you to do it, am I right, Emmy?" Elise asked.


    And her suspicion was correct, 100% correct.


    Because I was actually baiting her to be on my side to take care of Barbieter on. Because based on her skill, she could be a great addition.


    But I didn''t expect her to see through my scheme so easily. As expected, she was not a regr girl.


    "You''re right, Elise. I do have a personal grudge against Barbie for something she did before. I''ve been thinking about taking her down, but I haven''t found any good method yet."


    "When I saw howpetent you are despite making things up in your imagination, I saw that you''re a potential partner here," I said truthfully, not wanting to hide anything from my future partner.


    Elise hummed for a moment and replied, "Honestly, I don''t see anything wrong with this. But you should''ve told me sooner because I don''t like being kept in the dark. So how about we make a deal?"


    "A deal?"


    "Yes, we should make a deal about this. You will help me get my revenge on those three bastards, Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson. And if it is proven that Natasha and Barbie were working together to bully the crap out of me, then I will help you take down of Barbie as well."


    "It''s a fair deal, right?" Elise offered. "So, what do you think?"


    Honestly, that was the fairest deal we could get out of this. She earned her revenge, and so do i. We would be satisfied with each others'' work in the end.


    "It is a good n, so¡­ deal. Let''s do this, Elise," I said.


    "Great, don''t worry, Emmy. I am here to get my revenge, so do yours. Let''s make it a good trade, and we might work as a team in the future as well," Elise said.


    I was impressed by her decisiveness. She was depressed for a while, but when I gave her a way out of her misery, she epted it and readied herself for her vengeful quest. She reminded me of myself, but I wasn''t that brave in my previous life.


    I should learn more from her.


    "So, what''s our first mission?" Elise asked. Since everything had been floored now, we should start the execution as quickly as possible, especially for Elise, who was eager.


    "We should talk about this in person, if that''s eptable for you," I asked, trying not to touch- any sensitive topic with her.


    "I can do that. Do you want to meet outside of the school or inside?" She asked.


    "Wait, what¡ªI thought you were afraid of going to school."


    "Honestly, I miss school as well, but if it''s for this mission, then I will not back down to anything," Elise said.


    ¡­


    I mean, it would be convenient for me to meet her in my club since it was basically my safe space. But I kept thinking whether it was a safe space for her since she still needed to avoid those three stooges.


    They might not do anything in front of everyone, but Elise might lose control in front of them, and our n would definitely be ruined.


    "I don''t think we should meet in school. It''s way too risky. How about we meet at the nearest convenience store around the school in the evening. Because I doubt those bastards woulde to any cafe. I don''t want you to lose control in front of them, just a preventive measure."


    Elise sighed and agreed, "Okay, that''s more logical, I guess. Though, I still think that you''re being paranoid, Emmy. I can definitely control myself."


    ''And I definitely don''t trust your temper,'' I said in my heart. I mean, Elise could say that because she was in her house right now. But if it was real life, and those bastards started mocking Elise about it, of course, she would lose control.


    So I didn''t want to take a risk.


    "Then you should be the one who picks our meeting point. I will be avable after school on Monday."


    "Then let''s meet up. I''ll text you again after school on Monday," Elise said, then we hung up the call.


    __Phone call ends__


    I took a deep breath after a long conversation with Elise. It was actually exhausting because Elise was a lot smarter than I expected.


    She was just unfortunate to get caught in this devil circle with Natasha, Barbie, and those three stooges.


    Iy on the bed and closed my eyes immediately. One hour had passed with only me talking with her, so I fell asleep and hoped that Monday woulde quick.


    **


    [Monday]


    I went to school and continued the sses like usual. Although I had something else in mind right now because I just got a text from Noah that he couldn''t go to school today because he got a text from his friend that Jorge, Thomas, and Jackson were searching his whereabouts.


    It seemed they really liked bullying Noah to his grave and would probably make fun of it once Noah killed himself.


    They were basically vile bullies that only did everything because they had nothing better to do.


    So I waited until Elise texted me instead, and right at the end of thest ss, I got a text from Elise.


    ¡ª


    Elise: I''ll be waiting in the small cafe near the school. I''ll share the location.


    Elise: Location sent.


    Elise: I''ll be waiting.


    ¡ª


    I got excited by her text and quickly went to the parking lot and rode my bike to the cafe. I knew this cafe just by the location because it was near the convenience store I often visited.


    When I arrived, there wasn''t anyone outside of the cafe, it was pretty empty because most students couldn''t afford it, and the rich ones didn''t want to spend their money on a cafe near the school.


    I parked my bike and texted Elise.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I''m outside.


    Elise: Yes, I can see you.


    ¡ª


    I looked to the ss pane and saw a girl wearing a hoodie waving at me. So I entered the cafe and walked in her direction. I was a tad surprised by her face because she had dark eye bags. It seemed that she cried too much and was in such a terrible depression.


    At least, she didn''t lie about her depression at all.


    "Elise?"


    "Yup," Elise nodded with a thin smile on her face. "Emmelyn Jones, right?"


    "Indeed, I am," I said. I sat face to face with her, and we shook hands. "Thanks for your willingness to help me," I said first.


    "No, no, it''s not a willingness to help you. I''m here for my own interest," Elise replied. "Besides, you also know that I''m doing this out of spite, right? I cannot release this torment in my heart before those three are dead on the ground¡ªor at least expelled and jailed."


    So vicious, nice.


    "Indeed, I''m here to help you and Noah because he''s also bullied right now. In fact, he didn''te to school today because he got news from his ssmate that Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson were searching for him.


    "Noah? Really? That guy?" Elise asked with a bewildered face.


    "Huh? What''s wrong? Your reaction is so simr to Mona."


    "Wait, what did Mona say to you?"


    "She said that Noah is just a spectator. He is mostly invisible and never makes any problem with anyone," I replied, trying to remember my conversation with Mona before.


    "Well, it''s not wrong," Elise sighed. "But that''s not the real cause. It seems that Mona hides something because Noah is her ex-boyfriend."


    "Wait, so, what did I miss?" I asked.


    "The fact that Noah is not just a spectator in everything. He is also the one who allowed Thomas to bully someone. It was actually a gossip around," Elise lowered her voice just in case. "There is a rumor around Noah and Thomas, saying that Noah allows Thomas to beat up anyone even though one incident happened right in front of him."


    "Nobody knows whether it was because of Noah being way too scared to stop the three stooges. Or because Noah was secretly helping them. That''s why I got surprised when you mentioned Noah''s name."


    "So, the rumor said that Noah might have been a bully as well?" I couldn''t believe what I had just heard. When I saw Noah for the first time, Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson seriously didn''t spare him at all. He was beaten to a pulp until he couldn''t even get up for a good while.


    "Are you sure about that rumor?" I asked.


    "Pretty sure, because it has been circting around for so long.. There is also a rumor saying that Noah might be gay because he treats Thomas a little bit too special for a friend."

 Chapter 142 - Taking Out This Torment (5)

    Chapter 142 ¨C Taking Out This Torment (5)


    "Pretty sure, because it has been circting around for so long. There is also a rumor saying that Noah might be gay because he treats Thomas a little bit too special."


    "A little bit too special?"


    The more we talked about this, the more sensationalized it felt for me. I didn''t know much about Noah. I had to admit that. But the way Elise portrayed him made him sound so¡­ two-faced.


    Which waspletely different from my view about Noah. He looked like a regr boy who was gay and got bullied to his death because of his sexuality.


    Now I wanted to know more about Noah.


    "Yeah, the rumor circting around said that Noah is secretly in love with Thomas, that''s why he allowed Thomas to do whatever he pleased, even giving Thomas a lot of money, which came from his own allowance. Since Noah came from a wealthy but broken family," Elise exined.


    "Hold on, Elise, how did you know all of this information?" I asked.


    I mean, I could probably rebuke all those statements about Noah and Thomas easily. Because from what Noah said, he came out of the closet after he realized that he was totally gay. And the first one he told about this was Thomas because he thought they were close friends, so Thomas would ept him easily.


    Turned out Thomas was homophobic, and Noah was beaten to a pulp because of his confession.


    "Mona," Elise mentioned. "Mona told me everything about them. To be honest, Mona also said that they broke up because of Thomas. Noah seems to be too submissive and obedient for that bastard Thomas. That''s why Mona always felt like she was the third wheel in their rtionship. Even after they were in a rtionship, Noah never treated Mona like a special girl. He treated her just like his regr friend."


    Well, that was because Noah was a pure gay. Of course, you cannot force a tiger to be a vegetarian. At least I knew the real reason behind this baseless rumor.


    But still, I had something in mind about this case. Because Elise said that Noah and Thomas seemed to be too close to each other, but why didn''t she tell me before?


    "But howe Mona never talk about this with me?"


    "Maybe because she still has feelings for Noah. But Noahpletely ignored her these days except if there was something to do as a team in school. Yeah, it''s that bad," Elise replied.


    Honestly, I was astonished by Elise''s ability to itch my curiosity. This case didn''t seem to be a simple one because of Noah, Mona, and Thomas''s dynamic.


    "That''s why other students suspected that Noah might have as well been the bully because he helped Thomas in everything," Elise said.


    ¡­


    I seriously have to talk with Noah after this. I needed his exnation because now I also got suspicious of him, thanks to this talk with Elise and me.


    Now that I''ve talked with Elise for a minute or so, I hade to the realization that Elise was really blunt, just like what Mona told me before.


    She didn''t even filter her words, but what she said wasn''t baseless at all. At least in this rumor about Noah and Thomas, it wasn''t baseless.


    Now I also understood how her blunt attitude would get her in trouble. She was brave but too brave for someone without much power, to begin with. So she could be targeted easily by some sick people, like Natasha and Barbie.


    "Let''s just move on to the real topic right now. I can talk with Noahter on because he is on my side right now," I said. "Don''t worry, I will not spill about our conversation today. I know my limit to keep our agreement."


    Elise looked satisfied with my answer, and she finally nodded, "Thank you, Emmy. I can answer everything about what happened other than the exact reconstruction of what happened that day, especially when they start¡­ you know."


    "I know. You don''t need to talk about that," I said. "I¡­ I also have a simr experience. That''s why I know you don''t want to talk about the detail of that bad experience."


    "Good to know, Emmy. I hope our experience could make us a great team," Elise smiled thin. "Now, what do you want to know?"


    "Okay, first, I want to know what exactly you said to Natasha that led to this?"


    ¡­


    Elise paused for a moment. It seemed that she was trying to remember what she had said before. Which implied that Elise didn''t pay much attention to what she said out loud usually. And she didn''t seem to be someone who cared whether the person liked it or not.


    "Uh, I think I told Mona about this before. But I''m not sure if I actually remembered correctly right now. It was just a small joke because I was so annoyed by her antics. She thinks that he is above all just because her Dad is a donator in school, even though there are plenty of richer donators right now."


    "When she starts disrespecting the teacher and ss, I just told her to shut up and listen to the ss because all those donations wouldn''t save her from failing ss and life."


    ¡­


    I mean, it wasn''t really as vicious as I expected. I actually expected more. But Natasha was one of those rich kids who refused to hang out with us, the poor.


    They held their own party and social gathering. So her arrogance must''ve been up high in the air. Though, even a small joke could lead to a big disaster.


    They were easily offended with everything and usually liked to bully the one they didn''t like viciously, just like what happened to me in my previous life and current Elise.


    "Well, I honestly don''t find any problem with what you said to Natasha. Maybe she was just too sensitive. Thinking of anything you do would always be wrong. "


    "Yeah, she has animosity towards me even before this. Because I always bluntly called her out without filter, just like what I did before."


    "Okay, since we finally got the mastermind behind this, are you sure you don''t want to take her too?"


    "Just because I''m targeting those three bastards first doesn''t mean I don''t want to take revenge on Natasha. I want to take her down, but I failed because she always looks safe," Elise denied.


    "Then we should see it from Barbie. Didn''t I tell you that they are working together to take you down? They are the ones who tormented your life."


    "I mean, that''s the deal between us, right? We''re going to take on the underlings first before we take on the big boss."


    "Indeed, that is the deal between us," I replied. "If there is proof that Barbie and Natasha were working together, then you would give you my best and help me, right?"


    "Yes," Elise nodded.


    "Now, since we have talked about everything yesterday on the phone. I want to talk about the execution instead. I cleared my throat and started, "First of all, we need money for this kind of stuff. Of course, we can always tell those three bastards that their payment would be after the task was well done."


    "But I also don''t think they are willing to do anything without a front payment. That''s why I want to y some mind game with them, Elise."


    "Mind game?" Elsie tilted her head.


    "Yes, we should give them a fantastic prize as their reward, let''s say maybe for the reward of 4000 dors, those three stooges had to do something requested."


    "Meanwhile, we only have 2000 dors in my bag. So I put all the money I had to be the three stooges as their front payment."


    "Those three bastards would be excited to finish the job because they already got 2000 dors, they might be able to buy a lot of things with a total of 4000! That''d definitely invite them!"


    "Oh, I think I get what you mean, Emmy," Elise said. "What do you mean is, you want to bait them with the big prize to incite them, right? That''s actually a great idea, but¡­."


    Elise sighed. "So how could you get yourself 2000 in the first ce. Because I doubt you''re rich."


    Damn, that actually hurt me more than I expected. Her bluntness really was an acquired taste for most people.


    "Don''t worry about that. I have someone that can help me," I said, thinking of no other than the red rose man. Only he could help her in this difficult money situation.


    "Really? You have someone that would willingly give you 2000 bucks without any question?" Elise looked surprised.


    "Of course, there is always a give and take situation between us. But you don''t need to think about that one. Just remember that I have enough power to make sure that we can get that 2000 bucks, or even more if I want."

 Chapter 143 - Taking Out This Torment (6)

    Chapter 143 ¨C Taking Out This Torment (6)


    "Of course, there is always a give and take situation between us. But you don''t need to think about that one. Just remember that I have enough power to make sure that we can get that 2000 bucks, or even more if I want," I said confidently. Of course, I thought about that red rose man while I talked about this. Because that red rose man was my key to sess, at least for now.


    "Oh-ho-ho, so confident, aren''t we?" Elise chuckled as she leaned at me with interest. "Then, if the money problem has been solved, I think we should start with the real n. What would be a good trap to fight them."


    My lips twitched as I felt that Elise intentionally baited me to be more active in this. Maybe she was also assessing my capability right now. We were trying to evaluate each other because we both didn''t trust so easily.


    "I''ve been thinking about that as well. I do have something in mind, but I want your idea too," I said.


    "Do tell yours first," Elise asked, "I am all ears."


    I took a deep breath and then started, "So my first n is to request them to vandal the whole school in the middle of the night. It might be a simple offense, but if they got caught in the middle of the act by that involuntary witness, then they would get reported or, worse, expelled. So they had to beat up that involuntary witness first. What do you think?"


    "Hm¡­ usible, but highly unlikely," Elise said. "I don''t think they would beat up Miss Brittany Alba just because of vandalism. We need something more¡­ scandalous, or something that should be able to make them unable to think clearly and beat up Miss Alba just for the sake of it, probably to calm themselves down first."


    ¡­


    Now that I thought about it, what Elise said was correct. Vandalism might be really bad, but it won''t be got you expelled, so if they got caught, their first instinct would probably be to just run away.


    So we need something that could make them go absolutely berserk and beat up that poor defenseless woman.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    After a long pause, I still hadn''t thought of anything useful, so I asked her first, "I can''t find anything yet, for now. How about you, Elise?"


    "Well, what I have is also a rough idea," Elise said.


    "I''m thinking about using something scandalous, just like what they did to me, sexual assault, abuse, and many more. But I don''t think we can have any girl to do it," Elise said. "In fact, I don''t think anyone would volunteer to be the abused and sexually assaulted. That''s why I don''t think my idea is any better than yours."


    "Yeah, that''s kind of¡­ extreme and immoral. But I won''t lie that it''d make a great execution if done correctly," I said. I wouldn''t lie that it was very immoral but very effective at the same time.


    But of course, we wouldn''t use anyone, whether it was boy or girl, to be abused and assaulted, nor do I think any who would volunteer.


    Unless¡­


    An idea popped up in my mind, but I didn''t want to tell it so soon because I still had to make sure about it first. I didn''t want to make a false promise.


    "I have an idea, actually, but I''ll have to think about it first so that idea could be realized. Don''t you want this to be quick to end your torment? Because when I experienced it firsthand before, I just want my assaulter to die in the fiery pit as soon as possible."


    Elise was stunned by my words, and she nodded, "Yes, Em. You really know how I feel right now. I still doubted you when you said that you also had the experience. But I guess you also have the experience because that''s how I feel."


    "May I know when did that happen?" Elise asked.


    I smiled bitterly. Honestly, I didn''t want to open this one. I even tried to blur the whole scene intentionally because it was just way too traumatizing, just like what happened with Elise.


    "I can''t disclose much, but¡­ back then, I was bullied every day, and one of them sexually assaulted me¡ªmaybe you could call it rape, although there is no insertion there, thankfully¡­."


    Elise also got depressed at my words. She sighed and looked down, "It''s so ironic that you said thankfully just because that bastard didn''t fuck you. We shouldn''t have felt this way¡­."


    "I know," my bitter smile worsened as we were in our pity party right now.


    After talking with Elise, she ordered some food, and I refused because I had no money.


    "Oh,e on, if you don''t have money, you can just tell me. This is my treat for now, and you don''t need to pay it back because you''ve pulled me out of the gutter called depression. This is the first time I actually went out after that incident, and my parents were so happy."


    "¡­ okay, no need to be thankful about it. I did what I thought was right. I just want to help someone with the same experience as I had."


    **


    We had our snacks in the cafe together before separating. I told Elise that I would contact her again once I could confirm this n first, and she said she would wait for it excitedly.


    I understood that she was excited about it, though. From my assessment, it was true that Elise was definitely a critical-thinking but blunt kind of person. She wasn''t meant to be everybody''s buddy, mostly because she could be very harsh with her words towards others, despite it being the truth.


    Definitely my type of person.


    I went home and saw that Grandma''s rocking chair was empty, the door was closed, but I also saw Mom''s car. So I guessed Mom helped Grandma toe inside.


    "I''m home," I said while opening the door.


    "Ah, Emmy¡­"


    I saw Mom was sitting alone on the sofa. She looked distressed for some reason, so I approached her, "What''s wrong, Mom?"


    "Ah, it''s your Grandma. I got worried about her because she fainted when I came home."


    "Fainted?!"


    "Yes, she is in her room right now. But when I checked on her, she seemed to get weaker. Even her breath was weak. She''s already so old, so it''s understandable but¡ª"


    "It''s still sad¡­." Ipleted her words. I knew that Grandma''s health was already deteriorating since I moved out from my old home after Mom and Dad''s divorce. She lived alone, and Grandpa had already died long ago.


    Usually, she would be put in a nursing home. But she refused to eat anything when she was put in the nursing home for two days. The nurse was panicked, and Mom brought her back.


    She said she liked to stay in the home and spend time with family.


    It wasn''t wrong, but¡­ Mom was the sole breadwinner of the family, and it was difficult to spare her time to take care of Grandma while I was busy in school.


    We usually hired a neighbor to take care of Grandma before. But that neighbor was busy now with her own family, and we couldn''t hire someone else because they''d demand a lot of money, and we didn''t have that yet¡­


    I sighed since there was no way out in this. Before entering, I went to Grandma''s room and knocked on the door first.


    "Grandma¡­"


    "Ah, Emmy, how''s your school today?" Grandma asked cheerily with her hoarse voice. She was always cheerful, even at this age. It reminded me of how active she was when I was still very young.


    I sat beside her and asked, "Is everything okay, Grandma?"


    "I''m fine. I just feel a bit lightheaded this evening, so I sleep early in the rocking chair. Your mom was freaking out when she saw me sleeping in the rocking chair. Ahahah! She thinks I''m actually dead!"


    "Don''t worry about me, Emmy. I will not die so soon. I''m already so old. Of course, I won''t have the same vigor. But I will wait until you got married to that man so I can die in peace, knowing my only grandchild is married to a good man," Grandma said.


    I gulped as I wanted to refute her immediately. But then I remembered her health, so I just reluctantly nodded for Grandma to feel relieved.


    "Don''t burden yourself, Em. I know you might not like him right now. But he is truly the best man you¡ªor any woman can get," Grandma sighed. "I''m sorry for being too nosy for you as well. Because¡­ you know, the thing with your father."


    "I know, Grandma. I know you meant well to me," I said, forcing a smile on my lips. I didn''t want to stress her out, so I left the room after hugging her.


    I didn''t want to marry someone I didn''t know, let alone a crazy man like that red rose man.


    But¡­ what if Grandma truly knew what was best for me?

 Chapter 144 - Boys Secret (1)

    Chapter 144 ¨C Boys¡¯ Secret (1)


    But¡­ what if Grandma genuinely knew what was best for me?


    That idea shed in my mind as I entered my room. I kept thinking about what Grandma said about this red rose guy.


    She seemed to be so ingrained about the idea of me marrying this creepy dude as if he was truly the savior I had been waiting for so long that I could save my and my family.


    I got it, she was old, and maybe it was just her old, nonsensical dementia ramble¡­


    "But I have 0 clue of what I want. I don''t know what kind of boyfriend that I want either. And Mom''s marriage¡­ is not a good example."


    I threw myself to the bed and buried my face in the pillow for a good while.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Hrrgghh! Screw this! I''m only 16! Why do I think about fricking marriage!?" I yelled out of frustration and then calmed down soon after.


    I always had this frustration growing up. Maybe because my family was never financially secure when Dad wasn''t around, and when he was around, we weren''t physically and mentally secure instead.


    Because he''d beat the hell out of Mom and me, although Mom suffered the most.


    Now that we were free from his restraint, we had this severe financial problem. My life had never been secure, I guess. So I couldn''t help but have this frustration budding and growing inside my heart.


    After venting by continuously cursing nonsensically, I calmed down and took a warm bath after a long day today.


    I had one thing in mind right now, to find the willing person to volunteer in this dangerous stunt to trap those three bastards, so they would be expelled, or even worse, jailed for assault.


    Of course, I couldn''t use woman in this, no woman would be willing to be put in this dangerous stunt, and I refuse to use one as well.


    So I would use a boy instead. Elise told me that we need something more scandalous, so scandalous that it would make those bastards get blind out of their own panic and start beating Miss Brittany Alba,ter on, the involuntary witness.


    And I just found one perfect person to do this because he would be a great stuntman.


    Now, I knew I couldn''t just straight up ask him to do stuff like that. I doubted he would be willing. So I had to give him a small push.


    I unlocked my phone and chatted with him;


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I heard from Elise that you''re not what you portrayed yourself in front of me, Noah.


    ¡ª


    It took a while for him to reply to my text.


    ¡ª


    Noah: W¡ªWhat are you talking about, Emmy? Did I do something wrong?


    Emmy: Yes, you did. You didn''t tell me exactly what happened between you and Thomas. You only told me that you came out, and he started beating you.


    Noah: But that''s what happened! Really!


    Emmy: No, Noah, you''re trying to hide what you did with Thomas. You''re not the defenseless victim here. And I refuse to help you in any way before youe out clean to me.


    ¡ª


    There was no answer from him after that. Honestly, I was also worried this might count as gaslighting. But at the same time, I knew Noah wouldn''t admit anything unless I pressured him like this.


    I already asked him a few times what happened between him and Thomas, and his answer was simple¡ªthey were childhood best friends, and after he came out, he got beaten up.


    After a good while, Noah suddenly called me. I readied myself and picked up the call.


    __Phone call__


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "So, you will exin this or not? I''ll hang up the call if you say nothing to defend yourself," I said, inciting Noah so he could be open about it.


    "Em¡­ I¡­ I don''t want to admit it. I''m also ashamed of myself¡­." Noah whimpered. I could hear that he was extremely distressed about this, which roused a question in my head.


    Elise only heard the rumor, so her information was very vague about what Noah did with Thomas and his gang other than enabling them.


    "What did you do exactly? Elise¡ªand practically everyone in your batch thinks it''s surprising you got bullied. What makes them think like that?"


    "That''s because of my past history with them¡­." Noah admitted. "I¡ªIt''s true, Emmy. I''m notpletely innocent¡­ that''s why I''m afraid to admit it to you, I''m afraid that you''ll also push me away."


    "I will push you away if you''re trying to hide it. You asked me to keep your secret as gay and help you, so our first contact is based on trust," I said ruthlessly. "And now you''re saying that you will be lying if it''s for your convenience? Do you really think I''ll take it kindly?"


    I could sense that Noah was very nervous right now. Of course, because I pressured him greatly with this.


    "So tell me before I push you away for real," I gave him an ultimatum.


    Noah went silent for a good while, probably prepared himself as well, "I''ll tell you. But please don''t hate me after this, okay?"


    "Yeah, that depends on the severity. But as long as youe out clean, then I will consider that."


    "Okay, so¡­ back before I came out to Thomas about my sexuality, I was actually supplying them and helping them in whatever stunt they are doing, something like a helper¡­."


    "That means you''re an enabler, right? You encouraged Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson to do whatever stunt they''re doing," I fixed it, so he would be more open.


    "Y¡ªYeah, you can say that, Em¡­" Noah sighed, full of woe. "But I never participated directly in any of their activities. I just help them to cover up."


    Dude, that was literally the same thing! You might say that you never participated, but by helping them and covering for them, you were basically a firsthand aplice! You were as guilty as them!


    That was what I wanted to say to Noah, but I restrained myself, knowing it might make Noah too scared to continue.


    But now, I understood how Noah could get a video of those bastards beating up a man before, and also about the price and such.


    He seemed to know a lot more than he should be.


    "What kind of cover-up and help did you do for them?" I asked.


    "Uh¡­ usually when they''re doing a stunt or¡ªor beating up someone, I keep watching outside. I know it''s wrong! But¡­ but Thomas said that he really needed my help¡­." Noah whimpered again.


    Now, this was the real Noah. I had a feeling that he wasn''t a bad guy, but his rtionship with Thomas must have been moreplicated than I expected.


    Just like what Elise said before, Noah was gossiped about being gay because Noah and Thomas had a strange rtionship. They were too intimate to be a simple friend.


    "E¡ªEmmy, please, believe me, I feel seriously guilty to be his helper. I was an idiot, okay?


    "Then, why did you do that? If you know that it''s not a good thing, why continue? Was it because of Thomas?" I asked.


    "Yes, it''s because of Thomas¡­." Noah sighed, full of pity once more. "Thomas and I have aplicated rtionship, and it''s not a simple him realizing that I''m gay, then decided to bully the heck out of me. If it''s that easy, I don''t think he will constantly pressure me¡­."


    "Emmy, believe it or not¡­ we were friends with benefit¡­." Noah confessed.


    "YOU TWO WERE WHAT?!"


    That confession was like thunder on a clear sky for me. That was seriously unexpected. In my mind, I expected Noah to be in love with Thomas. That was why he because Thomas'' little helper and cover-up for many crazy stunts the three bastards did.


    That''d be a logical answer to this.


    But when Noah told me that he and Thomas were friends with benefit¡­ I was left speechless for a good while, trying to process what just happened here.


    Noah realized my shock and continued with his story, "The fact that we were friends with benefit, there is no string attached between us¡­ we went full homerun¡­."


    "YOU TWO WENT FULL WHAT?!"


    No, this was just too unexpected for me to process right now. I seriously needed to calm myself down. This was one hell of a plot twist!


    This was definitely a movie-worthy twist. Definitely deserve a goddamn Oscar for best screenwriting!


    "Okay, give me time. I need to process this first," I said to Noah. "But seriously, what the fuck is this?!"


    "I knoooow, that''s why I don''t want to tell you about it! It''s too crazy and shameful!" Noah said.


    It took me more than ten minutes of calming myself down before I returned to the call and asked Noah, "Okay then, now that I''m all ready to listen.. Do exin. What the fuck is this?"

 Chapter 145 - Boys Secret (2)

    Chapter 145 ¨C Boys¡¯ Secret (2)


    [Mild sexual content.]


    __Phone Call__


    It took me more than ten minutes of calming myself down before I returned to the call and asked Noah, "Okay then, now that I''m ready to listen. Do exin. What the fuck is this?"


    I mean, I really thought that my deduction was correct. I thought Noah became the love ve for Thomas because Noah had a gay crush on him, so he helped Thomas in any way he could.


    If it was a one-way rtionship, I could understand why Thomas just bullied the heck out of Noah because of his sexual orientation.


    But turned out it was two-way?! Mutual?! As friends with benefit?!


    What. The. Fuck?!


    "S¡ªSo, Thomas and I had always been good friends since we were young. We were basically childhood friends even before Thomas knew Jorge and Jackson."


    "Our parents knew each other very well, and we were good friends until I discovered my sexuality when I was in middle school."


    "I realized that I never bat an eye on girls, but my heart races whenever I saw men on T.V. or even my guy friends in P.E. ss."


    "I thought I was wrong, a mistake, and I still think I am even up until now. But I''vee to make peace within myself and ept that I am gay."


    Honestly, I didn''t see him as a mistake just because of his sexual orientation. People were different, and you couldn''t force someone to be simr to fit certain criteria.


    Because I was also a social outcast, I didn''t fit in what they wanted, probably because of my poverty, appearance, or simply because they didn''t like me.


    I let Noah continue with his story because he seemed to be expressing what was truly inside his heart right now.


    "I started developing a crush for Thomas, my childhood and best friend when I was in middle school. You know, typical teenage crush. But I didn''t dare to confess because I always thought that he was straight, so I had no chance, and I didn''t want to force myself either."


    "But he found out about my sexuality when he visited my home and yed games in my room. I was out, so I didn''t know he hade in. Since our parents were close, they just allowed Thomas to enter my room without me."


    "So, at that time, when I was in myst year of middle school, he yed games on myputer and checked my browsing history. He found that history of me watching uhm¡­ uh¡­ you know, watching gay porn."


    "And he confronted you about it?" I asked out of curiosity. "Did he ridicule you after that?"


    "He did. He called me a faggot, and told me that he was disgusted with me. At that time, I really thought that my world had been shattered. There was no way for me to hide this anymore," Noah said. "But there was a plot twist that I didn''t even know could happen."


    "That¡­ he wants to¡­ uh¡­ screw you?"


    "Not exactly. At least not in the beginning," Noah said. "He sat on the chair and told me to kneel, then he¡­ uh¡­ unzipped his pants and told me to suck him because he is always wondered how does it feel to get sucked by a man."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I had officially lost my shit here. I didn''t know how things could get worse from here.


    This was so scandalous that I was left speechless.


    "So I uh¡­ give him a blowjob, my first time. He was satisfied, and then we started bing friends with benefit. He told me that he will not tell anyone about my sexuality as long as I give him service."


    "I was actually relieved back then because I also liked him, so I thought I could crawl inside his heart and date him in the future. And he also promised to keep our secret."


    "Our physical rtionship developed from just hand job and blowjob into something even crazier. We started kissing and exploring anything, including uhm¡­ you know¡­ real sex."


    "Meanwhile, my rtionship with Mona was just me trying to discover my own sexuality. Maybe I was bisexual instead of gay. But the more I had a physical rtionship with Thomas, the more I realized that I just couldn''t do it with a woman. In fact, I never kissed her either. So I broke up with her and befriended her instead."


    "It happened about two months ago, we did the thing, and I sneakily recorded our whole fun together without his consent. I did it for my personal use, of course."


    Noah made it seem like the whole thing was just two boys fooling around, exploring their sexuality. But I knew something wrong created this whole scenario we were in right now.


    "Then, what did go wrong?"


    "It''s¡­ it''s my fault. I got tired and anxious, trying to cover him from all his crazy dangerous stunts and bullying. I was also scared that one day they might get caught and roped me in."


    "So I told Thomas that I refused to help him and his gang any further."


    "He then tried to threaten me by saying that he would tell everyone about my sexuality if I refused to join them anymore, and he said he had my photo giving him a blowjob. But I''m notpletely defenseless, I also told him that I have a video of our first time going full bare together, so if he wanted to shame me, I''d shame him even more."


    Ah, now the dots had been connected after his testimony. I could see what happened next, "So out of fear, he cut his friends with benefits rtionship with you and then bullied you horribly to threaten you, right?"


    "Yes, he did that. He is afraid I will tell everyone about our um¡­ sex tape. So he bullied the hell out of me, making sure that I had no guts to tell anyone about it."


    "Emmy, this is why I don''t want to tell you about it when we first met. Because I''m notpletely innocent here. I helped them to do all those stupid crazy stunts, and I also helped them to cover up in case they might get caught."


    "My rtionship with Thomas wasn''t forced as well. I liked him and willingly did those things with him. We were exploring together until we fought."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "I''m sorry for hiding this from you, Em¡­." Noah said. "I will hang up now. If you don''t want to meet me anymore after this, just text me or say it now. I will pretend we never met¡­."


    "Wait," I stopped him from hanging up. "Do you really think that I will cut our rtionship because of this?"


    "W¡ªWell, yes, I''m not really the good, bullied person you ever think of, Emmy. I know you want to help me, and I really appreciate that. But¡­ since you already know the truth, I guess it''s invalid now."


    "I never said that. I just want your honesty, and you gave it to me. I have no reason to ditch you," I said, trying to make Noah feel less guilty.


    Honestly, I had no intention of shaming him. I just wanted the truth. And now, since I got it already, it wasn''t my ce to judge him.


    I saw what Noah did was just a teenage boy in love and exploring his sexuality. They did it with consent, though it didn''t end well in the end.


    And with him finally telling everything to me, I got my rity and quickly found a way to utilize this for my n with Elise tomorrow.


    However, since Noah willingly came clean to me with his experience, I didn''t want to lie to him.


    Honesty should be paid with honesty.


    "Noah, hear me out, I''ve met with Elise this evening, and we created a n to take those bastards down, ending their terror in the school once and for all," I said.


    "Huh? You already created a n with Elise? That''s¡­ fast."


    "Indeed, and I want you to be a part of it. Don''t you want Thomas and his friends to stop bullying you?"


    "I do. But¡­ is it really okay for me to help? I kind of feel undeserving after lying to you about what happened," Noah asked meekly. I could sense that he was actually worried for no reason.


    "Noah, I said just now that I want your honesty. About you having sex with Thomas and helping him, that wasn''t in my ce to judge because you told me that you want to stop and cut the rtionship altogether."


    "Y¡ªYeah, I don''t want to be in the same shoes with those people. Even though I never participate with their bullying or dangerous stunts, the fact that I helped them¡­."


    "Yeah, I understand, But that''s not my ce to judge.. But I do get a great idea to take them down, thanks to your story."

 Chapter 146 - Boys Secret (3)

    Chapter 146 ¨C Boys¡¯ Secret (3)


    "Yeah, I understand, But that''s not my ce to judge. But I do get a great idea to take them down, thanks to your story," I said. I had created the best scenario in this, "And you HAVE to join for this to be a sess."


    "Me? This thing will be sessful with me?"


    "Yes, your participation will guarantee its sess," I convinced him once more. "Honestly, this is the only way for us to trap them."


    Noah went silent for a good while, and I let him process what I was told just now. After more than ten minutes, he finally asked, "Would you mind telling me the n first? Honestly, Em. I got scared. I''m just a normal human, so I got scared thinking that I''d get beaten again."


    "Alright, I''ll tell you about my n," I took a deep breath. I then started exining, "Elise and I formed a n to trap them into doing a dangerous stunt, dangerous and scandalous enough for them to be so panicked that they will beat up the involuntary witness of what they were doing."


    "Involuntary witness is someone who will be the real victim here, so that person will walk in during what those bastards were doing, and those bastards would beat the hell out of that person, and we already found the perfect person for that."


    "That person should have enough influence, and a female, because the story of three bullies in high school beating up a weak and defenseless female would be a lot more sensational in the news."


    "And that person is?" Noah asked."


    "Miss Brittany Alba, the English teacher."


    "Miss Brittany Alba?!" Noah was surprised, and that took my interest.


    "What? Why are you so surprised? I thought everyone in your batch hated her."


    "W¡ªWell, I don''t like her either. I just remembered how she tried to advance on me, even making sexual jokes with me. I didn''t respond, though, but she did text me."


    "Wait, she texted you?!"


    "Yeah, she got my number from somewhere. I don''t really know. But she started texting¡ªwell, sexting me. I bet she did this not only to me but to many other boys as well."


    "Can you send the text between you and her? Screenshot it."


    "Sure."


    I waited for a minute and then got a screenshot sent by Noah.


    I opened it and read the text between him and Miss Brittany Alba. Though, it was more like Miss Brittany Alba and herself. Because Noah only replied once or twice awkwardly.


    ¡ª


    Miss Alba: Noah Jameson, right? I''m Miss Alba, your English teacher.


    Noah: Ah, yes. Good evening, Miss. Is there something I can do? Or did I do something wrong?


    Miss Alba: Ahahah~ Don''t be so dense. I''m not here to punish you. You have been a good student of mine.


    Noah: Okay, Miss. Thank you.


    Miss Alba: Well, you can always thank me by taking me out for a simple dinner or somewhere nice.


    Miss Alba: I don''t mind. I know how to handle a young man like you.


    ¡ª


    I was disgusted by her text, and after that, it was just Miss Alba constantly trying to get into Noah''s pants. She was so horny that I wouldn''t be surprised if she might send her nudes sooner orter to Noah.


    I understood why she chose to do this with Noah, though. Noah was good-looking. He was clean and dapper for a high school student standard. In contrast, most high school boys were greasy and smelly, let alone how they didn''t even bathe often.


    Only a few selects were different, like Noah, Mason, and¡­ Logan.


    Surprisingly, whenever I met with Logan, he always looked manly. He didn''t seem to wear any perfume and relied on his own natural scent, which, thankfully, smelled quite¡­ nice.


    ¡­


    What? We literally spent our time as two in the pottery club room. Of course, I would eventually be able to tell his smell. Don''t judge.


    Anyway, I bet Noah wasn''t the first victim of Miss Alba and definitely wasn''t thest.


    She was never reprimanded because none of the boys wanted to report her, though. People would probably find it ridiculous and a joke that a man could get sexually harassed.


    "Does she still text you up till now?"


    "She does. It''s very unsettling, but I just ignore it most of the time."


    "You''re definitely not the only one, but you are one of her favorite. By judging how consistent she is to chat with you, I can assume that she likes doing this for fun. Then, it is a perfect scenario for us because we will be able to bait her with you."


    "With me?" Noah asked.


    "Indeed, you''re the perfect bait in this trap. Because you have rted to both parties. You have a long andplicated rtionship with Thomas, and our involuntary witness, Miss Brittany Alba, is also whipped to you."


    "So I want to make you as the bullied victim here, with you as the bait. I''m pretty sure we can kill two birds with one stone¡ªwell, four birds since it''s Thomas and his gang, Jorge and Jackson."


    "But¡­ if you want me to be the bait, doesn''t that mean I will be beaten to a pulp again?" Noah whimpered. "E¡ªEmmy, I''m scared. I''m willing to help because I know this is also for the good of me, but I can''t help to get scared."


    "Don''t worry about that one, Noah. You will be in a good hand," I said, trying to pacify him. "I''ll make sure that you won''t be beaten, at least not to a pulp, maybe one or two punches to make it believable for Miss Brittany Alba."


    "How about the aftermath? Will I get roped with this scandal?" Noah asked again. He seemed to be that paranoid type, who always asked many questions before doing something in fear of messing up, and I approved that. You should always be careful in any situation.


    "You know that Thomas doesn''t want anyone to know about what he did with you, right? And about Miss Alba¡­ we will bait her to think that she is going to meet you in the school, something like an affair between student and teacher."


    "I bet you 10 bucks that she will not tell anyone about her true intentioning to schoolte at night because she''d get fired for dating a student."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "I understand. I will do it," Noah suddenly said.


    "Whoa, that''s so decisive, you won''t ask more?"


    "No, I believe in you, Emmy. You sound so confident about this n. Besides, I already told you that I will help, because I''m also involved in this. I don''t want to be bullied by Thomas forever."


    ''Good, because if you refused, then it''d be a lot harder to do this mission, and you''d probably kill yourself next year,'' I said in my heart.


    "Well, since things have been decided, I wille up with better preparation. But for now, we already have everything that we need. The perpetrator, Thomas, and his gang. The victim, you, and the involuntary witness, Miss Brittany Alba. This will be perfect."


    "I trust you, Em¡­ also, please keep my sexuality and all my stories with Thomas a secret, even to Elise or Mona. I''m not ready toe out yet, at least not in high school."


    "I understand, don''t worry about it."


    "Also¡­ why are you betting only 10 bucks? That''s not so convincing, don''t you think?" Noah joked, and I could hear him giggling.


    "H¡ªHey! That''s how much money I have in my wallet right now!" I defended myself. I was also embarrassed, but whenever I wanted to speak about big money, my wallet automatically humbled me down.


    "Okay, okay, I was just joking, haha!" Noahughed heartily. It seemed that he had already put down his worry for now. "Then, I''ll be waiting for your nextmand, Emmy. Good luck with the n."


    "I''ll call youter, Noah."


    __Phone call ends__


    I hung up the call and sighed because everything was perfect and well nned except for one thing.


    And that one thing was the damned money.


    Of course, I could always bait Thomas toe and beat up Noah without any offer.


    But that''d take out the shock factor. If Thomas knew that Noah was about to do something, he might as well find Noah somewhere and beat him up there, not in the designated ce.


    The shock factor was important in this mission, and I needed to use real money to bait them toe.


    I checked my phone again and checked thest chat between me and that damned creep, the red rose man.


    He was my only way out when it came to money and other unattainable things, but I was still scared that he might want something in exchange. It was only my worn shirt before, but who knew what he would ask next?


    But I really had no other way out to obtain money, so I took a deep breath and texted him.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I need your help.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 147 - Classic Red (1)

    Chapter 147 ¨C ssic Red (1)


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I need your help.


    ¡ª


    I texted the red rose man. I was waiting anxiously because, honestly, I didn''t want to be entangled with that crazy guy in any way.


    But he was my source of ie right now, sort of sugar daddy¡­ but a very creepy one. And we were probably around the same age anyway.


    Ding!


    That red rose man finally replied, and I started my round of chat with him.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I need your help.


    xx: Help? Oh, my dearest wife needs my help. Of course, I will help you, darling. Just tell your husband, what do you want? I''ll give you anything.


    Emmy: I need money.


    xx: Money? How much? I have¡­ hm¡­ around 1 million dors in my bank ount right now. I can get more, but it''ll take about 3 days. And it will be even more difficult if you want it cash, dear.


    ¡ª


    Okay, who the fuck had 1 million dors just lying around like that?! Even my whole house and all properties in it weren''t worth half of that¡ªor even a quarter of that!


    It made me wonder. Obviously, he was around my age. So I bet he had extremely rich parents. But if he was around my region, then the wealthiest person I remembered was Ashley''s parents. Leah came to the second one.


    They were the epitome of rich in my eyes, but this crazy guy had literally one million dors in his bank ount.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: You''re bluffing. There is no way you have 1 million in your bank ount.


    xx: Oh? Bluffing? I mean, I already gave you a box of high-quality crystal meth that''s worth so much. But if you want more proof, I will give you a screenshot. Wait a minute.


    xx: picture sent.


    ¡ª


    I checked the picture, turned out it was the screenshot of his bnce in the bank. But he cropped the name and other bank information, so I could only see the amount.


    "What the fuck?!" I blurted out of shock. I literally saw 1 million dors. I had to count the zeros to ensure I wasn''t mistaken.


    This man seriously had one million dors lying around in his bank ount?!


    ¡ª


    xx: How is it, wife? Do you believe me now? This is just a small amount for me. I am far more capable than you think. Probably that''s why your grandma wants me to marry you, hm?


    xx: Well, that''ll happen in the future. So I have little to no worry.


    Emmy: You''re boasting too much. I just need 2000 bucks.


    xx: Two grands? That''s so little. Why do you need that amount? Is it for your mission to take down those three bastard bullies in our previous life?


    xx: Honestly, you can just tell me, and they will disappear in just one night. Even their family won''t know where they went, and the police? Hah! They are clowns!


    xx: But~ I''m always a supportive husband for my wife. I know that you want to take them down your own way, and honestly, you did a great job with so many limitations upon yourself! As expected from my wife!


    xx: So you only need two grands, right? Just making sure.


    ¡ª


    I shook my head in disbelief. I didn''t understand and didn''t know how could this crazy guy knew literally everything about me, even my n to take those bullies down.


    Was he someone around me? I only told my n to Noah, Elise, and Logan.


    Was this man one of them? But I really doubted it.


    Well, maybe Logan¡­ but I doubted that Logan would be the one behind this crazy thing.


    Though, he was filthy rich. I didn''t know the extend of his richness, so Logan should be the most usible exnation here.


    ¡­


    "Argh! This is no time to think about that! Em, focus!"


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Yes, I need 2 grands.


    xx: That''s not a problem at all. But you know, right? As usual, I need something in exchange. Something that you own.


    Emmy: Tell me.


    ¡ª


    I was well prepared. I remembered that I still had dirtyundry. Somehow, I had a bad feeling that he''d take something out of my dirtyundry for his own sick pleasure.


    ¡ª


    xx: Well, for two grands, I won''t ask much. But I have one requirement aside from that request.


    Emmy: What requirement?


    xx: I want you to stop spending your time with Noah Jameson.


    xx: I think we both know that he is gay, but I just can''t help to get angry whenever I see you with another man. You know, if he is not your friend, I''ve been thinking about speeding up his suicide process by hanging him by my own hands.


    xx: But¡­ I''m not a violent husband. I love you so much. That''s why I don''t want you to be scared of me because I want to kill any man around you.


    xx: Oh, anyway, for my request, it''s not that difficult. I just want you to kiss your handkerchief with lipstick, kiss it deep until the shape of your lips is imprinted with the lipstick, and then put it outside like before.


    xx: Remember, I know your lip shape, darling. I''ve tasted it in my previous life. You cannot fool me in this one.


    xx: I will wait.


    ¡ª


    It took a while for me to process everything.


    First, he literally knew about Noah Jameson, and based on his threat, he didn''t seem to y around. I was 100% convinced that the red rose man would kill Noah for real if he saw us together too many times.


    Yet, he never mentioned my time with Mason or Logan. And I spent a lot of time with either of them.


    I didn''t want to bait him and made the whole ordeal even bigger than it should be, at least not now. Because I had something else to do.


    Now for the request he wanted, a handkerchief with a lipstick print. Like what he said, he already knew my lip shape and even tasted it in our previous life.


    I shuddered out of nervousness, but since the prize was two grands, then I shall do it.


    I took out the old handkerchief that I never used anymore after high school and then picked up a lipstick in my drawer.


    I did have lipstick because I wanted to explore my sexuality. I bought it before entering high school, but I never used it in this world. I tried using it in my previous life, which ended up being called slut.


    I sighed and then pulled out the lipstick lid and twisted it until the lipstick popped out.


    "ssic red," I said while staring at it.


    I learned how to apply lipstick in my previous life. As ashamed as I was, I applied lipstick often in private, even in my previous life.


    I did it as a sort of therapy for myself. To make myself feel more confident and pretty, even though no one would ever see it.


    I checked myself in the mirror and applied the lipstick quickly. I smacked my lips a few times to even the ssic red on my lips and then added a good angle to kiss the handkerchief.


    "Okay, Em, this will be quick. You know you have to do shits to get something you want. What he will do with this anyway? Kissing it back, so it''s like we''re actually kissing?"


    "Wait¡­"


    The more I thought about it, the more disturbed I got. So I decided not to think much about it and braced myself, "Here goes nothing."


    Kiss.


    I imprinted a deep kiss on the handkerchief until there was an obvious shape of my lips in ssic red. I doubted anything could wash it off.


    "Alright, now this is ready. I should put it outside now."


    I picked a paper bag in the kitchen and bagged the handkerchief. I unlocked the backdoor and swiftly hung it on the door handle outside before closing the door quickly.


    I locked the door again and then texted him.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: It''s outside.


    xx: Yes, I saw it.


    xx: In fact, I saw you with your ssic red lipstick. My beloved Em, you''re as stunning as ever. I cannot take my eyes off you, not even once.


    xx: You never bored me with your beauty and wits. You have me interested in our previous life and in this life as well.


    ¡ª


    W¡ªWell, that was kind of¡­ sweet. Creepy, but still sweet.


    At least that crazy man knew how to sweet talk. I couldn''t help but feel ttered, just a bit, though.


    I waited for about five minutes until I heard a knock on the door, and then I heard the voice of a man that was quite familiar because he had called me before.


    It was the voice of the red rose man.


    "My beautiful Em, I''ve put the money in the paper bag. I put some extra, so you can buy something nice for yourself.. Just ask me if you need money because I will do anything for you."

 Chapter 148 - Classic Red (2)

    Chapter 148 ¨C ssic Red (2)


    "My beautiful Em, I''ve put the money in the paper bag. I put some extra, so you can buy something nice for yourself. Just ask me if you need money because I will do anything for you."


    In contrast to his crazedugh on the phone before. He actually sounded human here. In fact, his voice was deep and somewhat maic, very much the voice of a perfect man in my head and probably in everyone''s head.


    He reminded me of Logan''s deep voice, mixed with Mason''s maic and mellow voice.


    I didn''t dare to directly open the door because I was scared that he might do something crazy, like ambushing and attacking me. I still had to be careful, knowing he was actually crazy despite his deep and maic voice.


    "I shall leave now, good night, beauty," he said.


    But before he left, I held him off, "Wait! Don''t leave. I have questions for you."


    There was silence for a moment, and I thought he actually left until I heard his voice again, "Do ask."


    "O¡ªOkay, I''ve always wondered about many things, but first, how do you know about me? About my previous life¡­."


    "Because I live in that life as well. I wish I could tell you sooner back then, but I was such an idiot because I wanted to wait until prom to confess right in front of everyone about my feelings for you."


    "I was so heartbroken when I saw your body all bloodied, with your heart pierced. I saw the desperate tears flowing from the edge of your eyes as well."


    "At that time, my heart was shattered into pieces, and I could not think clearly anymore. I cried and wailed like a madman¡ªI am a madman, in fact."


    "I killed everyone who bullied you before. I spared no one because I want them to experience the pain you experienced, but double of that."


    "But after I killed everyone, including Jessica, I still cannot feel satisfied. In fact, things became even lonelier because you''re not here with me, Emmy¡­."


    "Thus, after I killed everyone necessarily, I jumped from a bridge and died. I cannot live without you¡­."


    "But somehow, I was transported in this world, return back in time. But I returned when I was in junior high instead of senior high. So I can finally do something that I should''ve done in my previous life. To clean up my family since the very beginning and solidified my position as the young master," The red rose man exined. The more he tried to exin it, the more I was confused about who he was. Because I never had any male friend, nor any male who wanted to get close to me without any intention of ridicule."


    "You know that I was never close with any boy in high school, right?" I stated, so he wouldn''t lie to me. There was literally no boy that tried to date me before.


    "Yes, and that''s because of my fault. I intimidated any boy who tried to get close to you. I''ve developed a crush on you since we first met in high school, and my crush developed from pity to possessiveness. I don''t want anyone to have you, but my position was just not suitable to date anyone¡­."


    "Though, I was so busy back during the time you''d dated Kyle for a brief time. He yed you as a bet, so I yed Russian roulette with him. His head had been blown off in the previous life, and I will do that againter."


    "Emmelyn Jones, I''m sorry for messing up in our previous lives. I really love you, and I want to show you everything right now."


    "But things aren''t smooth-sailing. All I can do for you right now is secretly guard you from the dark. I will never let anyone hurt you, Em. Don''t worry."


    "I will leave now, I love you¡ªOh, thanks for the handkerchief, I will treasure it, probably kiss it every night, hehe~."


    "Wait¡ª" I wanted to ask more, but I could sense that he was walking away because the heavy aura outside of the door had disappeared.


    I ced my forehead on the door. I wanted to know more about him. Because after I heard his real voice, not through phone, I wouldn''t lie that my heart was racing.


    I could feel this warm connection with him, with this sicko. When he finally exined himself, although still with many questions in my head, I could feel that he was sincere and had no intention of hurting me personally.


    Now I sort of understood why Grandma seemed to favor him a lot despite his sick behavior.


    "Who are you, really? What is your name? How could you know that I am also a reborn here¡­." I kept adding more and more questions, but all of them were left unanswered, of course.


    I sighed and unlocked the door. I took the paper bag and checked inside.


    "Whoa¡ªhe gave me¡­ five grands?!"


    I zipped my lips immediately. I didn''t want to get discovered. Well, good thing this was Monday night. Mom must''ve been too exhausted to function.


    I quietly sneaked back to my room and then checked the money he had given me. I counted it, and it was literally five grands! I didn''t know how he could get this amount of money so easily. But this was surely convenient!


    I only needed perhaps about 2 grands to bait Thomas and his gang to do the crazy stunt to trap themter. So I could keep the three grands for myself!


    "Oh, damn, I can buy lots of things! First, I want to buy a new phone, and I want to buy a newptop because mine is literally five years old, and¡ª"


    I halted my ns after realizing something. Of course, I couldn''t spend this money on stuff that was way too obvious. Something like a phone orptop would be too ring for Mom. She would definitely think that I used disgraceful methods to get this money, such as¡­ selling my body.


    Although busy as ever, Mom actually had eagle eyes that could notice many different things in me. If she saw me wearing the newest MacBook, then one thing for sure, she''d question the hell out of me and probably grounded me as well.


    I sighed and put that idea down. I wasn''t old enough to buy something expensive without my mother''s consent. And I''m pretty sure the store would be suspicious if I bought something expensive without any guardian around.


    "Damn, I''m 15 already! Just in three years, and I will be in a legal age!"


    Okay, since I couldn''t spend this money on that luxury stuff yet. I would keep this as an emergency saving. If I got into trouble, or I need quick money for something, then I could just use this.


    I separated the 2 grands for my mission and the rest to my hidden stash, my emergency saving.


    Alright, now that things had been settled, I had to focus on the involuntary witness, Miss Brittany Alba.


    I had to find a way to bait her intoing to the ce right on time. So she could be the witness.


    I didn''t have any ess to her because she was a sophomore teacher, so the one who had ess with her was Noah and Elise.


    Since I would be using Noah as bait, I felt like allowing him to ''contact'' her was the better idea. But I definitely need to consult this with Elise.


    Elise was really good at finding ws in any n we created together. She was blunt and prone to criticizing things, based on my observation, of course.


    So I texted Elise about the progress without telling her about Noah''s secret directly.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Hey, Elise. I''m here with the progress of our n together.


    Elise: Oh, great! I was starting to get anxious and was nning to call you just now.


    Elise: So, did you find a good person for this? The person suitable for this kind of trap?


    Emmy: Indeed, but our nned victim is not a woman, it''s a man, and it''s Noah Jameson.


    ¡ª


    ¡­


    ¡­


    There was no more text from Elise. I was baffled. But then, she called me instead.


    __Phone Call__


    "Hello, Elise?"


    "Em! Are you out of your mind?!"


    "What? What did I do wrong?"


    "I mean, Noah! Why would you use Noah in this?" Elise asked. Her tone seemed anxious.


    "Uh-huh, why are you so surprised?" I repliedzily. I could definitely predict where this conversation would lead to.


    "He is working with Thomas, didn''t I tell you before? Even if Thomas bullied him from now, I bet he will still tell Thomas about it because he is gay for him!" Elise said.


    "No, no, I know he is not gay because he already told me what really happened between him and Thomas. He is definitely innocent here, and he can''t wait to take Thomas down as well."


    "Wait, really?"


    "Yes, let me tell you."

 Chapter 149 - Twisting Words

    Chapter 149 ¨C Twisting Words


    __Phone call__


    "Wait, really?"


    "Yes, let me tell you," I started twisting the story between Noah and Thomas to fit my narrations, so I could convince Elise without leaking Noah''s sexuality, "You see, Noah and Thomas are childhood friends, and they have been great friends since."


    "Even before Jorge and Jackson befriended Thomas, Noah and Thomas have always been close to each other. That''s why, when Jackson and Jorge started pulling Thomas into their weird stunts, Noah got worried."


    "At first, he continues to befriend Thomas and helped him in any way possible, either by covering up or providing something for Thomas and his gang. But at some point, he finally got tired after realizing that it''s just not worth it to cover something obviously wrong."


    "So that''s why he told Thomas that he refused to help anymore, and if they keep doing those bullying, beating, and crazy stunts, Noah would report them to the police or the principal."


    "And they beat him up for that?" Elise asked.


    "Yes, that''s the whole story why Noah bes one of the victims right now."


    "Hmmm¡­" Elise seemed to be considering it for a moment. "Honestly, this is far from what I imagined. But at the same time, this is more grounded and realistic, I guess¡­."


    "Huh? What kind of idea is in your head?"


    "Well, mine was oundish. I really thought that Noah had a big crush on Thomas. They have done it plenty of times. That''s why Noah got into this dependent but one-sided rtionship with Thomas and did everything to help him."


    "But in the end, he felt that it was wrong and want to ''break-up,'' or whatever you want to call it," Elise said.


    Holy shit. Elise was 90% correct about everything. What kind of psychic ability she has to guess this close to the truth?! I needed that one too!


    "W¡ªWell, obviously, that''s a bit oundish, don''t you think?" I said nervously.


    "Indeed, that''s why I feel like your exnation is more realistic," Elise sighed. "Anyway, you told me that we will use Noah as bait. Please borate on why would we use him. I mean, he is a man! Wouldn''t that be ineffective? If we use a woman as the victim, then the effect on the news would be more sensational."


    "I know, it will be sensational and garner more pity. But¡­ using a man in this would be more beneficial because it''s scandalous," while I was exining this to Elise, I was also thinking about a good method to emotionally bait Thomas, so he would be agitated and start attacking Noah Jameson.


    "Scandalous? But, he is a man¡­."


    "Of course, but from what I heard from the gossip in sophomore. Thomas and Noah are gossiped to be gay couples, and Thomas didn''t like that rumor, right?"


    "Yeah, I heard that he hates it. He is a true homophobic, so I''m not really surprised," Elise mentioned. "He called any man who wears a pink shirt as faggot or nasty gay. Can you believe that?"


    "Ouch, that''s so homophobic, OMG!" I acted surprised. Of course, I was rolling my eyes when I said that. Because from Noah''s story, this guy was basically homophobic who fuck with man.


    Pretty sure that he was gay himself, but he didn''t want to admit it and was scared that he''d get bullied for being one. That was why he acted so defensive around Noah.


    "Listen, Elise, we can use his homophobia as a tool to make him emotionally distressed, to make him rage!" I tried to convince Elise about my n. And it seemed to confuse her even more.


    "What do you mean using his homophobia? Don''t tell me that you''re nning to instruct a man to kiss him so it''d trigger his extreme reaction."


    "Oh, of course not that extreme. I think if we instruct Noah to do that, he won''t be alive by the time the involuntary witnesses," I denied. Of course, that was way too extreme, and I was sure that Noah wouldn''t survive after that. "I will instruct Noah to say that he has proof of Thomas fucking him for real, going full homerun on him. Noah will threaten Thomas that he will share the video with the whole school if he doesn''t stop bullying him."


    "But you see, Jackson and Jorge don''t know that Thomas is also gay. Do you catch what will Thomas do?"


    "Ah, I get it. Thomas will try to deny it as much as possible and start beating Noah out of anger, but of course, he won''t be beating him too much, or else Jorge and Jackson will get suspicious of him," Elise hypothesized. "And when Noah got beaten, Miss Brittany Alba wille and interrupt everyone by her presence, basically turning her into an involuntary witness. And Thomas and the gang couldn''t just run away, because if they do, then Noah could just tell Miss Brittany Alba that Thomas is beating him because of a sex tape between both of them."


    Elise''s hypothesis was pretty much what I nned so far. With this, Thomas and his gang would be too panicked. If they didn''t beat and threaten Miss Brittany Alba, she would tell the school board and probably share it on social media instead.


    Those three were masters of intimidation. They''d probably return to their instinct to intimidate Miss Alba, so she wouldn''t tell anyone, or she''d be killed or something.


    "And when they are threatening Miss Alba, we have everything recorded and shared to social media. We should also make the title bombastic, like¡ªthree students beating a defenseless teacher because one had a sex tape with another man," I exined more, and Elise gasped.


    "Wow, Emmy, that''s so evil¡ªnice!"


    "Haha! Of course!"


    "But, how about Noah? He is just a volunteer here. Of course, we don''t want him to be snared in this case, right?"


    "You''re right¡­." I identally missed a vital part of this mission. Of course, I don''t want anyone to know about Noah''s identity. "How about we ask Noah to put on a mask, so nobody will notice him. We should also do this mission before dusk after the school is over and nobody is around, I think. If it''s in the middle of the night, I''m afraid the camera won''t catch the face of those three stooges."


    "True, then we should do this after school. It will also coincide with Miss Alba because she will stay in school before going out. If we can somehow convince Miss Alba toe at the right time, then I think the mission will be a big sess," Elise agreed with me.


    Now the question was about Miss Alba. What kind of trick I could use to lure Miss Alba. I meant, the one in my mind right now was to give her a ''love letter'' from Noah, so she could meet him after school for some ''fun.''


    But I wondered if it would work well. My biggest question was how to make it less of gambling. Because if Miss Alba failed to show up on time, then it was all wasted effort.


    "We need to make sure that Miss Alba came on time because if she fails to show up¡­ and we should also eliminate all probability of her failing to show up," I said, giving instruction to Elise. "Any idea?"


    "Miss Alba loves Noah because of his good look. If you want to use him to bait Miss Alba, you can do that as well," Elise gave out his idea, which was literally the same as what I was thinking before.


    "We don''t know if she will be on time if we give her a love letter from Noah," I said. "We cannot have any margin of error here, Elise. This is literally the most important part."


    "Hmm¡­" Elise went silent for a moment, and I was also thinking hard, trying to find a way to find a n. Because this was actually difficult, especially for me, who had zero ideas about Miss Alba''s habit since she was in sophomore sses.


    And I barely talked with her in my previous life since I was not her petition,'' knowing how ugly I was.


    "I will find a way," Elise said. "This should be my task because she teaches me. I think I can form a n. Just give me time."


    "You can handle this one?" I asked.


    "Yes, I can. I mean, you''ve done so much for me, Emmy. Let me handle this one, don''t worry, I am alsopetent."


    "That¡ªI don''t have any doubt about you. You''re definitely the mostpetent person I''ve met in our school."


    Elise chuckled slightly and then excused herself because she wanted to hang up on me.


    __Phone call ends__


    I took a deep breath after a long day today. Now the n had been set, I just hoped that Elise could find a concrete way to lure Miss Alba.. She was the key of this mission.

 Chapter 150 - Twisting Words (2)

    Chapter 150 ¨C Twisting Words (2)


    As I was prepared to sleep, I got a text from Elise again.


    ¡ª


    Elise: I forgot to ask about our n to bait those bastards. Do you have the money now? I mean, if you haven''t, I can probably do something with my Dad''s money.


    ¡ª


    Oh damn, now I wonder if everyone around me was rich except me. Logan was filthy rich, Noah was wealthy, Mona''s parents had a cafe, Mason was on his way to being rich.


    Was I the only one who couldn''t afford to buy a pack of instant noodles without thinking twice?


    Damn.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: No, don''t do that. I have the money. I have prepared two grands for this mission.


    Elise: Two grands?! Wow, how could you do that? I thought you were broke!


    Emmy: I am. But I have my own way to get this. Don''t worry about it. I''m not stealing as well.


    Elise; Alright, if you say so. I''m just giving an option, so you won''t feel burdened. This is our mission, after all. It''s supposed to be fair to both of us.


    Elise: Especially me, the burden is in me because I am the one who truly wants this revenge.


    ¡ª


    Yeah, not exactly. I also had my own animosity against them. So I calmed Elise down and assured her everything was aligned.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Don''t worry about it.


    Emmy: But you have to find a good way to ensure that Miss Alba will being. She is the key to this mission.


    Elise: Yes, I''ve been thinking about it. Don''t worry.


    ¡ª


    I could finally rest after that one and then rested my body as I fell asleep quickly.


    **


    I went to school the next day feeling more refreshed, especially since I hold 50 bucks in my wallet right now. You heard me since I had 3 grands of spare money, I took some for just in case.


    About the 2 grands to lure those three stooges, then I had to consult with Noah and Elise first.


    I went to sses as usual, but something felt a bit iffy today. Because I could sense someone was staring at me from a seat behind me.


    I looked over my shoulder and saw Chrissy ring at me with her try-hard re. It didn''t scare me at all, but when I saw someone else red at me, I was scared shitless.


    Jessica was staring at me. She didn''t show any kind of hostility, at least not as much as I expected. But she did stare at me with questionable intention.


    I gulped and tried to focus on the teacher, but I had a bad feeling about this.


    After the teacher left for lunch recess, everyone got up and left, including me, but someone suddenly held my hand.


    I turned around and saw Chrissy grinning maliciously at me, "Jessica will end you, Em."


    Jessica got up from her chair and arrogantly strutted to me. She crossed her arms and raised her brow, "Aren''t you the girl who trash-talked me before?"


    Ah fuck, she still remembered that.


    I never trash-talked her, it was some random person or maybe someone who had a hatred of me, but I still didn''t know who.


    Honestly, my legs trembled when I faced Jessica. Maybe it was the fear of the past life when she bullied me to the point that I wouldn''t have the strength to even look at her straight in the eyes.


    But that was my past life.


    In this one, I had to make sure that I didn''t get bullied too early into the game, or else she would mark me and bully the hell of my life again.


    So I mustered my courage and raised my head. I looked straight at Jessica''s eyes, "That usation is not proven yet, I''m just a new student in this high school, and I''m also a new resident around this town. So there is no way for me to know you before, Miss Jessica Lambert."


    "Oh~ So you know my name now, huh?"


    "It''s not hard to know the most popr girl in our batch," I said, still unrelenting in front of her despite my legs almost giving up on me.


    "Oh~ So you did your research," Jessica said. "You must''ve known that the most popr girl also deserves the most popr boy, right?"


    Uh-huh, of course, if you could snare Mason after you sent him your nude pic.


    Well, that was what I wanted to say, but in the end, I only replied with a nod, "That''s quite obvious."


    "Then stop trying to be close with Mason! Mason Hall is the most popr boy in our batch!" Chrissy suddenly yelled out of nowhere.


    Ah, now I understood the root of this ''fight'' we were having right now. She must''ve realized that she couldn''t fight me by herself, so she said something to Jessica to ignite her anger and confronted me.


    But what Chrissy didn''t know was¡­ I could use this as my weapon.


    "Jessica, I saw her talking with Mason alone in the schoolyard, and she is trying to get close to Mason. She even tries to hug him!" Chrissy spouted some random bullshit to anger Jessica even more.


    Honestly, I wanted to just ster her mouth so she wouldn''t talk about random shit that could only worsen the situation.


    Jessica suddenly put her hand on my shoulder and gripped it tightly. I winced in pain due to the pain but tried my best not to look scared.


    Because if I got scared, Jessica would see that I was weak and bully-able for her.


    Besides, I might as well bury my head if I looked scared in front of Chrissy, the bitchy side character.


    "Oh? You''re trying to talk with Mason in the schoolyard? Do you know that it''s not good to snatch other woman''s food, right? He is my target, so you shouldn''t even think about it before I make your school life a living hell," Jessica said. She didn''t look angry, but her words were serious and scary. She was really good at intimidating.


    "And you believe this bitchy bootlicker Chrissy for saying that? Do you really think that Mason Hall likes to get hugged by some random woman?" I raised my brow to challenge her.


    It was time to twist some of Chrissy''s words back at her.


    Jessica frowned, she seemed to have realized something, but she didn''t say it aloud. So I did it for her instead.


    "I think we both know that Mason Hall always keeps his distance from anyone. If your oh-so-trusty information here¡ª" I nced at Chrissy Miles and chuckled. "¡ªIs so reliable, then she should provide some evidence of me hugging Mason Hall."


    ¡­


    ¡­.


    Jessica and I looked at Chrissy at the same time. And thetter became nervous as she got two pairs of scrutinizing gazes on her.


    "J¡ªJessica, don''t be distracted by her! She is just trying to fool you! I really saw it with my own eyes that she suddenly hugged Mason Hall, even asking him to give her a kiss. It''s seriously gross!" Chrissy continued her primitive way, which didn''t work for me at all.


    "I mean, you can use me all you want, but if you have zero evidence, then what''s the point? It''s all just a false allegation, then. I think Miss Jessica Lambert here knows what I''m talking about," I said with a careless shrug.


    Both Jessica and Chrissy were speechless by my words. Of course, because I was correct. I knew that Jessica and Chrissy couldn''t counter my words, especially Chrissy, who just tantly lied to throw me to hell.


    "Maybe you should get a better trusty friend, Miss Jessica Lambert. Someone like her is a bit untrustworthy, especially after her scandal. Remember? Drug scandal~."


    "YOU!" Chrissy gritted her teeth. You are the one who framed me, right?! You''re the only one who could pull that kind of wicked trick!


    I just shrugged lightly, "See? Another baseless usation, I would be pretty dumb if I chose to believe her at this point. She has zero evidence. All she did is just point fingers at me for no reason."


    Chrissy''s face paled as she saw Jessica''s expression turn darker. Jessica looked pissed, but not to me. She finally released her grip on my shoulder, and I yanked my hand from Chrissy, who had lost all her strength under Jessica''s intimidating gaze.


    I didn''t think this was enough to kick Chrissy away from Jessica. Since I knew how shameless Chrissy was, she would probably find another way to bootlick her way back.


    I knew it''d be a long day between Jessica and Chrissy, and I didn''t want to disturb them, let them fight to each other first while I dismantle all of Jessica''s future power. So she wouldn''t be as lethal as before when I wanted to take her down.


    For Chrissy? I mean, it''s Chrissy Miles. She is like¡­ the bitchy side character. I''d rather use her in the future as a sacrifice for one mission.


    And with that, I left the ssroom and headed for lunch.

 Chapter 151 - Caught!

    Chapter 151 ¨C Caught!


    I bought a proper meal for lunch today because I had enough money for it. Really, sucking up to that madman, red rose man, was actually beneficial in some way.


    At least now, I didn''t need to drink milk and stale bread for lunch. Nor do I have to cook every morning to prepare my lunchbox.


    I checked my phone while eating and saw that Noah was texting me.


    ¡ª


    Noah: Emmy, where are you right now?


    ¡ª


    Hm? This was lunch recess. If he wanted toe to the pottery club room, he would need to wait a few more hours until all sses were over.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Cafetaria. Is there something wrong?


    Noah: I just need a ce to hide. You know, I''ve been trying to avoid Thomas and his gang.


    Emmy: Where are you right now?


    Noah: Um¡­ I''m hiding in a tool shed near the schoolyard.


    ¡ª


    Ah, I remembered that tool shed. Cindy and Kristen, Jessica''s bitches, once beat me and threw me to that tool shed in my previous life.


    They also barred the door from outside with wood, so I couldn''t leave. I spent the whole night in that tool shed, crying and begging for anyone to save me. Thankfully, the security guard found me the next morning, and I was saved.


    Though, in the end, I got very sick and had a high fever for the whole week because of that.


    Well, at least Kristen was done. I would probably target Cindy sooner orter. However, it might be too risky if I did it too early since Cindy was Jessica''s closest aide.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Stay right there. I''ming


    ¡ª


    I finished my lunch and went out. I had to save Noah for now. I went to the schoolyard and found a few boys were ying basketball.


    I passed them quietly and was stopped when I saw three big jocks looking around like hungry wolves trying to find their prey.


    Those were Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson.


    Thomas had blonde hair and somewhat of a typical jock face, but he did look handsome. So I wouldn''t me Noah for getting enamored with him.


    He was the natural leader of the gang, looking at how he tried to lead Jorge and Jackson.


    "Now, where does that little faggot go?" He asked while looking around.


    "Maybe he is hiding somewhere. Why don''t we just meet him again after school?" Jackson suggested. He didn''t seem to be so into bullying someone right now. At least that was what I saw.


    "Yeah, man. You really want to beat that faggot every day. Just give it a rest once, will you?" Jorge added.


    Thomas suddenly turned at them and grabbed Jorge''s cor. He yanked Jorge and gritted his teeth right in front of Jorge''s face, "That little faggot deserves to get beaten every day. Don''t you see that he is an eyesore? Or you are sympathizing with him? If you sympathize with him, that means you''re gay! You heard that? If you dare to sympathize with him, then you''re basically a sissy little faggot!"


    Jorge''s face paled, so he just nodded to appease Thomas'' anger in the end.


    I watched from afar because I knew I was no match against them physically. If I yed the heroine saved the day card right in front of them, I''d only be targeted and beaten up.


    Someone like Thomas, he didn''t really care if it was a man or woman. He''d beat them up and make their life a living hell if he had targeted you.


    So better avoid them and y the game from behind. Take them down quietly.


    I wanted until they left to find Noah in another ce. Then I went straight to Noah''s hiding spot, behind the schoolyard, the toolshed.


    The toolshed seemed to have been closed and locked from inside. So I knocked on the door, "Hey, Noah, it''s me."


    Noah slowly opened the door from inside and then pulled me in rather thaning out, "WHA!"


    I was surprised, but I got even more shocked when I saw his condition. Because he had been beaten, again! It was really terrible too. Noah couldn''t hide the blue-purple mark on his cheeks.


    "Oh no, I thought you''re hiding from them!" I yelled at him as I got worried by his bruise. "Damn, they beat you up badly."


    "They beat me up during lunch break when I was trying to hide. They found me and beat me. I was able to run away and hide here," Noah said. He was about to cry when he said that, which was understandable, honestly.


    I hugged him and patted his head, "It''s fine. You can hide here for now. I met them when I was heading this way, and they are indeed searching for you. It''s better to avoid them for now."


    Noah started sobbing on my shoulder. He must''ve been exhausted after getting bullied for too long. It was also the reason that drove him to suicide one year from now, "I''m tired, Em. I''m so tired of them! I don''t even want to live at this point!"


    "Hush, don''t say that! The more you want to give up, the more satisfaction those bastards get. You have to stay strong, and we will take them all together, okay?"


    "Taking them all¡­ is that even possible?" Noah stated depressingly. "I don''t know how we can take them down at this point. It''s better to just.. give up¡­."


    "No, we can do this, but you have to¡­ argh¡­ I hate to say this, but¡­ you have to man up! Don''t be such a scaredy-cat! If you''re like this, then nothing good would happen!" I yelled at him, trying to incite that fighting spirit in his heart.


    I couldn''t have Noah shrivel up and give up like this. He was the key to the mission as well. If he just lost his fighting spirit, then I doubted he could say something provocative in front of Thomas and his gangter on.


    "Do you really think we can take him on, Em? What makes you so sure¡­" he asked, trying to find some affirmation.


    "Because I have never failed in my mission. Trust me," I said. Well, I didn''t know if I could hold that words, but at least it was true, right?


    I took down Kristen and Leah perfectly. There was no chance for them to return back to school, well, especially for Leah, since she was in juvenile jail right now.


    Noah slowly stopped sobbing and chuckled in mirth, "Damn, Em. You have so much confidence in you. It makes me wonder how could you get all that confidence?"


    Long-term suffering, the death of my mom and grandma, bullying for three years straight, and also death during prom. Yeah, you only need those to gain so much confidence¡ªor what I call it, bravado.


    Because all I did was be reckless, I had nothing to lose.


    "Because I have nothing to lose, Noah¡­." I said.


    As I hugged him to calm him down, the shed''s door was suddenly opened from outside.


    My head turned at the door out of reflex and saw a handsome boy who was just as astonished as I got.


    "Emmy¡­" the guy mumbled, and Noah also turned his head reactively.


    The moment he realized we were hugging too tightly like this, Noah separated himself away from me, "P¡ªPlease don''t misunderstand! Emmy and I¡ª"


    "Em¡­ why are you here?"


    "I¡ªUh¡­ why are you here, Mason?" I asked him back, knowing that I couldn''t reply to his question.


    "This is the tool shed for the schoolyard. I''m here to retrieve a toolbox because something is broken in my club. How about you? Why are you here with this gay? Don''t tell me that you don''t know this man is gay," Mason said lightly as if he didn''t just drop the biggest plot twist that I had been keeping secret the whole time with Noah.


    Both Noah and I jolted in shock, we looked at each other in disbelief, and I shook my head vehemently, iming my innocence. Because I would never spill such a dangerous secret to a random person, let alone a popr guy like Mason!


    Mason shrugged and picked the toolbox near me, "I need to fix something in my club. You shouldn''t stay here for too long, Noah Jameson."


    "How did you¡ª" I was the one who reacted first. This was too shocking. At this point, any words spouted by Mason could be the death of me, really.


    Meanwhile, Noah was also too stunned to speak. I could sense that he was ming me for this, but I kept denying vehemently, "No, no! Why would I tell anyone, this guy¡ªI mean, Mason Hall, just know it by himself!"


    I turned my head at Mason in panic, "M¡ªMason, how did you know about Noah?"


    "That''s not really important, isn''t it?" Mason smiled and grabbed my wrist so suddenly. "Let''s go, Em.. I promised myself to never let you stay in this tool shed, not on my watch."

 Chapter 152 - Agitated Mason

    Chapter 152 ¨C Agitated Mason


    "Let''s go, Em. I promised myself to never let you stay in this tool shed, not on my watch," Mason said.


    Hold on, I felt like¡­ Mason had just dropped a big bomb just now. But I was still too distracted with him basically saying he knew Noah was gay. Despite me never saying it to anyone, let alone a guy who was continuously flocked by many girls.


    Noah was stunned when Mason grabbed my wrist and clenched it tightly, a bit too tight, actually. Because I winced in pain in the process.


    Mason looked at Noah for thest time and said, "I never have a problem with anyone''s sexual orientation. But you know not to mess around with me¡­ or her."


    Mason pointed at me, which implies the ''her'' in that sentence was me. And it got me even more confused. Mason was really confusing me right now, and I didn''t know how to react. I just looked at Noah apologetically and signaled him to continue hiding in the toolshed until I called him again.


    Mason grabbed my hands, and we went deeper behind the schoolyard when there weren''t any students around. The school bell had rung, and the students had returned to their ss, so it was only Mason and me now.


    "Mason, stop now! Why are you dragging me like this?!" I struggled as I realized that Mason wanted to bring me outside of the school to the small hill behind the school.


    Mason finally stopped, but he didn''t release my wrist.


    He suddenly pushed me to the wall and then locked his hands between my shoulder, basically doing a kabedon to me.


    I froze on the spot because the moment I opened my eyes after experiencing the pain in my back, I saw Mason''s face was so close to mine. Our breaths were entangled to each other.


    He stared at me with his dreamy eyes, but this time, that dreamy, princely feeling had disappeared, only a pair of deep blue eyes that could drown you in both fear and excitement.


    "M¡ªMason?"


    "Emmelyn Jones, what did you do with that gay?" Mason asked rudely. I felt a bit ufortable with how close he was. Despite him smelling so nice, I was still scared.


    "M¡ªMason, please¡ª"


    "You know well that he is gay, right?"


    "I¡ªI know, but that''s now the problem. Besides, how did you know that he is gay? We never told anyone. It''s literally our secret," I asked suspiciously.


    "Of course, I can determine it easily. Besides, I''m not as blind as you think, Emmy," Mason replied. "Not when you''re out there hugging another man like that."


    Honestly, I knew that it wasn''t difficult to see through Noah''s orientation once you had talked with him once or twice. But I didn''t remember ever seeing Mason talking to Noah, and I refused to believe that Mason had been paying any attention to Noah at all.


    Now it got me even more confused, and I started suspecting that Mason might also be reborn, just like me.


    But for now, I had to calm him down.


    "H¡ªHey, rx, okay? Don''t you see Noah''s face is all beaten up? He is having a breakdown in the toolshed. He is hiding from the bullies, and I''m trying to calm him down. Don''t you know that he might be suicidal if left all alone with so many dangerous tools in the shed?" I tried to defend myself. I didn''t want to be the only guilty one here.


    "You don''t need to hug him so tightly if you just want to calm him down," Mason said. But I could sense that his hostility had decreased.


    "It''s not really a problem, is it? I''m just giving him a hug¡­."


    "You haven''t done that to me. Why would you give it to someone else¡­" Mason said so suddenly that I was taken aback.


    "M¡ªMason, what do you mean by that?" I asked, unsure what to react to that statement. Because by following that statement¡­ it meant¡­


    "Are you¡­ jealous?" I asked.


    Mason''s eyes widened, he froze on the spot, and I could feel his breath stiffened in the process as well.


    "Mason, are you¡­ jealous of me? Why? We''re just friends¡­." I said, trying to dodge the inevitable. At least I had the feeling that Mason had a deeper feeling than what I expected.


    It made me wonder if this was the same Mason Hall I knew. Because in my previous world, I wouldn''t even see Mason Hall not showing his lukewarm smile to someone else. He was always with that fake smile, flocked by countless fangirls that tried to get his attention, and he always tried to make a professional, somewhat of an idol-fan rtionship with any girl that tried to chase him.


    In the end, he ended up with no one. In three years of high school, I never saw him dating anyone, whether a girl or a boy. He waspletely absorbed with his career as an actor, studying, and as the school''s quarterback.


    Mason''s body trembled as if he was holding such a bottled-up emotion in his heart, "Do you really want to know, Em?"


    "Huh? Of course, I want to know! Do you not realize that you''re being incredibly rude to Noah? He is in trouble, and you''re only making it worse!"


    "Then don''t regret it," Mason said in his charming yet brooding voice. Something so alien to me.


    "What are you¡ª"


    I waspletely stunned when Mason Hall suddenly wrapped my shoulder and waist and then hugged me tightly. He hugged me so tight that I could feel his heartbeat.


    I struggled lightly but then decided to stop struggling when I realized that my belly was rubbing his¡­ thing, and my boobs were basically squeezed against his abs. I got so embarrassed and decided to let Mason have his way for now.


    After hugging me for a while, I could feel his warm breath tickling my neck, and he whispered, "Because your first hug, first kiss, first everything should be mine, Emmelyn Jones¡­."


    Chu.


    I was too stunned when Mason suddenly kissed my cheek and then released me.


    I staggered in a daze, so Mason helped me stand up for a while. I stared at Mason with confusion and nervousness, "M¡ªMason, what did you do just now¡ª"


    "It is what it is, Emmy. I said it," Mason said. He seemed to be in a good mood after hugging and kissing me. "I don''t want to scare you, and you know my current condition, right? But I said what I want, and I wish you can wait for me."


    "Mason¡­"


    Mason stared at me in silence. He showed a slight smile that looked sincere to me. I didn''t know that he had a feeling like this to me, and my heart started racing so fast.


    I couldn''t help but feel shy and excited. But at the same time, I realized that he didn''t exactly ''confess'' to me. He didn''t say that he wanted me to be his girlfriend.


    Honestly, if he confessed to me clearly, right here, right now, then I might have no strength to think clearly and just epted him no matter what. Because that was what my heart wanted.


    I was greedy. I wanted to date the school prince, Mason Hall.


    But, all he said was to wait for him.


    And wait for what? I didn''t know either¡­


    Mason turned his back and said, "I¡­ I know you might find this abrupt. But I''ve been bottling this up for a while. I thought I could hold it, but when I saw you hugging Noah Jameson, I just¡­ lost control. I''m sorry if I''ve scared you¡­."


    Wait, what did he mean by ''bottling it up for a while? What kind of a while? Did he like me for a week? A month? A year?


    Nah, not a year because we haven''t met in this new timeline for one year.


    "Do you really mean what you say?" I asked, trying to ensure that I wasn''t dreaming or being yed right now. Though, I doubt someone like Noah would be ying with a girl''s feeling for a bet, like what Kyle did in my previous life.


    "I mean it, every word that I said is sincere from my heart, Emmelyn Jones," Mason replied. With that, he already exposed his feeling to me.


    For this nobody called Emmelyn Jones.


    "I''ll leave first. I''m sorry for acting so rashly. Don''t worry about Noah Jameson''s secret. I won''t tell it to anyone," Mason said. "I don''t have anything against him."


    Thus, Mason left me alone here. I could still feel the warm temperature of his body in this cold winter and also felt the kiss from his moist lips on my cheek.


    It was¡­ like a blissful dream.


    I caressed the spot where Mason kissed me just now and mumbled, "Maybe I shouldn''t wash my face today. I think I can save some water from that, right?"

 Chapter 153 - No Need To Forge Stuff

    Chapter 153 ¨C No Need To Forge Stuff


    I returned to the tool shed and saw that Noah was still hiding there. I was d that Mason didn''t do anything to him. Because if he did, then Mason would be on my list as well.


    Noah looked at me cautiously and asked, "E¡ªEm, you''re not selling me out, right?"


    "What? No! I swear, Noah, I never tell anyone about your secret. I know that you have a dangerous secret, at least for a high schooler like us," I tried to clear up my name. Honestly, if I was in Noah''s shoes right now, I would be suspicious as well.


    Because I was the only one he told about the secret, even I didn''t know how Mason could realize it, "Well, he said it''s your mannerism that gives off the aura."


    "Really?" Noah asked.


    "Eh, I don''t think so. Maybe he''s just very sensitive about it," I said. "Don''t worry, I already talked about it and threatened him never to leak it to anyone."


    "And he agrees?" Noah frowned. "That man is Mason Hall, right? He is so famous, even the female sophomore and seniors all fell in love with him. How could you just talk with him and get him to agree?"


    Noah''s scrutinizing eyes got me nervous all of a sudden. I didn''t know how to answer it without sounding ridiculous.


    Of course, I couldn''t say that Mason Hall had hugged and kissed me. They basically made an indirect confession to me.


    Because I knew it sounded way too ridiculous and unbelievable, even I couldn''t believe it myself.


    "Uhh¡­ basically, I told him that I will help him with his homework, in exchange, he shouldn''t tell the secret to anyone because it might really hurt you if everyone in this ce knows, right?"


    Noah shuddered when he imagined everyone in this school knew about his secret, "W¡ªWell if you say so. I''m sorry for burdening you even more, Em. I''ll find a way topensate you in the future."


    "Forget aboutpensating me, but we seriously need you for our n. You will be the key," I said.


    Noah nodded weakly, but then he asked, "C¡ªCan we talk about this in your Pottery club room instead? I''m dead cold right now¡­."


    "Oh, right, I''m sorry."


    "Since the schoolyard was empty, I escorted Noah to the Pottery club room. I turned on the heater, and he took off his jacket.


    He sat near the heater to warm himself up, and I gave him a hot tea. It was still ss right now, but I had decided to just skip a ss and return for the next one.


    I didn''t really care about the school anyway. There had been many instances of Jessica skipping sses without any repercussion. It was my stupidity to follow the rule too much.


    I sat on the seat, staring at Noah, who was still warming himself. I had already closed the door, so nobody would know there was someone in this room right now. I was afraid those bullies might find us.


    "Em, what do you want me to do? About this n, you''re talking about¡­."


    "Well, I want you to be the victim, just like what I told you before."


    "I know that. I mean, what exactly should I do there? You want me to be a bait, right?"


    "Indeed, I want you to wear a mask to hide your face, though. Because we will be doing this after school instead of in the middle of the night, for the clearer record."


    "I need you to make Thomas agitated and act rashly, and what''s better than threatening him with the sex video."


    "Sex video? Don''t tell me that you want me to threaten him by sharing our sex video with everyone in school. Then he will definitely get agitated," Noah said.


    "Indeed, that''s what I want to do," I smiled thin. "And when he is beating you up, the involuntary witness wille, and you know the rest. Elise and I will record everything and share it online, especially with the school public and the police. It''ll be sensational, three students beating a female teacher."


    "Since you will be wearing a mask, your identity will be hidden. Don''t worry about it."


    "Actually, I have a mask in my home, Em. And it''s not a simple task because it has dirty history," Noah suddenly said.


    It sparked my interest, and I asked, "What mask?"


    "Uhh, it''s a ck mask adorned with a fake jewel on the forehead. The mask covers your eyes and cheekbones. Sometimes, Thomas asked me to use it because he said it''s hot."


    "Oh~ That''ll definitely agitate him even more. Please use that as well. With this, our n has matured. The only problem is with Elise with Miss Brittany Alba right now. I need her to make sure that Miss Alba wille at the right time because she is also the key for this mission''s sess."


    Noah stared at me for a while and thenmented, "Wow, Emmy. I will never want to be your enemy, ever."


    "I don''t n to be your enemy as well, Noah. I did this to people who deserve it."


    **


    I decided to allow Noah to stay in the Pottery Club Room for the rest of the day. Since he said he was afraid those bastards, Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson might''ve camped near his car and ambushed him when he was about to leave.


    I agreed on that and went to thest ss before finishing school.


    I returned to the Pottery Club Room, only to find Noah sleeping on the long bench near the heater. I got that he was pretty cold and exhausted after hiding in that shed for a while.


    So I called Elise in the meantime to update her progress. We really needed that progress, especially since I saw the bullying to Noah had worsened.


    I was afraid¡­ if we kept dilly-dallying, Thomas and his gang might''ve killed Noah at that point.


    After a few beeps, Elise epted the call.


    __Phone call__


    "Hello, Em."


    "Elise, how''s the process with Miss Brittany Alba," I asked directly. "Noah is with me right now, sleeping after getting super exhausted. He has been hiding in the shed behind the schoolyard for a while, and his body is naturally cold."


    "I think we need to elerate stuff or else, Noah will die for real."


    "Yes, I''ve created a good n about it, but I still need your confirmation, whether this is a good idea or not," Elise said.


    "Tell me."


    "I''ve asked some of my friends, including Mona, about Miss Brittany Alba right now and which man she fancied the most. Turns out, she has the hots for Mason Hall right now."


    My breath stiffened the moment I heard about Mason Hall.


    "So¡­ she is his fangirl as well?"


    "Hmm, not exactly, more like, sexually driven fangirl. Based on some gossip, they heard Miss Brittany Alba saying to another female student how princely and dreamy Mason Hall is, and that¡­ she wants to sleep with him."


    "Wait, she said that?! How shameless could she be?!"


    "Well, she is always that shameless and horny. But nobody really pays attention to her crazy behavior," Elise sighed. "Well, I''m nning to use her infatuation to lure her. Listen, this infatuation is not the same with her liking some high school boy."


    "Miss Alba''s infatuation to Mason Hall is so weird. She even said that Mason also had his eyes on her. They''re basically going to marry after Mason graduated high school."


    "Now that the news about Mason doing a movie had spread around the school, she became even more in love."


    "This is very different than her usual. Because she would just dismiss the boy in one or two days after getting interested, but with Mason¡­."


    "I don''t know, Em¡­ I feel like her infatuation is caused by Mason Hall actually responding to her chat. Maybe that guy really has the hots for older women."


    Mason hall.


    He again¡­


    Honestly, I wasn''t sure how to react to this. I knew that Mason was popr and handsome, but he could even seduce a teacher, let alone a sophomore teacher¡­


    I had a feeling that Mason Hall took part in this. Maybe he truly seduced Miss Brittany Alba.


    But what for? In my previous life, some teachers liked Mason, but Mason turned them all down.


    But why was it different now?


    "Emmy, are you there?" Elise called me.


    "A¡ªAh, sorry. I was distracted," I said.


    "Well, my n to lure Miss Alba is to fake a letter from Mason Hall to her. Or at least something that will definitely excite Miss Alba," Elise exined. "Then we can use that and lure Miss Alba out."


    ¡­


    It was a good idea since she was so infatuated with Mason. But¡­


    "I don''t think we need to fake anything about him," I said.. "I will ask it from the direct source instead, from Mason Hall."

 Chapter 154 - Eavesdropping

    Chapter 154 ¨C Eavesdropping


    __Phone call__


    "I don''t think we need to fake anything about him," I said. "I will ask it from the direct source instead, from Mason Hall."


    "Wait, what?!" Elise sounded shocked. "Em, this is not the time to joke around. I know that you might be one of his fans. But seriously, we need to forge Mason''s handwriting, autograph, or anything that would lure Miss Alba."


    ¡­


    I wanted to say that I could obtain it easily. But I knew that Elise wouldn''t believe me again. So I just yed along.


    "Okay, okay, I won''t y around. I will forge his handwriting and autograph. I will create a fake love letter," I told Elise.


    Of course, I had no way to forge handwriting and also autograph. That was some high-level shit. But I didn''t need to forge anything. I''d just ask Mason directly.


    "You¡­ you sure you can do it? I mean, I might be able to find another way¡­." Elise suggested. But finding another way would take more time. We had no time to dy here because Noah''s life was on the line.


    "We have no time. I will do it," I said assuringly.


    Elise sighed, "Alright, with that fake letter ready, then every prop will be ready."


    "What''s left is the execution," I said.


    "Yep," Elise confirmed. "Well, I will be waiting for that fake letter. Once you have it, I will ask for Mona to go and put it in Miss Alba''s bag or desk because she has ess to the teachers'' room."


    "She has ess to the teachers'' room? How?" I asked.


    "You know, she got a lot of lenience because she''s teacher''s pet. That''s why she can work in her parents'' cafe. Some teachers favorited her and gave her lenience to do minimum homework. In exchange, she always helped the teachers to do stuff," Elise said. "And she is smart too, obviously."


    Damn, what an overachiever. Noah was lucky to have Mona as his first girlfriend!


    __Phone call ends__


    After a few more minutes of chatting, I finally hung up the phone call and immediately thought of a good way to talk to Mason about this.


    Of course, I couldn''t just tell him to make me a love letter for Miss Alba because I wanted to lure her, so she could be beaten to near death, right?


    I still didn''t know where Mason stood right now. Although he had indirectly confessed to me, I still couldn''t trust him enough about this.


    The way he acted and reacted about everything, I feel like¡­ there was something else in Mason, something insidious and dangerous.


    It was better to y safe for now.


    I watched some Youtube videos until it was quitete. Before the gate closed, I woke Noah up and said, "Noah, it''s time to leave. It''s almost dusk, and I''m sure that you will be safe."


    "A¡ªAh, yeah, I don''t think Thomas and his gang would stay thiste," Noah nodded. He wore his jacket again and got up from the chair. "Can you apany me to the parking lot? I''m just¡­ scared, you know."


    "Sure."


    Noah and I walked to the parking lot for the car because he rode a car today.


    To our surprise, we saw Mason standing beside a parked car not far from Noah''s car.


    He was standing in front of a white Porsche car, with a girl sitting in the car. I knew well whose girl owned this expensive car.


    And as expected, it was Jessica Lambert.


    "Em, isn''t that Mason with¡­ another girl?" Noah asked.


    "Sshh!" I pulled him to hide behind a wall while eavesdropping on Mason and Jessica''s conversation together.


    "So, how is it, handsome? I heard that you need money, right? I mean, if you just want money, I have tons. Don''t worry about paying it back. As long as you date me, then I can give you all the money you want~" Jessica said.


    Noah and I looked at each other, and hemented, "Wow, I wouldn''t mind dating that girl if she can give me money every week."


    "Oh, believe me, Noah. You do not want to date her. She is crazy," I said. The amount of torture I endured under the hand of that girl was tremendous to the point of death.


    She was the epitome of neutral evil.


    Mason''s neutral expression turned ugly instantly. I didn''t know that he could make such an expression. I thought he always had that lukewarm smile in default to everyone.


    "I can fend for myself. I have enough money to live," Mason said. "You shouldn''te to a random man and say something like that. It''s weird."


    Jessica chuckled as if she had just heard something funny. She grabbed Mason''s cor and yanked him towards her, so their faces were so close to each other.


    "You know that you''re the first one to ever reject me, right?" Jessica said. "Come on, Mason. You''re definitely my type. There is just something in you that draws me in. Maybe because we are not so much different?"


    "Not so much different? I''m not a bully like you. I know what kind of person you are, Jessica Lambert," Mason said ruthlessly. He didn''t even try to hide anything. I had to give him apuse for that. Nobody ever stood up against Jessica, so it was definitely a breath of fresh air.


    "You know what kind of person I am?"


    "You''re a bully. I know how bad you''ve been bullying, intimidating, and abusing other students."


    "Oh, is that it?" Jessica scoffed. "Just because I''m a bully, you don''t want to date me? Oh, Mason Hall, it takes one to understand another. We are the same kin, maybe you''re not a bully, but I know something deep inside you," Jessica''s eyes red full of provocation at Mason Hall. "You''re a monster, just like me. That''s why we should be together."


    Jessica gave Mason a light peck on his lips, which Mason reacted by pushing Jessica away from him. Mason wiped his lips full of disgust, "You''re disgusting, Jessica. And I''m not like you. I will not hurt innocent people."


    Jessica winced in pain when the back of her head smacked on the car''s window. "You know that you just deny it, Mason. Let''s just say that we will be together nheless. Besides, who can even take your heart, hm? Don''t tell me that you suddenly have someone you like."


    ¡­


    "I have had someone I like since the first time I met her," Mason said.


    "Oh, don''t lie~ You always said that to anyone who asked you out. You''re just trying to dodge it," Jessica chuckled mirthlessly. "You''ve been saying the same thing since middle school. Don''t you think it''s a bit ridiculous to be ''in love'' with a girl for so long?"


    "I''ve been in love with her for years, even in middle school or elementary school. I only have my heart for one girl," Mason uttered. He didn''t even try to hide it, and it got me, and Noah shocked.


    Especially me, of course, I was utterly shocked.


    Mason hall said he liked me and wanted me to wait for him.


    But he said that he had been in love with the same girl since elementary. Did that mean he had been in love with his childhood sweetheart?


    Then what about me?


    I felt like when he hugged and kissed me, I could feel his heart was racing. I also could feel his sincerity.


    Now he stated a different thing!


    This was utterly confusing. At least, my choice not to be too open with him about my mission was the correct one. He was still extremely unpredictable.


    "You still want to keep that stupid lie," Jessica sighed. "Oh well, that''s why I like you. You never showed anyone about your love. You keep that fake smile. It''s really interesting, Babe~."


    "Stop trying to make moves with me, Jessica. I already told you countless times, I will never like you," Mason said coldly. He turned away and walked from the scene.


    Jessica shrugged, "You know that I never take my eyes off my prey~."


    Jessica got inside her car and drove away, while Mason went to the front gate by walking, supposedly using the bus instead.


    Noah and I looked at each other full of confusion, "That man, Mason Hall, he has someone he likes?"


    "Well, you and I heard the same thing," I said. "It''s surprising, right?"


    "Yeah, but he is like the main lead character in a novel or romantic movie. He has been in love with one person since elementary? That stuffes from some novel, haha!"


    ¡­


    Honestly, I didn''t know how to react to this. I kept my silence until Noah and I were separated, and I went home.


    Grandma and Mom were already inside when I reached home because I returned homete today. I cooked for myself and then took a bath after dinner.


    My mind was filled with Mason Hall, who confessed to me, but also said that he had been in love with a girl long ago, since elementary.


    "This damn thing is confusing. That man is an enigma!"

 Chapter 155 - Love Letters (1)

    Chapter 155 ¨C Love Letters (1)


    I stared at myst text with Mason. I should be calling or texting him right now because I needed his love letterplete with an autograph for the mission.


    But after eavesdropping about Mason''s long love to his childhood sweetheart, I just got nervous and unsure.


    I doubted his words before, about his indirect confession as well. I wondered if those were true or he wanted to do something to my body instead.


    Because there were cases of boys who liked my big boobs and had maliciously perverted thoughts about it, which also caused something¡­ that I didn''t want to remember at all, happened to me in the past.


    It was also one of the reasons why I ate myself to extreme obesity. I was so ashamed of my body. I was called a slut, whore for having big boobs. I thought, if I was fat, then nobody would bully my body anymore because you wouldn''t be able to see my body in a perverted way.


    But after I got really fat, those disgustingly perverted gazes were gone, but I got turned to be the butt of a joke to everyone because of my size. Nothing would be right in front of them, honestly. They just wanted to see you suffer in any way possible.


    That was the reason why I took the middle ground and wore ck shirts and mostly oversized clothes. I knew not all boys were perverts, but I still had to be careful, of course.


    Now, I wondered if Mason was one of those guys.


    But he showed zero interest to anyone before, and there were plenty of girls a lot more attractive than me. Heck, even Jessica was more attractive.


    And there was no rose-tinted ss in me, I wouldn''t say that stupid ''Oh that''s because you''re different and quirky, that''s why the most popr boy in the school like you'' kind of trope.


    This wasn''t some ro with fuzzy feeling, either Mason truly had an interest in me, or he was interested in my body.


    Or maybe he had something else, who knew.


    I kept staring at the phone screen for so long until I suddenly got a call from one and only, Mason Hall.


    I picked up the call nervously.


    __Phone call__


    "H¡ªHello, Mason? Something''s up? Why did you call me?"


    "Ah, Em! I¡­ uh¡­ I just want you to know about what happened before," Mason said. He sounded nervous as always. For some reason, he always sounded nervous on the phone and often cleared his throat. "It''s¡­ not a joke."


    "Huh?"


    "It''s not a joke, Em. I¡­ I do like you, and I want you to be my¡­ my girlfriend¡­ but you know condition right now¡­" Mason said, sounding pitiful enough for me to realize what he meant by that.


    "You mean your acting career? I understand that you can''t date a random girl while your career is rising, don''t worry about it."


    "No! It''s not that!" Mason denied vehemently. "I¡­ I''m afraid that someone might hurt you in the process if our rtionship went public, either intentionally or leaked unintentionally. I want to make sure that everything is alright before we¡ªI mean before I confessed to you fully¡­."


    ¡­


    Honestly, I understood what he meant by that. I knew he had tons of crazy fans, and even if he tried to protect me, you just didn''t know what those unreasonable girls would do.


    Heck, you didn''t even need to take, for example, just look at Jessica and Chrissy.


    They were crazy over Mason and would do anything possible to get him.


    I started thinking if I would also ept him, but that question didn''t evenst 5 seconds in my head because obviously, I would say yes.


    It was Mason Hall! I had liked this guy since myst life, and that attraction was still there!


    I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down so I wouldn''t sound too excited about it.


    "I understand. I don''t think you should be in a rtionship with anyone right now, honestly."


    "I know¡­" Mason sounded sad, which was understandable. "But¡­ are you happy, Em?"


    "Huh?"


    "I mean, do you have at least a bit of joy in your heart when I say that I like you?"


    ¡­


    "Yes," I replied truthfully, knowing full extent that it would pull me deeper into this meaningless hole between Mason and me.


    But at the same time, I couldn''t lie that I got excited and happy when he confessed. I was still a teenage girl. I had heart and feelings.


    Of course, I never took romance as a priority. My priority was always survival before and revenge now.


    But that was the main distraction. I also wanted to fall in love and have a real rtionship in high school.


    "Really?!"


    "Y¡ªYeah, Y¡ªYou''re Mason Hall. Who wouldn''t be happy when someone like you confessed to them?" I said, feeling shy because I was basically telling him about what was inside my heart.


    "Then, I will make sure that you will feel happy every day, knowing that Mason Hall likes you, hehe~" Mason giggled happily, something that was really rare for me to hear.


    Mason was usually a very calm and collected person, so it was rare for me to hear him sound so joyous and show his childish side. It made him more human to me, I guess.


    But that didn''t divert me from the fact that he said he had someone he loved since elementary.


    So he must have a hidden intention for me, maybe something malicious, so I had to be careful.


    Of course, I wouldn''t confront him about what I overheard. That was just suicide, knowing I needed his help.


    "So, Mason, I¡­ I have one request¡­."


    "Request? Do tell me, I will help however I can!" Mason said excitedly.


    I wanted to twist this request of mine, so he would be writing a love letter for me since he was supposedly in love with me right now.


    "I''m kind of a ssic. I like vintage stuff, including how you approach a girl in ssic style¡­."


    "ssic? That reminds me of ssic red lipstick, Haha~" Mason mentioned. "I mean, that red lipstick popr in the 50s, uh¡­ golden age of Hollywood or something."


    My heart skipped in an instant. I had the feeling that he meant something more than just a ssic red lipstick.


    I felt¡­ he knew about that red rose guy¡­


    But if I confronted him right now, would he confess? Or maybe I was just reaching right now that I had used Mason of something ridiculous?


    ssic red was just an icon of Hollywood. Everyone knew it, especially for a knowledgeable person like Mason.


    Maybe I was just reaching too far¡­


    "Yeah, it''s that ssic. If you don''t mind, can you write me a love letter?"


    "A¡ªA love letter?!" Mason sounded surprised. "You want me to write a love letter for you?"


    "Well, if you don''t mind¡ª"


    "I WILL DO IT!" Mason replied.


    His thundering voice also shocked me. We were in silence for a minute before I collected myself.


    "Yeah, I want you to write a love letter to me,plete with your signature, to make it special," I said.


    "Sure! I will write and give it to you tomorrow!"


    Damn, his enthusiasm really caught me off guard. I might be the first girl in the whole school to ever hear him sounding this excited.


    "But, can you not spell my name in the letter?" I asked. This was crucial for the mission because Miss Alba would definitely take the letter as directed to her since it was under her desk.


    "Huh? Why? I want to write a love letter for you, Em¡­."


    "W¡ªWell, I just want it to feel less¡­ embarrassing, I guess¡­."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "This is really for you, right?" Mason asked. His voice cooled down in an instant. He sounded serious and somewhat contemptuous.


    I was scared by his change, but I could''ve guessed that he wasn''t pleased. It was understandable, but this was the only way for me to bait Miss Brittany Alba.


    "This is for me, Mason. I just want it to feel less embarrassing and uh¡­ if you write my name in it, and someone finds out about it, then everyone will target me instead, right? Especially your rabid fangirls."


    "Is that so?" Mason asked again, but it was more of a sneer.


    Mason sighed deeply, "I will write it, don''t worry, Em. You can always count on me on everything."


    "Thank you, Mason¡­."


    Honestly, I always remembered how Mason indirectly helped me during my mission to take down Leah and Kristen, and now he also indirectly helped me to take down Thomas and his gang.


    I did count on him on so many asions. It was a tad embarrassing.


    "I''m just d that you don''t find me detestable. I''m in peace, for now," Mason said.. "I will deliver the love letters tomorrow in school, don''t miss it."

 Chapter 156 - Love Letters (2)

    Chapter 156 ¨C Love Letters (2)


    "I''m just d that you don''t find me detestable. I''m in peace, for now," Mason said. "I will deliver the love letters tomorrow in school, don''t miss it."


    ¡­


    "I''m pretty exhausted today, Em. Good night, see you tomorrow with the letters~."


    Mason hung up the call earlier than I expected, and I could sense that he was pissed off for some reason.


    I could also sense his aggravation when I heard his voice change from a cute and somewhat excited kind of voice into cold and detached, very much resembling the Mason I knew when he was angry over something.


    __Phone call end__


    I sighed as I put my phone on the table. I wasn''t in the mood to talk with anyone right now. My mind was burdened with Mason and all the enigma around him.


    I always thought that Mason Hall was this out-of-touch male god, school prince who wouldn''t bother talking to anyone below him. But the more I knew him, the more I realized that Mason also had his own thoughts, and most of those thoughts weren''t so princely of him.


    "Ah, whatever, he told me to ''wait'' because of those fangirls, and he has someone close in his heart from elementary. He probably wants to use me for my body, so I will use him for my mission as well. I refuse to be the one being yed here."


    **


    The following day, I woke up early and prepared for school. Mason texted me early morning, saying that he had already written the letter and wondered if I coulde early because he wanted to give the letters personally.


    Thankfully, I still had some of my baked cookies in a jar. I usually had this to snack for myself, but since I had to show my gratitude, then I could just heat this and bring it to him.


    After preparing for everything, I headed to school early morning. I arrived when the security was still sleeping on his post. I opened the gate carefully and headed to the corridor near the schoolyard.


    I saw Mason was standing alone with his white jacket that I borrowed a few months ago. I walked towards him and greeted him, "Good morning, Mason."


    Mason turned his body in my direction and smiled wide, "Good morning, Em. It''s quite cold today. I''m sorry for making youe this early to school."


    "It''s fine. It''s me who asked you for that letter, right?"


    "Yeah, I poured all my hearts into it," Mason said. He then took the letter out of his bag, and I was surprised when he suddenly handed me two letters inside the exact same envelopes. I couldn''t even distinguish it.


    "Two letters?" I asked out of surprise.


    "Well, you told me that you want a love letter without mentioning your name in it, right?"


    I nodded.


    "I wrote one for you, but I feel a bit disheartened when I don''t mention your name. Because you are the only one who can get my love letter. So I wrote another one, and this time, I write it with your name mentioned."


    ¡­


    "Other than that, everything is the exact same, from my personal signature, and I also sprayed it with my daily perfume. So you cannot tell which one has your name unless you check the letter inside."


    "Why¡­ are you going that far for a love letter?"


    "Huh? Why can''t I? I''m writing a love letter for a girl I like, of course, I have to be serious about it, right?"


    Man, he was really a smooth talker, wasn''t he?


    He coulde up with this kind of idea, and I started thinking that he might''ve known that I would use his love letter without my name mentioned for something else.


    "Honestly, you can just rip or burn the one without your name in it. I don''t really care. But the one with your name mentioned, please keep it close to your heart, won''t you?" Mason pleaded. I couldn''t handle his sparkling puppy eyes, as if he really wanted me to keep the one with my name mentioned. "And please read it when you''re alone. I really pour my heart into it."


    I definitely got the vibes that he knew I would use his letter to bait someone here. Maybe he knew I was on a mission.


    I wasn''t sure, and I was too scared to confront Mason about it, in fear that it might have just been me being paranoid about everything.


    ¡­


    I was unsure of how to react to his enthusiasm. I guessed he was really a talented actor because he could say such a sweet tant lie right in front of me while he told Jessica that he had a childhood sweetheart he still kept close in his heart.


    "Alright, thank you so much, Mason," I said, then offered the tote bag with a can of warm cookies in it. "This is my homemade cookies, but I didn''t make this today. It was reserved for myself in a jar, so I just heated it and packed it in a can," I said truthfully. I didn''t have any intention to woo Mason Hall right now. I was just too cautious around him.


    But Mason''s eyes sparkled full of joy when he saw the cookies. He snatched it quickly, "T¡ªThis is the cookies you wanted to eat, but you gave it to me instead, right?"


    "Y¡ªYeah, why are you so excited? It''s just leftover cookies¡­."


    "Well, I''m just quite honored. I will treasure the cookies," Mason said.


    I frowned instantly, but I couldn''t quite catch what he meant by that. It was just literal leftover cookies in my jar. I did make it for myself, but it definitely didn''t taste as good as that store-bought or the ones I freshly made.


    Mason opened the can and then took one cookie and ate it. His expression showed a bit of ecstasy, as if he was eating the most delicious thing in the universe.


    "You touched this cookie with your hand, right?"


    "I¡ªI am, but don''t worry, it''s already heated, and I washed my hand before. So it''s clean¡­." I was also weirded out by his question, but I didn''t know how to tell that to Mason.


    Mason''s smile got even wider, and he looked so happy.


    "This is the best gift I can get for now, Em. I will make sure to treasure this, thank you."


    ¡­


    "Oh, I have to leave now. I have things to do in the club room. Besides, there would be many studentsing sooner orter. I''m afraid that someone might catch us in here. See youter, Em."


    Mason turned around and walked away. I kept staring at his back, and I somehow got the image that Mason''s body was trembling with excitement. It didn''t suit his perfectly sculpted handsome face, but he didn''t seem to mind it at all.


    ¡­


    I decided to ignore his weird antics and went inside my first ss. Since I was the first student today, I could read what Mason wrote in peace. It was actually decent but somewhat cringe love letters, and I thought the letters were the exact same other than the name mentioned in the letter.


    But turned out there was a slight altercation. Only in two sentences, but I felt it made the vibe of both letters to be different.


    ¡ªletter without Emmy''s name¡ª


    I have been in love with you for a while, and I can''t stop thinking about you.


    ¡ªletter with Emmy''s name¡ª


    Emmy, I have been in love with you for a long time, you won''t even remember it. My mind has always been filled with you and our most beautiful moment, which is every day, as long as I''m with you.


    ¡ª


    ¡­


    I didn''t understand why he would write something different like this. It might be simr, but those two sentences made the two letters different.


    The one without my name felt very rushed and somewhatzy.


    But the one with my name¡­ I could feel the passion and longing in it, as if Mason Hall had truly been in love with me for a long time, to the point that I didn''t even remember him anymore.


    And about that beautiful moment¡­ I didn''t even know Mason before we entered high school, both in this life and the previous one. How could he say that his mind had been filled with our beautiful moment?


    What beautiful moment exactly he was talking about here?


    It got me wondering if we had a history before. Maybe he was truly reborn who returned back in time, just like me.


    But at the same time, if he was the same as me, why would he try to get involved with me? We had nothing inmon before. The only time I talked with him was when I got to the infirmary after fainted in P.E ss.


    "Ah, I seriously don''t understand him. It''s better to just ignore himpletely¡­ for now.. Focus on the mission first to take down those bastards Thomas and his gang."

 Chapter 157 - Love Letters (3)

    Chapter 157 ¨C Love Letters (3)


    "Ah, I seriously don''t understand him. It''s better to just ignore himpletely¡­ for now. Focus on the mission first to take down those bastards Thomas and his gang."


    I hurriedly separated the letter for Miss Alba and for myself. One more thing that I noticed was the scent of the perfume in the letter and envelope.


    The one intended for Miss Alba had a scent of perfume that Mason Hall always wore most of the time. It was fresh and woody, very typical of a well-groomed young man.


    But the one intended for me¡­ has a stronger scent mixed with a tinge of mellow. It gave off this mature yet romantic scent of a man.


    "What is this all about, though? Does Mason want to tell me that he is already an adult? Heh, but we''re still in high school, and this perfume¡­ is very new to me."


    Mason''s perfume was usually strong enough to let you know that he was around but humble enough not to hurt your nose. It showed that he wanted to look good, but not in a showing-off kind of way.


    But I''ve never smelled this scent from Mason. It was a bit too mature for a high schoolboy.


    However, I also had a feeling the scent was actually familiar. I didn''t know from whom I had evere in contact with this scent, but it was definitely familiar.


    "I feel like the scent is quite rare as well. This scent is definitely a mix between two perfumes¡­."


    Man, I was confused as heck. But I knew I wouldn''t get any answer dilly-dallying like this. I had a mission toplete today.


    I texted Elise first since she was the one who would instruct Mona.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Elise, I got it.


    ¡ª


    I waited for a moment for a text back from Elise.


    ¡ª


    Elise: Huh? What do you mean?


    Emmy: I got the love letter and autograph from Mason Hall. With this, we can definitely bait Miss Alba.


    Elise: Wait, WHAT?! Howe you can forge the love letter and autograph so easily? Did you do it by yourself? Or you''re hiring a professional?


    Emmy: Uh¡­ I did it by myself. I''m quite talented at this.


    Elise: Can you send a picture first? I''m also curious.


    ¡ª


    I took a picture of the letter''s content and then sent it to Elise. Then it took another minute for Elise to reply.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Picture sent.


    Elise: Holy shit! Wow, this looks totally legit!


    Elise: I got a friend who had Mason Hall''s autograph, and it''s so difficult to copy. Maybe Mason Hall doesn''t want anyone to fake his autograph.


    Elise: and that autograph at the bottom is near perfect¡ªNo, it IS perfect! That''s basically Mason who sign that!


    ¡ª


    Well, it was Mason himself who did this. But I knew that Elise wouldn''t believe me, so I just yed along and proceeded with the n.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: The letter is ready, but there is no date in the letter, not even an invitation. So the one who delivers this must tell her about the supposed meeting with Mason Hall, you know, the day where we''re going to execute everything.


    Elise: Understood. I think Mona can do that. Don''t worry whether she will get involved or not. I could brief Mona first, telling her to say it lightly, as if she was just delivering a message to Miss Alba from someone else.


    Elise: But my question is¡­ with all of the tools needed already in our hands. What will we do next? What''s your next n, and when will we execute the n to take those bastards done?


    Emmy: Well, I will ask Noah about the procedure to bait those bastards, Thomas, and his gang, with money. You know, because they have that weird service to do everything as long as they got paid.


    Emmy: I will use that to bait them, and when I get them, I will determine a good date for it. Miss Alba''s letter should be delivered during the lunch break during the D-Day, so she wille cluelessly and excitedly to the spot, thinking Mason is there to kiss her.


    Elise: Do you really need money to bait them? You can just tell him that someone he knew wanted to share his sex tape, so he has toe at the D-Day, or the sex tape will be leaked everywhere.


    Emmy: No, I cannot do that. First, it will ruin the surprise factor.


    Emmy: Second, Thomas will immediately hunt Noah if we do that. He won''t even need toe. He could just search for Noah everywhere because it seemed that he only had one sex tape, and it was with Noah.


    Elise: Ah, you''re right.


    Elise: Then, you should give the letter to me as soon as possible, then I will keep it and give it to Mona when we''ve determined the date.


    Emmy: Yes, I will talk with Noah first today about the n. The text youter, Elise.


    ¡ª


    Now that everything had been prepared, the only thing we needed to do was the execution.


    Baiting those three stooges, and then delivering the letter to Elise so she could give it to Mona, and then determining the good day.


    **


    During the lunch break, I texted Noah.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Noah, I got everything we need. Where are you right now?


    Noah: Everything? Uhm¡­ I was hiding behind the club room as always. Thomas and his gang were still searching for me as always.


    Noah: If possible, can I stay inside your club room again?


    ¡ª


    Ah, really, those bastards couldn''t stay put for at least one day. Especially Thomas, he seemed eager to bully Noah these days. It appeared that he was truly worried that Noah would leak their sex tape.


    I assumed that Thomas must''ve been in paranoia right now. He was a total homophobic and probably always talked about how disgusting gay people were.


    If he got caught having a sex tape with another man, then his reputation was done for. He would never recover from that.


    That was a valid excuse that would drive someone to paranoia, a great opportunity for me to strike while it was hot.


    I texted Noah to wait in front of the pottery club room as I was heading there. When I arrived, I saw Noah hiding behind a locker near the bathroom not far from the pottery club room. He must have been in a big paranoia as well, fearing for his life as he kept getting picked on and beaten by Thomas.


    I opened the Pottery club room and told Noah toe in.


    Then, I locked the door from inside and closed the curtain, so nobody would realize there was someone here.


    I turned on the heater for Noah and asked one thing first, "Noah, do you think Elise can be trusted?"


    "Elise?"


    "Yeah."


    "What makes you suspicious about her?" Noah asked.


    "I''m not suspicious about her¡­." Honestly, I wasn''t suspicious about her. I was just being my cautious self. I got a bit of suspicion about why she wanted me to deliver this letter to her before giving it to Mona.


    When I could just ask Noah or bring it to Mona myself.


    "I''m just worried that she has a hidden agenda about this whole mission."


    "I don''t think so, Em," Noah replied without much thought. "Mona and Elise have been best friends for so long. Although I''m not as close to Elise, Mona and Elise helped each other really well."


    "What you need to know is¡­ Mona and Elise are a little closed off. They don''t really let someone enter their friendship. That''s why they only ept requests from each other, just like with you and Mona before. If it''s not Mona who persuaded Elise to tell you about everything, then she would need to tell."


    "Ah, I see¡­."


    "So, from what I got here, Mona and Elise were such a bestie that they will not trust anyone else, right?"


    "Indeed. Even when I was dating Mona, they would still have their own way of hiding things from me. Basically, they will never allow anyone inside their very small circle."


    Ah, now I understood why Elise wanted me to deliver the letter to her first before she gave it to Mona. I was just a bit worried that she wanted to plot something behind me, and it would be very unfortunate because I truly think of her as my partner.


    "Well, now that everything has been cleared, we have all the tools needed to take Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson down. All we need to do is to bait them with that money," I said. "Noah, tell me, how can I get in contact with them?"


    "I mean, I can give you the contact, but¡­ do you have the money, Em?"


    "I do. I have more than enough, don''t worry about it."


    "¡­ how much?" He asked.


    I grinned as I was going to tell him the astronomical amount that I got.


    "I have 2 grands as a bait."


    "2 GRANDS!?"

 Chapter 158 - Love Letters (4)

    Chapter 158 ¨C Love Letters (4)


    "¡­ how much?" He asked.


    I grinned as I was going to tell him the astronomical amount that I got.


    "I have 2 grands as a bait."


    "2 GRANDS!?"


    Noah looked utterly shocked by the amount that I spoke. I raised my chin proudly, "What? Surprised that I can gather that much money?"


    "H¡ªHow? I mean, I was thinking about pawning my car and buying something cheaper. My parents wouldn''t mind anyway."


    "I¡­ I have someone to help me," I said. I didn''t want to tell Noah that I actually had a sugar stalker ready to give me any amount of money in exchange for some creepy stuff, like his worn shirt and lipstick-stained handkerchief.


    He was also insane. But at the same time, it sounded so sweet when he uttered his feeling.


    Yeah, that red rose man was a creep, but I wouldn''t lie that he could be sweet sometimes, just sometimes, though¡­


    "Someone? E¡ªEm, you''re not¡ªyou know¡­."


    "What? Selling my body?"


    "¡­ I mean, you do realize that you have a great body, right?"


    "I know that," I shrugged. I hade to the realization that I had a good, voluptuous body. But this body was also the reason why I got bullied in the past life. "But I didn''t do that. I got it from someone, my rtive. He is ultra-rich, so I asked him to lend me money. In exchange, I will be doing his homework remotely for 1 week."


    "Whoa, that guy must be so rich then. To throw away 2 grands for 1-week homework¡­." Noahmented.


    "Y¡ªYeah, he is. Anyway¡­" I quickly changed the topic. "Now that I have the money, how do I request those bastards to do my bidding?"


    "Well, there are two ways. One is to text them. You know, tell them that you want to do something, and they will do it after you transfer the money. But this method is way too obvious, right?"


    "Yep, that''s way too obvious and dangerous. They can trace the money transfer, also the text," I confirmed.


    "That''s why there is the second option. This one is safer, but not many know about this, only those who hade in contact with them first. So if you did this, you can post it anonymously and store the money, then they will do it for you."


    "So the second one is more like an anonymous contract or some sort?" I asked.


    "Indeed it is. That''s why only those who had contracted them once know about this method," Noah said. "Naturally, as Thomas'' ex-simp, I also know this method."


    "Then, tell me how to do it."


    Noah nodded, "Do you know that old, abandoned storage room near the front gate?"


    "Uh-huh," I remembered that old storage that had been unused since the first day I arrived in this school.


    "Well, if you enter that old storage, you will see two boxes in the middle of the room. One box is red, and another one is green. If you want to request something from them, put your money in the green box, and then put an anonymous note, telling what do you want them to do."


    "If they think it''s reasonable, they will take the money and make your request. But if they reject it, they''ll only take half of the money and then leave without doing anything else."


    "Do you think two grands is enough to convince them?" I asked.


    "That is more than enough. You can also say that you will give more after they execute the job perfectly."


    "I see, then shall we decide the date? Because you know, I have the key to lure Miss Alba by using a letter, and I have to give it to Elise today, so she could deliver it to Mona."


    "A letter?"


    "Yes, from Mason Hall. Miss Alba loves him, right?"


    "Of course, who doesn''t love Mason Hall? But¡­ how could you get that letter? Did you forget it?"


    "You know that Mason and I know each other''s, right?" I said, telling him to remember myst meeting with Mason in the toolshed. When Mason caught us red-handed hugging inside the tool shed.


    "Ah, yeah, I remember that," Noah said. "So¡­ did you ask him to write about this? He knows about our mission?"


    "Not exactly. I just tell him to write a love letter for me, but without mentioning my name. So I can use it to lure Miss Alba instead," I replied.


    "And he agreed on that?"


    "Yes, what''s wrong?"


    ¡­


    "I thought you''re dating your club president, you know the one named Logan."


    "Huh? And how did you get that idea?" I wondered. I mean, I had nothing against Logan. He was handsome, hot, rich, and responsible for his mission. He was definitely on par with Mason Hall in terms of appearance as well.


    But he was always dismissive, and his gaze looked so intimidating, many people got scared instead of fawning over him, unlike Mason.


    "Well, because of LLE?" Noah said, pointing at the vases at the corner. "There are so many vases with LLE engraved at the bottom. I also noticed even smaller and more exquisite ceramics in here has LLE in it."


    "I thought LLE means Logan Loves Emmy," Noah said. "So this whole ce is a gift for you, I think¡­."


    "Seriously, you''re reaching right now," I rolled my eyes. "I can''t even imagine someone like Logan falling in love with me."


    "Why not?"


    "Because¡­ uh¡­" I suddenly got tongue-tied as I tried to find a good reason why Logan and I wouldn''t date, if ever.


    To think about it again, Logan and I were quite a match. We were both scheming and had our secrets. We tolerated and supported each others'' ruthlessness, and we were also a good match tomunicate. At least when I was with him, I would let go of my worries, and we would bicker with each other without thinking about being fake.


    ¡­


    "Eh, I just don''t like him," I replied to Noah.


    Though, I wasn''t really sure of myself. I always thought that Logan was a great guy and definitely a great partner-in-crime, but I was still interested in Mason.


    Whenever I was with Mason, my heartbeat would race, and I would nk out for a moment. His charm was that deadly.


    "That''s unfortunate," Noah mumbled. "I''m sorry for prying around, but I was just curious. When I looked around the vases, I noticed some of the vases don''t have LLE engraved in it. And they are all ugly or in. But those who got LLE engraved always have this sort of romantic atmosphere in its motive or coloring."


    ¡­


    "You''re thinking too much, Noah. My club president isn''t that attentive. He is a total rich brat," I tried to deny it. I meant, I just couldn''t imagine Logan being gentle, soft, and charming like Mason. "Anyway, we should get back to our business. You know, about that request to those bastards."


    "Ah, yes, if you want to do the second method. Just write a note, and put it there with the money, of course. Be sure to put it early morning, so nobody will see you."


    "I think you should do it quicker. It''s winter, Em. And the school will have a long Christmas holiday soon," Noah said.


    "I understand. I''m thinking about starting tomorrow. But I need you to check whether they have taken the request or not. Because we need to deliver the letter to Miss Alba on the D-Day, so she wouldn''t just start sharing the ''good news'' to Mason Hall''s fans, or it''d be a big mess in the end."


    "I will. Don''t worry about that one," Noah said. "Honestly, I think they should be checking the box tomorrow morning. They are pretty broke these days, and they''d usually get money from that. They''re basically hitmen," Noah said. "You should write the note first, requesting them to do something. Don''t put your name in it."


    "And I should deliver this letter to Elise this evening because we don''t have much time," I said.


    **


    I was thinking of a good note to bait those bastards, but I had higher priority right now.


    I called Elise right after school ended and asked her whether she could meet me right now or not.


    After she agreed, I waited in the previous cafe where we had met before, and it took about 30 minutes until she arrived in her car. She went in and then sat in front of me, "So, Em, how is it? Now that you''ve got the letter, I don''t think we need to dy any longer. Because Christmas and new year''s break ising."


    "I know, that''s why I want to give you this letter," I said as I took out the letter from my bag. I already, surely, perfectly separated the one for me personally and the one for Miss Alba.


    Elise opened the envelope and then started reading the letter seriously. Her expression changed from curiosity to surprise.


    She looked at me with bewildered eyes, as if she had just read something supernatural, even though it was just a love letter.


    "Em, I didn''t know that you have an obsession with Mason Hall."

 Chapter 159 - Love Letters (5)

    Chapter 159 ¨C Love Letters (5)


    "Em, I didn''t know that you have an obsession with Mason Hall," Elise said. She had the look of concern, somehow.


    "Huh? Obsession?" I frowned. I didn''t remember that I had any kind of obsession with that guy. At least, I knew my limit to where I had to stop myself from getting head over heels for him.


    "But this fake letter you forge for the mission¡­." Elise showed the letter to me, and I was shocked when I saw the one with my name there. I identally gave her the wrong letter, damn it!


    I snatched it immediately and put it in the envelope before taking out the one intended for Miss Alba. I was so embarrassed, but there wasn''t much I could do anyway.


    Elise checked the one intended for Miss Alba, but her eyes kept staring at me with concern. She put down the letter and said, "This letter is perfect for Miss Alba, even the signature is really simr¡ªtoo simr in fact, with the real signature of Mason Hall."


    "But, Emmy¡­ did you do all this?" She asked.


    I meant, she wouldn''t believe that I got all this from the person himself, Mason Hall. So I nodded.


    "Em, you¡­ you''re obsessed with him, right? There is no way to forge this letter that looks exactly the same as the real one. And you identally showed me that you write a love letter that''s supposed to be written by Mason Hall."


    "Em, please don''t delude yourself like this. You know that Mason Hall''s fans are scary, right? They are like rabid dogs ready to tear anyone who dares to get close to their idol."


    I nodded. I understood that, and I think everyone in their right mind understood that.


    I wanted to say that Mason Hall wrote that to me personally, but that was simply unrealistic to say.


    But I was actually wondering why did she look so concerned for me. Thus, I tried to bait her, "I mean, is it wrong if I like him?"


    Elise sighed, "It''s not wrong to like him. He is basically a celebrity at this point. But¡­ he is just too dangerous."


    "Dangerous?"


    "I mean, I''m just worried about you since I already have one fallen friend in the past. Well, ex-friend now, I guess. She started off liking Mason in middle school, and that like gradually turned into an obsession."


    "Then she bes Mason''s number 1 stalker, saying that she would do anything until Mason likes her. At that time, Mason is already fairly popr, but not popr enough like in high school right now. Because his uh¡­ handsomeness hasn''t been developed yet."


    "My friend started following Mason everywhere, of course in secret, because she knew that Mason would dismiss her if she came forward and followed him so tantly."


    "Then one day, she saw Mason Hall being surrounded by so many suspicious men in ck suit and coat. She thought it was thugs who wanted to rob Mason, so she called 911 and took a picture, thinking it would be a good proof to the police after she called 911."


    "But she forgot to turn off the sh, and Mason with those men in ck noticed her. She was scared and had already told them that she had already called 911, thinking it would scare them. But to her shock, Mason suddenly told them to silence my friend, and she was beaten to a pulp of those men told her that she and her family would die if she dared to tell anyone. They also confiscated my friends'' phone."


    "So when the police arrived, she said nothing, and some thugs just beat her up and left. Because she was scared those thugs would really kill her family."


    "She moved out of the town after that and cut all the rtionship to everyone. I am the only one she told about this, and I''m just¡­ worried that you would end up like her."


    "So, please don''t get too close to Mason, alright?" Elise suggested. I kept staring at her, trying to find whether she was lying or not. I didn''t think we were close enough to share this story, especially since Elise was the only one this girl told about that incident with Mason Hall.


    "What''s her name?" I asked.


    "Anita, you can ask Noah or Mona about it. Or you can ask the rest of the sophomores. They will know who Anita is. She was quite popr until she disappeared because of the threating to her house after witnessing that. Even her parents got terrified."


    "Look, Em, I know you''re suspicious of me. But I see you as a friend now, and I just don''t want my friend to get hurt."


    ¡­


    Honestly, she was spot on. I was suspicious that she might like Mason and tried to eliminatepetition, not that I was apetition in the first ce.


    But now that she had confirmed it, I got suspicious of Mason instead.


    "Do you think¡­ Mason is rted to those suspicious men?"


    "Probably, but I''m not sure¡­ he always said that he lives alone in a rental apartment, right? Apparently, he said that he doesn''t have good family rtions and has lived alone since middle school. Maybe those men are his sponsors? He is very handsome¡­."


    "Mason is still underage¡­ does that mean old men trying to get their hands on young men?"


    "Perhaps¡­" Elise said. She looked a bit creeped out, "Listen, Em. I''m here for the mission to take those down, and I happen to like you as well. I just want to protect you."


    "I understand. Thanks for your concern, Elise," I nodded. I didn''t want to talk more about this topic because it made me even more confused and hesitant. So I switched the case fast, "Now about that letter, since we''re going to have Christmas long holiday soon, we should definitely execute this mission as soon as possible."


    "How about the day after tomorrow, on Friday?" Elise suggested. "It''d be freezing cold, and it''s Friday, so the students would definitely leave as soon as possible."


    "Yeah, that''s a great idea then, I will execute the n starting from tomorrow, and you should give the letter to Mona soon. I also want good cooperation from her, because she will be the determinant. If Miss Alba came to the scene, then the whole mission is 100%pleted."


    "Okay," Elise put the letter for Miss Alba in her bag. "So you will bait those three bastards with money? Have you found the method?"


    "I have, and I will do it without a trace."


    "Perfect¡­" Elise mumbled. But she seemed to have something else to say."


    "Spill it if you have an opinion."


    "Um¡­ it''s just¡­ how about me, Em? I want them to get jailed for their real crime, for sexually assaulting me," Elise said. "I want to find another way so we could rope them, isn''t that the first thing you said to me? Because you want me to testify of what they did?"


    ¡­


    Okay, that was valid. I totally forgot about the real reason, the sexual assault that Elise said.


    But I had to find another way to trap them.


    A way that would make their sentence to be a lot heavier because of one deed¡­


    ¡­


    I was startled when I realized I could do something about this. I could definitely rope them with sexual assault allegations, even though they probably wouldn''t do it to Miss Alba.


    "I got it!"


    "G¡ªGot what?"


    "I mean, I got what I want to do with this. Don''t worry, Elise. I will trap them with sexual assault charges as well. You should get as many girls that they had bullied and sexually assaulted before."


    "Wha¡ªhow? I was justining because I''m not satisfied, and now you suddenly get an idea?" Elise asked.


    "Well, don''t be too shocked about it. I just found it coincide with my n as well."


    "If you say so, Em. I will trust you since you''re the captain, basically," Elise said.


    **


    Elise and I finally separated after the briefing. We had decided to do the work on Friday, the day after tomorrow. I returned home right after and then headed to my room after meeting with Grandma and Mom.


    The very first thing to do was to write the request for those bastards to put in the box tomorrow morning.


    I took out my book and started practicing the handwriting first because I didn''t want anyone to notice my handwriting. So I got to fake handwrite stuff.


    After trying many times, I finally got handwriting simr to mine, but not really.


    "I don''t think they will recognize my handwriting, right? Just in case," I said to myself because I was a bit paranoid. I was afraid that someone might notice my handwriting and find me.


    I ripped another sheet of paper and then paused for a moment, thinking of good wording, and then started writing the request.

 Chapter 160 - Request Notes

    Chapter 160 ¨C Request Notes


    I ripped another sheet of paper and then paused for a moment, thinking of good wording, and then started writing the request.


    After I was done, I read it and imagined if I was in Thomas and his gang''s position, whether I would be taking this request as logical or not.


    ¡ª


    A request to beat up a guy in the schoolyard on Friday, 06.00. He will be standing alone in the middle of the schoolyard because I have baited him.


    Beat him to a pulp. If he is bloody, that''s even better. I will pay you 2000 dors in the box. However, if you did a great job, then I will give you 2000 more.


    ¡ª


    That was the anonymous request note I wrote for Thomas and his gang. It was fairly standard and logical, especially since the target was a man. So there wouldn''t be any grievance or second thought on Thomas side.


    However, I had to put this into the verification process with Noah. Because Noah was the one who saw everything, including the anonymous request they usually got. He had all the experience firsthand. So I had to ask the expert.


    I took a picture of the request note and then sent it to Noah. As I waited for his reply, I started thinking of good words to write the second request.


    Then, I heard the notification that Noah had sent me a reply.


    ¡ª


    Noah: Is that the request letter you will put?


    Emmy: Yes, I will put it tomorrow morning, and the execution will be done the next day.


    Emmy: How is it? Did I write something wrong? Or do you have a revision?


    Noah: I mean, for a request letter, it''s perfect, especially since it involves boys rather than girls being bullied, because boys¡­ well, most of the time they will not tell anyone if they got beaten up by bullies.


    Noah: But¡­ about the content¡­


    Emmy: What?


    Noah: Do you¡­ want to kill me, Em?


    Emmy: Huh? Why do you think so?


    Noah: Because you''re basically signing my death warrant. In that request, you want them to beat up a man in the middle of the schoolyard to a bloody pulp. I assume that person is me, right?


    Emmy: Naturally.


    Noah: Em¡­ I''m scared. I know I''ve been beaten a lot, but I''m literally shivering right now.


    ¡ª


    Ah, I knew this was gonna happen. Noah''s position in this mission was definitely a dangerous one. I wouldn''t lie about that.


    But that didn''t mean he needed to be scared of anything. I didn''t want him to get beaten anyway since our unfortunate target was Miss Alba.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Trust me, Noah. I will make sure that they will not do anything severe to you. Because I will make sure that Miss Alba wille in fifteen minutes after you encounter those bastards.


    Noah: Are you so sure about it?


    Emmy: Yes. But you have to work with me here, okay?


    Noah: Well, this is the end anyway. If we fail, then it''s nothing but death for me. So please, don''t fuck this up, Em.


    Emmy: Trust me, I know what I''m doing. Juste early tomorrow, so we can put it in the box, okay?


    Noah: Okay.


    ¡ª


    Well, at least Noah agreed the request note was good. So those three bastards wouldn''t notice anything wrong as I would put this tomorrow.


    However, this wasn''t the only request that I wanted to give. Because I also nned to trap them to get a sexual assault charge.


    So I wrote another request which I would put right after they took the first one. It would be a death trap for them once they got caughtter.


    Because if the police found out that they epted such ''request'', then there would be no way out.


    ¡ª


    A request to beat up Miss Jessica Alba. Find her and beat her bloody until you cannot recognize her face again. After that, strip her naked and do whatever you want with her body. Make sure that she will be traumatized for life, so she will leave the school for good.


    I will pay you 2000 dors first. If I saw her traumatized after you sexually assaulted her body, I will give you 2000 dorster.


    ¡ª


    "Hehe, those bastards won''t know what ising for them. They will never be able to recover from this, hehe¡­ heheheh!" I giggled evilly, imagining how those bastards would be confused and scared at the same time when they realized the request note had been switchedter on.


    I took a picture of the first and second notes and sent them to Elise, so she could gather those girls that had been harassed or sexually assaulted by Thomas and his gang.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Pictures sent.


    Elise: What is that, Em?


    Emmy: Open it, and you will be surprised. This was my answer when you said that you also want those bastards to get persecuted for the sexual assault they did to you and others.


    ¡ª


    Elise seemed to be taking her time, and then she called me instead.


    __Phone call__


    "Em¡­"


    "Hm? How was it? That''s my n," I said.


    "You''re nning to trap them, right?"


    "Yes, I''m nning to give them the first note as the real request. So they will ept it without any worry or suspicion. But with our n, we could make it seems like they are actually beating up Miss Alba, not Noah as they intended."


    "Then I will switch the request note for them, believe me, this will work well," I exined. This was the perfect execution for me. At least it was a perfect n.


    "Em¡­"


    "Yes?"


    "You''re a monster," Elise said. "Not in a bad way, but I''m just so mindblower because you can find this kind of way to trap those bastards. It''s a perfect n. You basically tied up everything neatly."


    "But still¡­ how could youe up with something like that?"


    ¡­


    "Just like you, Elise. I have things in my head that make me imagine if I can take my enemies down."


    "But I have experienced something so painful, too painful to think about, honestly. That experience pushed me to do many unbelievably evil, or at least morally questionable things. Because nobody helped me before, if I don''t stand up for myself and do this, I will be a victim¡­. For the second time."


    "You can call me a ss Viiness. I think that is a perfect term for me. What do you think?"


    Of course, I didn''t tell her about my experience as I returned back in time after I died. But I thought my reply was enough to exin some of the things I did in the name of revenge.


    I was bullied until I died in this high school, and nobody ever helped me before. Now that I could turn back the tide, I would take all the revenge I needed.


    "Em¡­ I promise I won''t be on your bad side. You''re scary," Elise said. "Though, of course, I will still call you out if you did something stupid, like your obsession with Mason Hall."


    "Oh,e on, we''re going to talk about Mason again?" I asked while rolling my eyes. Seriously, I felt so cool while I was talking about my experience and how I became a ss viiness.


    "I mean, I''m just worried that your obsession with Mason would lead to disaster. Besides, when I''m talking with you right now, I have the same vibes with Mason."


    "I feel like, you and Mason would be a perfect couple, in a very twisted way, of course. But hey, you and him have the hee malicious vibes, definitely Bonnie and Clyde of Darthmorth."


    ¡­


    I had noment on that. I knew there was something wrong with Mason. He seemed to be hiding something from me. But I didn''t think we had the same vibe. At least I knew he wasn''t a malicious schemer and a vengeful spirit, right?


    "Well, I will be gathering those who had been harassed by them. I hope we really can get them this time, Em. Because I know this is also the lifeline of Noah, right? You told me the first time that you''re doing this to help Noah."


    "Indeed, he is in deep trouble right now. We need to take Thomas down as soon as possible before Noah fell into a deep depression and killed himself," I replied.


    "Did you give the letter to Mona already?" I asked before I hung up the call.


    "I did. And I told her that she needed to deliver it to Miss Alba. She also has to make sure that Miss Alba WILL at the designated time. It''s 6 p.m., just like what you write in the request note, right?"


    "Yes."


    "All is well. Mona and I will find a way to make sure that Miss Alba will being on time," Elise said.


    "Okay, since everything has been prepared, we will be moving to start from tomorrow. Make sure not to let anyone know about our n because this can be Noah''s death if we fail."


    "Sure thing, Boss~."


    Click.


    __Phone call end__

 Chapter 161 - Preparation: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet

    Chapter 161 ¨C Preparation: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet


    Thursday, 06.00 A.M.


    I had woken up since 5 to prepare myself. Because I would being to school early, just like what I did with Kristen back then.


    I was afraid that somebody would being in the middle of cold winter for whatever reason, which had happened to me with Mason Hall. That guy just popped out of nowhere and started asking me questions. Back then, I really thought that my revenge was over from the very start.


    I texted Noah, telling him to get ready because we had to move as quickly as possible. Mom was out already, thankfully. Although I disliked Mom''s work for taking all her time, it benefited me in some way.


    At least I could do stuff like this without her questioning me.


    I brought the request notes, and also 2 grands in cash, then I went out with my bike at 06.00 A.M.


    It was cold today that my fingers started freezing even under the gloves. Thankfully, I had a hot pack inside my jacket pocket.


    The moment I arrived at the school, the gate was already unlocked. The old security guard usually left it open because he would leave the school before dusk during winter, around 03.00 P.M.


    He would just leave the gate unlocked, so the students could go out. I entered the school and then called Noah, wondering where he was right now.


    After a few beeps, he finally picked up the call.


    __Phone call__


    "Hello, Em?"


    "Where are you right now? I''m already in the school, parking my bike inside."


    "You should go and check the car parking. I''ve been here for literal 30 minutes!" Noah said. "It''s so cold outside, so I stay in my car instead."


    __Phone call ends__


    Thus, I checked the car parking space and found his car with the lights on. I rushed and knocked on the window.


    "Get in first!" Noah said.


    As I entered the car, I said, "Why are you still in here? We don''t have much time. We need to put this request letter there."


    "I know. I was going to stay near the abandoned storage. But when I walked towards that, I saw someone looking around, as if he was checking on something! I got scared, so I returned here!"


    "Wait, someone? The old school guard?" I asked. I didn''t expect anyone would be in the school at this hour, in the middle of cold winter.


    "I don''t know. But he is not the school guard. He is tall, wearing a thick ck jacket, a ck hat, and covered half of his lower face with a ck mask. I can only see his eyes in the end," Noah informed. "And somehow, that man looks a bit unhinged, just¡­ the way he looked around with his eyes¡ªwouldn''t lie though, his emerald eyes are just very pretty, it''s so gorgeous that I was breathless for a long time. But other than that, I somehow got the feeling that he was smirking behind the mask, and the way he moved gave me this intimidating and creepy aura, like an emerald-eyed sociopath."


    "Wait, emerald eyes?" I instantly remembered about one guy with emerald eyes.


    "Yeah, his eyes are green, but it''s just so beautiful and clear that I cannot help to get drowned by it."


    ¡­


    That man was definitely the red rose man. I was sure of it. Nobody had emerald eyes around here.


    I meant green eyes were fine, but both Grandma and Noah described the red rose man''s eyes the same. He had emerald eyes that looked so damn gorgeous.


    So, both Grandma and Noah must''ve talked about the same person here.


    What was that maniac doing in my school at this hour during winter?!


    Was he trying to ruin my n or exploit something? But I kind of doubted that because he said he would never harm me, and he would support me in any way possible.


    So I bet he was doing something else.


    I got scared as well. Just thinking about him and his random move made me worried that everything would crumble right in front of my eyes.


    But the show must go on. I didn''t want to dy longer, "Noah, for now, let''s just forget that man. Don''t worry about him, and let''s just go to the storage to put this."


    "What do you mean for us not to worry. That man looks intimidating! I''m scared that he might be doing something against us!" Noah refused as he was scared.


    I shook my head, trying to deny it, "Trust me, that guy won''t do us harm."


    "How did you know?"


    "Because he is my sponsor, damn it!" I said out of frustration. Noah was stunned, but I didn''t give him time to interview me. There was something more important right now.


    I exited the car and walked in the direction of the abandoned storage. Noah followed me from behind, and when we arrived, there was no sign of Red rose man anywhere.


    Both of us exhaled in relief. Even though I hade in contact with the Red rose man a few times already, but this nervousness hadn''t disappeared yet. I was still scared that man would do something to my family and me.


    We entered the abandoned storage room, and it was all dusty, cold and dusty at the same time, and there were two wooden boxes in the middle of the empty storage room, a red box and a green one.


    "That red box is where you put your request, and the green one is to put your money," Noah instructed.


    "Right," I took out the request note from my bag and then the 2000 dors. I already made sure to wear my winter gloves just to prevent fingerprints.


    Although I doubted they would do something as far as fingerprints inspection and something, it never hurt to be careful of everything.


    I opened the red box put the request note inside.


    Then, I opened the green box and put the money there.


    I closed both and then asked Noah, "Do you think those bastards woulde and take the request note from the red box after they read it?"


    "Depends. If it''s just a simple requestplete with the downpayment, they would just take it and rip it. But if it has some promise or another deal in the note, they would usually keep it until they got more money. Just like what you wrote in the request, Em. You promised to give them more money as long as they can beat me until I''m a bloody mess, right?"


    "Yeah, and also, I did this for a mission, Noah. Not that I hate you or something."


    "I know, I''m just¡­ nervous, I guess," Noah said.


    I sighed as I knew his fear. If I was in his position, I would be terrified too.


    "Think about it like thest mission, this is thest, and if it''s sessful, you will never need to endure the constant beating from those bastards."


    Noah was silenced, probably because he knew that I was right.


    "Well, since you said those bastards wouldn''t take the note, I assume they will return here to take the tips, right?"


    "Indeed, they always do that. I think I remember someone anonymous tipped Thomas and his gang about 3 grands in order to bully a guy until he was too traumatized to go to school, and in the end, had to get homeschooled with therapy.


    ¡­


    So vile.


    "Emmy, why are you asking this? About whether they will check this box again and such," Noah asked curiously.


    My smirk widened as I giggled maliciously. I took out my phone and sent him a photo that I sent to Elise yesterday.


    Noah checked his phone and his mouth gaped instantly. I sent him the second request note, "You¡­ you''re going to rece the one in the red box with this, right?"


    "Yep, once they got caught, I bet they will say that they were told by anonymous to take a job. They thought it would at least exempt some of the sentences from them."


    "And that''s when I will strike with that. I will make sure they got a sentence for the real thing they did, and I already told Elise about it, telling her toe with Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson''s victim before."


    "You''re going to ruin their lives forever, Em," Noah said.


    "Yeah, so? Do you have any problem with that?" I asked.


    "No, not at all. I''m just surprised that you cane up with an idea like this. I really thought they''d probably get into the juvenile centre for 2 or 3 years, and I had to move out as soon as they got released. But with the sexual assault allegation towards so many girls, I bet they will be inside the bars for a long time."


    "Emmelyn Jones, you''re seriously evil. I mean, good kind of evil, of course. Since you helped me."


    "Well, thanks, Noah.. But for now, let''s leave this ce first before anyone finds out."

 Chapter 162 - Preparation: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (2)

    Chapter 162 ¨C Preparation: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (2)


    "Well, thanks, Noah. But for now, let''s leave this ce first before anyone finds out."


    Noah and I left the abandoned storage room and returned to Noah''s car. I looked around cautiously, afraid that red rose man suddenly popped out of nowhere. I knew that guy wouldn''t hurt me or anything, but the way Noah described him as a deranged sociopath with beautiful emerald eyes, ittched into my mind, especially since I''d seen him from the window before while he called me in the middle of the night.


    Those emerald eyes were so brilliant, I thought I was looking at two shining emeralds in the middle of the night.


    Of course, the creep was still there. I couldn''t control my fear at all.


    After making sure there was no sign of red rose man anymore. I sighed in relief and entered the car with Noah.


    "So, now that we already have the original request in, what are we going to do next, Em?" Noah asked.


    "We''re going to wait until this evening," I replied. "When do those bastards usually check the request?"


    "Well, they usually hang out around the abandoned storage room in the evening. They also check regrly. I am 99% sure they will check in the evening, maybe right before the school ends."


    "Then, our next job is to wait and see whether those bastards would take the request note or not. Once they have epted the note, then we proceed to the next n, okay?"


    "Okay, Em."


    After the briefing, I quietly left Noah''s car and went inside the school building, acting as if nothing had happened.


    Fortunately, it was cold winter, and too many students were toozy to wake up early. I went to my first ss and sat downfortably, waiting for other students.


    I was alone for a good while, scrolling through some YouTube and Tiktok videos until I saw a glimpse of a man standing outside of the window. My heart stopped for a moment when I saw that emerald eyes.


    It was him. It was the red rose man. He suddenly came out of nowhere and was staring at me with his superbly gorgeous yet somewhat deranged eyes. This was the first time I could see his eyes clearly, and I was stunned to the bone.


    He was wearing a hat, a thick jacket, and a mask covering his nose below. So I could only see his face.


    I sensed that he smiled at me behind that mask and then used his finger to draw something in the frosty window.


    He drew a heart shape and a sentence.


    ¨C Good morning, beautiful. ¨C


    I was too shocked to react. He winked at me before turning away.


    "W¡ªWait!" I got up from the chair and rushed to the window to open it. But it was slippery because I was still using my gloves.


    So I took out my gloves and opened the window.


    But it was toote, the moment I opened the window and stuck my head out, the red rose man was nowhere to be seen.


    "Ah, damn it!" I cursed at my own stupidity. I could''ve caught him and interrogated him because I was also curious about who this man was. I''ve never seen anyone in this school with that kind of eyes.


    It was brilliant yet deranged at the same time.


    I stared at the message he wrote in the ss and sighed. He was truly sweet¡­ but still creepy.


    But sweet.


    ¡­


    "Arrgh! Whatever! He is such a pain in the ass!" I yelled out loud, trying to vent my frustration. I closed the window again and returned to my seat, waiting until the end of school, so I could check whether those bastards had already taken the request or not.


    **


    After thest ss finished, I hurriedly texted Noah, asking where he was.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Where are you right now?


    Noah: I''m hiding behind a building near the abandoned storage right now. I''m watching over them, so if they came and checked the storage, I could report it to you.


    Emmy: Ok, hold on, let me go there.


    Noah: You shouldn''t, Em. There is Mason Hall getting flocked over near me. I''m afraid that guy might notice you, and you''d get bullied.


    Noah: Just wait. I will send you a picture of them instead.


    ¡ª


    Noah seemed to understand my problem with Mason. Well, I believed at least everyone knew that Mason Hall was too popr for a regr girl to talk to. Because her rabid fans were too much, indeed.


    So I waited, and Noah sent me two pictures instead of just one.


    I checked the first picture and was surprised by the number of fans flocking around Mason in the parking lot. It was so many that I lost count. Probably the amount of flocking fans had tripled since the first time I entered high school here.


    Mason acted just like the typical Mason Hall, the rising actor, the school prince, the quarterback, the honour student, everything perfect that we all knew and loved.


    He only smiled when some fans tried to take a picture with him. He was literally unapproachable right now.


    Then, I checked the second picture and was d about this one. Because it was such a big relief.


    Noah took a picture of Thomas, Jackson, and Jorge entering the abandoned storage. With this, we have already started the n.


    I forwarded the picture to Elise and gave her an order.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Picture sent.


    Emmy: The n is on. Tomorrow will be the D-Day for us. Remember not to mess and make sure that Miss Alba wille. Tell Mona the sess of this mission lies in her. If Miss Alba refused toe, then it was all over.


    Elise: Understood. Don''t worry, Em. I will be helping her, making sure that we will take them down.


    Elise: I will alsoe tomorrow. Though, I won''t being to ss. Probably hiding somewhere in the school. Nobody is going to check anyway.


    Emmy: You can hide in my club room. Noah usually hides there to avoid those bastards from beating him up.


    Elise: Sure! Thanks, Em! See you tomorrow for this mission.


    ¡ª


    After contacting Elise, I told Noah to leave as soon as possible so those bastards wouldn''t find him identally, and I returned home safely.


    Grandma hadn''t been outside for a while now. The cold was too much for her old bones. Nowadays, she spends her time in her room or sitting on the sofa with a nket covering her body, watching some weird soap opera or knitting.


    As always, I approached her and kissed her cheek, "Good evening, Grandma. You''re doing well today?"


    "Ah, Em! This¡­ this is for you!" Grandma suddenly said and gave me a red rose beside her. "You know, your future husband gave it to you. Ah, what a good man."


    ¡­


    It was the red rose from that man again. It started to get on my nerves, honestly. But I couldn''t do much in front of grandma anyway because she was old and had a very conservative view of the rtionship between man and woman. Her old view probably got into my Mom, so she epted Dad. He was obviously a walking red g since the very beginning.


    I forced a smile and took the red rose, "Thank you so much, Grandma. I will cook for dinner now. Just wait here, okay?"


    "Oh, okay, Emmy. You''re such a good grandchild."


    I started preparing dinner for my family, spoon-feeding my grandma and saving some for my Mom. She said that she''d bete today, much to my disappointment, honestly.


    It was so close to Christmas break, and she didn''t even get a holiday until the D-Day of Christmas, which was December 25th.


    No, I didn''tin that she was too focused on her job. I was just sad that she couldn''t have a break. She might get too exhausted and sick in the process. Although I rarely talked with Mom these days due to her job, she was still my beloved mother, so it saddened me when I saw her being overly exhausted after a long shift in her office.


    I returned to my room with the red rose, and found a small paper note, rolled in-between the petals.


    I took it out and read the content.


    ¨C


    My dear Em, don''t worry about my presence in the school. I was just making sure that your n goes well.


    I have already sabotaged the security camera. It should be turned off for three days, so there will be no recording for three days straight. You should be able to execute everything perfectly.


    I will always be by your side.


    I love you, my beloved.


    ¨C


    Oh, for fuck sake! How could someone be so creepy and so romantic at the same time! It confused the hell of me because I didn''t know how to react, whether I should be enamoured or disgusted with this kind of action he did!

 Chapter 163 - Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (1)

    Chapter 163 ¨C Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (1)


    Friday, 06.00


    I texted Noah first because he was the one who would be the bait for today''s execution.


    Today was the day where we would take those bastards down. Because they had epted the request, that meant we had to put everything in motion so we wouldn''t fail because one margin of failure meant death in this mission. At least for Noah, it was a death sentence.


    Because this execution was time-based, everything needed to be perfect.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Are you ready today?


    Noah: What if I say that I''m not ready for my demise?


    Emmy: Nobody will get their demise except Miss Alba and those three bastards. Worry not.


    Noah:¡­ you''re making me even more worried.


    Emmy: Just trust me.


    Emmy: Don''t forget to wear that mask to cover half of your upper face.


    Noah: You mean, the one I used when having sex with Thomas?


    Emmy: Yes, because only you two know about the sex tape and that mask. I''m pretty sure that he will get agitated when he sees you wearing that mask.


    Noah: Great¡­ but terrifying idea.


    Noah: But okay, here goes nothing, I guess. This will be myst stand to determine whether I can live or die after this mission ends.


    ¡ª


    After texting Noah, I texted Elise because she would being to school today.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Ready for the big day?


    Elise: I am more than ready. I''ve started persuading the girls who got molested or assaulted by Thomas and his gang as well, and one person had agreed toe and start reporting when they got charged for real.


    Elise: I will continue asking for more people to make sure those bastards get what they deserve.


    Emmy: Good, inform me when you''reing to school. I will be giving you the key to the Pottery Club room, you can hide there with Noah, and we can wait until the school end.


    Elise: Understood.


    ¡ª


    After testing both of them, I went to school early in the morning. I wanted to check on my own, whether those bastards already took the money I put in or not.


    After I arrived at the parking lot, I rushed to the abandoned storage and checked the box.


    "Nice, so they have taken the money, but not the note," I said as I checked the note that they left.


    It was still the same note, and I thought about whether I should rece the request note to the fake one with the sexual assault request. But I was afraid those bastards woulde and check this again.


    So, in the end, I just left the storage room and went to the ss immediately. I had the extra 2000 dors in my bag. It was a bit unfortunate though, I wished I could keep it for my own necessities, but I had to give it for the sake of the mission.


    Well, at least I got to keep extra 1 grand for myself. I''d take that as payment, I guess. Heh.


    I finished the second ss until the lunch break started. I texted both Noah and Elise immediately because we really needed to talk in the Pottery club room.


    But before I could press send on my text, I already got a text from Elise.


    ¡ª


    Elise: Where are you right now, Em? I met Noah in front of the Pottery Club room right now. We''re hiding nearby, waiting for you.


    Emmy: I''m going. Please hide until I arrive.


    ¡ª


    It was pitiful for them to have to hide in school. They were supposed to studyfortably here, but well¡­ this school might have some negative energy and some shit. Because everyone in this school was just¡­ so malicious.


    At least for me, they were either truly ignorant or malicious to the bone. They didn''t give a crap about me when I was beaten right in the middle of the schoolyard.


    And the teachers weren''t better. They also didn''t care whether I could live or die because, at that time, I had nobody to protect me. I was all alone. I didn''t even have a rtive.


    So whether I live or die, nobody really cared anyway.


    ¡­


    I rushed to the club room and found Elise and Noah hiding behind a locker together. I unlocked the pottery club room and signalled them toe in.


    After they entered, I quickly shut the door and locked it inside. I closed the window curtain and turned on themp.


    Elise and Noah sighed in relief, "Seriously, I was scared those bastards would find me," Elise said. "If not them, Natasha or Barbie might find me and report it to those bastards instead. Staying in this school for too long is like a ticking time bomb."


    "I know, right," Noah added.


    "Well, since you two are here, why don''t we talk about our n today? Because today would be the execution day, and we NEED to time everything correctly," I said. Elise and Noah nodded. They stared at me, waiting for amand.


    Things got awkward instantly, at least in my side, "W¡ªWhat? Why are you guys staring at me like that?"


    "We''re waiting for your instruction, of course," Elise said.


    "Yeah, we are waiting for your instruction, Em. I mean, I already did my part and already brought what you requested," Noah added while mentioning that mask. Although he didn''t show it, afraid that Elise would be asking, and he didn''t know how to answer.


    Though, when we were executing the mission, it was inevitable that Elise would know about Noah''s secret. But at least, it didn''te from my mouth, as I held my promise not to spill his sexual orientation in the school.


    "You''re making me act like the leader here. I need you guys input as well," I said.


    "You''re the leader, duh," Elise rolled her eyes. "We wouldn''t be here if not because of your persuasion. So we will listen to you."


    ¡­


    "Well, I will ask first then," I took a deep breath and shifted my attention to Elise. "How is Mona? It''s already lunch break, and she should be ready to give it to Miss Alba."


    "She said that she has a ss with Miss Alba, and it''s coincidentally thest ss of her. So after that, Miss Alba only has a chance to either take it or leave it. I''m very positive that Miss Alba will take the invitation, especially since ites from Mason Hall himself," Elise said. "Mona said that she was shocked by the uracy of the handwriting and autograph. You really have your way to fake Mason''s writing, Em."


    My lips thinned as I tried to hold myself to say that it was Mason Hall himself. I nced at Noah, who looked confused.


    That was because I didn''t tell Noah about my fake letter.


    "What letter?" Noah asked.


    "Oh? Emmy hasn''t said anything? She forged a letter that would bait Miss Alba. You know that woman is obsessed with Mason Hall, right?" Elise informed.


    Noah''s jaw dropped, and he looked at me with shock and confusion at the same time, "I¡ªI mean, I¡­ I didn''t think you need to forge it¡ª"


    Noah zipped his mouth instantly when I red at him, basically telling him that he shouldn''t tell anyone about my interaction with Mason Hall. I knew that Elise wouldn''t do harm to me, but who knew if she identally spilled it and the idea of Mason and me having some rtionship would be widespread.


    "Well, then, I will tell you guys what we will do. This is the real n," I said. I took out a book and started sketching the schoolyard. "So, we will start this at 06.00, Noah will be standing in the middle of the schoolyard since 05.45, and he will wait until those bastardse to gang upon him."


    "When they met, I am certain that Thomas would be shocked and nervous at the same time, and at that moment, Noah should start speaking some¡­ triggering words to Thomas. I think Noah understood what I meant. By speaking those words, Thomas might get too nervous until he couldn''t think straight.¡ª"


    Not that he was straight, to begin with, hehe.


    "When he lost control due to the taunting, Thomas and his gang would start beating Noah, and at that moment, you should scream as loud and pitiful as possible, possibly alerting Miss Alba, who is searching for Mason Hall whereabouts."


    "The moment Miss Alba came and interrupted, I am sure she will be asking on what is going on, then Noah, you should tell Miss Alba that Thomas and his gang are trying to sexually assault you, and they are into men."


    "Oh, damn," Elise mumbled. "I can''t imagine the panic that would ensue."


    "Indeed, Miss Alba would probably call 911 as soon as possible. And I think you both already know what''s going to happen with Miss Alba."


    "They will start chasing Miss Alba and beat the hell out of her, especially Thomas, right?" Noah suspected.


    "Correct, that''s our goal."

 Chapter 164 - Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (2)

    Chapter 164 ¨C Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (2)


    "Indeed, Miss Alba would probably call 911 as soon as possible. And I think you both already know what''s going to happen with Miss Alba."


    "They will start chasing Miss Alba and beat the hell out of her, especially Thomas, right?" Noah suspected.


    "Correct, that''s our goal," I said, basically cementing the fate that Miss Alba would face soon.


    Elise and Noah looked at each other. They seemed to have a simr understanding or a shared opinion bymunicating with their eyes.


    I asked out of curiosity, "What are you guys thinking about? How''s the n? If you have something to say or revise, just say it, and we canmunicate. This is teamwork, after all."


    "I mean, the n is great. We''re just surprised at how well you can create this n, Em," Elise replied. "No matter how many times I keep saying it, I just¡ªI can''t imagine how you could make this¡­."


    "Yeah, as if¡­ you are the one with a grudge against those bastards," Noah added again.


    Well, they didn''t know my story anyway, so I wouldn''t tell them the real reason.


    "I just don''t want people to suffer such injustice, like you two," I replied, trying to cover the truth that I was as evil as all of them. My interest was also as malicious. I just knew how to cover it well.


    It seemed that Noah and Elise trusted me, so I wouldn''t need to tell the truth.


    Telling too much always ended up in failure.


    "Oh, about the sexual assault trap. I will make sure to rece the real request with the fake one,plete with extra money to make it believable. Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson had ''sessfully'' raping the target, which happened to be Miss Alba, their English teacher."


    "Though, I doubted they''d do that amidst the chaos. I think Thomas would just beat Miss Alba good until she was unrecognizable and ran away," I replied. "And when they got caught, you know they''ll try to lighten their sentence by reporting their business, so they''re not the mastermind of the whole thing."


    "Then it will turn worse for them, right?" Elise asked.


    "Indeed."


    Noah and Elise nodded at the same time.


    "There is no w in this n except for the timing. So for this one, let''s just hope Miss Alba reallye in time."


    **


    Noah and Elise stayed with me until lunch break was over. I allowed them to stay in the room as they were hiding until dusk while I returned to ss.


    When thest ss ended, I got a text from Elise, telling me that Mona had sessfully delivered the fake love letter to Miss Alba.


    ¡ª


    Elise: Mona told her that Mason Hall is too embarrassed to give it directly. So he asked Mona to do it. She didn''t seem to care much and was over the moon when she got the letter.


    Elise: Mona already told Miss Alba that she shoulde at around 6.15 to the schoolyard because there will be a big surprise.


    ¡ª


    Perfect.


    That was the perfect time frame. Now, we had to wait until dusk and then prepare ourselves.


    **


    05.40 P.M


    Elise and I tiptoed around the school, wanting to make sure there was nobody but us, Miss Alba, and three bastards who woulde in around 20 minutes.


    After ensuring that it was empty and the gate was still open, I texted Noah.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Stay in the middle of the schoolyard and wear your mask, don''t worry about lighting. The schoolmp and the one near the schoolyard would be enough.


    Emmy: Don''t be scared. We are hiding nearby, so we can get good footage.


    Noah: At this point, there is no turning back, right?


    Emmy: Indeed.


    ¡ª


    Yep, there was no turning back at this point. We were already at the end of the mission anyway.


    Elise and I camped in the bush not far from Noah but safe enough for us if we made a blunder and made noises.


    "Don''t forget your phone with sh off. We need to record everything," I instructed Elise, just to make sure there wouldn''t be any terrible blunder.


    Right at 06.00 P.M, where the sky was already dark, and only the light from the schoolmps could make everything barely visible, we could hear the sound of heavy footstepsing to the schoolyard.


    Noah followed my instruction to turn his back, so Thomas couldn''t see his face first.


    "Haha, so this is our target. What are you doing this evening, kid?" Thomas said. He looked eager to beat the hell out of his target like it was his daily job.


    We finally saw Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson again a few days ago. They were a bunch of big jocks that could really beat a weaker man easily, and they used it to their full extent.


    I turned my head towards Elise and saw that her face turned red as she gritted her teeth. Elise seemed to be holding a lot of anger in her heart, and the phone we would use to record was trembling in her hand.


    I snatched the phone instead, then whispered to Elise, ''This is the finale, calm yourself, Elise. Getting angry at them right now wouldn''t change anything."


    Elise shook her head a few times and clenched my arm, trying to get some assurance. Thus, I pressed the red button on the phone and recorded what was happening right now.


    __Third person POV__


    "Hey, turn around, let me see your face before I make it unrecognizable, Hahaha!"


    "HAHAHAHAH!" Jorge and Jackson alsoughed at the same time. They seemed to be enjoying this as well, as expected from a bunch of degenerates without any remorse.


    Noah turned around to face Thomas and his gang with the mask on. He had a sly smirk on his face, "Good evening, Jorge, Jackson, and¡­ Thomas. You guys are searching for me?"


    Thomas'' eyes widened the moment he saw that mask. Of course, he knew that mask clearly, because there was only one person who could wear that.


    Thomas wanted to speak the name of the person behind the mask, but there was Jackson and Jorge here, so he had to be careful.


    Thus, Thomas acted as if he didn''t know who was behind the mask and cracked his fingers, "Yeah, we''re here because someone wants you beaten bloody, haha! How pitiful. Someone paid us 2 grands to beat you up! And I will rough you up real good."


    Thomas was trying to scare Noah, and he thought it would seed because Noah was always a submissive wimp in front of him. No matter what Thomas did to him, Noah would always do it.


    He was just a bit disobedient these days. That was why Thomas continuously bullied him, to make sure that he knew his ce.


    But to his shock, Noah''s smirk grew wider, and he replied, "Someone sends you all to beat me up? But you don''t need any request to do that, do you?" Noah turned his gaze at Thomas and his gaze chilled. "Especially for you, Thomas. I think we know each other pretty well, right?"


    ¡­.


    Jackson and Jorge to curious, "Huh? You know this guy, boss?" They asked Thomas.


    "Well, it doesn''t matter, right, boss? We are doing this for the money anyway.


    ¡­


    "Boss?" Jorge and Jackson were confused with Thomas'' sudden silence. But Thomas'' gaze hadn''t left their victim at all. "Is there something wrong, boss?"


    "Yeah, is there something wrong, Thomas?" Noah asked. "I think Thomas knows really well what am I talking about here, right?"


    ¡­


    "I mean, if you guys want to beat me up, then just do it. But I wonder if your boss will allow it. He and I have¡­ a history together."


    ¡­


    "A history?" Jorge frowned. He looked at Thomas whose was looked so nervous, and he got confused instead. "Is there something wrong between you two? I mean, the tension here is a bit weird, right?"


    "Yeah," Jackson added. "Why don''t we just do our job, beating the hell out of this kid, and get the hell out? It''s freezing cold today, and my jacket isn''t warm enough."


    ¡­


    Thomas didn''t move an inch like usual. He kept staring at Noah behind the mask and said, "I will give you one chance to leave now before I blow your brains out."


    Jackson and Jorge were shocked. They didn''t expect their Boss to suddenly give this random man a leeway. It was unlike his usual self, "Boss? Are you okay? Why would you give him a chance to run?! We got paid to beat him up!"


    "Shut up!" Thomas shouted at Jorge and Jackson, and the two zipped their lips instantly. They were also scared of Thomas.


    "I give you onest chance, leave now before it''s toote," Thomas said.


    Noah stared at Thomas, the boy he had been in love with for years. Thomas was his first love, and that feeling¡­ stayed in his heart.


    But there was no turning back now. There was no future with Thomas.


    "Why would you want me to leave? Is it because you''re afraid your friends will know your secret?"

 Chapter 165 - Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (3)

    Chapter 165 ¨C Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (3)


    __Third Person POV__


    "I give you onest chance, leave now before it''s toote," Thomas said.


    "Why would you want me to leave? Is it because you''re afraid your friends will know your secret?" Noah asked, trying to trigger Thomas about their secret, their forbidden rtion that Thomas wanted to hide.


    Thomas'' eyes widened, but he said nothing, only staring at Noah with hesitation and fear in his eyes.


    Maybe it was the fact that Noah was wearing the mask. It made Thomas somewhat hesitant to strike him.


    Because he was afraid that Noah would spill the secret to Jackson and Jorge. And if that happened, then his life in this school was over.


    "Eh? Secret? What kind of secret, Boss?" Jorge asked. He sounded innocent because he knew nothing about such a secret.


    "Yeah, we''re staying together most of the time. I didn''t know that you have another secret," Jackson added.


    "There is no secret and shit. It''s just him speaking rubbish," Thomas said, trying to divert the suspicion.


    "Am I speaking rubbish? I mean, you must be really familiar with this mask, right?" Noah asked. And Thomas'' face paled as he shook his head, warning Noah not to spill anything.


    "Don''t trust this guy. He is speaking bullshit. Let''s just leave and¡ª"


    "¡ªLeave?" Noah chuckled. He fished out his phone from his pocket and then browsed through the gallery. "Well, if you guys want to leave now, it''s fine. But I want you; Jorge and Jackson, to see this very scandalous and mindblowing fact about your Boss."


    Noah was ready to y the video, a sex tape between him and Thomas. But before he could press it, Thomas suddenly lunged towards Noah and punched his face until Noah slumped to the ground.


    "FUCK YOU, DON''T YOU DARE SHOW THAT VIDEO!" Thomas yelled out loud. His body was shaking as he was trying hard to control his anger.


    Jorge and Jackson were too stunned to react, especially when Noah was lying on the ground with a terrible bruise on his cheek.


    Usually, Noah would squirm and zip his mouth, allowing Thomas and his gang to just bully the heck out of him.


    But today, he also felt this was the end. So there was no turning back.


    Noahughed as if he heard something ridiculous, "You''re a joke, Thomas. You did it with me, but you refuse to admit it?! Do you think I will say nothing and be your cute little bitch forever?!"


    "FUCK YOU!" Thomas jumped to Noah and started punching Noah mercilessly. Even Jackson and Jorge started to pity them, masked man.


    "H¡ªHey, Boss, I think you''re being a bit too angry right now¡ª"


    "Yeah, Boss¡­"


    Thomas turned his head at them and red, "HELP ME RIGHT HERE, OR I WILL BEAT YOU TWO AS WELL!"


    Noah didn''t really care, though. He already gave his life to Emmy. He trusted her. So he believed that Emmy would save him soon.


    And that saviour came in the form of a teacher¡­


    "What is happening here?!" Miss Alba suddenly came out of nowhere and chided. She was wearing a knee-length skirt in the middle of winter for an obvious reason, ignoring the cold to seduce Mason Hall.


    But what she saw wasn''t her beloved student, but three guys beating the hell out of another student.


    "Oh my god, stop beating him! Do you want to be summoned to the principal''s office tomorrow or what? You guys should leave now before I call the police!" Miss Alba chattered.


    Thomas stopped beating Noah and looked over his shoulder. When he saw Miss Alba, his body stiffened.


    No, he wasn''t scared of her, Thomas had many arguments with teachers, and most of their threats were useless empty threats. But this woman was a parrot. She would spread words to the school, which would be sensational news in no time.


    Thomas didn''t want Miss Alba to know the real reason why he was beating the hell out of Noah.


    So Thomas got up from Noah and approached Miss Alba, trying to find a way to kick Miss Alba from this schoolyard.


    But the moment he gave his attention to this teacher, Noah suddenly screamed out loud;


    "THOMAS SCOTTFIELD IS A FAGGOT WHO HAD SEX WITH ME SO MANY TIMES. HE IS A TOTAL FAGGOT THAT HE CANNOT GET HARD TO HIS GIRLFRIEND!"


    Like thunder in the clear sky, everyone in the schoolyard was shocked. They all looked at Thomas with their shocked gaze, and it made Thomas, who was already anxious, suddenly blow up.


    "WHAT? IT''S NOT REAL! I TOLD YOU IT''S NOT REAL!"


    Jorge and Jackson only stared in shock, but it was Miss Alba who just chattered suddenly, "Eh, I mean, it''s not really surprising, isn''t it? I''ve heard gossip that Thomas is gay, from your own girlfriend, actually. She has beenining that you can''t get hard, and you are so bad in bed. Hihi, now it''s understandable. Of course, you can''t get hard and not good in bed. That''s because you are not into her!"


    "Wait until I tell her about this. She must''ve been shocked," Miss Alba said lightly, thinking she was safe because she was a teacher.


    The moment she took out her phone was thest straw for Thomas.


    He jumped towards Miss Alba and pushed her to the ground, then he sat on top of Miss Alba''s stomach and started punching like crazy.


    "AAAHH! HELP! HELP!"


    Noah mustered all his remaining strength and ran away as fast as possible.


    Jorge and Jackson were confused about what to do, "B¡ªBoss, please calm down a bit. Miss Alba is not our target!"


    "Yeah, Boss! And that guy has run away!"


    "THEN FIND HIM AND KILL HIM! NOBODY IN THIS PLACE SHOULD LIVE EXCEPT US!" Thomas ordered. Jorge and Jackson looked at each other and then started running to find Noah, hiding somewhere right now.


    "Ack! Stop hitting me, or I will call the police!" Miss Alba yelled, and Thomas snatched her phone, then threw it to the wall until it was destroyed.


    Then he continued hitting Miss Alba mercilessly until she was bloody.


    __Third person POV ends__


    Elise and I watched everything.


    I wouldn''t lie that I was also surprised when Noah suddenly yelled out loud about Thomas and called him a faggot. That wasn''t in the script I made for him, but it was definitely a lot more effective. So I wouldn''t protest.


    ''How about Noah?'' Elise whispered, asking whether that guy was okay.


    ''Don''t worry, I already told him to hide in his usual hiding ce in the tool shed. Jorge and Jackson wouldn''t find him," I replied. But that wasn''t the most important thing right now.


    I stared at Miss Alba and found that Thomas had literally lost her mind. At this point, Miss Alba would die for real.


    But fortunately, Thomas finally slowed down after Miss Alba stopped screaming. She was still breathing, but she had lost all her strength.


    Thomas was breathing heavily and turned his back. He seemed to be in a daze, probably because he didn''t expect things to turn this horrible.


    I ended the video because it was all the footage that we needed. I whispered at Elise, ''Call the police now, make sure the police woulde soon. Thomas and his gang will stay in the school for a while because they are still searching for Noah.


    ''Okay,'' Elise nodded. She used her phone and started calling 911.


    But there was a grave mistake when we were calling 911. Because Elise forgot to mute the phone, the beep was heard, and before we could turn off the volume, the dispatcher picked up.


    "Hello, 911, what''s your emergency?"


    My eyes widened as the dispatcher''s voice was too loud on Elise''s phone. Thomas turned his head in our direction instantly. Fortunately, we hid behind a tree, so he couldn''t see our faces.


    But he could see our figure and yelled, "HEY! WHO ARE YOU!?"


    Fuck.


    Oh shit, we were fucked!


    Thomas started running towards us, and I pulled Elise to run. If we were caught, then it all would be in vain, and we might face our death in Thomas'' hands.


    "Mute the call!" I yelled at Elise as we were running away from Thomas.


    Elise hurriedly pressed the mute button but was still on call with the dispatcher.


    "BITCH! DON''T RUN AWAY FROM ME!" Thomas started chasing us through the trees, but we couldn''t leave the school so easily because the only way out was through the front gate and the back of the club building, which was impossible because Jorge and Jackson must''ve been patrolling around there find Noah.


    So I continued running with Elise as we could hear Thomas'' feet trampled the ground like an angry buffalo chasing us from behind.


    I knew that we couldn''t run away from him if we kept running because he was obviously more athletic and stronger than us.


    So my eyes darted at the door on the school building, the ce where Miss Alba came out and entered the schoolyard before.


    "Elise! To the school building!"

 Chapter 166 - Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (4)

    Chapter 166 ¨C Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (4)


    "Elise! To the school building!"


    Elise and I maneuvered and rushed towards the door. Thomas was chasing after us from behind, and he was growling as if he would crush our head once he caught us.


    I ran as fast as possible towards the door and entered the school building. It was all dark because themps had been turned on inside except in some rooms like the teachers'' room. Though, Miss Alba was thest one in school.


    "RRGHH! I WILL FUCKING BEAT YOU ONCE I CATCH YOU!" Thomas yelled as we continued running away from him. We ran through the corridor and found that Thomas got even faster than before.


    It was really dark, and we were running blindly, hoping that we didn''t stumble and die in Thomas'' hand.


    But knowing how Thomas was about to catch up, I instructed Elise, "Continue running!"


    "What?!"


    "Run! Run for your life, I told you!"


    Elise wanted to ask me, but when we heard the grunt from Thomas behind us, she just ran as fast as possible, but I didn''t want to do that. We needed to divert attention, so I took a deep breath and pivoted right on my spot.


    I faced Thomas right in front of me and dashed in his direction. I sidestepped when facing him and dashed in the opposite direction to Elise. So Noah''s attention would be diverted a bit.


    I expected Noah to chase me instead because chasing Elise was impossible in the dark. I could hear his grunt as he chased me again.


    My goal was to enter the only open room right now, which was the teacher''s room, and when I was close to it, I dashed straight to the teacher''s room and mmed the door.


    "ARGH!" Thomas was hit by the door m and staggered. So I quickly locked the door from inside.


    I was catching my breath for a moment. This was intense because Thomas wasn''t in the right mind right now. His panic and rage were mixed into one, and he would definitely kill me if he could touch me.


    I really hoped that Elise was informing the police about their position right now because the only person that could calm Thomas down was the police and their taser.


    BAM! BAM! BAM!


    "HRGGH! WHO ARE YOU?! HOW DARE YOU PEEK AT ME LIKE THAT?!" Thomas yelled as he kept punching the door. I tried to calm myself first. There was no way for Thomas to enter this room unless he had superhuman strength or he would break the ss pane.


    I thought he wouldn''t be that crazy to break the ss pane, right? It was a school''s property, and he would be penalized heavily for breaking a school property¡ª


    CRACK!


    My heartbeat stopped for a second once I saw Thomas, who suddenly smashed the ss pane with a literal bench. He lifted the bench and threw it to the ss pane. I guess that was what adrenaline would give you.


    With only two smashes on the ss pane, it shattered instantly. Thomas had a malicious smirk as he stared at me, "You have no way to run now."


    That smirk, that dark gaze, and those words were pretty strong for me because they reminded me of what he and his gang did to me in my previous life.


    They beat me until I couldn''t even feel my face anymore. It was like PTSD for me.


    My body trembled out of fear, but when I remembered my promise to myself that I wouldn''t rest until I got all my revenge, I gritted my teeth and went to the lighting switch, "I will make things different, you bastard!"


    Blip.


    I turned off the only source of light in this room. With the dark hallway added, the school building was inplete darkness right now.


    "THIS DOESN''T MATTER, YOU BITCH! YOU STILL HAVE NOWHERE TO RUN RIGHT NOW!" Thomas said. I could see his silhouette kicking the ss shard before he jumped in.


    I immediately ducked and sneaked through the darkness. I didn''t dare to walk because Thomas might be able to see my silhouette as well. So I continued crawling and tried to hide the undertone table as Thomas started kicking the tables.


    "I know you''re hiding right now! Just wait until I can find you!" Thomas yelled at me. I knew that he would find me eventually, and I couldn''t do much if he caught me.


    Tap.


    Tap.


    Tap.


    I could hear that his footstep was near me, but he didn''t seem to be able to find me, at least not yet.


    I watched his silhouette as he walked past me and headed to the light switch. I knew my time was near, so I braced myself and got up. I knew I couldn''t just rush to the window without making noises since it was totally dark right now.


    So I quietly grabbed a chair and followed Thomas from behind. The moment Thomas turned on the light, I was already standing in front of him with a chair in my hand, "You will never catch me, bitch."


    "Wha¡ª" Thomas turned around, but it was toote as I threw the chair towards him, and it hit his head, staggered him before he fell to the ground. "OUCH!"


    Now with the lights on, I could see the exit. I dashed straight to the door, unlocked it and then left.


    "ARGH, YOU CUNNING LITTLE BITCH!" I could hear the sound of things getting kicked left. Right, so I assumed that Thomas was still in his rage, so I ran deeper towards the school corridor, hoping to find a hiding spot and meet with Elise somehow.


    I turned to the left in the corridor and climbed to the second floor, I could still hear Thomas behind me, but his distance was a bit farther than before.


    I ran frantically until a hand grabbed me and pulled me to the bathroom.


    "Hmpf!"


    "Sshh! Don''t say anything, Em!" Elise said as she covered my mouth.


    She pulled me to this bathroom and then dragged me inside one stall. We were staring at each other, and I heard the sound of footstep before¡ª


    SLAM!


    Thomas mmed the bathroom door open, and he also started walking around, much to my nervousness. But fortunately, he gave up easily and then left.


    I was taking a deep breath to calm myself down. It was truly a terrifying chase that would stay in my head for a long time. I didn''t even expect to escape. It was simply too terrifying.


    I whispered to Elise, ''Did you call 911 and inform them what''s happening in this school?''


    ''I did, don''t worry about it, they said they''reing,'' Elise replied, much to my relief. Thest thing we needed was to call the cops, and things would be sorted out quickly.


    ''But there is something else we need to do, Elise,'' I replied.


    ''What is it?''


    ''The fake request note about sexual assault,'' I replied. ''I haven''t put it because I''m afraid those guys would check again, so they would know it''s a trap. We need to go to the abandoned storage room and then put the fake sexual assault request there.''


    ''But there is only one entrance, and I bet Thomas is still searching for us,'' Elise said, and that was true. Thomas must''ve been searching for us still, and there was no guarantee that Jorge and Jackson weren''t camping outside right now since I believed they couldn''t find Noah at all.


    But we had no time to waste just hiding here, we needed to move fast before the police arrived, or the sexual assault n would go to waste.


    Ten minutes had passed, and there was no sign of Thomas. Thus I whispered to Elise, ''You should stay here. I wille out and find my way to the abandoned storage. I will text you after I finish the job.''


    ''Em, are you sure? I¡ªI mean, I think this is enough for Thomas to get in jail. I want him to get roped by sexual assault charge as well, but the most important thing is still your safety.''


    ''Don''t worry, I''ve got my own ways,'' I replied.


    Thus, I left the bathroom and headed to the long corridor once more. I tiptoed, trying my best not to make noises, afraid that Thomas might be somewhere right now.


    Then, when I went down to the first floor, I could feel my phone in my pocket vibrating. I looked to my left and right. After ensuring there was no sign of Thomas, I checked the text.


    ¡ª


    xx: My darling, go to the ss nearest to the main entrance of the school building. I''ve unlocked the door. You can open the window from that ss and then jump to go to the abandoned storage.


    xx: I''m sorry that I''mte, but I''ve subdued Thomas for a while. He is unconscious right now. But he''s got a super strength due to the adrenaline rush. I''m afraid he will wake up in only around ten minutes and start hunting you down. So do it quickly before he gets up, and the police arrive.


    xx: I love you.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 167 - Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (5)

    Chapter 167 ¨C Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (5)


    ¡ª


    xx: My darling, go to the first ss near the main entrance of the school building. I''ve unlocked the door. You can open the window from that ss and then jump to go to the abandoned storage.


    xx: I''m sorry that I''mte, but I''ve subdued Thomas for a while. But he''s got a super strength right now. I''m afraid he will wake up in only around ten minutes and start hunting you down.


    xx: I love you.


    ¡ª


    I was holding my breath as I read the text from the Red rose man. I didn''t expect him to suddenly barge in and help me in my direst situation. I didn''t know how to thank him for this, but the only thing I could do was text him back and say thanks, then I went straight to the nearest ss to the main entrance of the school building.


    I used the shlight from my phone to guide my way through, and after finding the right ss, I twisted the knob and opened the door.


    That creepy guy had his way to do stuff; I didn''t even know how could he do so many things and have so many resources.


    But that wasn''t the most important thing right now. I had to go to the abandoned storage and rece the note quickly.


    I went to the window and opened it. I shed my surrounding, hoping that Jackson or Jorge wouldn''t be there.


    After it was clear, I jumped from the window and then slid the window to close it. I tiptoed to the abandoned storage and looked around once more to make sure.


    Then I entered the storage room and found the red and green box. I made sure to wear gloves before taking out the fake sexual assault request note and two grands. I reced the request note and put two grands in the green box. With this, the trap was set.


    I quickly left the storage room right when I heard the police siren rang from the main gate not far from my location. I quickly hid behind the storage room and then texted Noah and Elise.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Where are you right now, Noah?


    Noah: I''m still hiding in the toolshed near the schoolyard like before. I could hear the voice of Jackson and Jorge looking around for me, but I was safe for now.


    Emmy: Good, try to stay there because the police areing. I will tell you the right time to leave.


    Noah: Okay.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Elise, where are you right now? Still in the toilet?


    Elise: I am. How is it, Em? Did you find a way to leave? You should hide with me if you can''t find it. I think Thomas'' charges of assaulting Miss Alba is enough.


    Emmy: No, I''ve found a way to leave, and I will tell you the right moment to leave from the same spot.


    Emmy: but for now, stay put because I heard the police siren.


    Elise: Okay.


    ¡ª


    I decided to hide here and wait for the n to proceed. I could hear the sound of the police forces'' boots trampling around the snow as they went to the schoolyard.


    It would be great because the first thing they would see was the dying body of Miss Alba, who had been beaten until she was unrecognizable. But at least, she was still breathing.


    I could hear themotion, but since I was way too far from the schoolyard right now, I couldn''t hear them clearly, only screams and yell that filled the cold winter evening right now.


    Then I got a text from Elise;


    ¡ª


    Elise: I could hear the sound of the police screaming and yelling inside the school building. I think they found Thomas somewhere on the first floor.


    Elise: Oh shit, Thomas is fighting with the police right now. But I don''t think they will fire a shot. Hold on. I will send you a recording.


    Elise: Recording sent.


    ¡ª


    I yed the recording, and the first thing I heard was the grunt from Thomas.


    ¡ªRecording¡ª


    "Urgh!"


    "Get down! I said get down!"


    "You''re under arrest!"


    "Wha¡ªwhat?! What did I do wrong?" Thomas asked. It seemed that he had regained his consciousness after the red rose man subdued him.


    "You''re still asking?! You just beat your female teacher until her face is bloody pulp! You have also destroyed the school property!"


    I could hear a scuffle. Probably the police were trying to handcuff Thomas.


    In the end, I could only hear a protest from Thomas, and he started mentioning that he was being told to do this.


    "This is not how it looks like! I''m only epting a request from people!" Thomas tried to defend himself.


    "Nice try, buddy. But your bloodied hands really can''t lie," The police officer replied.


    "No, I can prove to you that we''re being told to do this by someone else!" Thomas said. It seemed that he had fallen into my trap. Maybe he thought the charges wouldn''t be as severe if he were under themand of someone else.


    "Then let''s see who your boss is!"


    ¡ªRecording End¡ª


    I was about to text Elise about what was happening, but I got a text from Noah first regarding the arrest of Jackson and Jorge.


    ¡ª


    Noah: Em! I heard the police wereing in my way, and I also heard Jackson and Jorge got arrested. I''ll send you a recording!


    Noah: Recording sent.


    ¡ª


    Thus, I also yed the recording sent by Noah.


    ¡ªRecording¡ª


    "Get down to the ground! Get down to the ground!" The loud voice of the police filled the recording as I could hear the voice of Jorge and Jackson struggling and repeating the same words repeatedly.


    "What did we do?!"


    "You two have been arrested for assaulting your female teacher and destruction of school property!" The police said. "Now get down cooperate with us!"


    "But we did nothing! It was all Thomas'' doing!" Jorge tried to defend himself.


    "Yeah! And we''re just his friends!" Jackson added.


    "That doesn''t matter! Come with us!"


    ¡ªRecording end¡ª


    Alright, this was perfect. Now that Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson had been arrested, I believed they woulde here soon to check on the request note.


    It might really lighten the sentence, especially if it was an unnned assault. However, those guys would still get expelled, of course.


    But if they epted the request to physically and sexually assault Miss Alba, then it was all over. Because it was extremely malicious, and sexual assault was usually taken very seriously, especially with real proof.


    I waited for a while until I heard the footsteps of many people approaching the abandoned storage. I was hiding behind the storage when I heard the police ask, "If you dare y with us, then you''re going to have lots of trouble, young man."


    "I''m not ying around! I got paid to beat up someone else, but Miss Alba suddenly came out of nowhere and threatened us!" Thomas tried to shift the narrative. I grinned because the more he was spouting stuff, the more he fell to my trap.


    m!


    I heard the door was mmed open, and the police entered the abandoned storage. I turned on my phone and pressed recorded to record everything.


    ¡ªRecording¡ªThird person POV¡ª


    "What is this?" The police looked at red and green boxes in the middle of the room, "Is this what you mean by request box?" He asked Thomas.


    "Yes! Just check the red box, and you''ll see that I wasn''t there to beat up Miss Alba. I was there to beat up a man!" Thomas said.


    Thus, the police opened the box and read the note supposed to be the request.


    ¡ª


    A request to beat up Miss Jessica Alba. Search here and beat her bloody until you cannot recognize her face again. After that, strip her naked and do whatever you want with her body. Make sure that she will be traumatized for life so that she will leave the school for good.


    I will pay you 2000 dors first. If I saw her traumatized after you sexually assaulted her body, I will give you 2000 dorster.


    ¡ª


    The police officer was shocked by what he found because this request note was clearly hard evidence that Thomas and his gang was targeting Miss Alba, even going as far as sexually assaulting her until she was traumatized. It was such a terribly malicious thing to do.


    Then the police officer checked the green box and found an exact 2000 dors inside. The request note implied that Thomas and his gang hadpleted their request and would pocket four grands for themselves.


    No matter in what angle, these students were too dangerous to be let go just because of their age, but they still needed testimony from the victim, Miss Alba, and perhaps, other victims as well.


    "This is not your first time epting stuff like this, right?" The police asked.


    "Yes, Sir."


    "Then you''re going to face multiple charges."


    ¡ªRecording end¡ª

 Chapter 168 - Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (6)

    Chapter 168 ¨C Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (6)


    I sent the recording to Noah and Elise to inform them that our n had been sessfully executed. Then I waited as the police dragged those bastards, and also they called an ambnce to take care of unconscious Miss Alba. I texted Elise to follow my path because I heard from Noah there might be one or two police still patrolling around the school. I didn''t want her to get caught and roped for the wrong thing.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Go to the first floor and enter the first room near the main entrance of the school building. The door is unlocked, and you can leave through the window.


    Emmy: I will be waiting outside. The police don''t seem to be patrolling too far from the schoolyard.


    Elise: Okay.


    ¡ª


    After texting Elise, I quietly sneaked to the spot where I had exited the school building before, near the window.


    Then I heard a footstep from inside the ss, so I turned on my phone''s shlight and waved it on the window to signal Elise that I was waiting for her.


    Thus, the window slid open, and I helped Elise leave before sliding the window back.


    "Have you closed the door before leaving?" I asked. And Elise replied with a nod.


    "All clear, but I do hear two police officers talking about the damage in the teachers'' room. I suppose it''s you who did it, right?"


    "Yeah, Thomas went absolute batshit insane and started chasing me. I went inside the teachers'' room and locked it from inside. Then he used the freakin bench to break the ss pane. What a monster."


    "Let''s just talk about this with Noah. We need to leave now," Elise said.


    We knew that Noah was still hiding in the toolshed, so Elise and I walked quietly sneaked to the toolshed while the police officers stayed inside the school building.


    I knocked on the toolshed and said in a low voice, "Pshh, Noah, it''s us. You cane out now."


    The door was slowly opened, and I saw Noah stuffing his neck and hand with a hot pack.


    "Eh? You have those?" I asked.


    "Yeah, I have a feeling that I''ll be stuck for a while. So I prepared hot packs inside the toolshed before the mission," Noah said.


    "Damn, and I''m here worried that you might die because of cold," I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "But, let''s just leave now. Remember our route, right?"


    "Yes," Noah and Elise replied at the same time.


    "Okay, we need to leave from the back gate. There is a hole that most students don''t know about. Let''s leave now," Imanded.


    We quietly closed the toolshed and sneaked to the back gate. The gate was permanently locked because it had no use most of the time, and the gate was really tall, definitely impossible for us to jump away.


    But I found a hole fit for one person, though nobody really knew it because it was behind a big tree. I found it when I was in sophomore because I was running away from bullies and hiding behind the tree, then if found the hole.


    "Howe you know this spot, Em?" Noah asked curiously, and I just shrugged it off.


    "Ie here often, so I found it once," I replied.


    Thus, we quietly left the school through the whole and walked from the back gate to Noah''s car that had been parked in the cafe''s parking lot, where Elise and I had met before.


    Good thing the cafe was closed today, so we could easily use the parking lot without any problem.


    We entered Noah''s car and then started discussing what happened just now.


    "So, the mission is a sess, guys. You heard the recording I sent you, right?"


    "Yes, I heard that Thomas and his gang brought the police officer to the abandoned storage, and they found the request note. Did you switch it before theye?" Noah asked.


    "Yep, they are going to be charged with physical assault and sexual assault. Even if they took a request from an antonym, the fact that they are willing to take the money to beat and rape their own teacher was a serious case that couldn''t be dismissed easily."


    "But the next step is to pull them even deeper into their own shit. This is not the first time they sexually assaulted a woman for money, and that''s why Elise would do her thing," I looked at Elise and said, "GO and tell our n to Noah, Elise."


    Elise nodded.


    "So, I''m nning toe to the police station where Thomas is detained right now. I wille tomorrow morning with seven other girls and boys who had been physically, sexually assaulted, or both by Thomas and his gang. It will hopefully add more charges to those bastards, and they will face a juvenile jail and also jail time for a long time," Elise said.


    "Wait, seven other?!" I was shocked by the revtion. Elis said that she would bring women who had been sexually assaulted by Thomas and his gang. But I didn''t expect her to find seven!"


    "Well, it''s five girls and two boys. The boys had been beaten to hell and back, while the girls had been harassed and assaulted sexually. It is no different, and both are just as severe," Elise said. "Actually, if I can bring all of them, it would be around 12 people. But many of them refused to bring back the bad memories; some are just too traumatized and scared that Thomas might find them again."


    "Wow¡­" I was stunned for a while and then nced at Noah. "Noah, don''t go with Elise."


    "Huh? Why not? I was about to volunteer to be the 8th victim there," Noah said.


    "Because Thomas knows that you''re the one behind the mask, right? He will be violent if you met him, and he might also try to pull you down by saying that you''re also an aplice to some of his previous assaults," I said. "Justy low for now, and treat your bruise. Your cheeks¡­ it looks bad."


    "Oh, it''s fine. I got used to this. I''ll treat it when I return home," Noah said. "Also¡­ alright, I will follow your advice, Em. I''lly low for a while."


    "And you too, Elise, after this, you shouldy low for a while before returning to school. You don''t know what would Natasha do if she found you in school."


    "Hmph! That bitch can''t beat me alone. That''s why she pays those bastard to beat me instead. I know she is the one who requested them!" Elise said boldly. "And I will make her pay!"


    I smiled full of satisfaction when I saw her getting worked up over what Natasha did. Now, I needed to find a way to convince her that Natasha and Barbie were aplices.


    "Okay, now, thest thing we need to do is edit that video we took. We need to edit it, so it will only show the part where Thomas is beating the hell out of Miss Alba, leave the part where Noah was taunting him," I instructed Elise, and then nced at Noah, "You don''t want anyone else to know, right? I''m sorry that Elise already knows it, though¡­."


    "I mean, I don''t want any other people to know it. But it''s fine for you guys because I trust you guys," Noah said. "Especially after this life and death situation. I was so scared that you would die in the hands of Thomas, Em. I got the text from Elise that you''re trying to distract Thomas, so Elise wouldn''t get caught. That''s so brave of you."


    "Yeah, Em, I was worried sick when you suddenly turned around and ran in the other direction and got chased by Thomas instead," Elise added.


    I chuckled, "It''s fine. I will never let myself be beaten by that bastard¡­."


    Not again, not in this second chance. I was sick of receiving his punch.


    "Well, we need to return home soon, or someone might get suspicious of us."


    "Yeah, I''ll give you guys an update of what happened tomorrow when Ie to the police station with lots of evidence from other people," Elise said.


    Thus, Noah drove us back to our home. We arrived at Elise''s house first, and I was surprised by how big her house was. At least it was twice mine and looked clean. She was definitely from a mid to upper-ss family, at least.


    "Thanks for your help, Em. I feel relieved those bastards finally got what they deserve. I will make sure my testimony, and the others, would worsen the charge," Elise said as she left Noah''s car and returned to her house.


    Then, Noah drove me back home.


    "Thanks, Noah," I said as I opened the car door.


    "Wait, Em."


    "Hm?"


    "I¡­ I just want to say thank you for helping me. You''ve saved me from an eternal hell. I was thinking of killing myself after endless torment, but you gave me hope and a solution.. Thank you so much, Emmelyn Jones."

 Chapter 169 - Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (7)

    Chapter 169 ¨C Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (7)


    "I¡­ I just want to say thank you for helping me. You''ve saved me from an eternal hell. I thought of killing myself after endless torment, but you gave me hope and a solution. Thank you so much, Emmelyn Jones."


    I was stunned by Noah''s sincerity. I didn''t expect him to be so sincere and dramatic about it.


    I knew that I was helping him, but that wasn''t without my motive. I wanted to ruin the life of those bastards after what they did to me in the previous life; I simply used Noah as part of the n because I deemed it necessary and opportunistic.


    Now that he was thanking me sincerely, I got a bit awkward, "Y¡ªYou''re wee, Noah. Don''t be so dramatic about it. I also have my own reasons."


    "I know that you have your reason that I don''t know. But I still want to thank you," Noah insisted.


    In the end, I epted his gratitude and left the car. I still felt weird in my heart because I didn''t expect anyone to thank me for such disingenuous activity we did together.


    But oh well, we couldn''t force someone''s perspective. Noah saw me as his saviour, and I couldn''t change his view no matter what I did.


    I stood in front of the door and checked my watch. It was already 08.30, and I was sure that Mom was sitting on the sofa while crossing her arms, checking the clock over and over.


    I already got hundreds of texts and calls from her, but I blocked her for a while because of the mission. Now that I had already unblocked her, it seemed that she had given up texting or calling me.


    I took a deep breath to prepare myself and then knocked on the door.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    "Mom, I''m home," I said, and the door was opened from the inside.


    Mom was standing right at the door, crossing her arms while looking at me with a suspicious gaze, "Emmelyn Jones, don''t you see the time right now? It''s eight! If you want to leave for something, then you should tell me first, but I doubt that you''re actually leaving because of something, this is a very cold night, and you have no reason to be outside."


    Ah, of course, I had expected that Mom would start chiding about this. Back in my previous life, my rtionship with Mom strained because I often returned homete because I was hiding from bullies in one spot for a long time until it was night.


    "Now go in, take a hot bath, and sit with me on the sofa. You have a lot of exining to do."


    "Yes, Mom."


    I went inside and went straight to my room. Of course, I had lots of exining to do, and I was thinking about a good exnation while taking a hot bath.


    Maybe I could tell her that I had extra work to do in my pottery club?


    ¡­


    Nah, that wouldn''t work. It wasn''t natural for a club to have an activity in the middle of cold winter.


    Maybe I could just say that I was meeting with my friends?


    ¡­


    Yeah, no, Emmelyn, Mom will start asking which friend do you have and also ask me to invite my friend to the house.


    I kept thinking and found no answer during my bath, so I just braced myself to meet my Mom downstairs. Hopefully, I would find a good reason while I was under pressure.


    **


    Mom was sitting on the sofa and was on a call with someone. I was a bit surprised that she looked quite happy, it made me wonder whether she was calling her colleague or¡­ she had a new boyfriend?!


    Mom hung up the call once I sat beside her. I thought she would start chiding again, but she kept her smell even after she ended the call.


    "You should''ve told me that you''re going out with him. Geez, Emmy, if you want to have a date with him, you could''ve told me first. As long as you guys didn''t do the dirty, then I''m alright with it. You are young, and you should explore more. Just don''t go too far and always have safe sex, Em."


    ¡­


    What?


    "Mom, what are you talking about?" I asked, full of confusion.


    "Your boyfriend called me just now, and he exined that he was taking you to have dinner with him. He also said that he drove you back home, but you told him not to meet me because you''re afraid that I''ll be mad," Mom said, making me even more confused. "Em, this is your first boyfriend. You don''t need to be embarrassed; I will support you as long as he is a good boy."


    "And it seems this boy is a good one, like what Grandma told me. He sounds so polite on the phone," Mom added.


    My heartbeat skipped for a moment once I realized what happened just now, "Mom, did that boy call you just now?"


    "Yeah, he said that he got my number from you and called me to apologize for taking you for dinner," Mom said. "He is such a polite man. Now I understand why your grandma likes him so much."


    I couldn''t believe what I just heard. With just one phone call, that creepy red rose man suddenly bailed me out from my Mom''s wrath?


    And to top it all off, Mom suddenly became so fond of him just with one call?!


    Did he have some hypnosis magic skill or what?


    Grandma might be easy to impress, but Mom was still very suspicious of the boys despite being very supportive of my dating. There was definitely no way she would ept a boy''s apology just from a call.


    "So, where did you guys go? He told me that you are pretty shy about the whole dinner thing," Mom asked.


    "¡­ a restaurant downtown," I replied with a lie. Since Mom preferred the narration that the red rose was man-made, then I should''ve just yed it out as well.


    "I''m sorry that I didn''t tell you first, Mom. We didn''t n the dinner at all. It was just him suddenly asking me to go because he wanted to treat me to dinner. He said that he got his first pay after working in his dad''s small business, so the first thing he wants to do is to treat me with nice food," I added more lies after another.


    I also used the narration from Mason Hall''s story. Since Mason took me for a lunch date because he had saved enough money, it was a gentlemanly move, indeed.


    "Ohh, so he wants to use his first sry to treat you? That means he is a good man, Em. Well, he is still a young man now, but he will definitely be a good, responsible man in the future. Don''t waste him," Mom advised.


    Yeah, Mason Hall was a good young man and would be a great man in the near future. He was also very gentlemanly and caring about me.


    But that was Mason Hall, not red rose man.


    Mason Hall wasn''t rich, but he worked hard to earn money. While that red rose man seemed to have a lot of money and wasn''t a good man, if he was a good man, he wouldn''t be able to get a box of high-quality crystal meth so easily, especially since he was probably around my age as well.


    I was so d that Mom finally dropped the case and allowed me to return to my room. I went inside my room and locked the door. The first thing I wanted to do was call the red rose man right now.


    I dialled his number, and after one beep, the red rose man picked it up.


    ¡ªPhone call¡ª


    "Good evening, my beloved," the red rose man greeted me first, and I got shiver instantly. No matter how many times I heard his voice, I kept having that shiver.


    I had many questions for him, but for now, the first thing to ask was¡­


    "What did you say to my Mom? And how in hell you could get her phone number? I never give it to you."


    "Oh, that'' easy. I can extract any information, including phone numbers. I am quite influential, you see. I can just take her information from herpany. It''s not hard when you can easily destroy the CEO''s life if he refuses toply, hehe," the red rose man said as he chuckled.


    My eyes widened instantly, I knew this man was rich, but I didn''t expect him to have a lot of influence.


    "About my call, don''t worry about it, Em. I just don''t want you to get scolded after a long day," the red rose man chuckled. "You should be thankful that I help you out. It''d be nice if you thanked me for bailing you out, and I''m not a demanding boyfriend.. All I want is to hear you say thank you, and I love you to me."

 Chapter 170 - Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (8)

    Chapter 170 ¨C Three Bastards Finale: Breaking The Big Boy In The Closet (8)


    __Phone call__


    "About my call, don''t worry about it, Em. I just don''t want you to get scolded after a long day," the red rose man chuckled. "You should be thankful that I help you out, right? You should thank me instead for bailing you out, and I''m not a demanding boyfriend. All I want is to hear you say thank you, and I love you to me."


    "You know that I won''t say the second one, right?" I quickly voiced my stance. I didn''t want him to think that I was into him. As much as I felt gratitude for his help, telling someone, I love you without actually feeling the real thing was a big no-no for me.


    "Hm? Why not? Is it because you don''t feel the same love as I do right now?" The red rose man asked.


    ¡­


    I stayed silent because I didn''t know how to react to that. Of course, I couldn''t feel anything for him, because I had never met him before! He just suddenly showed up in my life and started doing this and that.


    "It''s fine, my dear. I know that you don''t remember anything about us in the previous world, and I don''t me you for that. Besides, it is also my fault for noting upfront earlier."


    "But I will make sure that we will be together in the end," the red rose man said. "Don''t you see how I can enter the school and help you in various ways? It''s my own way to show my love to you, Em. I''m helping you to ruin those bastards life because they had ruined yours in the previous life."


    "And they had ruined the love of my life," the red rose man said. There was a long silence between us after that until he suddenlyughed rambunctiously. "HAHAHAHAH! You will not believe what I did to them after your death. They all suffer a fate worse than death, and some get tortured. Do you know, in our previous life, I castrated Thomas, chop-chop and then let him die of bleeding for the whole day? It''s so funny to see!"


    "I told him to apologize to your grave, but he doesn''t seem to understand. None of those people understands your pain, my love."


    "So I send them to the grave, hoping that you can kill them over and over there, haha¡­ Haha¡­. AHAHAHAHA!"


    Beep.


    __Phone call end__


    I hung up the call after listening to his crazy ramble once more. I got used to it, I guess. As creepy as it sounded, the red rose man never actually harmed me. In fact, he helped me in so many ways, I had to admit that I wouldn''t be able to finish my mission without his help.


    But I didn''t want to ponder too much about that crazy guy. The most important thing right now was to text Elise;


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Don''t forget to edit the video. Cut it only on the part where Thomas was beating Miss Alba badly. We don''t want anyone to know about Noah''s secret.


    Elise: Yep, I''m on it. It''ll be hard proof against them since Miss Alba might still be unconscious right now.


    ¡ª


    After I texted her, I went to sleep, hoping that I could get what I truly wanted, the sweet, sweet revenge for those bastards who had beaten me to hell and back.


    I wanted them to taste their own medicine in jail because if the sexual assault allegation was proven to be true, Thomas would never have a peaceful life in the prison, including Jackson and Jorge as well.


    **


    The next morning, I woke up at 10.00 A.M. as I expected. Yesterday was exhausting for me, so it was normal to wake upte. Fortunately, Mom never scolded me for waking upte on the weekend. Because she was also free, she would cook for breakfast and sometimes lunch.


    It was still horrible food, but hey, mother''s love beats everything, including a bad cook.


    I checked my phone and found out that Elise had been texting me fifteen minutes ago.


    ¡ª


    Elise: I''m in the police station with seven other people, Em. I''ve edited the video and showed it to the police. I also told them the reason why we''re here.


    Elise: Since I can''t really record, I''ll just call you once Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson have been summoned, okay?


    Emmy: You guys haven''t met those bastards yet?"


    Elise: Soon.


    ¡ª


    I waited for about fifteen minutes, and then Elise called me but said nothing as I was listening to the conversation between Elise and everyone there.


    __Phone call__ Third person POV__


    "So, these are the perpetrators of this case. We caught them yesterday, beating one of his female teachers until her face was bloodied. She is currently in the hospital and still unconscious, and we are waiting for her to recover so she would be able to testifyter on," the police officer said on the phone. "But since youe here with seven others to testify against him, then please tell us in detail."


    Elise and the seven other victims were ced inside a room with Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson sitting face to face. There were three police officers holding them, so they wouldn''t justsh out towards Elise and the others.


    Jorge and Jackson lowered their heads in shame because they knew what they had done to these people. But Thomas was still sitting straight while ring at Elise and the rest of them, "You guys want to say something here?" He asked, trying to intimidate Elise and the rest.


    The rest got scared instantly, especially the girls, because they had been sexually assaulted and beaten. And it left a big scar in their minds when they saw the face of their perpetrator.


    But Elise didn''t falter at all. She knew this was her only chance to get the revenge she needed. Honestly, she thought she would just give the testimony in court or something.


    But maybe the police wanted to get more reaction from Thomas and his gang, so they could be persecuted with a heavier sentence.


    "I am here as the representative of my seven friends. Wee here today to report about the sexual assault, physical assault, and bullying these three had been doing for years."


    "And it''s not just a ''high school teenager yful kind of bullying. They beat me until my body was numb and then stripped me naked before they groped me everywhere. I kept begging for their mercy, but they kept on doing that and left me in at the side of an empty road alone," Elise reported everything that Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson did to her. "This ident happened on April 13th this year, and I''ve been traumatized ever since. I can''t even leave my house without feeling scared, and I''ve been taking antidepressants for months to battle that dark thought of ending my own life."


    "And you, Thomas, Jorge, Jackson, you guys are the ones who made me like this. I will never stop until you get the punishment that you deserve."


    Elise stared at Thomas'' eyes without fear. He had wanted to do this for a long time, to tell the police about what happened. But she had no courage, and she thought nobody would believe her anyway.


    But Emmy was able to do the impossible, to take down these three bastards at once, in a clean sweep as well. She cautiously gathered all the necessary information and formed a n that was 99% foolproof, despite her having very limited resources against them.


    Emmy became her source of courage. If Emmy could do the impossible, then Elise could do it as well.


    This would also be herst stand against Thomas, making sure these bastards knew she wasn''t just a weak girl they could easily assault.


    After Elise, the others started voicing their experience one by one, and the more they spoke, the worse Thomas'' expression got.


    He was neither denying nor confirming it, maybe because of a guilty conscience, or maybe he just couldn''t be bothered after getting caught red-handedst night.


    After receiving all the testimony, the police waited for Thomas, Jorge, or Jackson to open their mouths. But there was no voice from them. They were in dead silence.


    Elise got impatient and confronted them, "You guys won''t even apologize? You guys are truly bastards without hearts!"


    "Oh,e on, stop your bitchy rambling," Thomas finally opened his mouth. But he sounded as arrogant as ever. Even though his sentence would be really heavy for what they did. "I got caught beating Miss Alba and destroying the school property. I don''t really care for the rest, you guys can testify in the courtter on, but I won''t give a single crap about it."


    "You think you guys will get thestugh after taking me down? Haha! I already know the risk, and I don''t care whether I''ll be in jail or not.. My parents wille soon, so I don''t have time for you guys."

 Chapter 171 - A Sudden Turn Of Event

    Chapter 171 ¨C A Sudden Turn Of Event


    __Phone call__Third Person POV__


    "You think you guys will get thestugh after taking me down? Haha! I already know the risk, and I don''t care whether I''ll be in jail or not. My parents wille soon, so I don''t have time for you guys," Thomas said with his smug face as if he really had no guilt over what he had done to so many people.


    However, judging from his smug face, it might seem that Thomas truly had no guilt or conscience at all. Which infuriated Elise and the rest because what they wanted was at least an apology, and that was already a bare minimum.


    "You guys are clown, just leave now," Thomas said.


    Jorge and Jackson looked at each other. They were unsure of how to react. They either had to apologize orugh with Thomas.


    But if they apologized, that meant that they were admitting to all the usations that Elise and the rest of the victims brought. Thomas already said that he didn''t care even if he had to be jailed because they were still juvenile, and there would be an attorney for them. Their family might not be rich, but if their familybined their saving and hired a prolific attorney, that would lighten their sentence.


    So they didn''t need to worry much.


    Thus, in the end, Jorge and Jackson decided to just keep their mouth shut and ignore Elise and the rest of the victims in order to save themselves.


    Elise was angry, infuriated and humiliated at the same time. But she couldn''t do anything because whether Thomas would apologize or not, that wouldn''t change the verdictter on.


    "Fine, if you don''t want to apologize for the monstrous deed that you do to all of us, then I hope you will rot in jail for it, and that includes you two; Jorge, Jackson."


    "Let''s see whether you can lighten your sentence when there are so many of the victims that wille forward," Elise threatened, hoping that Thomas would at least show a bit of fear. If he couldn''t show remorse, then at least fear would suffice for Elise.


    But the ever stubborn and arrogant Thomas Scottfield just shrugged with a small chuckle, "Why do I need to apologize for something that I didn''t do? I don''t remember ever beating you guys. The only thing I remember is beating Miss Alba, and that''s it."


    "You!"


    Elise got up from the chair. She clenched her fist and was about to send one good punch to Thomas. But the police held her off and said, "Okay, we got what we need. We will invite all of you to the court,ter on, please hold your anger."


    In the end, the police separated them, and Elise was left with the rest of the victims, "There is no turning back from this. We can do this, guys," Elise tried to encourage the other victims, and they agreed in unison.


    Then, Elise hung up the long call with Emmy after she left the police station.


    __Phone call end__Third person POV end__


    I heard everything between Elise and her group vs Thomas and his gang. I wouldn''t lie that I got angry at Thomas as well, but it''s somehow expected.


    From Noah''s story about their friends with benefits rtionship, and also how he was afraid to get discovered, so he bullied Noah to hell and back, it was apparent that Thomas was a narcissist.


    He cared so much about what people thought of him that he didn''t want to be seen as gay, even though he probably was one, just like Noah.


    Thus, he wanted Noah to suffer so much that he couldn''t even think of having any rtionship with Thomas¡­ and anyone else.


    Now, he refused to apologize, and he didn''t even falter when the other victims tried to pressure him.


    "What a monster¡­." I mumbled.


    I wanted to know whether Elise was alright now, so I texted her.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Are you alright now? You''re so intense when confronting him, at least from what I heard on the phone.


    Elise: I''m alright now. Even better, in fact, because I can feel the burden in my heart has been lifted partially.


    Elise: The battle is yet to be over because we still have to take him down on the court.


    Emmy: Indeed, this is nothingpared to the courtter on.


    Emmy: Also, Imend your courage, Elise. You''re a brave girl.


    Elise: It''s all thanks to you, and I don''t think I will be able to get out of this hell hole without your help, Em. Thank you for giving me the courage that I need. I owe you a lot.


    ¡ª


    I sighed as I read thest text from Elise. I didn''t know why she would think of me as her saviour. All I did was do something for my own interest because I wanted to ruin those bastards'' lives.


    Noah also thanked me for this. I felt guilty because I wasn''t really trying to save them or anything.


    But oh well, there was no use of denying thing this anyway. Might as well ept the praise and move on.


    **


    I spent the whole day helping Mom to clean the house and take care of Grandma. We couldn''t afford a housekeeping service, obviously, so we had to clean everything every weekend.


    And after the whole day of cleaning, I returned to my room to check on my phone, then I got a text from Noah.


    ¡ª


    Noah: Em, I am such an idiot.


    ¡ª


    I stopped breathing for a second. I didn''t know what Noah had been doing the whole day. But from this text, I had a very bad feeling about it.


    So I texted him back.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: What happened? Are you alright?


    Noah: I''m not alright, let me call you.


    ¡ª


    After he sent that text, I got a call from him.


    __Phone call__


    "Good evening, Em¡­."


    "Noah, what happened? Why did you say that you''re an idiot? Did something go wrong?" I asked worriedly. I was afraid that he might do something crazy that would harm him, like outing his sexuality to the public.


    "So, I went to the police station today because I want to meet Thomas," Noah said.


    My eyes widened instantly, "What? Why?! I told you toy low for a while, right? It''s dangerous for you to go out alone. Who knows if Thomas might have another subordinate outside. But you came to him with your own free will?!" I chided at him because what he did was absolutely stupid.


    "I¡­ I was curious. At least my heart was curious," Noah said. "I went there and asked whether I could meet Thomas. And I did. We were allowed to have a talk through that prison phone ss."


    "I really thought that he would curse the hell out of me, probably with threats too. But then, his reaction was far from what I expected. His first question was about the bruise that he made on my cheek yesterday when he beat me."


    "He said that he shouldn''t have gone out of control, and he shouldn''t be beating me. But he was truly scared and panicked when I yelled about him being a faggot."


    "He said, now that Jackson and Jorge already know about it, they didn''t seem to be disgusted with it and decided to stay as three."


    "Now the burden in his heart has been lifted, and he has no reason to bully me again. He said he beat me because of his own fear that he''d be ostracized as a gay."


    "Now everything is clear for him, and he keeps thinking about everything that he did wrong, including bullying the hell out of me. Em, he didn''t ask for me to defend him in the court, but he hoped that I could forgive him."


    "He also hoped that we could still be friends after he got released, though he wasn''t sure when would he get released. Maybe a year, maybe plenty of years."


    "And he said¡­" Noah paused for a while, and I had a bad feeling about this. "He said that he loved me. After thinking for a long time, he realized that he had been in love with me since our first kiss. And he wished that he could fix everything once he has been released."


    ¡­


    "Noah, you''re not thinking to get with him, right? I know you like him, but remember what he did to you! He is a monster, and you will suffer because of him!" I continued chiding. I was afraid that Noah would eventually fall because of his love for Thomas.


    "I¡­ I will not do it, Em. I know he is a bad man¡­" Noah said, but from what I heard, he sounded hesitant when he said that.


    It gave me this idea that Noah was actually thinking about getting together with Thomas after being released.


    "Remember what he did to you, Noah," I warned. He replied with a hum and hung up the call.


    __Phone call end__


    I sighed as I realized the possibility of Noah getting back together with Thomas was really high.


    But I couldn''t do anything. Love was a difficult thing that we couldn''t control. I couldn''t control whether Noah would be in a rtionship with Thomas after this or not.


    "That love thing¡­ is so stupid¡­."

 Chapter 172 - Christmas Phone Calls

    Chapter 172 ¨C Christmas Phone Calls


    Today was December 25th, Christmas.


    I didn''t spend much time in my house other than baking food and watching random Christmas movies. We weren''t rich enough to buy a Christmas tree, and it was way too expensive anyway. Might as well save it just in case there was something urgent, like paying bills, Grandma''s health, or if the car broke down.


    I got a few texts from a few people, my friends were Noah and Elise, who wished me Merry Christmas, and they also thanked me for all the good deeds that I did for them, whatever that meant.


    And there were three boys who called me. Something that was absolutely impossible back then.


    Honestly, it was almost unbelievable that I got in a total of five people who sent me Merry Christmas texts. I never got any in my previous life.


    The boys were Mason, Logan, and that creepy red rose man.


    I read their texts one by one, and all of them asked whether I was free for a phone call. So I answered the first call that came in.


    __Phone call with Mason__


    "Good morning Em, Merry Christmas!" Mason sounded a lot more cheery than usual. But he was always a positive, kind guy. Of course, it wasn''t that surprisinging from him.


    "How''s your Christmas? Are you having fun?"


    "Well, it''s nothing much. Just baking and watching Home Alone, you know, usual stuff¡­." I replied. I didn''t want to sound pitiful or depressing, so I asked him back, "How about you? What are you doing on Christmas?"


    "Ah, I was shooting for an ad yesterday. I''m in my apartment right now," Mason replied. "I don''t have anything to do, just watching Christmas movies like you, hehe."


    I wanted to ask why he didn''t stay with his parents since it was Christmas. But Mason never mentioned his family, so I was afraid it might be a sensitive topic for him.


    But wasn''t it a bit depressing to spend Christmas alone? Back in my previous life, I spent my Christmas alone after the death of my mom and grandma. It was he depressing.


    "Can you give me an address then?" I asked.


    "Huh? Why?"


    "You''re spending Christmas alone, and I can''t apany you. I feel indebted after so many things that you did for me. So I want to give you a Christmas gift."


    "A gift?!" Mason eximed out loud.


    "Calm down. It''s just a box of cookies. I''ll send you a box of my homemade cookies, and it''s still warm, so it''ll help to warm you up, I guess," I replied.


    "Th¡ªThank you so much, Em. I do feel a bit lonely, but you actually care for me¡­" Mason Hall sobbed dramatically. "I never find someone as good as you."


    "Haha,e on, don''t be so dramatic. It''s just cookies," I replied. "Just send me the address, and I''ll send you a box with Uber Connect."


    Mason shared his location with me, and I realized that it was an apartment building that was quite far from the school. So it was true, he was living in an apartment, probably alone.


    "Alright, I''ll send you the cookiester. Merry Christmas."


    "Thank you, Em! And Merry Christmas!"


    __Phone call end__


    I chuckled as I saved the shared location. I had enough money from the red rose man before. Well, I should have had three grands saved, but the scenario to trap Thomas and his gang forced me to cut two more grands, and now there were only about 800 bucks left.


    But I did think Mason deserved cookies. At least, he must be exhausted after so many activities.


    "Maybe I should bake a new one, bunny cookies, I guess¡­." I mumbled as Mason kept reminding me of a white bunny that was so cute, I just wanted to hug him.


    But before I got up and started doing stuff, I suddenly got another call, and this one came from a different person.


    __Phone call with Logan__


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Yo," Logan started the conversation after a long silence between us. I rolled my eyes, thinking this guy was either seriously awkward or wasn''t interested in anything.


    "No Merry Christmas for me?" I sneered. "Well, Merry Christmas, Club president. Hope you have a wonderful holiday," I said in a mocking voice.


    "Ugh, shut up, this is my first time calling someone during Christmas, okay? I''m trying to make some good words to say," Logan said.


    "Wait, you never say Merry Christmas to anyone before?"


    "Why should I? It''s just another holiday anyway," Logan said.


    "Then why are you calling me if you don''t care about Christmas at all?"


    "That''s because you''re celebrating it. I don''t care about Christmas, but I care about¡ªno, never mind," Logan said.


    He sighed and mumbled a few things before saying, "M¡ªMerry Christmas, you idiot. I hope you have your time with your family and uh¡­ I have something for you."


    "Something?"


    "A gift, but I can only give it to you after the new semester starts. I''m still busy with my job. I''m in another country right now," Logan informed. I didn''t know what kind of gift he had for me, and it got me curious.


    "What kind of gift? You know that I can''t gift something expensive to you right now," I warned him, growing wary that he might be giving me some expensive thing since he was filthy rich.


    "Don''t worry about it. The price doesn''t matter. What matters is the feeling that I want to convey¡­." Logan said in a low voice.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    The atmosphere between us on the phone became ambiguous, and I didn''t know how to react. I surely hoped what was on my mind was just my wild guess.


    But Logan sounded like a boyfriend trying to be romantic to his girlfriend, which would be me.


    ¡­


    Yeah, that was a bit¡­ uh¡­


    Well, I wouldn''t hate it. But it was still weird. Since my first impression of him was a spoiled rich brat, who didn''t have any sense of responsibility for anyone but himself.


    But the way he talked here¡­


    "I will cook you something nice then, not cookies, just¡­ something more personal," I replied. I felt like it was a proper reply to what he told me just now.


    I wasn''t an ungrateful person who didn''t want to say thank you. And I didn''t want to feel indebted over something. At least, that was what my mother taught me.


    "Then, it''s a deal!" Logan suddenly agreed. "I will return on the first day of school and bring you the gift."


    "And in return, I will bring the food that I personally cook for you. This is the only thing I could do, Logan," I kept reminding him about it. Some people might think that I was being stingy, but really¡­ I had no money.


    And I wasn''t used to spending money on something expensive. Everything that I had was pretty cheap. As long as it was functional, then I''d take it.


    "It''s more than enough. You know how rich I am, right? Some expensive gifts wouldn''t be ttering for me," Logan scoffed. He seemed to remember something and added, "I never want an expensive gift. I just want something thates with good intention, deep from inside your heart. That''s it."


    ¡­


    We were in another awkward atmosphere with each other, and I hung up the call after saying goodbye to Logan.


    __Phone call end__


    "Ah, now I have to bake cookies for Mason and think about good food for Loganter on¡­." I sighed. "Why do I act like some kind ofmon wife of two men here?"


    But that was on me. I was the one who offered to cook them something because that was literally my only skill which didn''t require a lot of money. At least buying ingredients wasn''t as expensive as buying store-bought food.


    I was about to get up and start baking until I got yet another phone call from another man. This was the third one today.


    And I didn''t have a good face for this one.


    __Phone call with the red rose man__


    "Good morning, my dear, wha. What you so long to answer my call? I heard four beeps before you pick up, you know," the red rose man said, instantly creeping me right on the go.


    "I was busy cleaning my house. What do you want?" I asked cautiously.


    "Nothing, I just want to say Merry Christmas. I hope you have a wonderful holiday, dear," the red rose man said. He sounded so sweet on the call despite his heavy voice.


    "Uh¡­ thank you, you too, Merry Christmas," I replied with bare minimum greetings.


    "Ahahah, my dear, it''s so refreshing to hear you saying Merry Christmas. Back in our previous life, you passed away too early. I have to spend Christmas in your graveyard, kissing your gravestone every 25 December."


    "But now that you''re alive and well, there is no Christmas miracle better than this.. I love you, Emmelyn Jones."

 Chapter 173 - A Christmas Tree

    Chapter 173 ¨C A Christmas Tree


    __Phone call with the red rose man__


    "But now that you''re alive and well, there is no Christmas miracle better than this. I love you, Emmelyn Jones."


    ¡­


    Honestly, I had a feeling that the red rose man was actually very gentle and caring.


    In fact, I had a feeling that he must''ve been very popr with thedies as well because of his voice and his gorgeous emerald eyes.


    And the way he worded his sentence and how he retained some of his romantic sides despite being messed up in his head really showed that he was a good person at first.


    He said that my death triggered him, making him snap, and he went insane in the process. But I never saw him in my previous life. In fact, I''ve never even known someone with that kind of emerald eyes before.


    He told me that he had been in love with me for so long, but because of his condition, he couldn''t get close to me and was thinking about confessing during prom, right in front of everyone. Too bad I died before he could confess.


    I felt grateful for him, and well¡­ I wouldn''t lie that he started to grow on me, making me interested in how he tried to help in my mission.


    But at the same time, his crazy tendency scared me¡­


    "Then¡­ Merry Christmas for you as well¡­." I mumbled. Just a small Merry Christmas greeting wouldn''t hurt, right?


    "Wha¡ªIs this real? My beloved finally opens up her heart for me after so long?!" The red rose man suddenly got excited for no reason, just because I told him Merry Christmas. I could hear him squealing as well, something that was definitely unexpecteding from a creepy guy like him.


    "I¡ªI can''t believe you''ve finally opened your heart for me! My beloved, I am truly grateful!" The red rose man said.


    "I never said that."


    "That doesn''t matter. You can say no all you want, but I know you, and I start to know each other better and get more intimate," the red rose man said, and honestly, what he said was true. I did open up my heart, just a bit.


    I didn''t know whether we''d be entangled romantically, or I just wanted to be grateful for all the help that he got for me.


    "My darling, I''ve alsoe with a surprise. You should go look from your window. It''s already in front of your house," the red rose man said.


    I got curious about what he had for me, and the moment I stuck my head out of the window and checked what was on the road, I was shocked.


    Because there were few people already standing at my front yard with a big Christmas pine tree,plete with a box of decorations for the tree.


    "What is this¡­."


    "Don''t you see? It''s a Christmas tree. I don''t want my beloved person to celebrate Christmas without one. I''m sorry that it''s sote. I got busy with something else a few days ago," the red rose man said.


    I saw Grandma and Mome out to the front yard and had the same reaction as I had. But once the couriers told them something, both were smiling and looked so happy, then the couriers brought the Christmas tree inside our house.


    ¡­


    I didn''t know if this was a joke or something because there was nobody who would be this attentive to me before.


    "Emmy, my future wife, are you happy with the tree? If you don''t like it, I''ll send another one," the red rose man asked.


    "¡­ thank you."


    "Huh?"


    "I said, thank you for the tree. It''s been a while since I had a Christmas tree in my house¡­." I thanked him sincerely this time. Despite all this craziness, I had to thank him for this.


    Because no matter how detached I was to something misceneous like a Christmas tree, I still hoped that I had one, at least that was the sincere wish in my heart.


    "Anything for you, my love. I just don''t want you to be sad. I failed you in the previous life, and I won''t do it again in this life," the red rose man said. "I need to leave now. I''ll talk to youter."


    "Wait¡ª"


    Beep.


    __Phone call ends__


    I threw the phone to the bed and rushed downstairs. Grandma was sitting on the sofa, chattering with Mom, who was busy decorating the newly erected Christmas tree for us.


    "Mom, Grandma¡­"


    "Oh, Em! Come here, let''s decorate the Christmas tree together!" Mom said as she was busy unboxing the box of tree decorations. "Your boyfriend is so generous and understanding. He is definitely a keeper!"


    "I told you, Emmy''s future husband will take care of her. She will give Emmy a happy life!" Grandma said. She looked at me, and her smile grew wider, "You have such a great man for you, Em. I''m happy for you."


    ¡­


    I decided to stay silent with only a thin smile on my face as I joined my Mom to unbox the decorations and put it on the tree.


    "It''s been a while since ourst Christmas tree, isn''t it?" Mom giggled.


    "Yeah, it''s been a while since we decorate our tree like this."


    Thest time I remembered having a Christmas tree in my house was about 3 years ago, when my Mom and Dad were still together, and Dad still cared enough to buy a Christmas tree for Christmas.


    He was already abusive at that time, but he still tried to show that he was a good father.


    But after one year, he didn''t bother to show a good face to Mom or me anymore and decided to just fuck around with women outside while beating my Mom inside the house.


    Now, we had another tree, which was the biggest tree I ever got in my life. It was such a blessing.


    "Don''t forget to say thank you to your boyfriend," Mom said.


    ¡­


    **


    It took a while for us to decorate the Christmas tree, and after using thest decoration piece on the tree, Mom switched the On/off button for themps and¡­


    Blip!


    Themps surrounding the Christmas tree was lit, showing a beautifully decorated Christmas tree that I wished to have on every holiday. Now that it was erected inside my house, I couldn''t ask for more.


    I got a bit emotional, and water started pooling in my eyes.


    Mom saw me and patted my back, "It''s beautiful, right, Em?"


    "It is, Mom. It''s all I can ask for."


    To spend Christmas with my family, under the Christmas tree and warm fuzzy nket, of course.


    This was all I could ask for.


    **


    I started baking cookies for Mason in the afternoon. Mom asked me why did I start baking again, and I replied that it was for my friend.


    "Hmm~ A friend? You mean your BOYfriend, right?"


    "¡­"


    "Hihi, it''s fine, Em. I just want you to have the right person, unlike me¡­."


    Now that Mom reminded me about my ''boyfriend,'' I had another idea to bake two batches of cookies in the same bunny shape but in a different colour.


    White bunny cookies for Mason and red bunny cookies for the red rose man.


    After it was done, I used Uber connect to send the cookies to Mason Hall in his apartment, and then Mason Hall sent me a picture of him holding the cookies.


    ¡ª


    Mason: Picture sent.


    Mason: Thank you so much, Em! I really appreciate this!


    Mason: This really makes my Christmas better.


    Emmy: You''re wee.


    ¡ª


    I saw Mason typing something and paused. He did this a few times before he finally stopped.


    He seemed to be wanting to tell something but decided not to.


    It wasn''t my problem, though, so I just shrugged it off and texted the other guy in the evening, the red rose man.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I will leave a box of cookies outside of the back door after midnight, you cane to pick it up if you want, or I''ll just throw it away.


    xx: Oh?! You''re going to give me a present as well? My beloved sure knows how to please me, hehe.


    xx: Why wouldn''t I? Of course, I''ll pick it up! Everything about you, andes from you, is my treasure, Em.


    ¡ª


    Creepy as always, but oh well.


    I stayed after midnight and then went to the kitchen and opened the backdoor.


    I stuck my head out, looking around the darkness cautiously, thinking the red rose man was here.


    After making sure there was nobody around me, I hung a stic bag with a box of cookies on the door handle outside and closed the door quickly. I locked it and returned to my room.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Your cookies, it''s already outside.


    xx: I know, I already took it.


    Emmy: Wait, howe you¡ª


    xx: Ah, you don''t see me? I''m right above you, Em. I''ve been sitting at the roof for a while. But I''m done now. I''m going to snack on this while spending my night.


    xx: Merry Christmas, my love.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 174 - Transfer

    Chapter 174 ¨C Transfer


    The court for Thomas, Jackson, and Jorge was held a week after new year eve, on 6 January.


    I didn''te, of course, because I had zero visible connection with them, everything that I did was undercover, and I didn''t want to get involved in the public as well.


    But Noah went there, not as a witness, but a spectator because I told Elise to invite him.


    Because he deserved to see Thomas getting sentenced, this whole thing was originally nned so that he wouldn''t die after getting bullied over and over by Thomas anyway.


    And I asked Noah for an update as the court started.


    **


    After almost the whole day, I finally got a text from Noah, and the first thing he texted was¡­


    ¡ª


    Noah: You''re not going to like this.


    ¡ª


    I frowned, I didn''t know what he meant by that, but I got a bad feeling about this. In my expectation, Thomas and his gang shouldn''t be able to escape this because there were just so many proofs, and he did get caught red-handed. I expected at least 25 years in prison for everything, including the sexual assault.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: How is it?


    Noah: The trial is postponed until the police can gather enough evidence, but based on the usation with hard proof, like assault to Miss Alba, the request note, and also the broken ss pane and door from the teacher''s room.


    Noah: But the sexual assault on a few girls cannot be processed because it''scking evidence. He did ept the request note to do it to Miss Alba, but there was zero evidence about him and his gang actually attacking those girls before.


    Noah: The defence attorney stated that the girls who got sexually assaulted suddenly came here with zero evidence, only pointing fingers at Thomas and his gang.


    Noah: The jury already ruled the battery and assault charge, and Thomas and his gang would be charged for max to 10 years in prison, but since they were still juvenile, the sentence might be halved or even lower than that.


    Emmy: What?!


    ¡ª


    I couldn''t believe what I had just read. Everything was set up perfectly and executed in an almost perfect manner as well. What made it unconvincing for the judge? Where did it go wrong?


    It was just out of my prediction that I wasn''t even sure how to react. It also gave me a new form of anxiety because Thomas might return after his short jail time and revenge on Elise and Noah.


    If his words were true, that meant he truly wanted to repent for all his terrible deed to Noah and would start anew. They might date for real after this, which I doubted would end well, but I couldn''t prevent Noah from ever doing it.


    Because deep down, Noah also loved Thomas.


    But Elise¡­ I was afraid Thomas would try to kill Elise after being released with his short sentence in jail. Because Elise was the one who voiced her anger the most and the one who pleaded for Thomas to get jailed for life.


    I texted Elise about what happened, and her answer was what I expected.


    ¡ª


    Elise: The judge is fucking stupid!


    Elise: 5 girls already came as the victim, but because the sexual assault happened a few months or years ago, then it wasn''t valid anymore because there is no actual proof?!


    Elise: Do you think it''s easy to convince four other girls toe in and testify? What the fuck!


    Elise: Now the police is still collecting more evidence before the judge could rule in the sexual assault usation!


    ¡ª


    Ah, that was seriously messed up. All our handwork to trap Thomas and his gang was put in jeopardy in this. And the worst thing was¡­ I could do nothing.


    Zero, I couldn''t do anything when it already involved the court because I had no hands to grab that area, unfortunately.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Let''s just hope for the best, Elise.


    ¡ª


    **


    The next week after the first trial, the judge finally collected all the evidence but found the sexual assault allegation was stillckingpared to the assault on Miss Brittany Alba.


    Thus, the judge took the middle ground and sentenced Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson to 15 years in prison.


    The news about them spread in school, and it was yet another bad publicity for DarthMorth High School.


    Not that it mattered to me, though, because everyone in this school never actually cared about me who had been bullied to the hell and back, not the teachers, nor the security guards.


    They treated me like air, probably because they thought I had no one to protect me.


    The final sentence was far from my expectation of at least 25 years in prison, but at least that was still eptable. I believed that Elise and Noah would move on from this problem after fifteen years, especially Noah.


    That guy was a seriously hopeless romantic, but I couldn''t me him for it.


    Everyone wanted to love and be loved, right?


    **


    Today was the first day of school after the long Christmas + New Year holiday. I was sitting inside the Pottery club room because Noah texted us that he had something to say.


    Elise came soon after I arrived, and we were waiting inside the club room because the main star hadn''te up yet.


    I looked at Elise and then asked, "So, how do you feel now?"


    "Hm? What do you mean, Em?"


    "I mean after you know that Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson are going to jail for fifteen years."


    "Honestly? I don''t like the sentence. I hate the fact that they only get 15 years after running so many people. But at least, in fifteen years, I hope everything will be well for me¡­ and the rest of the victims," Elise replied.


    "Em, I also want to say something, but only to you. It''s about Barbie and Natasha," Elise said.


    My eyes widened, and I was all ears instantly, "What? Did something happen to them?"


    "Well, not really. But I did get information from Jorge. He said that he was sorry for what he did to me, and for thestpensation he could give, he told me who requested their service and how they were convinced to do that."


    "Jorge gave me two names, Natasha and Barbara Cornwell. They are working as two, mostly because Natasha and Barbie were best friends. He said that Natasha couldn''t ept the ridicule from me. That''s why she asked Barbara, and Barbara forced them to do it to me."


    "So, yes, Em. Your prediction is correct, Natasha and Barbie are working together to ruin my life before, and probably many others they don''t like. Now their three guard dogs have been jailed, so¡­ shall we?" Elise asked.


    She stretched her hand, waiting for a formal handshake. This was the time I was waiting for. I had been thinking about any way to make Elise work for me because she would be a great asset. Now, it came true with this, I was absolutely delighted.


    I shook her hand and said, "We''re going to take them down. Don''t worry, we will get our revenge."


    "I''m d I met you, Em. You gave me the path to release the torment in my heart," Elise said.


    ''The pleasure is mine as well. I need a good partner to take down Barbie. Because I know it''s not going to be easy,'' I said in my heart. Because this would be a mutual partnership between Elise and me.


    About ten minutester, Noah finally arrived in the pottery club room.


    "Okay, thank you foring, guys. I know this is abrupt, but I need to tell you guys about something very important," Noah said.


    Elise and I looked at each other, waiting for Noah to tell what was the important news he was talking about.


    Noah took a deep breath and smiled at us, "Emmy, Elise, you two are the people I trust a lot in my life. I know this might be shocking for you two, but I''ve never felt closer and calm when I''m with someone else. And I thank you for that, really."


    "I''d like to spend more time with you guys, but¡­ My parents are going through a divorce, and it''s my Mom who decides to leave this city and go to her hometown. I will be following her, because of custody, of course. And I will be transferring school¡­."


    "Transferring school!?" Elise and I looked at Noah in shock.


    "Yes, actually, this has been my focus since the beginning. I want to escape the bullying by Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson. That''s why I want to move out and transfer school."


    "It''s kind of unfortunate that I have to transfer school now since the case with Thomas and his gang has been solved, but I hope this will be a great, new start for me."


    "I want to thank you two for helping me, especially you, Emmelyn Jones.. You''re an amazing girl, and I hope we can still be friends even after I transfer school."

 Chapter 175 - A Bloody Fist Of A Rich Boy (1)

    Chapter 175 ¨C A Bloody Fist Of A Rich Boy (1)


    "I want to thank you two for helping me, especially you, Emmelyn Jones. You''re an amazing girl, and I hope we can still be friends even after I transfer school," Noah said.


    ¡­


    At this rate, I didn''t even know what to say anymore. I was happy that Noah could finally break free from the abuse that Thomas created for him, and I was thinking about recruiting him to be my partner as well.


    But now he was about to move out?


    It was definitely out of my expectation.


    Elise might not have the same attachment as I did to Noah because they said they weren''t that close despite both being rted to Mona. One was her best friend. One was her ex-boyfriend, that was still on a good term with each other.


    Noah seemed to understand the shock. He smiled and shrugged, "It''s not like we''re going to totally cut off our friendship. We can always contact each other online, right?"


    "But it''d be different," I sighed. But I didn''t want Noah to leave with a grievance in his heart. So I patted his shoulder and said, "Don''t forget that you always have me as your friend here. If you need any help, or whether you want to talk about something, don''t hesitate to call me."


    "And me too, we might not be too close, Noah. But that doesn''t mean I don''t see you as my friend," Elise added. "It''s too bad that you have to leave, though."


    I elbowed Elise, signalling her not to say something like that because it would burden Noah when he moved there, thinking he wouldn''t find a good friend there.


    "Don''t worry about us. We will always be your friend. Also, if you get a good friend there, don''t forget to tell us about them, because we also want to make new friends, right, Elise?"


    "A¡ªAh, yep!"


    Blergh.


    No, I hated being friends with someone because I knew this guy from this guy kind of stuff. It was so perfunctorily useless most of the time and would be a waste of contact in my phone.


    But I seriously didn''t want Noah to feel that I had kicked him out after he moved out. I just hoped that he wouldn''t struggle there. He had experienced enough, so if he could leave this wretched school with peace in his heart, I knew that he would be more open to befriending other students in his new school.


    "You guys¡­" Noah hugged Elise and me, and when he hugged me, he whispered something in my ear.


    ''Don''t forget, Em. LLE means Logan Loves Emmy. Your club president is definitely whipped for you. Good luck with your love life, Em, hihi~.''


    I jolted instantly because I thought what Noah said was utterly ridiculous. That guy didn''t seem to be someone that could be romantic or actually falling in love.


    Besides, Logan Walker fell in love with me¡­


    Brrr¡­ that was atrocious, that kind of guy wouldn''t even think of liking someone cunning and vindictive like me. Bet he loved that cutie, innocent-looking kind of girl that needed protection 24/7, just looking at how he kept asking me to act cute like a cat.


    He really should''ve asked an innocent looking girl to fulfil his fetish rather than asking me. He had everything anyway, wealth, looks, and¡­ well, that was it.


    But those two were the most important!


    **


    Noah and Elise finally left after our small but heartfelt separation. I was all alone again in the pottery club room because I was waiting for someone toe.


    I checked the food that I brought, hoping it hadn''t lost the crispiness and warmth because I had been trying to keep it warm for that rich brat.,


    I waited until it was almost 5.30, and I silently packed up the food that I had brought and picked my bag. It seemed that Logan wouldn''te anytime soon, so I guess today wasn''t the day for him.


    But the moment I was about to leave, Logan suddenly opened the door and stood there, with his chest rising up and down as if he was in a hurry.


    "Am I toote?" Logan asked, still trying to catch his breath.


    "Why do you look like you''ve been running a marathon to reach here?" I asked.


    "I had to do something before I could go to school and meet you. Sorry to keep you waiting for long," Logan said.


    I sighed and put down my bag, "It''s okay, at least you''re here now because the food would be a waste if you don''te."


    I took out the special lunchbox that I made for him. Logan said that he wanted something from my heart, something that didn''t need to be valued with money because he was rich as heck already.


    So I made something very special for him.


    Logan quietly watched me arrange the food for him. I cooked a lot and would probably be able to feed at least two people. I also made my own creamy cheesecake for him as a dessert.


    "Okay, all set, this is what I want to give you. You said that you don''t need something that can be valued with money, right?"


    Logan nodded quietly.


    "I made all this by myself, and don''t worry about the taste. I make sure that every food here is very much tasty, oh and not poisonous, unfortunately."


    Logan chuckled and sat on a chair. He stared at all the food I''d just prepared and asked, "Did you cook all this every day in your home?"


    "No, that''s too much work. Honestly, I never cook this much except during Thanksgiving because I have limited ingredients. A feast like this would probably be something I''d cook when I get married, probably with kids as well, haha!" Iughed at my own joke. I couldn''t even imagine myself getting married. I already expected to die at old age alone, probably with cats and dogs around me.


    Logan smiled mysteriously and mumbled something inaudible for me, but I could hear the word ''wife'' in his mumble there.


    "What did you say?"


    "Nothing," Logan quickly grabbed the spoon and was about to taste the asparagus soup I made as an appetizer, but he was still using his ck gloves. So I told him;


    "Take off your gloves first, it''s not ethical, and it looks dirty as heck," I said.


    Logan looked at his gloves and shook his head, "Heh, do you think I care about table manners and stuff? Who do you think I am? Mason Hall?"


    I paused for a second when he mentioned Mason, it was out of the blue, but I didn''t want to react much because it might be creating unnecessary drama, especially since I was close with Mason right now.


    "Just took it off, or I will not give the rest of the food for you," I threatened.


    Logan looked at me as if he was wronged and sighed, "You''re so annoying. It''s just a pair of gloves anyway. And I can assure you it''s as clean as it could be, don''t worry about watching germs."


    "¡­ Logan."


    ¡­


    Logan sighed again, "Fine, fine, I will take it off."


    Logan took off the glove in his left hand, but he didn''t take the right one somehow.


    I eyed his right hand and suspected something, "Take off the right one too."


    "¡­ that''s not needed," Logan said, but he seemed to be hiding something from me. So I grabbed his right wrist and then forced him to drop the spoon and pulled the gloves himself.


    "What the¡ª" I was shocked when I saw what happened with Logan''s right hand.


    Because it was bruised, bloodied, and definitely had been through some tragedy.


    Logan''s right hand trembled as it got exposed to the air. He winced in pain and pulled his hand, "Satisfied now?"


    "What happened?" I asked out of curiosity and concern. I didn''t really care if something happened to him, but if he died, then who would be my absolutely reliable partner?


    "It''s none of your business, and I''m fine¡ª"


    I grabbed his wrist again and pointed at the bloodied knuckles, "This is what you call as fine? Come on now, Logan Walker, do you take me as an idiot or what?"


    Logan stared at me straight in the eyes. He seemed to be holding something in his heart, as if he wanted to say it but decided to keep quiet in the end.


    I sighed. It must''ve been part of his super-secret work that I wasn''t allowed to know. No matter how much I tried to pressure him, I didn''t think I could get anything out of his mouth.


    "Fine, if you don''t want to tell me, then it''s your problem, but¡­." I released his wrist and took out the first aid box from the club drawer. "Eat with your left hand. Let me treat you first.. It might get worse and turn into an infection if left untreated."

 Chapter 176 - A Bloody Fist Of A Rich Boy (2)

    Chapter 176 ¨C A Bloody Fist Of A Rich Boy (2)


    "Fine, if you don''t want to tell me, then it''s your problem, but¡­." I released his wrist and took out the first aid box from the club drawer. "Eat with your left hand. Let me treat you first. It might get worse and turn into an infection if left untreated," I said as I took out alcohol from the first aid kit and bandages as well.


    "Damn, your injury is so bad, what kind of fistfight happened with you?"


    I sat in front of him, holding his right hand while he watched me attentively. I gently washed the blood with water first before pouring the alcohol because the bruise and the wounds were literally all over his knuckles and fingers.


    It was a surprise that Logan didn''t even wince when I poured the alcohol, which should be really painful.


    He just kept on watching me with his hot gaze. So I looked at him back and clicked my tongue in annoyance, "Why are you staring at me like that? Just eat with your left hand, you idiot."


    "Why are you doing this to me?"


    "Huh?"


    "You know that I''m not even in pain, right? A bloody hand like this is just part of the job," Logan said. He sounded hostile for some unknown reason, which got me annoyed as well. "Why do you need to treat my wound like this? Do you want to be called a gentle princess that will treat the wounded or what?"


    "Just so you know, I don''t like it when a woman tries to act all gentle and cute to attract a man. It gives me that fake bitch energy that I fucking hate so much," Logan said hostilely at me. His hot gaze turned hostile as well.


    I frowned at his statement. No, I wasn''t mad or terrified. I was just confused.


    Because of the way he said it, I had a feeling that he had experienced a traumatizing event in his life that made him like this.


    But I doubt it was him dating another girl because Logan''s disgust towards women and men were the same. He hated and felt disgusted at them.


    I suspected that it might be something happening in his family, such as trauma and hostility. This didn''t stem from a break-up with a girl, especially at our age.


    Just like my hatred and disgust towards most men, it was because of my abusive dad. Every time I saw an intimidating man, I got scared and felt sick in my stomach, and that reaction was inevitable, no matter how much I tried to curb it.


    But of course, I couldn''t ask about his family. I had a feeling that Logan would go totally hostile at me if I asked about his family, just like if someone asked where my dad was, and I would silently resent them as well.


    So I just rolled my eyes and continued treating his injury, "Do you really think I''m here to impress you? Oh,e on, Logan Walker, get your head out of your ass!"


    "You''re my partner, remember? Treating an injury of one partner is important because this hand right here¡ª" I iled his hand right in front of his eyes. "¡ªthis hand is important for the next mission."


    ¡­


    Logan still stared at me, but I could see that his hostility started softening for a little bit.


    "Hmph, I bet you''re doing this with to get attention to some random man as well," Logan said pettily. I rolled my eyes. This was utterly ridiculous.


    "Do you really think I am the type that''d be hogging on a man and trying to get their validation? That''s gross," Emmy said. "I did everything because I need to do it. I have my own hit list to do."


    ¡­


    Logan''s hostile gaze gradually faded, "Well, what you''re doing right now is still useless. I don''t even ask you to help me¡­."


    "I''m helping because you''re an important asset in my life," I replied honestly. I needed Logan for so many missions in the future, simply because he was an amazing and skilful man that would be a great help.


    Logan''s hostile gaze finally vanished after that words. Gradually, his cheeks reddened which got me curious as well, "What? You''re shy now?" I asked with a chuckle.


    "W¡ªWho''s shy? I''m not shy at all, you idiot!" Logan retorted quickly, which basically proved my suspicion.


    I chuckled out of ridicule this time, "Oh no, what is this? Mr. Logan Walker, the wild and cold club president, is actually shy right now? What a pleasant surprise~."


    "I said, shut up!" Logan looked away from me, but he kept ncing in my direction. It was cute, I wouldn''t lie. "You¡­ you''re being suspiciously lovely¡ªI¡ªI mean, you''re suspiciously acting lovely, just tell me what do you want? Do you need me to finish a new mission of yours?"


    "No, not yet, at least," I replied. I sighed heavily, "You''re just being unnecessarily suspicious of me. Didn''t I tell you that I want you to be my partner-in-crime? That means I will also care and help you in dire need. Don''t take this as a gentlewoman type of act. I did this because you''re important to me and my mission."


    ¡­


    "Un¡­" Logan nodded and silently watched me wrap the bandage around his hand. "May I ask a question?"


    "Huh? Sure, what''s with your sudden meekness now? You were so hostile a few minutes ago," I giggled mischievously. But this time, Logan didn''t retort me again. He just continued with his question.


    "Did you ever do this with someone else?"


    "Huh? Do what?"


    "You know, treating someone else''s injury¡­."


    "Nah, I treated my own injury a lot of times, but never someone else," I replied. "Though maybe if I can get a schrship or something else, I might go to nursing school or medical study. I want to be a doctor or a nurse. So I''ll be treating someone else."


    "You can be my private doctor or nurse instead¡­." Logan said.


    "Your private nurse? You''re rich, right? Just hire a real nurse, dumbass!"


    "¡­"


    "Anyway, why are you suddenly so hostile at me just now?" I asked back.


    "I''m sorry for that. It''s just something that happened to me when I was a kid. But I don''t want to talk about it. It''s unnecessary anyway," Logan replied.


    Yep, definitely had simr trauma as me. At least, the trauma should be involving his parents as well.


    I decided not to ask for more because I didn''t want him to feel ufortable.


    After wrapping the bandage, I nodded, satisfied and said, "All done. You just need to be careful next time, and it''d heal quickly."


    ¡­


    Logan stared at me again, but this time, his hot gaze was very much different. There was no hostility in his eyes, only a silent message that I didn''t understand.


    Logan put down his bandaged hand, but he suddenly raised his left hand, "I think this one is also injured."


    "Huh, really?" I grabbed his left wrist and didn''t find any meaningful damage other than some scrape in his knuckles. "It should be fine, right?"


    "But I''m in pain."


    "Huh? You''re in pain, how in hell¡ª"


    "I''m in pain. Please take care of my left hand as well," Logan asked. I looked at him helplessly because he looked so serious about it. Of course, I could do that, but¡­


    "You sure you need this to be treated? Just a few alcohol taps would be fine, right?"


    "No, please bandage it as well. I need it to be treated¡­." Logan said.


    "Bandage? But this¡ª"


    "Please¡­"


    I paused and then took a deep breath, this guy was so hostile and angry when I treated his right hand that was utterly bloodied, and the blood was still flowing from his knuckles before.


    But now, he wanted me to treat his left hand that looked just fine?


    I wanted to protest, but when Logan showed me his somewhat pitiful gaze, I only took a deep sigh and washed the hand first with water before soaking a cotton pad with alcohol.


    I patted the wound gently, but Logan suddenly opened his mouth, "Ouch, it hurts¡­."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    What the fuck?!


    He said it was hurt?! I literally poured alcohol in his right hand before, and he didn''t even wince! There was zero reaction from him.


    And now, just because of one pat from cotton-soaked alcohol, he was already in pain?


    "Please treat it slower. It actually hurts so much," Logan said with a low voice, trying to make himself sound pitiful.


    "Okay, you don''t need a bandage on your left hand. Because it''spletely fine without a bandage," I said.


    "But it''s hurting. Please bandage it as well¡­."


    "You idiot! If I bandage both of your hands, how in hell you''re going to eat the food that I cooked for you?!"


    "Um¡­ can you feed me instead? Both of my hands would be wrapped in a bandage, and I''m utterly powerless.. You should spoon-feed me instead. Sounds fair?"

 Chapter 177 - Cobra With Ruby Eyes

    Chapter 177 ¨C Cobra With Ruby Eyes


    "Um¡­ can you feed me instead? Both of my hands would be wrapped in a bandage, and I''m utterly powerless. You should spoon-feed me instead. Sounds fair?"


    ¡­


    I really wanted to p his face right now. What a scoundrel!


    But I knew that Logan wasn''t going to change his mind, so I grumbled and started bandaging his left hand as wells felt like an idiot for taking an idiotic request, but I couldn''t do much as this guy serious wanted me to spoon-feed him like some sort of teen romance drama or what? If he kept doing things like this, I would certainly start to suspect that he was actually into me.


    Which was¡­ ick, ew, hell no.


    After I bandaged his left hand, he looked at me with begging eyes, something that was almost impossibleing from him before, "Please¡­" he begged.


    I sighed deeply, then took the bowl of asparagus soup and started feeding him. He was surprisingly obedient and quiet when I was feeding him. This guy was seriously full of shock value.


    "Where''s that hostile gaze before, huh?" I taunted him, thinking he would retort at me with some insulting words like usual.


    "What hostility?" Logan asked.


    ¡­


    I seriously wanted to bowl this bowl to his face. I reluctantly fed him the soup and then moved to the main courses.


    He started to get even pickier here. He keptining, "Please less rice, and more meat¡­."


    "I''m still chewing. Please wait¡­"


    "I''m thirsty, the drink please¡­."


    He acted so spoiled, like a kid who wanted to be pampered. It was so gross if you saw him like this, then remembered that he was Logan Walker, the ultra skilful fighter and schemer. You''ve got two contrasting images that you couldn''t remove from your head.


    Yeah, that was what I had right now.


    Thenst, it was the dessert, I quietly fed him with creamy cheesecake, and he ate it in silence as well.


    He kept staring at me while eating the dessert and then mumbled, "Good cake."


    "Well, of course! It''s me who cooks it for you. Remember that I never work for free," I said, trying to knock some sense in his head.


    "I know."


    After eating the cake, Logan pinched something from his pocket and put it on the table because he couldn''t hold it.


    It was a small gift box, "What is this?"


    "Your Christmas and New Year gift," Logan said. "I told you before that I will give you something for Christmas and New Year, right? Since you''ve given me the best care a world could have, I think you should have that as well. It''s my payback."


    I still couldn''t believe that cooking him and tending his injury would make me the ''best care a world could have,'' but oh well, I wouldn''t mind thepliment, I guess.


    I stared at the small gift box in front of him. From the looks of it, it looked like a case for a ring. But why would Logan give me a ring? Something like a ring was only given to your spouse, not some random girl that you happened to partner with.


    I unwrapped the gift and found that my suspicion was actually correct, as oundish as it looked.


    Logan''s gift was a small velvet box, but when I opened it, it wasn''t a ring actually¡­ it was a ne.


    From just one nce, I knew it wasn''t a cheap one, probably something that I could never afford in my entire life. The pendant was a cobra shaped silver with two rubies as the pair of eyes.


    The ruby glistened beautifully under the light as if the rubies were a pair of shining red eyes of the cobra, ready to strike anyone who dared to approach.


    "This¡ª"


    "A ne with cobra shaped pendant, of course," Logan said. "The red eyes of the cobra are made with ruby, so it should be really beautiful under the light," Logan exined.


    "This is real ruby, right?"


    "Does that even matter?"


    "It does, you idiot. I know you spent so much on this! I don''t even think my house is worth that much!" I protested, trying to deny the gift. "You''re giving too much!"


    "It''s not too much. It''s just a ne," Logan said. "Besides, there is no use in talking about the price. Money is worthless in front of me because I was born with it. What I want to convey with this ne is¡­ you''re a snake, a very dangerous snake, you know that, right?"


    "Tch, of course, I am," I replied smugly. I took that at heart because I also wanted to look strong. I didn''t want to be that scared little bunny that got beaten and bullied to my death.


    "¡­ and I happen to like snakes," Logan said.


    "Huh? So, you have a pet snake or what?" I asked.


    "¡­ I don''t have one, but that''s not what I meant. I¡ªI¡ªugh, never mind. Just ept it, and let me put on the ne for you," Logan said, much to my confusion.


    I didn''t know why he would suddenly mention his liking towards snakes.


    He used his fingers that hadn''t been bandaged and tried to put the ne on me. I frowned because I still hadn''t epted the expensive gift.


    "Do you think this is a fair exchange? All I did was cook for you," I said, trying to reject the gift.


    "I can buy you 10 of these nes, and it still wouldn''t be worth as much as your care," Logan insisted. "Just let me put it for you."


    Now, it got me wondering how rich Logan actually was.


    Was he as rich as the red rose man? Because that guy could give me a box of high-quality crystal meth instantly.


    I still felt it was a bit unnecessary to give me something so expensive that it''d only burden my heart. But with Logan''s stubbornness, I finally yielded and turned around. I grabbed my long hair up to expose my neck, waiting for him to put it on my neck.


    But after a minute of nothing happening, I looked over my shoulder and saw Logan staring at my neck with flushed cheeks, "What are you looking at? You said that you want to put it on my neck."


    "I¡ªI''m not looking at anything, idiot!"


    Logan hurriedly put the ne on my neck and then mumbled, ''Don''t expose your neck like that. It really took me off guard.''


    "What did you say?"


    "I said, don''t expose your neck like that. It really took me off guard," Logan repeated with a louder voice now.


    "It''s just a neck, bro¡­."


    "What if another man will see your neck like this? Ugh, you really don''t understand my worry right now," Loganined again, but in the end, put on the ne and clip the hook behind.


    "All done," Logan said.


    I released my hair and covered my nape and neck again, then turned in his direction. I raised my eyebrows and asked, "What? What''s with your face?"


    "My face? What''s wrong with my face?"


    "Your face is really red right now," Logan said.


    "I¡ªIdiot, that''s just because the temperature is so hot right now."


    "It''s still winter."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Logan looked away so suddenly and said, "That doesn''t matter. I''m here to give you that gift anyway."


    "Uh-huh, thank you so much, Logan. I''ll keep this gift at heart. I won''t lose it, I swear," I said, trying my best to appreciate such an expensive gift. I knew the money he spent for this wasn''t little, though. For someone like Logan, it might''ve been just pocket money for him.


    But the thought that he put inside this ne was the most important. He could''ve just bought me random things on the street, and I''d still say thank you, but the fact that he gave me a specific type of pendant that fit my character the most was really a ttering move.


    "I''ll cook somethingter to make up for this. That''s the only thing that I can give you, Logan. I feel like I''m in a long debt with you," I said, trying to find a way topensate for such an expensive gift.


    "Then I''ll make sure to gift you more and moreter on," Logan added.


    ¡­


    Oh well, I never truly understood his line of thought.


    "Anyway, who did you invite to our club room?" Logan asked.


    "Huh?"


    "Don''t huh me, Em. I saw shoe prints outside, and they are definitely not your shoes," Logan asked. But he didn''t seem to be hostile at me.


    I sighed and nodded, "Sorry that I hadn''t told you about it. I just don''t want you to get mad at me because of this.


    "Who did you invite?"


    "It''s Noah and Elise, but it''s mostly Noah because he was hiding against the bullies that hunted him," I replied truthfully.. "Don''t worry, he''s not doing anything here, just hiding while we nned our move to take the three stooges down."

 Chapter 178 - LLE

    Chapter 178 ¨C LLE


    "Oh, he''s also helping me clean the vases."


    "He''s cleaning the vases?!" Logan looked shocked, "Did he find something there?!"


    I was surprised by Logan''s sudden reaction when I said that Noah helped me clean the vases. As if he had been hiding something.


    "Yeah, he did," I replied. "What''s wrong? You sound a bit too surprised."


    "Ah¡­ uh¡­ did he find something while cleaning?" Logan asked.


    "Nope, all he did was just clean vases anyway. What''s wrong about that?" I raised my brows. "Or is there something that you''re trying to hide?" I asked.


    "What? Of course not!"


    "Come on, just spill it out. You''re talking with me anyway, not some random person," my curiosity got me, and I tried to pressure Logan to spill the beans, much to his disdain.


    "I''m not hiding anything from you!"


    "Oof, calm down, big guy. I hear you here," I clicked my tongue in annoyance. Since Logan didn''t want to spill the beans, I could do nothing against it. Maybe it was something from his hidden mission that I couldn''t touch.


    But the blush on his face seriously got me thinking whether it was something else.


    "Anyway, I want to ask you something," I said.


    "W¡ªWell, just ask. I''ll answer as long as it''s not about my mission."


    "Hmm¡­ it''s about the code that you carve."


    "A code?" Logan frowned. "I never remember making any code. At least I''m not stupid enough to leave a code for my mission in some ces you could easily find."


    "Then howe Noah found a code that you carve inside the vase," I rolled my eyes. "Noah found a lot of vases with ''LLE'' code inside. Mind telling me what does LLE stand for?"


    Logan looked absolutely astonished when he heard the word LLE, much to my confusion. Did I hit the right spot that it was actually a secret code that Noah identally found inside the vases?


    "Well, Noah keeps insisting me that LLE stands for Logan Loves Emmy. Which I found to be totally ridiculous. Can you imagine that you''re actually so in love with me that you start carving that kind of initial inside your handmade vases?"


    ¡­


    "Y¡ªYeah! What an idiot he is!" Logan suddenly retorted after a brief silence. "Why would I fall in love with you? That''s totally ridiculous! I''d rather date a snake than you!" Logan said out proud.


    Okay, thest sentence was a bit unnecessary, but I got it.


    However, I was a bit weirded out by his extreme reaction and his face that turned even redder than before. It got me worried that he might be catching flu or something else."


    "Well then, why did you carve that LLE? What kind of code is that? Is it about your secret mission again?"


    "Y¡ªYeah, it''s about my secret mission. You don''t need to know about it. It''s ultra-secret," Logan warned me. "You shouldn''t think about it too much, or it might harm you in the future!"


    "Whoa, whoa, that sounds serious¡­ well, if you say so. I don''t really have any interest in prying about your problem anyway," I shrugged it out. "Oh, you should probably wash your face with warm water now. Your face is too red. I''m afraid you might catch fever or something."


    Logan immediately darted his gaze towards the mirror hanging on the wall and cursed, "Oh fuck!"


    He rushed out immediately, and I could hear the bathroom door outside was mmed.


    I seriously didn''t understand his overreaction. But oh well.


    **


    Logan returned after a while. His face was damp, probably because he washed his face plenty of times.


    "What? Don''t stare at me like that!"


    "Geez, so hostile, I''m just worried about you!" I yelled back.


    "S¡ªSorry, I''m just¡­ it''s just¡­." Logan was lost in words and lowered his head in the end, looking defeated. I didn''t really know what was inside his head, so I assumed that he was just shocked that Noah discovered his secret so quickly.


    "Alright, it''s fine. You don''t need to tell me about that LLE thing. If it''s too important for you," I said. I might be mischievous, but I wasn''t a coercer who would push someone to do something without their consent, especially when that person was someone important to me.


    "Anyway, I want to ask whether you will stay in school after a while. You''ve missed school for so long, ya know," I said. "I need your help."


    "A help? Is it about one of your targets or something?" Logan asked. Which I nodded to confirm.


    "Elise and I have found out that Natasha and Barbara from the sophomore ss have been directing those three stooges that were put to jail to attack and sexually assault Elise. I have something against Barbara Cornwell, an old wound, just say that. And Elise''s original hostility is directed towards Natasha."


    "So it''s 2 vs 2 here," I exined, hoping that I could get his support.


    "Wait a minute, an old wound? You have something against Barbara Cornwell before?" Logan''s gaze darkened as I said old wound. "What did she do? I will make sure that she will pay for it¡ª"


    "Hey, hey, calm down, big guy. I don''t want to talk about it, but it''s something terrible," I tried to calm him down. Honestly, I didn''t want to tell him about my problem with Barbara ''Barbie'' Cornwell because it happened in myst life, not this one.


    Barbie Cornwell was the one who sent Thomas and his gang to attack me, just like how Natasha ordered them to attack Elise.


    The reason for her attack on me? Because I was an eyesore.


    Yes, that was literally it.


    I happened to identally appear in one of her selfies with her gang, sitting under a tree while eating my lunch alone. When she found me ruining the group selfie because of my ugly appearance, she suddenly bullied me and sent Thomas and his gang to continuously beat me. Because she found me an eyesore in one of her selfies, she decided to beat me.


    She was a monster. Honestly, many teenagers were monsters, but few would actually take it physically, or even worse, manipte or gaslight you, making you feel like shit for their own short entertainment.


    "I will always help you, Emmy. Just say what you need, and I will execute it quickly," Logan replied. "But¡­"


    He suddenly looked hesitant and sighed, "I still have something to do. I can''t join you in this one. At least not as much as what I did with Leah Carpenter before. My mission is still ongoing, and I can''t leave it."


    "It''s fine¡­." I replied. I could take down those three stooges without his help¡ªwell, a small help with his suggestion, but the rest was done by me, Elise, Noah, and that red rose man.


    Oh, Mason as well, though I sort of tricked him rather than asking him to help me directly.


    "I just need some of your helpter on because you''re the one with the experience here," I said. "I know something about Barbara Cornwell that most people don''t know. Originally, I want you to help me in Leah Carpenter''s sort of manner. You know, using your handsome charm to bait her. But I know you won''t like it, so I will not force you."


    "You want me to be the scout, you mean? Searching for information left and right about her?" Logan asked.


    "Indeed, I''ll give you the order once I get a new lead. For now, you should focus more on yourself and your mission," I nced at his bandaged hand. Turned out, he had taken off the one on the left hand in the bathroom while keeping the bandaged right hand, proving that his left hand waspletely fine.


    I rolled my eyes, "You should at least tell me what happened with you. Howe you arrived here with a bloodied fist? Did someone hunt you or something?"


    "¡­ sort of," Logan replied. He looked hesitant when telling this. "Someone is targeting me, but I don''t know who is. That person keeps on sending thugs to beat me. At first, he sent a group of lowly thugs to beat me up, but I could beat them easily."


    My mind instantly replied to that scene where I identally found Logan beating the hell out of thugs inside a small alleyway. Maybe those guys were the thugs he could easily beat.


    "But he starts sending more dangerous people. I just fought 3 skilled men. I bet they are private soldiers, sort of mercenary kind of soldier. Because they have some of the martial arts movement, it is quitemon for soldiers and police to have."


    "It was a difficult fight because I had to fight them all at the same time. I came out victorious and beat the hell out of their life to extract information about this man who sent them.. But they said the man who sent them is a lot scarier than me, no matter what would I do to them, they preferred that rather than facing their big boss after leaking his identity."

 Chapter 179 - Gathering Information (1)

    Chapter 179 ¨C Gathering Information (1)


    Logan and I were finally separated after a long talk with each other. He still didn''t want to spill the beans about his secret mission, despite me continuously telling him that I would be alright.


    But he said that he was afraid I''d be targeted, so he didn''t want to tell me anything.


    I returned home quitete today, and when I arrived home, Mom''s car was already parked outside.


    I entered the house and found Mom sitting side by side with Grandma. Her face looked so bright as if she just got a bonus or something good.


    Her joyous smile also brought happiness to me. I approached her and asked, "What''s the good news, Mom?"


    "Ah, Emmy! Do you know what I just got at work?"


    "What? Tell me, I''m curious."


    "I¡­ got a sry increase!" Mom announced happily. I was happy with the good news, but I was a tad surprised and confused.


    "That''s great, Mom! But, what did you do to get that sry increase?" I asked.


    "I''m not sure either, but my Boss said the director just got an order to increase my wage, and I also got a private letter from someone important in thepany. Here''s the letter. I haven''t opened it," Mom said as she handed me the letter.


    I read it out of curiosity and was surprised by the content when I opened the letter.


    ¡ª


    Dear future mother-inw,


    My father happens to know a few important people in yourpany, so I asked him to raise your wage. This is my New year gift for Emmy and her family. I hope you can support our rtionship.


    ¡ª


    Mom read the letter and was also surprised by the content, "Wow, Emmy, your boyfriend is really serious. He''s very gentle, and understanding and alsoes from a rich family. I bet he would be a great husband for you in the future!"


    ¡­


    "Yeah, Mom," I forced a smile and then went back to my room. I didn''t know how I should react to her statement. Of course, I appreciated that guy who kept helping me in so many ways. But at the same time, I felt like he had silently closed any external path, making him the only choice of my future.


    I still hadn''t decided on which man my heart would harbour. Heck, I was still underage, 15 years old right now!


    I already told myself not to get romantically involved with anyone, and this¡­


    I decided to call him just to make sure about his intention here. I couldn''t rest if I hadn''t got any answer yet.


    After a few beeps, he finally picked up the call.


    __Phone call with the red rose man__


    "Good evening, my darling. Is there something you want to talk about?" The red rose man asked. His heavy and husky voice filled my ears. I wouldn''t lie that he had such a nice voice.


    But that wasn''t what I wanted to talk about right now.


    "You¡ªwhy did you raise my mom''s wage?" I asked.


    "Hm? Isn''t it obvious? I want to help your family''s burden, of course. I just don''t want my beloved and her family to live a hard life. I want to help you directly by giving probably around 1 million dors first. But you might not ept it with open arms. Because I know that you''re still on a long mission to take everyone down, Emmy."


    "That''s why I will support you and your family in any means possible, to make sure that you have the best the world could offer. Until you havepleted your mission, then I will show myself and show you my real identity."


    "¡­ so you''re helping my mom solely to make me feel indebted to you?" I used him because that was what I felt right now.


    "Indebted? Hmm¡­ probably, but I just think that my future mother-inw works too hard for such a small sry. I don''t want her to get sick after years of backbreaking work and miss our wedding day, right? Hehe," the red rose man joked around, but it wasn''t a joke for me. I felt like he didn''t really understand the long-term effect of what he did.


    If he said that he did this just to help my Mom, he didn''t know that would force me into marrying him in the future due to feeling indebted.


    "Don''t think too much about it, my darling. I just want to make you and your family happy," the red rose man said with such a warm voice. "Anyway, I know that you''re going to take down Natasha Zest and Barbara Cornwell, right?"


    "How do you know that?" I asked warily. I just talked about it with Elise around six hours ago, and this guy already knew about it? How?


    "It''s just a chain of action-reaction. I know those three stooges were ordered by Natasha and Barbara. That''s why you and that girl named Elise would eventually target Natasha and Barbara. Since both of you have animosity towards each of them, right?"


    ¡­


    Well, I wouldn''t lie. That was actually a great observation. It was spot on.


    "Naturally, I will help you to take them down, just like what I always did. But this time, I will help after I gather enough information. You only know about Barbara, right?"


    "Yeah," I confirmed. I didn''t know anything about Natasha because she wasn''t on my hit list originally. She was just another one recently added because of her malicious behaviour towards Elise.


    That was why I knew nothing about her, unlike Barbara. I knew plenty of things about Barbara in my previous life, and I nned to use one of her secrets to taking her down.


    She was basically the queen bee before Jessica took her down and became the new queen bee of the school. Thanks to her, I would be the one who took Barbara first.


    "I know nothing about Natasha Zest as well. Because we''re not entangled with her in our previous life," the red rose man said. "I''ll find few things about her before returning to you. Make sure that you will have enough information, okay?"


    "¡­ thanks."


    "Anything for you, my love. So you will know that you don''t need Logan Walker''s help if you need information. I can do anything for you."


    My eyes widened instantly as my heartbeat skipped for a second, "Wait¡ª"


    Beep.


    __Phone call ends__


    I was left speechless when the red rose man suddenly hung up the call. Just like that, I didn''t expect him to know about my meeting with Logan.


    But this was the red rose man we were talking about. Of course, he knew everything.


    "Hehe, why am I not scared anymore?" I asked myself. That fear about the red rose man slowly diminished every time I talked with him, and I slowly opened my heart for such a creep.


    I knew that was stupid and dangerous, but maybe¡­ what the red rose man said was true.


    ''We are destined to be together.''


    I closed my eyes as I threw my phone on the bed and then threw my body there.


    "I don''t want to get hurt like my Mom. If I ever fall in love with a man, I just wish that he would not hurt me. That''s it. I won''t ask for anything else," I said to myself.


    **


    I woke up early the next day because there was something I wanted to do in school. I wanted to meet with Elise and started searching for information about Natasha Zest. Because I had been holding the secret of Barbara Cornwell for a while.


    I arrived at school and met with Elise, who also came early. She had returned to school after the three stooges were sentenced to 15 years in prison and had gradually regained her confidence once more. But it seemed that her anger towards Natasha hadn''t diet down, which was understandable.


    Because my anger towards everyone who hurt me in the past also hadn''t'' died down as well. In fact, it turned into an undying me that drove me up to this point.


    "Good morning, Em," Elise greeted me first as I was sitting on the bench in the schoolyard.


    "Morning, Elise,e and sit with me," I patted the spot beside me. We were sitting and started discussing our next move in a lower voice, of course. Thankfully, the school was still empty because we came a lot earlier than most people.


    "So, do you know anything about Natasha Zest? I have zero ideas about her since she is a sophomore, and I have had zero contact with her before," I said truthfully.


    "I''ve found something after asking a few people about her, though I''m not sure if it is relevant," Elise looked hesitant.


    "Just spill it. Any rumour is still valid and might bring us closer to some truth that we can weaponize."


    Elise took a deep breath and started exining, "I just got a rumour about her from one of the girls in cheer club.. She simply said that Natasha Zest is a cheap whore of Darthmorth with no ss."

 Chapter 180 - Gathering Information (2)

    Chapter 180 ¨C Gathering Information (2)


    "I just got a rumor about her from one of the girls in cheer club. She simply said that Natasha Zest is a cheap whore of Darthmorth with no ss," Elise said.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Okay, that was it?


    I thought it would be some kind of a more specific rumor, "I mean, Elise, that''s¡­ pretty average, don''t you think? It''s not unusual for a girl to call another girl a bitch or a cheap whore when they are in a beef."


    I still remember how I continuously called Jessica Lambert a cheap whore when she got caught sending naked pictures to Mason. The rumor got identally leaked to the public, and she was gossipped because of that.


    Well, she didn''t seem to be ashamed at all, though. Jessica Lambert just smiled and waved like high school Kim K.


    "I know, but there is something else in this," Elise said. "She told me that Natasha is a cheap whore, because she would sleep with many boys, and one of them is that cheer girl''s boyfriend. Apparently, Natasha often slept with boys for fun, and she doesn''t really have any rtionship with any of them. She did it for fun most of the time."


    ¡­


    "I think we can use this for our benefit, right? As long as we can bait her to sleep with someone and record it, wouldn''t it be hard evidence that would shame her?" Elise suggested.


    Honestly, her suggestion was the same as what came up with my mind. We could bait Elise to do the dirty with a random man, and it would be our greatest weapon if we could videotape it.


    But that would be counter-productive because if we took Natasha first, Barbie would realize that someone wasing after her. She must''ve realized after the case of three stooges.


    And if we took Barbie first in any other way, then Natasha would be the one who got wary and careful of her surrounding. They were two people on the same boat. We needed to flip the boat rather than snatching one of the first.


    "We can use that," I said. "But we need to make it less obvious, and we can''t just videotape her with some random boys. It wouldn''t be enough to shame her. Don''t you want her to be fully ashamed that she has no more guts to show up in the school?"


    "Yeah, I want that," Elise confirmed truthfully. Her hatred towards Natasha stemmed from that girl who used Thomas and his gang to beat her and sexually assault her.


    Elise was too ashamed of herself because she couldn''t defend herself against those bullies, and she fell into a deep depression until I talked to her and got the revenge she wanted.


    But the revenge had just started for her because we were going to take down the mastermind of her sexual assault.


    "Then we can''t use that method without more research. We need to find time to talk with that cheer girl you''re talking about. She is your friend, right?" I asked.


    "Not exactly. I just asked out of the blue when we were in the ss yesterday. I''m just trying to find a time to talk with you directly."


    "Then, we cannot ask her. Because Cheer club is way too dangerous," I said.


    "Dangerous?"


    "There are so many gossipers and snatches there, it''s really dangerous if one of the suspects us and tells Natasha that we''re inquiring about her rumors. As small as the probe can be, it is still a probability, and we cannot take any risk here."


    "We''re going to take down the current Queen Bee and her side bitch, Barbie, and Natasha, we shouldn''t be hasty about it," I started thinking of a good person to inquire about Natasha or Barbie, but before we could even talk about the potential person to talk to, there was a shadow from the person behind us.


    We turned our heads at the same time and found the man with sses smiling at us. His beautiful and dreamy blue eyes were hypnotizing, and he asked, "What are you girls talking about?"


    "M¡ªMason?!" Elise was shocked when Mason Hall suddenly barged in. But I wasn''t really surprised because it was Mason Hall anyway. This mysterious guy would eventually pop out of nowhere and barged in any conversation that I had with someone else.


    "Good morning, um¡­ Elise," Mason greeted first.


    "H¡ªHow did you know my name?"


    "Ah, Emmy told me about you," Mason replied lightly. Elise looked at me with awe, and I just shrugged it out. I didn''t want her to find out that I actually knew Mason for a while.


    Elise looked confused as she looked at Mason and me subsequently, trying to knot the rtion between us.


    But it seemed that Mason wanted to say something else. He suddenly grabbed my hand and said to Elise, "Excuse me, Elise. I need to borrow Em for a while."


    Mason gently pulled me to follow him somewhere, so I gave out a look to Elise, signaling her to leave the schoolyard, and we would continue the conversationter during lunch break.


    Mason dragged me to the spot behind the club building, and the first thing he asked was, "Is she your best friend now?"


    "Huh? Who? Elise?"


    "Yeah¡­"


    "¡­ why do you ask?"


    "I''m just worried¡­" Mason said. But he didn''t specify what he was worried about. Nor did I want to ask because I felt like Mason wouldn''t take that question kindly.


    "Well, she is my new friend. But I don''t think she is my best friend for now. It takes time to know someone better and make her be your best friend," I replied. "Besides, she already has her own best friend. I don''t think I want to go further with this friendship stuff¡­."


    Mason sighed in relief after hearing my answer. Which got me curious, "What''s up? Is there something wrong?"


    "N¡ªNo, it''s nothing, really," Mason then quickly shifted the topic, "Anyway, can you help me with something, Em?"


    "Uh¡­ depends on what kind of help."


    "Well, I have this one girl, her name is Anita, whose boyfriend is one of the members of my club. He has cheated on her, and she has always been making ruckus whenever there is a practice, even though my club member said that they had broken up for a while now. Can you talk to her about it?"


    "¡­ what kind of talk do you want me to do?"


    "I mean, just give her the girl talk. I''m not really sure how to phrase it. I''m sorry¡­" Mason lowered his head. "I''m going to be the captain soon, so all problems in my club will be directed at me first. I can''t really do anything about this except by asking you since you''re the only girl I''m close with."


    ¡­


    Honestly, this was so out of the blue. Mason suddenly asked me to give a random girl a lecture about how she shouldn''t harass her ex-boyfriend for cheating even though they had broken up.


    But Mason had helped me in so many ways for my missions. I wouldn''t let him down, and it shouldn''t be hard since it was just talking to one girl, maybe listening to her rants. After everything had been done, she would be fine and stop harassing her ex-boyfriend, hopefully.


    "Okay, then. I will help you, just give me her phone number or anything, so I can contact her," I said.


    Mason looked so happy and relieved at the same time. He gave me the phone number of the girl and said, "I''m counting on you, Em."


    Mason then turned away and was ready to leave me. But before he left, he said, "Oh, do you know which girl my club member has been cheating with? The side chick that has ruined his rtionship with that ex-girlfriend?"


    "Who?"


    "Hmm¡­ I don''t know her personally. But my club member said it''s a one-time fling. Her name is Natasha Zest, a sophomore in this school. She is not affiliated with any club, but I heard that her dad is a donator for the school, and she wouldn''t shut up about it. She also had bad grades but strangely always passed without any problem after a few arrangements, probably because of her donator dad or something else. Sounds like a character, huh?"


    I held my breath as I gotplete information about Natasha Zest from Mason Hall. And he just gave me all the information I needed to kickstart the mission.


    I wasn''t sure whether I should be happy or suspicious at Mason Hall. Because what he said coincided with my current mission so much.


    "Well, I''ll be going now. See youter, Em!" Mason walked out and finally left me alone here.


    I stared at the phone number that he gave so casually, wanting me to clear out the problem that he had in his club. But this job actually coincided with my current mission as well.


    This would be a perfect chance to inquire about Natasha Zest.

 Chapter 181 - The Science Club President

    Chapter 181 ¨C The Science Club President


    After I left with Mason, Elise returned to the main building because the day had started, and many students were already walking around the school.


    I went to my biology ss and found that I wasn''t the first one there. A guy with a fully buttoned shirt and sses reading a book while waiting for the teacher. He was the first one in ss today.


    I sat far from him because I didn''t want to talk with that pretentious guy who ruined my chance to ever get a schrship because he shredded my biology research paper submission, so he wouldn''t get anypetition.


    The guy nced in my direction and got up. He walked towards me and stood right in front, "Good morning, my name is Albert Eimer, and I am the new club president for the Science club. We''re doing a recruitment process. You look like a diligent student that will fit in our group. You shoulde to my Club after ss, and you won''t regret it, especially since I am the leader."


    ¡­


    Albert Eimer, he was the one who ruined my chance of schrship for his own benefit. At first, I really idolized him because he looked so bright and studious. I thought I belonged to the Science Club because he kept reminding all the members that he would lead the Science Club to be a prestigious club in Darthmorth.


    Yeah, that was all load of bullshit. He stole one of the club members'' studies and imed it as his own, and he also submitted the stolen work to thepetition.


    I also did mine, and he shredded it.


    Now that I think about it, he was never the great guy. He always talked about how amazing he was as he led the Club.


    Yeah, the Science Club achieved nothing, and Albert Eimer always took credit for everything.


    His smug face actually ignited my anger, and I smirked at him, "I heard about you, Albert Eimer, the Club President of Science Club."


    "You heard about me? Perfect, do you know that I will be the student council president in the future? You should follow me in the Science Club first, and if you''re doing a good job, I might put you as one of the student council memberster on."


    "Oh, no, no, I don''t hear a good thing about you. I just heard a rumor that you''re actually falling in middle school, and you had to repeat the whole two semesters because of all of your bad grades. May I know what causes you to be like that? I thought you were pretty smart."


    I heard this rumor when I was in the Science Club before. The girl whose research had been stolen by Albert Eimerined and spilled everything to the club members about Albert. Though, none of them seemed to be surprised, only me, because I wasn''t in the same middle school with them.


    Albert Eimer''s confident face faltered instantly. He looked at me with hostility, "Who told you that?"


    "Well, it''s just some rumors I got from a chatroom. I thought it was such bullshit since you always sound so smart. But now, I''m not sure if you''re truly smart or you just want toe up as a smart guy, two different things," I said lightly, which got Albert Eimer panicked.


    "W¡ªWell, of course, those rumors are a load of bullshit! Don''t you see that I''m the president of the Science Club? And all the teachers'' respect me!"


    Well, they didn''t really respect you. It was because you became the teacher''s pet for all teachers. You didn''t even do good in your study, you''re just pretending to be a diligent teacher''s pet, and the teachers gave you a good score for behavior, not because you were smart.


    That was all that I wanted to say to debunk him, but of course, I couldn''t say that, or he would turn hostile at me instantly. I still needed to infiltrate the Science Clubter on and ruin his chance to ever get that schrship he didn''t deserve.


    I would also shame him, much worse than what he did to me. After this semester, of course. The students were eligible for scientific research paper submission when they entered a second year.


    "Is that so?" I asked with a smirk on my face. "Well then, I guess those rumors are untrue. But it certainly gives me a bit of a reluctance to check the Science Club if I find out that the president is not really apetent person. You should probably find the source of the rumor." I said, wanting to make him anxious about the rumor that I made.


    Albert Eimer looked anxious, much to my pleasure. He said nothing and returned to his seat. It was enough for me to kickstart the fall of the Science Club he used to climb the socialdder to be student council president at the end of his second year.


    **


    At the lunch break, I texted Elise toe to the Club because I got the number of this girl whose boyfriend cheated on her with Natasha Zest.


    Once she arrived, I told Elise to sit on a chair and put the number Mason wrote down into my phone.


    "Elise, I got a great lead for our pursuit of information. I got a number from Mason, and it''s the number of a girl whose ex-boyfriend has cheated on her with Natasha Zest!" I said excitedly.


    But Elise didn''t look as excited as I was. She only stared at me for a while and then asked, "Em, may I ask you something?"


    "Hm, sure!"


    "About you and Mason¡­." Elise gulped as if she was about to ask something really important. "Do you guys¡­ you know¡­ date?"


    My eyes widened instantly because I had just heard something so ridiculous just now.


    "Why would you say that?" I asked.


    "Because of the way he looks at you. He is looking at you with affection, Em," Elise stated.


    "He does that with everyone. Don''t you see that he always smiles at everyone, especially his endless amount of fangirls?"


    "Oh, I saw the video clip of a few girls who recorded meeting with Mason Hall in their Instagram story and Snapchat. Believe me, the way he is looking at you and the way he is looking at them are totally different things."


    ¡­


    "Now, I''m suspicious that you actually asked the real Mason to write that love letter to Miss Alba before. Because the autograph is just so damn real."


    ¡­


    "Say something, Em," Elise demanded. I wanted to say something, but I was speechless by her observation. She could see that Mason actually liked me by just looking at him for a second.


    I was thinking for a sh second whether I should tell her the truth or not, but she assured me again.


    "Em, listen, I''m not here to condemn you for dating him. You''re a beauty. You just don''t want to look like a showoff. That''s why you use a ck shirt most of the time to cover your body, right?" Elise said. "It''s just, I''m afraid that you will be in danger, Em."


    "In danger?"


    "You know, the number of fangirls and some crazy rich bitches that wanted to date him. I wouldn''t lie. I am also attracted to him simply because of his dreamy appearance. But I know my limit, and I know that I have no chance."


    "But you do have a chance, and I''m just afraid that you''ll be targeted," Elise said. Her face looked seriously worried, reflecting the feeling inside her heart.


    I sighed full of pity as I realized that I couldn''t hide this anymore. So I told her, "We''re not dating. But I know that he likes me. He has been adamant about it¡ªin private, of course."


    "But we''re not dating because we both know the risk. He is in the spotlight, always. If any of his fans knows that we''re dating, then I''d be facing hell," I exined. "So, we''re just friends for now."


    "For now?" Elise raised her brows. "Are you nning to date himter? Honestly, Em, what is your feeling for him?"


    ¡­


    What was my feeling for Mason Hall?


    I wasn''t sure either. I should say that I do like Mason Hall because he was such a dreamy man that treated me so well despite his shorings.


    But at the same time, I felt like dating him was way too risky for what it was worth.


    "I''m not sure, Elise. I''m not nning to, but you don''t know what''de next," I replied.


    "You''re opening your heart for him, Em¡­."


    "I know, but I can''t help it!" I replied frustratedly this time. "What could I do anyway? It was something that I couldn''t control at all!"


    Elise was surprised by my outburst. But I was really frustrated by her pressing me like this, "I''m sorry, Em. I''m just worried about you.. Someone like Mason Hall is just too popr for his own good."

 Chapter 182 - So Petty

    Chapter 182 ¨C So Petty


    I''m sorry, Em. I''m just worried about you. Someone like Mason Hall is just too popr for his own good," Elise said.


    Elise looked so worried that she was actually the one risking her life right now. But it was quite understandable because she got the story from her ex-friend, who identally found out that Mason had a deal with a bunch of men in ck.


    Since she was in the wrong ce, at the wrong time, the men in ck terrorized her until she couldn''t handle it anymore and finally left the city for good, all that because she saw Mason with a bunch of men in ck.


    But there was no proof that it was Mason who ordered those men in ck to attack Elise''s ex-friend, and there was also no definite proof for Mason''s involvement. Just because she found Mason talking with those men in ck, that didn''t mean he was working with them.


    But I still understood the worry that Elise had right now. Thus, I said, "It''s fine, Elise. I know my boundary. We''re just friends for now, and probably for a while."


    "Besides, I''m more upied trying to take down all my enemies rather than having some silly romance."


    "Well, if you say so. I just don''t want you to get hurt¡­."


    I smiled at Elise and patted her shoulder, "I''ll be fine, don''t worry about it. For now, let''s just focus on our mission, alright?"


    "Yeah, sure¡­"


    "This, I got a number from Mason, the girl''s name is Anita, and her ex-boyfriend cheated on her with Natasha. Let''s see what kind of rumor she can give to us."


    Elise nodded, and I pressed call on the number I had just saved.


    After a few beeps, Anita finally picked up.


    __Phone call with Anita__


    "Hello?"


    I could hear the voice of a girl, definitely around the same age as me, "Hello, is this Anita?"


    "Huh, yeah. Who''s this?"


    "Uh¡­ my name is Em, and I got your number from the American Football Club captain," I introduced myself.


    "Oh, you mean Mason hall? Wow, he actually saved my number!? That''s amazing!"


    I was a bit surprised by her burst of joy. It was true. Mason was just too popr and perfect for his own good.


    "Oh god, I didn''t expect him to actually save my number! Does this mean that he is considering me to be his new girlfriend?!"


    Yeah, that was a bit too¡­ imaginative of her.


    "Well, indeed, Mason is the one who gave me your phone number, but that''s because of a request."


    "A request? Oh, don''t tell me¡ªthat he is too shy to ask me out directly, so he told you to help him? Oh my, oh my, I really have to start my diet now."


    ¡­


    Well, they said confidence was necessary for life.


    "His request is¡­ to talk to you about your ex-boyfriend. Because you''ve been harassing him and disturbing the club practice. He wants to¡­ sort it out, I guess."


    "Oh¡­"


    I could sense the tone changed instantly as if all that excitement just vanished in a blink of an eye. She sighed, "That jerk cheated on me when I was on a family vacation. I texted him every single day just to make sure that he was not going to get bored. But in the end, I called him in the middle of the night and found someone else picked up the call."


    "And it''s a girl, of course¡­." Anita said with a sarcastic tone. "I should''ve expected him to be the one who cheats on me. Just because of what? He is bored?"


    "And she cheated with Natasha Zest?" I asked.


    "Heh, Mason Hall has told you about it, right? Yeah, that''s right, he fucking cheated with Natasha Zest! Do you think I''ll be scared to tell everyone that Natasha Zest is a whore? Hah, just because her dad is a donator doesn''t mean that she can silence me from voicing the truth!"


    Oh wow, what a fiery youngdy. It was quite rare for a girl to stand up for herself in front of someone like Natasha, who kept using her dad''s name as a free out-of-jail card.


    Now it was my time to keep baiting her to tell her story, more until it was enough for me to make a n.


    "Ehh, really? What makes him cheat? Is it because Jordan forced her to have sex with him?"


    "Haha, you seriously don''t know about her at all, do you? Natasha Zest slept with everyone as long as it was beneficial for her! Jordan is not even good-looking. God, if he is at least 20% of what Mason Hall looks like, then I might think that he is just so hot. That''s why Natasha slept with him. But no, Natasha fucking slept with him because she has a beef with me, can you believe that?"


    My eyes instantly darted at Elise, who shrugged by the statement, basically confirming that they shared the same experience regarding Natasha Zest. Of course, it was believable for me because Elise experienced the same thing. Natasha persuaded Barbara to tell Thomas and his gang to beat the shit out of Elise just because Elise talked shit about her right in front of her in the ss.


    This one, Natasha must''ve slept with Jordan just to make sure that Jordan broke up with Anita in the process. What a bitch.


    "So, you and Jordan¡­ you two actually broke up because of her? You won''t give him a second chance?" I asked.


    "Hell no, why the fuck would I give Jordan a second chance? He is not even hot enough to justify his cheating, and now you want me to forgive him?!" Anita yelled out loud that I had to distance my ear from the speaker.


    "Okay, that makes sense¡­." I mumbled. "But if you are done with Jordan, why are you still harassing him in the American Football Club?"


    "Huh? Who would harass that ugly guy? I came to the American Football Club because of Mason Hall! W¡ªWell, I mean, of course, I just want to embarrass Jordan in front of his club members, but then Mason Hall tried to block me and gently told me to leave because it''s not the proper time to do such a stunt."


    "And Oh¡­ my¡­ god, isn''t he a gorgeous man?"


    ¡­


    There you go again, the Mason Hall syndrome.


    "So, you starting to American Football Club because of Mason Hall?"


    "Well, duh! Do you really think that I wille and beg for Jordan toe back at me? Ew, that''s gross!" Anita yelled, which basically sealed the conversation here.


    There was no bugging off the ex-boyfriend like what Mason told me. It was just one of his fangirls that started disturbing him in the club!


    But, I didn''t want to waste this chance to know about Anita''s problem with Natasha Zest. Since Anita said that Natasha slept with her boyfriend to make sure that he broke up with Anita.


    That meant the problem was heavy enough for her to basically give her body to a random guy, right?


    "Anita, may I know what your problem with Natasha Zest is? Since she actually slept with your ex-boyfriend just to break the rtionship."


    "Heh, that whore doesn''t even know how problematic she is! Do you know what happened between us? She is so petty because I gave her the wrong answer for a test! Can you believe that? She slept with my ex-boyfriend just because she got the wrong answer from me. It was that bitch''s fault for asking the full answer sheet. Of course, I wouldn''t give her!"


    "Wait, she seriously slept with Jordan because of that?!" I was as surprised as Elise right now. We were staring at each other in bewilderment as we heard what Anita said just now.


    It was just simply ridiculous.


    "Yep, she did that," Anita replied. "Urgh, just remembering about her makes me sick! She seriously needs help!"


    "Anita, you''ve been adamant about calling her a whore, right?"


    "Only when there''s no teacher or student council, of course!"


    "Then, howe nobody has ever heard of that before?" I asked. It was strange when a girl literally told everyone that Natasha Zest was a whore, but it didn''t turn into big news in the process.


    "Meh, I don''t know. Maybe it''s just so normalized by the other students? Anyway, she and her equally bitchy friend, Barbara, are just menace to the school. I really hate them both!" Anita said. "Anyway, I got to go. I have something else to do, bye-bye, uh¡­ whatever your name is. Also, tell Mason Hall that I''m up for a private call with him, hehe~."


    Beep.


    __Phone call ends__


    Anita hung up the phone call earlier and left me, and Elise baffled for a while. The big question still lingered, "How could Natasha subdue the rumor? Shouldn''t it be big news in the school?"

 Chapter 183 - Darthmorth Gossip Girls Instagram Page (1)

    Chapter 183 ¨C Darthmorth Gossip Girls¡¯ Instagram Page (1)


    "How could Natasha subdue the rumor? Shouldn''t it be big news in the school?"


    That big question lingered in our heads as Anita hung up the phone because we found it impossible.


    Darthmorth was the only middle school and high school in such a big region, and it hadn''t changed for a couple of decades. Even the rich kids had to go here because the nearest private school was so far away from their home they might as well move out of the area.


    So, this school was basically an overcrowded Rome diator arena, but with a lot of catfights for the girls and beating up the weak for the boys. This school was a free for all ughter fest for those who were stronger or more influential and the deepest hell for those who became the prey.


    That was why any rumor spread around like wildfire in Darthmorth, mostly malicious ones. From light stuff such as cheating on an exam, until something big like the bullying and sexual assault by Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson, or Kristen''s maniptive behavior that led a girl to her death by suicide, or Leah Carpenter, who now had the title of Drug Queen of Darthmorth.


    Yeah, my mission basically made the majority of the big news here.


    There was also a cult of Mason Hall''s crazy fangirls. They were rabid and crazy as heck. They would stalk and beat the hell out of any girl who dared to flirt with him, a total crazy bitch move.


    "How could news like this just go under the rug? Natasha Zest literally slept with Jordan to cheat on Anita. It should be a big scandal, right?" I asked.


    "I know, it''s not even talked about by anyone in my ss. Knowing how fierce Anita is, I bet she has told everyone about it, but still, no rumors¡­." Elise confirmed.


    We stared at each other in confusion, feeling that this really didn''t add up.


    "Elise, do you ever heard any rumor about Natasha Zest that was circting around? Well, except when you are explicitly asking about her around the school, of course."


    "No, not really, actually. Both Natasha and Barbara actually have no rumor at all around the sophomore. They are bitchy, of course. But they are not really the worst. There are so many bitchy girls around the school anyway. Just like how there were so many bastard boys who don''t know how to respect anyone," Elise replied. She then took out her phone and opened Instagram.


    "What are you doing?" I asked curiously.


    "I''m checking the Darthmorth gossip page on Instagram. It''s exclusive for my batch, though. It''s also a private ount, so only the sophomore knows about this page," Elise replied. She showed it to me, and I read the username and the bio.


    ¡ª


    Darthmorth spicy whispers


    @dartmorthwhispers


    Bio: We are the gossip girls of Darthmorth. Just so you know, we always discover your secret and share it with the public. Be careful~ :kissemoji:


    ¡ª


    Okay¡­ this was¡­ new.


    I never saw this page before. Maybe it was really exclusive for the sophomore or the second year of Darthmorth high school right now. But it seemed to contain a lot¡ªeven almost all the rumors and gossip circting around the school, even the ones from my batch and the third year, aka senior.


    It also had tons of posts already, written in a ck background and white Arial font as the gossip girls of Darthmorth started making baseless rumors, from the light one about cheating on an exam to the crazy gossip, such as:


    ¡ª


    Leah Carpenter, a freshman that got caught and titled as The Drug Queen of Darthmorth. Yeah, she has been screwing around with the rest of the boxing club. That puss is definitely loose af, hihi~


    ¡ª


    Okay, that was a half-truth and half lie. From what I gathered before taking her down, and also the rumors circting about her in the previous life, Leah Carpenter was a bitch, but she didn''t fuck with all of the boxing club members.


    She was still very picky, but once she liked someone, she would chase him relentlessly, just like what she did with Logan before.


    It also made me wonder if Logan would eventually fall to the temptation if Leah kept on her pursuit before getting sentenced to a very long jail time.


    "There is also a rumor about me, Em. But they didn''t leak my name explicitly. It seems that they only put on initials for rumors that haven''t been out for public consumption," Elise said as she clicked on one post.


    ¡ª


    You know, there is a girl, just call her EL.


    EL has been talking shit to everyone in many sses. And got her karma by getting sexually assaulted by three boys.


    Hihi, that''s why you shouldn''t be talking shit in front of your ssmates. Now she is so depressed, she might kill herself soon. Good for her.


    ¡ª


    ¡­


    Holy shit, that was nasty. Elise was literally beaten and sexually assaulted, and this ount justughed at her misfortune as if it was some kind of cute, harmless joke.


    I nced at Elise, and her expression wasn''t actually that different.


    "You''re not angry at this post?" I asked.


    "No, not anymore at least," Elise sighed. "When I first read it after I got sexually assaulted, I was so devastated that it basically elerated my depression. I really thought about ending it all because I just find it too crazy and malicious at the same time."


    "But it''s a good thing that you came to my life at the right time, Em. I think if you came a bit too early, I wouldpletely reject and kick you out of my life. But if you came toote¡­ you know what would happen."


    Urgh, I got Helena 2.0 here. If I came toote into Elise''s life, she would end her life tragically and would never taste revenge.


    Now I wondered what happened to Elise in my previous life. I never met her there. If Noah actuallymitted suicide the next year after getting severely bullied, I assumed that Elise might''vemitted suicide somewhere else, maybe in a mental institute.


    "Then, why are you checking this trash ount? You know most of the posts here are malicious and exaggerated, right?" I asked.


    "Yes, I''m just checking if there is a rumor about Natasha Zest or Barbara Cornwell here. Because this page has TONS of rumors. It would be impossible if there is zero rumor about them, right?"


    ¡­


    Thus, Elise and I continued scrolling just in case we could find any rumor regarding Natasha Zest or Barbara Cornwell.


    We spent literally half an hour checking hundreds of posts. Once we hit the earliest post, there was literally zero rumor about them. They had rumors about Jessica Lambert and even goddamn Chrissy Miles. That unimportant side bitch you didn''t care about.


    They were all had rumors here. But there was none for Natasha and Barbara.


    Which was literally impossible since they weren''t the cleanest girls here. Barbara was a bitch who constantly fought with random girls for the smallest problem. And Natasha¡­ well, I finally heard about her here. Natasha and Barbara were friends in my previous life, but they were nowhere near close, at least not in public.


    But if we linked how Elise and Natasha had a small fight which led to Thomas and his gang beating up Elise.


    I could connect the rtionship between Natasha and Barbara. Because only Barbie could order Thomas around, especially if Natasha had the money.


    After we hit the earliest post without result, Elise and I stared at each other. We sort of formted the same suspicion after checking everything.


    "Are you thinking what I''m thinking, Em?" Elise asked.


    "Yeah, it seems so," I nodded. "I think we have the same thought, Elise."


    "It''s just very weird that someone like Natasha and Barbara is not on this list. They are also problematic as hell," I started making theories that might be true at this point. "And the fact that the gossip page knows about your sexual assault¡­ it tells me Natasha and Barbara have some sort of connection to this Instagram page.


    "I have the same suspicion too. It''s weird that they don''t have a single rumor about them. Anita literally made a ruckus about Natasha sleeping with her ex-boyfriend, Jordan. How is that not on the gossip page?" Elise also raised the same question.


    "You know, I actually have an even scarier theory," I said, thinking this theory might actually be true as well.


    "What is it?"


    "I think Natasha Zest and Barbara ''Barbie'' Cornwell are the real owners of the gossip page. They know about your sexual assault, and they never posted any rumors about themselves."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Elise and I stared at each other for a while. I was quite speechless, just like how she was speechless as well.


    "I think we need to research more about this.. Because if our suspicion is true, we can definitely use this as a weapon."

 Chapter 184 - Darthmorth Gossip Girls Instagram Page (2)

    Chapter 184 ¨C Darthmorth Gossip Girls¡¯ Instagram Page (2)


    "I think we need to research more about this. Because if our suspicion is true, we can definitely use this as a weapon," I said.


    My suspicion about this was quite strong because there was no way that Barbara and Natasha didn''t have any single rumor in the school that didn''t get covered on that Instagram page.


    "And I suspect that there are hundreds of students already searching for the real person behind this Instagram page, right?" I asked Elise. Since she knew better about the sophomore.


    "Yes, there is a reason why thement has been deactivated, so there is nobody that couldment or put the post in their story. There are already hundreds of angry mobs searching for the admin behind this Instagram page. Even when my rumor was released as a post, I got so angry that I wished to find them and kill them," Elise confirmed my prediction.


    "Then, our next step is obvious. We need to find a way to find out about the real admin of that gossip page," I instructed. "You shouldn''t be too obvious when asking around, though. You know, it''s really risky if Natasha or Barbara knows that we''reing after them."


    "I know, Em. We should be careful about this one."


    Elise and I had decided to part ways for now and tried to collect some lead or evidence to find the person behind that ount.


    I returned to my ss and finished when the bell rang. Honestly, I had zero clue right now. Thus, I had no idea where to go next for this mission. If this was a video game, I was in that situation where I didn''t really know where the next quest started, so I had to call for help.


    Now, I had two choices, whether I should call Logan for his help, probably in exchange for another disgustingly cute cat maid act, or my homemade food.


    Either way, those exchanges were better than the other one because I didn''t know what the red rose man wanted in exchange for some information.


    Besides, I''ve asked the red rose man''s help for way too much. It would be a bit too risky if he started demanding some dangerously dirty stuff¡­ like my panties, for example.


    Thus, I returned home with one thing in mind, call Logan Walker.


    **


    I returned home quite early today, and I still found my Grandma sitting on her rocking chair on the terrace, listening to a radio while rocking her chair slowly.


    She stared dazedly at the empty road, and when I approached her, I asked first, "Grandma, why are you staring at the road? Are you waiting for someone?"


    "Ah, Em, I''m just waiting for your future husband toe. He told me yesterday that he wille with a gift for me," Grandma said lightly as if my fate to marry that creepy red rose man was already sealed.


    I didn''t want my future to be dictated, especially when I hadn''t agreed on that, "Grandma, please stop calling him my future husband. He might be a good man, but I haven''t decided it for myself."


    "Hm? But I thought you two have been in love for a while," Grandma asked. "Is it wrong?"


    "Grandma, I never said yes to him. Besides, I¡­ I have a boyfriend," I stated. Of course, it was a total lie. To begin with, I never had a boyfriend, but if that would be enough for Grandma to stop assisting that creepy guy ining here, then it would be perfect.


    But contrary to my belief, Grandma didn''t look surprised at all. She just smiled at me and nodded, "I know that, Em. Your boyfriend told me that you two have been a couple in school. I''m d that he shows seriousness towards you¡­."


    My eyes widened instantly. I thought I heard it wrong, so I asked, "Grandma, what did you say just now?"


    "Ah, I know that you and he have been a couple in school. Oh-ho, what a cute couple. Back when I was your age, I also had a boyfriend in high school, but we broke up after prom, and I met yourte grandpa in college."


    Grandma started chattering, but I only felt dizzy due to nervousness right now. It shocked me that the red rose man suddenly told Grandma that we were already a couple in school all along.


    Of course, I couldn''t tell Grandma that I had lied before. I never had a boyfriend in the first ce.


    I could only nod defeatedly and helped Grandma go inside the house, "How about the gift from him?" Grandma asked.


    "I¡­ I will tell him to give it to me instead. Don''t worry about it¡­."


    "Okay, don''t forget to tell me once you''ve received it," Grandma warned me again.


    I cooked for dinner a family of three, and my mind just wasn''t there for the whole time. Because I kept thinking about the red rose man. It still shocked me that he coulde and go to visit my Grandma often without ever meeting me in the process.


    That meant he truly knew my schedule and had been watching me from start to finish.


    I returned to my room after taking care of Grandma and saving dinner for my mom. I checked the clock and found myself hesitating whether I should text Logan or not.


    "That creepy guy always found a way to watch over me. What would happen if I kept having a rtionship with Logan? Would he start targeting Logan?" I raised the question to myself. Unfortunately, I couldn''t find the answer because there was no definite answer.


    Whether I called Logan or not, that guy would still know about me in anyways. So might as well go full bravado on his ass and contact Logan.


    I didn''t want to y or be yed by his rules. I wanted to set the rules by myself!


    Thus, I reached my phone inside my bag and was ready to call Logan.


    But to my surprise, the red rose man suddenly called me. I took a deep breath to brace myself and picked up his call.


    __Phone call with the red rose man__


    "Hello?"


    "Aha, my beloved, good evening~."


    "¡­ What do you want?" I asked.


    "Eh? Why do you sound so mad here? I thought you''d be happy once I gave you a hint already," the red rose man sounded whiny as if he wanted to act a little bit spoiled around me.


    But that wasn''t what caught me off guard. I was shocked when he suddenly said that he had given me a hint already.


    I had zero ideas of what he meant by that because the only hint that I got was from Mason¡ª


    My eyes widened instantly when I suddenly suspected something.


    Maybe it was Mason all along. As crazy as it sounded, the red rose man might be Mason Hall!


    But I couldn''t be hasty, I wanted to trap the red rose man into spilling his own secret, so I asked, "What kind of hint that you gave me?"


    "You don''t know?"


    "Nope, you can tell me instead," I replied, carefully urging him to spill the crap out of his secret. Though, honestly, I didn''t know what to do if Mason was actually the red rose man.


    Should I act all-natural, confront him, or avoid him instead?


    "Ah, I am the one who told Anita about her boyfriend cheating on her. And I am also the one who secretly told her that she should start harassing Jordan in the American Football Club in the name of petty revenge."


    "Isn''t that a perfect setup? I''ve been pulling the strings around, and everything finally pushed Mason hall to give you Anita''s number. That''s why, based on my prediction, you must''ve been searching for the one behind that Instagram ount, right?" The red rose man exined everything, and I got cold feet instantly.


    Because I really thought that I was so close to the truth about him, but he just flipped it so casually. I really suspected that Mason Hall was the red rose man, as outrageous as it sounded.


    But turned out even Mason Hall was part of his puppet. He pulled all the strings perfectly. He was definitely the puppet master in this world.


    And I¡­ I felt minusculepared to him. I thought I had been doing something grand this whole time, but I might be his puppet as well.


    "So you¡­ have predicted that I will call Anita?"


    "I''ve known you long enough to read your movement, my love. But worry not, it''s just because I''ve been watching you for so long. Rest assured, my love, I never try to use you. I just want you to know that I will be doing everything as long as you can do your mission.. My goal in life is to mend all my mistakes in the previous life, make you happy, and marry you in the future."

 Chapter 185 - Sweet Mason

    Chapter 185 ¨C Sweet Mason


    [Warning: Mild gore content.]


    "Rest assured, my love, I never try to use you. I just want you to know that I will be doing everything as long as you can do your mission. My goal in life is to mend all my mistakes in the previous life, make you happy, and marry you in the future," the red rose man said.


    And that didn''t make me feel safe at all. He might never actually hurt me, but the fact that he knew everything about me to the point that he knew my way of thinking, it was just way too disturbing for me to process.


    It seemed that the red rose man acknowledged my fear, but he didn''t stop at all, trying to exin his stance to me.


    "P¡ªPlease don''t be scared, my dear. I¡­ I don''t know what to say if you''re scared to me¡­" the red rose man said.


    Honestly, I was just too speechless right now. But after I mustered my courage, I asked, "How did you know everything in my mind? Is it that obvious?"


    "Not really, it''s just a habit, my love," the red rose man said. "I''ve watched over you since thest world, I saw everything that you went through, and after obsessing over you for years, it''s natural for me to know everything about you, right? We are even married at some point."


    "I never married anyone in my previous life. I literally died before the prom starts," I said, clearing things up.


    "You''re correct, but I married you right after I found your body, my love," the red rose man replied.


    Things got even darker as I heard his voice sound wrong. He sounded detached and deranged. It gave me chill down to my bone marrow, "How¡­ how did you marry me after my death?"


    "Nobody is collecting your body, and I went insane after I saw your corpse. I''ve been searching for you the whole night because I want to confess my feelings for you since the first time I saw you."


    "I can''t ept your death, so I collect your body and take care of your corpse by myself," the red rose man said. He chuckled lightly after that, "I embalmed you and also put you in a ss case, still in your pink dress. It''s beautiful and even more beautiful when I told my subordinates to buy you another pink wedding dress."


    "We are married for a few years in private, as I continued hunting those bitches and bastards who bullied and ruined your life. After getting all the revenge I needed, I hugged you and shot myself in the head. We will be together forever, my love."


    "But¡­ sometimes, it''s difficult to take care of your body. Since I''m the one who personally embalmed your body, I am the one who took all of your guts and heart. Preserving your body is difficult since you''ve been out in the air for too long, it seems."


    "That''s why I know everything about you¡­ your heart, your guts, your lung¡­."


    "I know every. Single. thing."


    "Heheh¡ªhahahah¡ªHAHAHAHAHAH!!"


    Beep.


    __Phone call end__


    I hung up quickly and threw my phone to the bed as my adrenaline rushed through my body.


    "Holy fuck, that was scary¡­." I cursed as I slumped on the floor.


    No, seriously, I was about to get a heart attack just by listening to him telling me what he did to my body after my death. He realized that he had gone insane. He kept saying that repeatedly.


    But the fact that he could go that far just because he loved me¡­


    I didn''t know if his love was true love or an obsession. The red rose man could be so sweet and caring at times, he also never hurt me, but his obsession was just too much.


    It took a while for me to get up from the floor, and my mood to call Logan vanished instantly. I didn''t want to call him for now, but maybe I should contact him in another way, knowing how the red rose man was pulling the string to us.


    No, seriously, even he made Mason Hall part of his sick y. I pity Mason now since I kept suspecting him as the red rose man, even though he was pretty much just an innocent guy who was busy with life.


    Now I felt guilty for suspecting him. Mason Hall had been helping me in so many ways, and all I did for him was just suspect him of some random shits.


    Thus, I gave up the idea to call Logan tonight. I will find him tomorrow to gather information. But I wanted to call Mason instead.


    After a while, I finally picked up my phone once more and then texted Mason first.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Mason, where are you right now?


    ¡ª


    I waited for a minute until he texted me back.


    ¡ª


    Mason: I''m just done with a short movie shoot today. I''m in my apartment right now. Is there something I can do for you, Em?


    Emmy: Ah, it''s fine then. You must be tired. You should rest now.


    Mason: No, no. I''m alright. I''m used to working anyway. Just tell me if you need something, I will always help you, Em¡­


    Emmy: Can I call you right now?


    ¡ª


    I thought he would say yes or no, but he called me first, and I picked up the call, feeling nervous about myself.


    __Phone call with Mason Hall__


    "Good evening, Em!"


    "Good evening, Mason¡­"


    "So, what do you want to talk about?" Mason asked. I could hear him sitting on a creaky bed just like what he told me before, that he lived in a small apartment all on his own, and he worked to get money.


    I didn''t know Mason''s family background, but it didn''t seem to be healthy because he said that he had been living there since he was in middle school. I knew I wasn''t a good person, but really, suspecting someone who didn''t even have any malicious intention towards me¡­ I was the one at fault here.


    "Hm¡­ nothing much, I just want to talk, I guess. You know, spending my free time¡­." I replied meekly. "But if you''re too tired or busy, I can just hang up."


    "No, not at all, Em! I''m so d that you want to talk with me!" Mason denied quickly. "I''m just surprised that you actually want to talk with me out of your own initiative. It''s rare¡­."


    "Ah, sorry about that."


    Now I instantly realized that I never actually called Mason with my own initiative. Even if I did, it would be out of my own interest to smoothen my mission, just like how I requested his love letter.


    He was so sincere about it, and I just used it without even really recognizing how Mason poured all his heart into it.


    I sighed deeply, knowing how I had wronged him and how disingenuous I was.


    "No need to say sorry, Em. I''m ttered that you want to talk with me, hehe," Mason giggled joyously. "I just think that it''s cute for you."


    "Cute? Did you just call me cute?"


    "Y¡ªYeah, is it wrong?" Mason sounded nervous here. Maybe he thought that I got offended.


    Of course, I didn''t get offended. I was quite happy that he called me cute, honestly. I had always been the kid that nobody liked back in my previous life, and no one ever called me cute there.


    They called me two things, either ''slut'' or ''pig.''


    Yeah, none of them were really kind, but I got used to it before. And I wasn''t used to getting called cute instead.


    "It''s not wrong, Mason. I''m just¡­ dumbfounded, I guess¡­."


    "Dumbfounded?"


    "Yeah, I have never heard someone call me cute so lightly. You called me that um¡­ so normally¡­."


    "Hehe, I''ve always wanted to call you cute for a long time, Em. But I''m too embarrassed, and I¡­ I just think you might see me as a creep if I called you cute."


    "No, no, you''re not a creep at all," I denied quickly. Because that red rose man was the real creep. He might be in love with me and had been loving me since our previous life. But the way he just snapped and went totally insane still gave me chill.


    "That means I can call you cute in private, right?" Mason asked. I found it funny and chuckled a bit.


    "Yeah, sure¡­"


    After that, I heard him jumping around his creaking bed happily as he kept mumbling ''yes'' and ''great'' in a low voice, so I wouldn''t catch it.


    Too bad, I did, haha!


    "You don''t know how happy I am right now, Em!" Mason said on the phone. "Thank you, Em. I''m so happy that you still open your heart for me. I was worried that you might not like me anymore because I can''t um¡­ you know¡­ I can''t confess properly and date you because of my job and everything around me."


    "But I promise you, Em.. I will find a way."

 Chapter 186 - Bait (1)

    Chapter 186 ¨C Bait (1)


    I went to school the next day with zero lead in me. Because I spent the whole night talking with Mason until I felt sleepy and excused myself to sleep early. It was surprisingly fun to listen to Mason telling his story about his list of activities every day.


    It was a tiring life, but he seemed to be enjoying it.


    I went to school quitete today because I already texted Elise that we would meet during lunch break instead.


    But before I could reach my ss, I saw the students were crowding in front of the bulletin board. I could also see Jessica, Chrissy, Cindy, and even Ashley. And all of them were quite shocked by the pinned message on the bulletin board.


    I got curious and checked on the pinned paper, which also shocked me. Because the content was an official announcement to the students.


    ¡ª


    To all students of Darthmorth:


    We have an unfortunate announcement that our current School Headmaster, Mr. Andrew Dupont, will be leaving the school in a month because he has been transferred to be a new headmaster in another city. Thus, the student council has decided to give Mr. Andrew Dupont, our Headmaster, a farewell show held on 25 January.


    All students are obliged toe. Appointed clubs will have to show a talent show or anything simr to show respect to Mr. Andrew Dupont.


    Signed by:


    Eric Truant, Student Council President.


    ¡ª


    I was also stunned after reading this. None of the students really liked Mr. Andrew Dupont, the Headmaster. Because he is an ignorant andzy slob who could care less about every shit that had happened in the school, and I suspected that he had also stolen some money from all the monthly donations given by the rich kids'' parents.


    ¨C


    ''Psshh, I bet it''s him who asked the student council to hold a grand farewell show for him.''


    ''Yeah, I bet so too. Nobody really likes him anyway, but his narcissistic ass really wants to be recognized as a good Headmaster even though he literally did nothing for years.''


    ''Yeah, he even extorted money from my parents, so shameless.''


    ¨C


    The whispers from the other students were really understandable. Because the Headmaster was seriously a terrible old man who did nothing but take the money and me all the bad things that happened in school to other teachers and security guards.


    I still remember how he literally saw me getting beaten by Thomas at the back of the club building. He identally saw me, and our eyes met.


    I saw him looking surprised as well, but instead of helping me, he just turned around and quickly dashed off, acting as if he saw nothing.


    I also remembered how Mom decided to report all the bullying that I experienced to him, but he just smiled perfunctorily and said that everything would be handled.


    Yet, he snitched on us and reported to the parents of my bully, leaking about my mom''s information, including her job. And she got fired in exchange for reporting my bullying. Mom''s


    It was also myst straw of hope to the adults. None of them even cared a little about me getting bullied to death, so I might as well use them as my pawn in this high school game, just like what I did to Miss Brittany Alba.


    Oh, speaking about Miss Alba, she became a small celebrity in the school. Since everyone now sympathized with her, much to her joy, of course. She seemed to be enjoying all the attention even started mentioning how she had been beaten by Thomas and his gang when she was just a good teacher who workedte.


    Well, that was what Elise reported to me.


    Well, we couldn''t debunk anything here. Because Noah, Elise, and I were the only witness that knew Miss Brittany Alba workedte, not because she was a good teacher, but because she wanted to hook up with her own student, Mason Hall.


    But oh well, at least she served as a good pawn for that one mission. Now Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson were in jail for fifteen years toe, served them right.


    I quietly left the crowd and went inside my ss. I was thinking about a good n to search for the owner of that gossip ount.


    But since I got zero lead, thanks to spending my night with Mason. I decided to text Logan instead.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Logan, can you help me?


    Logan: Oh? Do you finally need my help now?


    Emmy: Huh? What do you mean by that?


    Logan: I mean, I''ve been¡­


    Logan: I''ve been waiting for you to text me¡ªor whatever, I don''t care.


    ¡ª


    Logan was weird. He acted as if he didn''t care, but a few seconds earlier, he did care about stuff.


    Yeah, even I had a hard time understanding him.


    ¡ª


    Logan: What do you need?


    Emmy: Open Instagram and type @darthmorthwhisper, and you will see all the rumors, whether it''s true or not, from almost everyone with a name in this school, and that includes Elise as well.


    Emmy: but strangely, there is no gossip for Natasha Zest or Barbara Cornwell, which was totally strange. Since you know¡­ they are very problematic.


    Emmy: So I suspect that they are the one behind the ount, and I want to find a way to get that information. If possible, hack the ount as well.


    ¡ª


    I pressed send and then waited for his reply. I didn''t expect much from Logan. Since he was busy with his mission right now.


    But it would be really helpful if he could give me a lead. Just a lead would be enough.


    ¡ª


    Logan: I can''t give you ess to hack an ount without urgency because it''s against our conduct. But I may be able to trace the person behind it. You can use it as a ckmail tool, but it would take time.


    Logan: Honestly, if you''re so sure that Natasha and Barbara are the ones behind the ount, then you should bait them first while I''m tracing the ount.


    Emmy: Such as baiting them to post something that I have personally set?


    Logan: Yep, bait them into posting something that you staged, and only you and they know about it. If they actually posted it, that means they are the one behind the ount.


    Emmy: That''s¡­ smart. I will think of a good scenario. I will have to ask Elise to y this. In the meantime, please try to trace them. Thanks, Logan.


    Logan: Really? I worked hard, and only a small thanks? Are you really that heartless?


    ¡ª


    I rolled my eyes after reading his chat. He was always like this, and he would throw small tantrums if I didn''t follow what he wanted. Thus I texted back.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: UwU Master Logan, thank you so much for helping me, Nyaaa~


    Emmy: :catemoji: :catemoji:


    ¡ª


    I mmed the phone to the table as I tried to curb my shame. Logan didn''t text back, so I assumed he was satisfied with that.


    It made me wonder why I had to continue doing this whenever I discussed something or requested his help. It was damn embarrassing!


    But what Logan suggested was really good. If I could bait Natasha and Barbara to post something, I could start ckmailing them. Especially right after I got the traced data from Logan, that would be the nail in the coffin.


    But to bait them¡­


    "I think I should use Elise in here. She is the one that has been featured on that gossip Instagram page. Now that Natasha has failed to ruin Elise''s life, even with the cost of the three stooges going to jail, she must''ve been peeved¡­." I suspected.


    I quickly texted Elise to talk about this.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Elise, can you meet me today? I will be waiting in the club during lunch break.


    Elise: Sure thing, do you get any lead? I haven''t found a single lead since yesterday. You told me to be careful, so it''s difficult for me to adjust to how careful I should be, especially since Natasha and Barbara have ears everywhere.


    Emmy: Drop that, Elise. I just got a perfect idea of our next step. But I need your help because we will bait them into posting something that would confirm our suspicions.


    Emmy: If they eat the bait, we can start ckmailing them. Trust me, this is foolproof.


    Elise: I always trust you, Em. Alright, I wille to the Pottery Club building during lunch break. See youter, Em!


    ¡ª


    I finished texting with Elise and then started thinking of a scenario. Since I would involve Elise in this stage, just like how I involved Noah to bait Thomas and his gang, that meant I had to be careful with my step.


    I didn''t want to hurt someone who trusted me, at least when that trust was given out of respect, like Elise and Noah. Unlike when Cerise trusted me because she wanted to use me as her shield.


    "Let''s see what I can do¡­."

 Chapter 187 - Bait (2)

    Chapter 187 ¨C Bait (2)


    "Hi Em, I''m sorry I''mte," Elise said as she finally arrived at the Pottery Club room. I smiled at her and told her to sit on a chair. She seemed to be in aplicated mood, much to my curiosity.


    Because I hadn''t told her my n, how could she already seem to be in a heavy mood?


    "Elise, is there something wrong?" I asked.


    Elise looked at me and smiled thin, "There is a problem, Em."


    "Huh? What problem?"


    "It''s about Natasha. She confronted me face to face right before I came to the club building. She started yelling at me because I had returned to school. She seems to hate the fact that I can get up after months of depression of what she did to me before."


    My eyes widened instantly, "Did you do something then? Don''t tell me that you just let her stomp on your face just like that!"


    ''Of course, I don''t want to be the victim here. I fought her, and we yelled at each other. In the end, she said that I should watch my back because she is still pissed at me and will not rest until I left Darthmorth," Elise reported.


    I was stunned by her report. I underestimated Natasha Zest''s pettiness. I thought she would drop her case with Elise because Elise had suffered for months after that sexual assault, and Thomas, Jorge, and Jackson went to jail for fifteen years.


    But it seemed that Natasha Zest was the type of person that would continue her petty war until she was satisfied. And to satiate her petty rage towards Elise, who made her the butt of the joke in ss, she wanted Elise to leave Darthmorth.


    "That''s why, Em. I''m not sure how am I supposed to help you right now. I''m sorry that I already ruined our n before it even started," Elise bowed his head slightly, feeling so ashamed of herself.


    "Why did you say that? I haven''t even told you about my n," I said, trying to be positive.


    "I mean, from what you texted me before, basically you want to bait them so they would post something about me, so our suspicion will be proven, right?" Elise said, and I was stunned because Elise actually predicted what was on my mind perfectly.


    "W¡ªWell, yeah¡­ I''m nning to use you as bait to do something that is at least drama-worthy but won''t be enough to put you into big trouble. If they posted the rumor about you on Instagram, that means they are the ones behind the Instagram ount."


    "Em, that''s simply undoable if you only use me," Elise shook her head. She looked remorseful. "If you only use me as your pawn here, they could instantly tell that I am the one who used them."


    "If you want to ckmail them, they shouldn''t know your identity, or the ckmail would be a lot less scary. Isn''t the anonymity behind ckmail what makes it so scary? Because the one who got ckmailed couldn''t do anything while they''re getting threatened by an unknown ckmailer," Elise exined her view that put a new perspective to me instantly.


    "Ah, you''re right¡­." I had to admit that Elise was very logical here. If I used Elise as the pawn to bait Natasha and Barbara, and we started ckmailing them, then Natasha would definitely target Elise first.


    Because they had a heated argument that turned into yelling just now, if Elise was the one who would be the spotlight here, then Natasha would find out quickly.


    At least, her harassment towards Elise would be ten times worse since she was threatened when the ckmail started.


    "Elise, do you think Natasha is already targeting you right now?" I asked.


    "She is. I don''t know what she will do, but it seems possible that she will do something even crazier to me after this. She could pay Thomas and his gang to assault me. It''s not impossible if she did worseter," Elise said. "Em, I think I will sit this one out. I cannot help you as the main actor here. Because I''m afraid of my life as well¡­."


    I sighed pitifully. What Elise said was true. She should sit this one, at least not to be the main actress on the stage. Because Natasha and Barbara were really dangerous, she might even kill Elise if we got caught.


    So¡­ since Elise was out of the game right now, I had no other way to start the mission with another actor, and that actor would be¡­


    "Elise, I think you shouldn''te to my club, and we shouldn''t meet for a while, at least not in the school like this. Because we don''t know whether Natasha and Barbara are already spying on you or not."


    "So, you want to kick me out because of the risk?" Elise asked. She looked hurt.


    "No, not like that. I will give you another mission, but I will be the actor in this mission. I will be the one who set up a trap for Natasha Zest and Barbara Cornwell to be put into the Instagram as a post."


    "Oh, about that trap you''re talking about, are you nning to do something post-worthy for that Instagram ount, and then you will start ckmailing Natasha and Barbara?"


    "Correct," I confirmed her guess. Elise was indeed a good partner. She knew exactly how my n worked without me exining it too much to her.


    "But you know you can just use them, and they will not answer, right? It''s easy to just block you or ignore¡­." Elise said, giving me the range of possibilities that might happen.


    "I know, that''s why I already have someone else to help me trace their IP, and if possible, hacking into their phone and ount," I said, mentioning my request to Logan Walker about tracing the IP address and, if possible, finding something for evidence of their ownership to the ount.


    "Oh! Is it Mason Hall?" Elise asked curiously, and I shook my head for a reply.


    "Mason Hall is an actor, athlete, and honor student. He is not a hacker of some sort. If he has that ability as well, then he might as well jump into a novel world because he is definitely a male lead from romance story, haha!"


    "Wait, you''re close enough to another boy other than Mason Hall?!"


    "Sshh!" I covered her mouth with my hand. She was being too loud, I was afraid that her voice might leak out and someone else from outside could overhear it.


    "It''s not Mason Hall, but another man I know. But we''re nothing but friends. He is helping me doing a favor asionally in exchange for a reward."


    "Reward?"


    "Just my cooking. He loves the food I make so much," I replied lightly. I didn''t have much thought about it, and I thought since Logan Walker liked my cooking, why not use it to my advantage?


    But it seemed that Elise had something else in mind, "Em, do you not realize what you said just now?"


    "What?"


    "You said that he is just your friend, but you cook for him? Like¡­ you personally made food for him to eat?"


    "Yeah, what''s wrong?"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Elise seemed to have many things in her mind, which I didn''t understand. She looked frustrated as well, "Do you not realize how contradictory that is?"


    "Elise, quit beating the bushes and just tell me what''s wrong. You look really desperate right now."


    "Emmy, what you did is something only a literal wife would do!" Elise yelled at me frustratedly. "Do you not realize that girls don''t really cook for boys around her age? Especially when they are just friends. In fact, I think your view is a bit too naive, Em. Cooking for someone, especially regrly, is almost like a traditional husband and wife role."


    "We don''t do that in high school," Elise said as she leaned on the chair, "You''re seriously clueless about this? You literally cook for someone that you call a friend, and on a regr basis as well!"


    "Tell me, Em. What kind of food do you cook for him usually?" Elise asked.


    "Uh¡­ I cooked a full set of lunch yesterday, from appetizer to dessert. But I usually just baked a box of cookies for him."


    "Cookies?!" Elise''s eyes widened out of shock.


    "What? What''s wrong with that?"


    "And you still call yourself his friend?" Elise is confused the hell out of me right now. I didn''t understand why she sounded so desperate and peeved about it.


    "Yeah, I''m his friend. And what''s with your reaction, Elise. If you want me to bake you cookies, I can do that as well."


    "I baked cookies for Mason Hall a few times, usually in bunny shape," I said honestly. Since I already trusted Elise.


    Elise''s jaw dropped the moment I mentioned my baked cookies for Mason Hall, "Wow, Em.. I didn''t know that you''re such a yer."

 Chapter 188 - Bait (3)

    Chapter 188 ¨C Bait (3)


    "Wow, Em. I didn''t know that you''re such a yer," Elise said, and I got surprised by her statement.


    "What makes you think like that?" I asked. I wasn''t mad, but I was just surprised because nobody in their right mind would call Emmelyn Jones a yer. Heck, I never dated anyone seriously in both lives, and I don''t think that would change anytime soon.


    "Because you literally yed with the heart of two boys, one of them is Mason Hall, literally the most handsome, most popr, and basically a Wattpad male lead character that everyone has been dreaming to date forever. The second one, I don''t know his name, but he is definitely another totally handsome male lead character from Wattpad, right?" Elise said.


    I zipped my lips instantly. No, I wasn''t confirming her saying that I yed with Mason and Logan, but she was spot on about those two boys. They were too good to be true, especially Mason.


    Mason Hall was way too perfect to be human.


    "Em, boys aren''t thatplicated with their feelings. Of course, they can feel a range of emotions when in love, but generally, it''s not hard to capture their heart once you''ve caught their attention. I believe these two boys are already interested in you, and you happen to cook for them as a sign of close bond and gratitude. They are bound to think about you romantically."


    "Really?" I asked. I was seriously oblivious about this one because I had never actually experienced dating, nor getting close to a boy without being made as a dare like what Kyle did to me.


    "Of course, duh!" Elise yelled frustratedly. "Em, I think you should be careful with what you do. You might identally provoke one of them, and they would go crazy on you. Who knows one of them be a stalker, or maybe you got another one for your stalker list?" Elise asked.


    ¡­


    Okay, now she started being way too spot on with my rtionships. She predicted Mason, Logan, and now the red rose man.


    I zipped my mouth and stayed silent, but she took that as a silent yes. Elise sighed deeply and shook her head as if she had found out about something absolutely ridiculous.


    "Em, do you know how beautiful you''re?" Elise asked.


    "Uh¡­ no? Beauty is subjective. What you think is beautiful might not fit with my beauty standard, right?"


    "¡­ That''s just some flowery words, what I ask is¡­ do you know that you fit the majority''s beauty standard?"


    "Uh¡­ no?"


    "Em!" Elise facepalmed frustratedly. "Em, you have jet ck hair, eyes darker than the night, and nice rosy, thin lips. You have big boobs and slender waist, although you often cover it with a loose shirt."


    "You don''t get popr in this ce not because you''re not pretty, but because you are trying to hide from the spotlight. We''ve been quite close to each other. Of course, I know that you''re seriously trying to hide."


    "If someone has boobs as big as yours, most of them will dress a bit more open to being proud of themselves. But not you¡­."


    "I don''t know the reason, to be exact, but I think what you did is correct. Because you said you don''t want to be noticed by people," Elise said. "But still¡­ if a boy took one good look on you, they would drool for real!"


    ¡­


    Okay, Elise was being way too honest for me to feelfortable. I knew what she said was all true, at least that part when showing my big tits by wearing a tight shirt would draw so many wanted and unwanted attention.


    That was what I did out of my own stupidity in my previous life. It cost me my high school life, even though all I wanted was to find someone that would recognize my presence and make me their friend if that was possible.


    "Elise, I think you''re being too serious here," I said. "It''s fine. I''m not nning to date anyone soon. I still have a lot of things to do, and dating will only ruin my ns," I said. Trying to calm her down after her endless nagging.


    "Well, I don''t forbid you to date, Em. I''m just scared that you might find a bad man that would hurt you in the future," Elise said. "But worry not, I am here to help you if something happens. You already helped me a lot, and I won''t forget all the things that you did for me."


    "O¡ªOkay, okay, rx, Elise."


    "Anyway, back to the n," I said, trying to return to the mission before this conversation about boys went on and cornered me more and more. "I have a n to bait them, but since I will be the one who ys the game, then I will have to rethink about this. Actually, my original n was to ask you to start smoking, just smoking a cigar until they found out about it and then posted it on Instagram."


    "Ah, a high school girl who smokes will definitely be a highlight in that Instagram ount," Elise agreed on my n. "But now that I can''t act as the bait will you also do the same stunt?"


    "I can''t do that," I shook my head. "You see, when it''s about smoking, I thought it would be more effective when you guys know each other."


    "To them, I am just a random girl with no name that smokes behind the club building, but what else they are going to do with that? It''s not a good tea when you don''t know her."


    "That''s why I''m nning to use another scandal that would definitely blow up after Natasha or Barbara found out about it."


    "What scandal?" Elise seemed to be curious as she slid the chair closer to my chair, listening carefully to what I wanted to say.


    I grinned mysteriously and leaned in to whisper in her ear.


    ¡­


    Elise''s expression turned from curious to shock to nervousness.


    "Do you think that''s a good idea? That''s a bit too risky, you know¡­." Elise said. "It would put you in an instant danger."


    "You can''t fight them without risking yourself. You know that Natasha is dangerous, right? Now, if you know about Barbara ''Barbie'' Cornwell, she is a lot more dangerous than Natasha," I said.


    "Really? But what I see is¡­ Barbara is mostly just an attention whore who wants to get all the attention from the boys. That''s why they called her Barbara Fordaboys. Because she did everything to make the boys fall in love with her."


    "Yeah, and that''s what''s dangerous about her. She used her charm to bait so many boys who don''t know better. Don''t you think it''s easy for Natasha Zest to request Thomas and his gang? She needs Barbara''s help to convince them," I tried to exin this to Elise. Back in my previous life, Barbara was the queen of Darthmorth for a good while until she graduated. But unlike Jessica, Barbara''s gang consisted of mostly boys, and for some reason, I never saw Natasha there. Though, even in this life, Elise told me that Barbara didn''t seem to be close with Natasha.


    So I guess they were close in private.


    During her senior year, she became the de facto queen nobody dared to mess up with. Because she got so many simps protecting her like an idiot. They didn''t know that Barbara literally only used them for her power.


    Though, I had to admit that Barbara was smart for using her beauty to her advantage. Though, I never wanted to do that.


    Because I refused to show my body to literally every guy I found potential just to solidify some power.


    Ironically, she was the one who called me a slut, while she was also the one who opened her legs for some boys with a good background to enjoy. It made me wonder if she was just projecting her own insecurity as a slut to me.


    "You''re right, Em. As I keep thinking about it, I don''t think Natasha can afford 2000 dors to pay Thomas and his gang. Her dad might be rich, but from what I heard, she doesn''t get that amount of money unless it''s for important things," Elise said. "Unlike uh¡­ who is that girl who got caught distributing drugs again? Leah Carpenter? Yeah, I heard that Leah Carpenter can buy a lot of drugs for her club and basically ruined the lives of dozens of young boys in the process. Since they would be in a long rehab session, they will never be the same after that. You know what, I''m d that she got caught because what she did was seriously vile."


    I nodded in agreement. She was vile indeed. So does Cerise and her self-centered victimization, Kristen with her messed up godplex that killed Helena, and Thomas Scottfield, who literally bullied Noah to his death because he was insecure of his own sexuality.


    Now it was Natasha and Barbara''s time, "What Natasha and Barbara did are also vile, Elise.. We will take them down."

 Chapter 189 - Bait (4)

    Chapter 189 ¨C Bait (4)


    I returned to ss after the lunch recess ended and had no intention of returning to the club because I didn''t need to find Elise after the ss ended. We had agreed not to meet in public, especially at school when Natasha or Barbara might find us talking together. It was better to reduce the potential risk of mission failure from the very start.


    Much to my annoyance, I was in the same ss with Chrissy Miles again. Because she had been eyeing me, yet again. As if she had set her eyes on me the moment she saw me talking with Mason Hall.


    And she was just one of Mason''s fans. Now imagine if you were getting hounded by literal dozes, even more than a hundred girls who all went crazy because of Mason Hall.


    Mason deserved the fame, of course. He was absolutely talented as an actor. But the consequence was dangerous for him and anyone close with him. So I also understood how he said that he liked me, but he couldn''t confess to me properly and asked me for a date because of the risk that woulde if we dated for real.


    Now it made me wonder whether Mason also had this problem in my previous life.


    What if¡­ he actually had someone else he liked in the previous life but could not confess because he didn''t want to put the girl a risk, knowing how rabid his fans were.


    But if he did fall in love with a girl in my previous life, he should''ve been able to date her after high school, right? Maybe he could confess after graduation.


    But I wondered why he would fall in love with me in this life, not that girl x.


    ¡­


    The more I think about Mason Hall, the more curious I get. I decided to just ward off the thought and focus on the ss instead.


    After the ss ended, Chrissy suddenly grabbed my wrist, yet again. I rolled my eyes as I got annoyed, but maybe this bitch really had something important to say.


    "What?" I asked her.


    "I saw you with Mason Hall again. You seriously have guts, Emmelyn Jones," Chrissy said. She tried to re at me, but it didn''t work when you were a head shorter than me. "Do you not realize that you''re messing with Jessica Lambert? You will die!"


    "Uh-huh, are you going to summon Jessica again and ridicule yourself in front of her like before?" I chuckled when I remembered how Jessica looked so angry when I turned the narration to frame Chrissy instead.


    But for some strange reason, this bitch could still hang out with Jessica and Ashley. I didn''t know how she could do it. Maybe she was kissing their boots every day like a dog.


    "You think I don''t know? I saw you talking with him behind a club building once! I even got a picture!"


    My eyes widened instantly. Now I actually felt threatened that Chrissy might have the picture of Mason kissing my cheek before. That picture would be a huge scandal that might kill me in only a few weeks. The cause of death would be killed by the crazy fangirl of a school idol.


    But I didn''t want to panic in front of Chrissy, despite my heart starting beating at an uncontroble pace right now. I needed to stay calm and collected.


    I raised my brow and grinned with provocation, "Really? Show me what kind of proof do you have then. I''m pretty sure I have never met with Mason Hall, and all of your made-up ideas will only kill you in the near future."


    "Hah! Do you think I''m scared of your threat?! I''m telling you, Emmelyn Jones. You have been caught red-handed trying to get into Mason Hall''s pants! I will share the picture with Mason''s fan club, and you will be witch-hunted!"


    "Oh,e on, stop with your useless babbling and just show me the picture already. You''re wasting my time," I said, trying to provoke her even more so she would show me the picture she had been trying to use to threaten my ass.


    Chrissy seemed to be provoked enough that she finally reached into her pocket and took out her phone. She searched through her gallery and showed me the picture she was talking about.


    And I waspletely speechless.


    No, not because I had been caught red-handed for talking with Mason or whatsoever. But because the picture she thought would be hard evidence of me flirting with Mason was just¡­ stupid.


    It was a picture of Mason talking with a girl who leaned on the wall. The girl had long dark hair, but since the picture''s angle was from the back of the girl, there was no face shown in the pic.


    Only a girl with long dark hair and god knows how many girls with long dark hair are in this school. If she tried to use me, that meant she also used every girl with long dark hair in school, and Chrissy would be aughing stock for the rest of the Mason fangirls fan club. Because there were so many girls who tried to approach Mason when he was alone, Mason always rejected them all.


    This picture could easily be Mason talking to one of the girls that tried to woo him to no avail. It was just simply stupid.


    Though, I was d that Chrissy didn''t have real evidence. And this picture was taken yesterday, which was good because I didn''t want the scene of Mason gently pecking my cheek to go viral in school.


    I thought for a moment and decided to just y along and acted terrified to y with Chrissy.


    "C¡ªChrissy, how did you get that picture?" I asked while acting like I lost my footing and fell to the chair again.


    Chrissy looked so satisfied seeing me looking scared, "Why? Of course, because I know Mason''s schedule!"


    Hehe, of course, she started speaking some of her secrets so easily. That was Chrissy Miles for you. Give her at least an ounce of power. She started abusing it, which happened in my previous life when she became Jessica''s underling. She started witch-hunting any girl who talked with Mason, past or present. Yet, she said that she did it in the name of her loyalty to Jessica since Jessica was the one who openly said that she liked Mason Hall.


    Little did Jessica Lambert know, Chrissy was just as crazy as she was.


    I continued acting to see how far I could take this, "P¡ªPlease, just don''t tell anyone, okay? Mason and I seriously have nothing between us. It''s just him and me being friends because we often bumped into each other. Please, Chrissy¡ªI¡ªI mean, Miss Chrissy, please don''t tell anyone. I''m so scared!"


    I even went extra by looking up to her and begged with my pitiful voice, and sparkling eyes pooled with tears.


    As expected, Chrissy looked sadistic and arrogant simultaneously, as if she had power over me.


    "Remember, stop talking with Mason Hall, or I will share this picture with everyone! You will die if I share this!" Chrissy threatened me, and I almostughed.


    "Y¡ªYes, please don''t send it to anyone."


    Chrissy Miles finally left me, and I was alone in the ssroom.


    "Pfft! Ahahahaha! So stupid!" Iughed freely after making sure there was nobody around me and the corridor. Chrissy Miles was seriously delusional if she thought she could threaten me with that picture.


    But now that she thought she had control over me, that meant she wouldn''t bother me for the next few months. I think I must''ve been scared out of my wits to talk with Mason or any boy.


    "At least there will be no more pesky side character until I have enough free time to throw her under a bridge or something," I said as I walked out and returned to my home.


    While I was on my way, I kept thinking about the nt that I whispered to Elise before leaving the Pottery club room. It was a genius idea, I wouldn''t lie, but that kind of idea was very risky.


    I needed to make sure that I had set up the person, so there wouldn''t be a chance of failure in this mission. Barbie was one of my most wanted targets. I wanted her to taste her own medicer on.


    I returned to the house and helped Grandma. After I was done with everything, I returned to my room, I had an idea of what to do, but I still had to brace myself for this. Because this might be one of my most courageous yet embarrassing thing to do because this mission to bait Natasha and Barbara¡­ involved Mason Hall, the school Idol.


    Thus, I took out my phone and started texting Mason Hall.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Good evening, Mason. Can I talk to you for a second?


    ¡ª

 Chapter 190 - Masons Gift (1)

    Chapter 190 ¨C Mason¡¯s Gift (1)


    This might be one of my most courageous yet embarrassing things because this mission to bait Natasha and Barbara¡­ involved Mason Hall, the school Idol.


    Thus, I took out my phone and started texting Mason Hall.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Good evening, Mason. Can I talk to you for a second?


    ¡ª


    I waited for his text back. So I took a bath first and then dried my hair before returning to my room. I checked the phone and got a few texts and missed calls from him.


    I opened the text first.


    ¡ª


    Mason: Oh, sure, Em! Do you need anything?


    Mason: I''m always free to call. Or should I call you first?


    Mason: Em? You there?


    Mason: :bunny emoji:


    ¡ª


    I chuckled at his text. I didn''t know that Mason could send some cute emojis as well. Thus, I texted him back;


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Can I call you now?


    Mason: Sure!


    ¡ª


    I was about to call him, but before I pressed the green button on my phone, I got a call from him first.


    I picked up the call from Mason Hall;


    __Phone call with Mason Hall__


    "Good evening, Em!" Mason sounded very cheery when calling me, and it set up afortable tone for us.


    "Good evening, Mason. Are you still in school today for your practice? Or you''re going for another movie shoot?" I asked. I sat on the bed and started talking with him about random stuff that would make himfortable because I would definitely need his help after this.


    "Ah, I''m done with the club today. I will have another shot tomorrow after ss. I''ve been cast to another role in another teen movie, still supporting cast though."


    "Ehh~ Do you think I don''t know that you can easily snatch that main lead role if you want," I teased him a bit. I knew that he was very popr on social media, and the directors really sought after his talent in acting. But Mason kept saying that he didn''t want a male lead role because he thought he didn''t like tomit at the working hours.


    He just didn''t have the time for it.


    "W¡ªWell, if I took the main lead, I won''t be able to call you like this, Em¡­" Mason said bashfully. "I will be too busy with that acting job¡­."


    "Well, that''s true. But aren''t you short of money? The main character pay would be handsome enough for you," I replied, thinking that it would benefit Mason Hall more.


    "I prefer to live modestly for now. I''m still a high schooler anyway, and I still don''t know what will I do after high school. So might as well enjoy what I''m doing right now," Mason replied logically.


    Ah, really, it might be cliche to say, but I had to admit that Mason Hall was very mature for his age. As if he was a lot older than his real age right now, the way he acted, tackled stuff and handled his schedule was like an adult.


    "So, Em¡­ I''d like to talk more with you. But I think you have something to talk about here, right? I''m all ears if you need me to do something," Mason said.


    Ah, now I had to find a smoother way to say this. Because this would corrte with my n to trap Natasha and Barbara.


    "So um¡­ you know, Mason. I''ve always wanted to know what does it feel like to get a gift," I said timidly. I was ashamed that I had to ask this, but this was the way to y the game.


    And, of course, I lied. Logan had given me the ne of a snake with ruby eyes as the pendant. I didn''t wear it to school because it was way too precious and eye-catching. It might attract dangerous people, both men, and women. Since I knew almost everyone in Darthmorth was either Lord Voldermort or Betrix Lestrange.


    "Eh? A gift?"


    "Yeah, you know, I''ve never even gotten a gift from someone other than my mom. I think thest time my mom gave me a gift was on my 10th birthday," I replied. "I mean, I can afford to buy something, of course. I can save enough money to buy something that I want. But it''s a different kind of feeling when someone gives you a thoughtful gift. You know, right?"


    ¡­


    "Uh¡­ I¡ªI don''t mind paying someone to buy me a gift. I have saved enough money. What do you think, Mason?"


    ¡­


    "MASON, SAY SOMETHING!" I yelled out of frustration and embarrassment. I was trying to force him to buy me something as a gift because I would use that as a tool to bait Natasha and Barbara.


    But I also got embarrassed in the process because it was a seriously embarrassing thing to ask!


    Mason cleared his throat and sounded pitiful here, "I¡ªI''m sorry, Em. It''s my fault. I should''ve bought you a present during Christmas before. But I was so busy that I forgot about it."


    "I''m so sorry. Let me make it up for you, okay?" Mason said. "I have saved enough money as well. I''m nning to take you on a dinner date. But since I''m so busy with my activity, I think this is the best time to use it!" Mason said excitedly.


    Now I was the one who started panicking because that wasn''t my intention. I just wanted him to buy me something for me to use as a tool for the mission, "No, no! Please don''t use your money! All I want is for you to buy me something and wrap it as a gift. I can give you the money, so you can buy it for me," I said, trying to make sense. Although this conversation was bound to be strange.


    "Huh? Why would I let you pay, Em? I am the one who wants to give you something as a present. You gave me that bunny cookie during Christmas, and I am forever grateful. Because those cookies warmed up my cold winter night. It''s natural for me to give you something in exchange for such kindness!" Mason insisted. "Don''t worry about me. I still have enough money even after I bought you something! I got lots of money from the advertisement shoot."


    "Ah, p¡ªplease don''t do that, Mason. I have money. I just need you to buy something!"


    "No need to be shy, Em! I''d love to buy you stuff too! I want to show you that I can give you a great gift that would lighten up your day!" Mason said excitedly. And I was literally speechless right now as I didn''t know how to convince him that he didn''t need to use his own money.


    Maybe it was his way to say that he wasn''t that poor, even though he earned all those money by himself. So he wanted to buy me something nice as a gift.


    It was such an admirable move. Despite all his shorings, he still wanted to buy me something out of his own pocket, and I wouldn''t lie that I felt appreciated.


    "Just¡­ make sure that you don''t buy me anything expensive, okay? 10 dor stuff is okay. Heck, even 5 dors stuff would be alright as well. Just don''t waste your saving for it," I said, trying to warn him not to go overboard for his mission of giving me a present.


    "For the price, I will not tell, Em. I just want you to feel happy with my gift. I want you to know that you meant a lot to me," Mason said. "So please, let me treat you this time, okay?"


    ¡­


    Sigh, I literally couldn''t ept him like this. I bet he would use all his saved money to buy me some random, expensive gift. And I didn''t want that. I just felt that I didn''t deserve such a thing.


    This was also the same as what happened with Logan''s gift. He might think the cost was so meager, but for me, it was too precious that I got scared wearing it.


    But both Mason and Logan were stubborn in their own ways.


    "Just¡­ make sure that you won''t hurt yourself for buying me something. You should also tell me how much you spent on that, and I will send you the money as well, okay?" I tried to convince Mason not to waste his time.


    "Hehe, I won''t promise that. Anyway, I''ll have to go now. Talk to youter, Em! I wille to you with the gift of my choice!"


    "Have a good sleep tonight, Em!" Mason said before he hung up the call.


    Beep.


    __Phone call ends__


    I sighed, full of pity because Mason seemed very eager about it.


    The thing was, in order for this mission to work, I HAD to get something from Mason, so it would be counted as a gift, and I would use that as the key.


    "But still¡­ Mason Hall, why are you so sweet to me?"

 Chapter 191 - Masons Gift (2)

    Chapter 191 ¨C Mason¡¯s Gift (2)


    I went to school the next day withplicated feelings in me. I didn''t know whether I should be happy or nervous that Mason Hall was actually going to buy me something.


    So my n was basically to get a gift from Mason and then ''identally'' unted the said gift to Natasha and Barbara. Maybe they would simply overhear me talking about it, or they''d see me wearing it. It really depended on the scenario that would fit. As long as they found out about it and posted it on their Instagram.


    I might need to wait until the ckmail started, though, to make it less obvious, I had to wait until there were two or three more posts on top of my gossip on that Instagram page.


    This would lessen their suspicion about me.


    All I wanted to do here was give them pressure until I could find an opening to exploit them even further.


    But for now, I was studying in ss, but my mind flew off somewhere, mostly about what Mason would give me as a gift.


    I waited until the lunch break and went to the club building. I walked past the American Football Club and saw Mason busy discussing something with his peers, probably new strategy or whatsoever because they looked so serious.


    I quickly went to my club and ate my lunch inside. I wouldn''t lie that I secretly expected Mason Hall to suddenlye in and give me the gift.


    But at the same time, I knew it was really dangerous because one of his crazy fangirls, like Chrissy, might find out about it too quickly and ruin the mission for me. I had to be careful.


    Thus, after half an hour, I finally got a text from Mason Hall.


    ¡ª


    Mason: Em, where are you right now?


    ¡ª


    I guessed this meant that he already had the present in his hand. I was considering whether I should tell him now or not at all.


    Because I felt it was a bit rushed and overexcited of me. And I certainly didn''t want to meet him in this Pottery club because this ce was reserved only for Logan as the Club President.


    So I texted back;


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I''m unavable right now, but we can meet after school if you want. I will be waiting behind the club building, the same spot where you brought me before.


    Mason: Okay then, I''ll be waiting there after school.


    ¡ª


    "Ah, why is this much more nerve-racking than I thought? Is it because I''m going to get a gift from Mason Hall?" I asked myself while staring at his chat.


    I didn''t want to look overly eager, but I wouldn''t lie that I was super excited.


    **


    After ss ended, I walked straight to the club building and went around to the empty spot of the big building. Mason had texted me, saying that he was waiting under a tree, the same spot where he confessed to me for the first time.


    Thus, when I approached the spot, I saw Mason wearing a white jacket blended with the snow. He was standing under a tree, he didn''t seem to be holding any kind of gift, but his hand was inside his pocket. So maybe he had a small gift for me.


    I clenched my fist in my pants pocket as well because I had saved about 500 dors from red rose man. I didn''t want Mason to spend way too much money on me. I knew that he wasn''t as rich as Logan, and he had to earn all of his money to live decently.


    I knew the struggle of living in poverty, and it was tough. Sometimes, I wished I could just vanish out of thin air so I didn''t have to face the harsh life. Though, I was still grateful that at least I had a roof over my head.


    "M¡ªMason, have you been waiting long?"


    "Ah, you''re finally here, Em," Mason smiled at me. "Not so long. I''ve just arrived here as well."


    "I¡ªI see¡­." I felt very awkward now, especially when Mason kept staring at me boldly with his dreamy eyes. He seemed to have something in mind but still zipped his mouth. "So, um¡­ you know, the thing that I requested you," I said in a low voice.


    "I know, and I remember, Em," Mason replied., He chuckled lightly and took something from his jacket pocket, a box smaller than Logan had given me before.


    And I knew this was probably as expensive or even more expensive than that cobra with ruby eyes.


    ''Ah shit, Emmelyn Jones, you''re a fucking idiot. Why do you only bring 500 bucks for this?! Do you think it''s enough?!'' I cursed at myself in my head. I really thought that Mason would go at least a bit of a cheapskate at me and bought me some 100 bucks gift, which was still expensive but fair enough for him not to go broke.


    But from the small, luxurious case, it was apparent that Mason bought me a very expensive gift.


    "W¡ªWhat do you bring for me? Uh¡­ just tell me the price, and I will try to pay it back. I just need the gift from you because I¡ª" I wanted to say that I needed it for a mission. But at the same time, I knew that wasn''t kind to say, especially when he went all the way to buy me something from his hard-earned money.


    "¡ªN¡ªNevermind, just tell me the price, and I will pay it," I said, trying to make a point here.


    Mason smiled and replied, "Why don''t you check the gift first, and I will tell you about the price in the end."


    "Okay."


    Mason slowly opened the small box and¡ªPOP!


    A pair of rose-shaped ruby and rose-shaped emerald earrings were inside. The right earring was a rose-shaped ruby, and the left was a rose-shaped emerald.


    It was so beautiful, but it also made me wonder how could he get these. It looked so damn expensive and rare, I doubted any jewelry store would have something specific like this.


    "Em, I searched around the city to get these earrings. I picked the rose because you''re as beautiful as a red rose that survived a harsh winter," Mason said as he pointed at the ruby rose earring.


    "And the emerald one?" I asked.


    Mason smiled meaningfully, "I just think that the color will fit you. Ruby and Emerald, side by side, different but harmonious as one. When you''re the one who wears it, it will be perfect."


    Okay, that was beautiful. I wouldn''t lie that Mason was a romantic man. He knew how to speak sweetly. I was very stoic and skeptical about love, but Mason made it sound natural and romantic.


    My cheeks started reddening, and the hand inside my pocket started trembling. Because I knew this was definitely expensive. From the shine of the ruby and emerald, I knew it wasn''t a fake one. It was legit jewelry, and the cost was definitely extravagant.


    I bet he was spending all his savings on this. Who knew he might also take loans, though I found it a bit ridiculous since he was one 16 right now. But still, my 500 bucks wouldn''t even cover 1/10 of the real price.


    "Mason, I¡­ I don''t think I can ept these¡­."


    "Why? Do you not like it?" Mason asked. He looked surprised by my response.


    So I quickly rified, "I love it. It''s really pretty. But this is expensive, right? If you used your saving or even took a loan for this present, then I cannot take it. You should probably sell it and buy me cheap 50 bucks stuff."


    "That''s not what I want, Em," Mason shook his head. "You''re a precious girl to me. Giving you something cheap will be humiliating."


    "And I''m not a material girl. I don''t need something so damn expensive when I know you''re struggling," I sighed. It seemed that Mason''s mind was still stuck in the 50s chivalry.


    I knew it was his way to express his adoration, but he could just buy me cheap 10 bucks stuff, and I would still ept it gracefully.


    "Don''t worry about the price, Em. One role from a movie can pay for it. So I''m notcking money right now," Mason replied. "But, if you want to appreciate it, can I do something to you?"


    "What do you want?" I asked cautiously. I was afraid that he would want my body in exchange for that expensive gift. If he wanted me to give him. a blowjob or something illicit, I would kick him in the nuts for real.


    Though, I doubted someone as decent as Mason would ask for something like that.


    "I want you to see you wearing it.. It would be my greatest honor," Mason replied with his bashful smile. "If¡­ if you allow me, can I be the one who put the earring on your ears?"

 Chapter 192 - Ruby And Emerald (1)

    Chapter 192 ¨C Ruby And Emerald (1)


    "I want you to see you wearing it. It would be my greatest honor," Mason replied with his bashful smile. "If¡­ if you allow me, can I be the one who put the earring on your ears?"


    "Putting the earring?" I was surprised by his request. I mean, putting on a bracelet or ne was already very intimate for me. When Logan sped the ne for me, I felt that it was unnecessarily intimate.


    But now, Mason Hall wanted to put the earring on my ears?


    I hesitated and asked him first, "Do you even know how to put on earrings? Since it''s¡­ you know, girl''s thing."


    Mason smiled mysteriously, "Don''t worry, I know how to put on earrings. I did it once, and she didn''tin at all."


    "In fact, she looked gorgeous when I put it on her," Mason said while staring at me meaningfully. I got curious since I never heard Mason be close with anyone, let alone putting on earrings to a girl. That was another level of trust.


    Because I honestly wouldn''t trust a boy to put on my earring, it was too risky that they might rip my ear in the process.


    "You did that? To who?" I asked.


    Mason smiled thin and shrugged, "Just my mom. When I was in elementary, he often told me to put on the earrings while she was busy with makeup. So I got used to it."


    "Really?" I still couldn''t believe his statement. Somehow, I felt it was a bit off. Mason said he lived alone for a long time, so I guessed that his parents were probably divorced. Mason didn''t want to follow anyone, nor did his parents seem to care about him.


    So I deduced that Mason had a terrible rtionship with his family.


    But now, he suddenly said that he often helped his mom put on the earring? That was a bit weird¡­


    But I couldn''t ask more about that, it was a private matter, and Mason would be offended if I pried on his personal stuff.


    I wanted to say that I could put it on by myself, but by the looks of it, it seemed that Mason was really eager to put the earring on my ears. I swallowed my saliva as I tried to calm myself before epting his offer.


    "You¡­ are you sure that you can do it? Can you really put on the earring?"


    "I can do it, Em."


    "J¡ªJust be careful, okay? My piercing is a bit tight because I rarely wear earrings," I said. And that statement was a lie, by the way, because I often wore earrings in my room when I was alone.


    I couldn''t wear it in school because I was afraid of getting bullied, and the earrings in my stash were mostly cheap came in many shapes and colors. It was a source of ridicule if anyone found out that I also liked collecting colorful knick-knacks and jewelry.


    "Don''t worry, Em. I understand in the back of my head. Trust me," Mason gave me reassurance, and I finally epted the offer.


    "Just be careful¡­." I warned him again. I tucked my hair behind my ear to show him that I epted his plea.


    Mason looked so happy that it made me wonder why he would overreact to something like this? I saw how his dreamy blue eyes sparkled with joy as he thanked me.


    Mason Hall took the ruby rose first and carefully approached me. He stood on my right side and then put on the ruby rose. I closed my eyes, afraid that he might do it wrong, which would end up hurting me in the process. But as I closed my eyes, I could feel the cold stainless steel slide through the hole on my right ear smoothly.


    "Done," Mason said.


    I opened my eyes and frowned instantly. It was really strange that Mason was really good at this. I touched my right ear, and I felt the rose-shaped ruby.


    "You¡­ you really can do this?" I asked, still couldn''t believe that he knew how to do it.


    "Told you that I know how to put on earrings, right?" Mason giggled lightly. He took out the emerald rose and then walked to my left side. "This is the emerald rose, Em. I personally rte to this emerald rose the most."


    "Hm? Why?" I asked.


    "Because it reminds me of someone. Someone that I keep close in my heart," Mason replied. He gently put on the second earring, and this time, I didn''t close my eyes because I knew that he could put it carefully without hurting me.


    "Done," Mason Hall said. He took a few steps back to stare at me from a distance, and his smile became even warmer, "You''re gorgeous, Em¡­."


    My cheeks reddened by hispliment. The way he uttered it, I wouldn''t lie that it was lovely and warm. Mason''s smile warmed me up.


    "The ruby rose reminds me of you, Em. You''re beautiful and bold. You''re mysterious yet alluring."


    "And the emerald rose reminds me of something else. I just hope that you will understand¡­" Mason said vaguely. His eyes suddenly pooled with tears as if he was about to cry soon.


    "Eh? Why are you crying, Mason?" I asked as I approached him.


    "Ah¡ªI''m sorry, it must''ve been weird for you to see me like this," Mason said.


    Well, yeah, it was weird to see the perfect Mason Hall suddenly cry like that. But I wasn''t someone who would invalidate you for having a feeling. Mason must''ve been thinking about something that made him emotional.


    "Can you¡­ hold me, Em?"


    "Hold you?"


    "Yeah, hold my hand¡­" Mason said.


    "Um¡­ okay," I said. I gently intertwined my fingers with his, and he held my hand tightly. I could feel the warmth from his hand, and it made me realize that mine was actually quite cold.


    "Em, are you cold?" Mason asked. He looked worried for some reason, even though cold hands-on winter was verymon. I was actually surprised that his hand felt really warm.


    "My hand was cold before, but since yours is very warm, I''m fine now," I showed a smile at him, and Mason Hall got emotional again. A tear dropped from the edge of his left eye. "Mason, why are you crying? Is there something wrong?"


    "N¡ªNo, it''s nothing. I''m just happy that I can hold your warm hand¡­" Mason said. "It''s very important for me, Em."


    Another tear dropped from the edge of his right eye, so I gently put my other hand to his cheek and wiped the tear with my thumb.


    "Mason, I don''t know what you''re talking about right now. But trust me, everything will be okay," I said. I guess that was the most proper advice I could give him because I had zero idea of what he was talking about.


    Mason smiled bitterly, and he closed his eyes. He rubbed his cheek on my cold palm, and he got even more emotional than before. His tears started streaming down.


    I quickly retracted my hand, afraid that my cold hand might hurt him. Maybe his face was thin and sensitive since he always looked so clean without pimples whatsoever.


    But Mason Hall suddenly grabbed my wrist, preventing me from retracting my hand, "M¡ªMason?"


    "Em, please caress me like this. I really want to feel your palm brushing on my cheek," Mason said. He continued crying in silence, which showed a deep, unspeakable pain that got me wondering what happened to him. But if this would help him relieve his stress, I wouldn''t mind at all.


    I didn''t dare to ask him questions. I just allowed him to rub his cheek on my palm because it seemed that Mason had such a deep pain that he couldn''t tell, just by looking at his face, and he seemed to beforted by doing that, much to my confusion.


    "Em, I''m so sorry. Please forgive me¡­."


    "Forgive you? For what?" I asked. "I never have any bad beef with you, and you''ve always been so sweet to me, Mason. I don''t even think it''s possible to find someone else sweeter than you."


    "I''m so d that you think like that, Em," Mason said. I still didn''t understand what made him like this, but if this would make him feel better¡­


    "I''m sorry that I cannot confess to you officially. It tortures me every day because I''m afraid that something would happen if I confessed and we are dating," Mason said. "Em, I''m so sorry¡­."


    "En, I forgive you," I said. I felt that he was overreacting. He did tell me that he liked me, and he wanted to confess to me formally, so we could date. I still had zero opinion about us dating, but at the same time, I wouldn''t lie that it would be such a hard choice.


    Still, he was overreacting.. We had a lot of times anyway.

 Chapter 193 - Ruby And Emerald (2)

    Chapter 193 ¨C Ruby And Emerald (2)


    "En, I forgive you," I said, hoping that it would calm Mason down, despite me not knowing what the hell happened to him and what he was thinking right now.


    Mason let out a small chuckle and said, "I know you don''t understand, Em. But it''s fine. I just hope that you can wait until I can sort stuff out and I can confess to you."


    "Life in high school is pretty hard, don''t you think?" Mason asked.


    I nodded slowly, "It is difficult."


    High school life was very difficult for me in my previous life, even in this one. If I returned in time without all those traumatic experiences from my previous life, I wouldn''t be here being a viiness that slowly took down my enemies one by one.


    "Em, I wish that high school will end soon, and then we can graduate and find a good university," Mason said.


    Now it was me who scoffed because I felt that was simply impossible. There was no ''we'' between us. I knew that Mason Hall would probably go to an Ivy League university because everything about him screamed sess. I bet he would get some schrship that covered all his expenses and graduated with honor in that Ivy League as well.


    Now it made me wonder what happened with Mason after my death. I assumed that he probably heard about my gruesome death and just moved on with his life, became a sessful actor, and married an aplished youngdy.


    Mason Hall''s sess was already predetermined, honestly.


    It also got me wondering what happened with Logan after my death. I had zero contact with him in my previous life because we didn''t know each other. Thest thing I know about him was the rich kid who bought the whole pottery club room for himself.


    But, based on what he was doing right now, he was probably still busy with his mission. He would still be that rich man, but I couldn''t portray him standing with any girl. He was definitely unbearable for many people, whether boy or girl. So I doubted he settled with anyone.


    It was only I who had no future. Once, I wished that I could graduate and study at university. Heck, at least I was legal enough to work by myself and worked in a fast food joint or something. That was the lowest my expectation could go.


    But nope, I died during prom. There was no future for me.


    Now that I had returned in time, I still had no idea what I would do in the future. All those dreams died long ago, and I would probablymit suicide right after I get all my revenge in this world as well.


    "Em? Emmy? Are you okay?" Mason called my name and snapped me out of my daze.


    I shook my head and nodded awkwardly, "Y¡ªYeah, I''m okay. I''m just thinking about something."


    "Well then, I hope you like the gift that gave to you," Mason said.


    "I like it a lot, thank you, Mason. But there is one thing¡­." I wanted to reach the money in my pocket, but both of my hands were upied. One was holding Mason''s hand, and the other was on his cheek.


    "Um¡­ please release me, Mason."


    "Why? Do you want to reach on something in your pocket?"


    "Yeah, money," I replied. "I didn''t bring much because I didn''t expect you to give me such an expensive gift. But I will try to find a way to repay you back for it. I don''t want to feel burdened because of the gift."


    Mason smiled and shook his head, "You don''t need to pay me with money. I have more than you think, much more, actually."


    "Then, what do you want for an exchange? I will not let you pay for something so expensive without a payback. I''m not a freeloader."


    Mason seemed to be thinking for a moment and then smiled. He raised the hand holding mine and then kissed the back of my hand, "Two kisses. One is on your hand, and the other¡ª"


    I was stunned when Mason slowly leaned in, his eyes were mesmerizing, and it drowned me into a fantasy that I couldn''t even fathom. A fantasy of any girl in this high school.


    I could feel his breath and how his nose already touched mine. I closed my eyes voluntarily and allowed him to kiss me for the first time, my very first kiss.


    Chu.


    But what I got wasn''t what I expected. He didn''t kiss me right on the lips. He kissed me on my cheek, but the edge of his lips was brushing against mine, teasing me with such a sweet temptation.


    I opened my eyes slowly and saw Mason smiling at me. His cheeks were red. It seemed that he was as embarrassed as I was.


    "I¡­ I cannot kiss you on the lips. I don''t want to be a plunderer when we''re not officially dating yet. It''s not proper of me to treat a gorgeousdy like you, Em¡­" Mason Hall said.


    I totally forgot that he was such a gentleman. He finally released my hands and took one step back, "Em, that is more than enough for the payback. In fact, I will give as much jewelry as you want as long as I can be with you."


    "Ah, this is the earring box, please take it," Mason said as he handed me the jewelry box.


    "I¡­ I need to leave soon. I cannot stand here for too long. I''m afraid that I can''t control myself. Don''t worry about getting discovered by anyone. I already make sure there is nobody around except us. I don''t want anyone to see your gorgeous self, Em¡­" Mason said as he turned around and walked away. I stared at his broad back. I couldn''t lie that my heart was beating loudly right now.


    I put my palm on my chest and the cold, dead heartfelt warmth once more. Mason Hall really knew the way of my feeling and my body. He knew something that even I didn''t know deep in my heart.


    That I longed for warmth, and I craved for a tease. He was teasing me, and I took the bait.


    "Em, you''re falling in love again," I said to myself. "You''ve fallen in love with him even harder than the previous life."


    I remembered how I admired Mason Hall for the life I couldn''t have. He was amazing, always amazing in anything he was doing. A perfect male lead in some Wattpad or AllNovelFull story.


    But I knew my limitation, and it was simply impossible for us to be together.


    He was also the indirect cause of my bullying. If only he didn''t carry me to the infirmary when I fainted before, my bullied life would be a bit better.


    But should I me him for something he couldn''t control? I bet he just acted out of kindness when he brought me to the infirmary.


    Now that he clearly showed his intention, I wondered what attracted him.


    Was it my appearance? Or it was something else I didn''t know?


    But one thing is for sure, "There his no way I can say no when he confessed to me officially and wants me to be his girlfriend¡­."


    "Ah, Emmelyn Jones, you''re such an idiot for following your desire."


    I cursed at myself and sighed defeatedly. I already promised myself not to feel anything other than my desire for revenge once I returned back in time. But I was still a high school girl. In the end, I wanted to love and be loved. When a man like Mason Hall showed interest in me, I wouldn''t lie that I also had an expectation in my heart.


    I covered my ears with my hair, so nobody would find out that I had a pair of beautiful earrings on me. Then I quickly went to the parking lot and took my bike.


    My mind wandered off as I returned home. I kept thinking about Mason Hall. I didn''t know whether it was alright for me to let this feeling inside my heart. I was unsure of myself.


    I parked my bike outside and then went inside my house. Grandma didn''t go and sit on the terrace today because it was cold and might worsen her health.


    I unlocked the door with my key and found Grandma watching television. As usual, I sat beside her and kissed her cheek, "Good evening, Grandma."


    "Oh! Wee back, Emmelyn! How''s your school?" Grandma finally reacted. For some reason, Grandma was less reactive during the winter season. Maybe because it was too cold, even though she was covered from head to toe.


    So I had to take extra care of her during winter.


    "School is good, Grandma. Do you want to eat dinner now?"


    Grandma stared at me for a while and then slowly tucked my hair behind my ear. He smiled when he saw the earring and said, "It''s such a beautiful earring, Em.. I''m d that you ept it."

 Chapter 194 - Setup (1)

    Chapter 194 ¨C Setup (1)


    Grandma stared at me for a while and then slowly tucked my hair behind my ear. He smiled when he saw the earring and said, "It''s such a beautiful earring, Em. I''m d that you epted it."


    I paused for a good minute while Grandma kept on touching my new earring. I didn''t know why she would say that, especially when she said that she was d I epted it.


    "Grandma, what do you mean by epting it?" I asked, full of suspicion.


    "Oh, I just thought that you should get a Christmas gift from your boyfriend, a personal one. I''m d that your boyfriend got you something," Grandma said. "This earring is from your boyfriend, right?"


    ¡­


    I had a feeling that Grandma was hiding something from me, but I couldn''t quite grasp what she was hiding.


    I didn''t want to push her as well because she was old and fragile. If I pressured her to say something, it might affect her health.


    So, I tried to ignore it and went to the kitchen instead. I cooked a chicken soup for Grandma, so she could feel warmer before having some for myself and saving a bowl for momter.


    I helped grandma go to her room and then returned to my room. The first thing that I did was check my reflection in the mirror.


    I tucked my hair behind the ear and finally saw the ruby and emerald rose earrings. It was indeed beautiful, and from one nce of it, everyone would know these were high-quality gemstones.


    It made me wonder about the true prize of the earring.


    I stared at myself for a while and then took something from my back.


    I stared at the silver cobra ne with ruby eyes as the pendant and then put it around my neck. I flicked my hair and stared at the mirror again.


    I now had Mason''s earrings and Logan''s ne on me, and I wouldn''t lie¡­ I loved them both.


    It made me feel sensual and deadly at the same time, not that it mattered much in my mission. But I''ve always had a hobby of dressing up in private. Because I couldn''t do it in front of many people.


    This was the first time I ever adorned myself with jewelry after my death, and I felt gorgeous. So much so that I took a mirror selfie of myself.


    I sent the mirror selfie to Elise because I wanted to share my happiness, and Elise replied quick.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Picture sent.


    Elise: OMG, Em! You look he gorgeous!


    Elise: Those ruby and emerald earrings fit you, and that cobra ne definitely gives you that mysterious but deadly allure.


    Elise: Now, my question is¡­ I doubt you bought it by yourself, Em. You never told me that you have an interest in jewelry.


    Emmy: Well, it is given.


    ¡ª


    Elise stopped responding after that. I bet she was trying to stay calm when I said it was a gift. Because I knew that Elise was the one who opposed my entanglement with Mason Hall the most.


    I waited for her text, and after almost 30 minutes, she finally texted back.


    ¡ª


    Elise: It''s from Mason Hall, isn''t it?


    Emmy: Yes.


    ¡ª


    I didn''t intend to tell him that the cobra ne was from Logan because I knew Elise would be even more distressed by it. But I just wanted to share something that made me happy.


    ¡ª


    Elise: Em¡­ I can''t really say no to you. You''re the master of your own body. If you think that epting a gift from Mason Hall is what you want, I cannot stop you.


    Elise: Just make sure that nobody knows about it.


    Emmy: Well, about that, I actually texted you because I want to talk about it.


    Elise: What do you mean?


    Emmy: I want to use these gifts as bait for Natasha and Barbara. Watch how they will burn out of jealousy once they see me wearing something given by Mason Hall.


    Elise: Isn''t that too dangerous? Em, Mason Hall is not someone you should mess around with. The fangirls surrounding him are just way too rabid and vindictive.


    ¡ª


    Oh, of course, I knew that. I experienced it firsthand in my previous life. Just because I got carried by Mason Hall to the infirmary, I deserved endless suffering. It was seriously messed up.


    But that was what I wanted in here. I wanted to bait Natasha and Barbara to post a controversial topic on their Instagram page. Then I could disguise myself as one of Mason Hall''s crazy fans that terrorized the fan page as much as I could.


    I could also act as if I had doxed their phone and threatened to share their identity. I was pretty sure there were plenty of people ready to hound them like a pack of feral dogs because of their gossip.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: It is dangerous. But we''re going to take down the main bitches of your batch. We need to y it dangerously to get better returns, high-risk, high reward kind of game.


    Elise: You''re really daring, Em. Do you not realize you could lose everything if you got leaked?


    Emmy: I will make sure they don''t know my name. So you should help me set up thingster on.


    Emmy: Also, I don''t really have anything to lose.


    ¡ª


    It was true. I didn''t really have anything to lose at this point. I was d that I could see my Mom and Grandma again, and that was all I wanted, honestly.


    Elise didn''t text me back again. She might need time to reply because I was being too bold right now.


    Now that I had obtained the necessary tool to start the bait, I just needed to set up a good ce and time to make sure that Barbara or Natasha, or just both of them to ''identally'' found me talking with Mason Hall, and they would start posting it in their Instagram Page,


    I waited until Elise calmed herself down, but I found no more text from her. So I called her number.


    After a few beeps, Elise picked up the call;


    __PHone call with Elise__


    "Hello, Em?" Elise opened the conversation first.


    "Elise, what took you so long to reply?" I asked. "I genuinely need your help to set up things."


    "You want me to find their schedule, right?" Elise asked, and I confirmed it with a low hum. "Well, I''m currently texting Mona about it. She is more active in the ss than I do, and I''ve been in hiding, skipping school these days because I''m avoiding Natasha right now."


    "Ah, I thought you didn''t like my n and decided to drop it. Got me worried for a second there, Elise," I sighed, full of relief. "Thank you."


    "No need to thank me, Em. I just don''t want you to get hurt. I also want to help you in any way possible," Elise said. "Let me try to find a good schedule of them, but I think you shouldn''t do the bait in school. It''s way too obvious. It''s better if you do it outside of the school to make it less threatening for yourself."


    Ah, I got her worry this time. If I did it in school, it was possible that not only Natasha or Barbara would be present to hear me talking about the gift from Mason, but other people might identally eavesdrop on the conversation.


    "Then, the setup should probably happen downtown, in the shopping district, probably in a cafe or something," I said. I remember when I identally met Chrissy when I had a date with Mason Hall.


    That kind of idental meet-up was a lot more impactful to create some buzz and convince Natasha and Barbara that they were eavesdropping on a real tea.


    "Yeah, that sounds good, Em," Elise said. "I got information from Mona that Natasha and Barbara often went to a cafe not far from hers. They did it regrly as well. She said they usually visited on the weekend, around Saturday evening."


    Perfect, now that I got a good setup, the only thing left was to find the right date for this.


    "Elise, we should talk with Mona again. Please set up a good time for us to talk as three in her parent''s cafe," I said eagerly. I couldn''t wait to do this.


    This was actually the first mission that I was genuinely excited to do. Because I had something else a lot more sinister in my mind after I caught Natasha and Barbara on my web.


    They were going to suffer the way I got.


    Hmm¡­ maybe even worse than that, honestly. My personal grudge against Barbara ''Barbie'' Cornwell was no less with Jessica Lambert.


    Both of them were Queen Bee of Darthmorth High School, in different years, of course.


    But both also inflicted the same pain with me, Barbie Cornwell was the one who started the ''slut'' bully, and Jessica was the one who ended the bullying by killing me.


    Both were horrible, and I wanted atrocious revenge on them as well.

 Chapter 195 - [Bonus ] Setup (2)

    Chapter 195 ¨C [Bonus ] Setup (2)


    __PHone call with Elise__


    "Elise, we should meet tomorrow after school ends. Do you think Mona will be free for a talk?"


    "She should be, but we need to meet somewhere else. How about that usual cafe we usually met?" Elise offered, reminding me of that cafe where I met her first.


    That ce wasn''t far from the school, but it was very quiet and empty most of the time. Maybe because most students couldn''t afford to buy some expensive coffee, or even if they did, they would just go downtown and go to the shopping district instead.


    "Do you think Mona can meet us there after school ends?"


    "Yes, she can. She is mostly free other than working in her parent''s cafe," Elise replied.


    "Okay, then, I will be waiting tomorrow. Have you told her about our n?"


    "She knows everything, Em. Don''t you remember that she is the one who delivered the fake love letter to Miss Brittany Alba when we''re trying to take down Thomas and his gang?"


    "Ah, I see¡­." I nodded. I knew I was being too paranoid. But I was just scared that she might betray us and tell everything to Natasha or Barbara.


    I was d that she was tightly bound with Elise, we didn''t talk much, but she was definitely one of the winning factors in the previous mission, and this one swell.


    "I''m waiting for our conversation tomorrow, Elise."


    "Me too, Em."


    Beep.


    __Phone call ends__


    I hung up the call after talking with Elise. Now that the mission had been put into motion, I should also start gathering more information. Logan told me a few days ago that he was still trying to get information about the one behind the Darthmorth Gossip page.


    I checked the page once more and found a new gossip post.


    ¡ª


    A popr girl ''J'' in the freshman batch is a dirty slut, but acts like a pure girl in front of the popr boys to get their attention.


    That''s what a slut usually does, hihi.~


    ¡ª


    Oh, this one was obvious. The girl ''J'' was definitely Jessica Lambert, and the one who posted this was definitely Barbara Cornwell.


    She had the tendency to call any girl she found as apetition as ''slut'' and then slut shaming them into oblivion, making sure the girl was too ashamed to evene to school.


    I knew Jessica Lambert really well, and though I hated her so much, I wouldn''t call her a slut.


    She was actually one of the girls who used her money and brain to slowly recruit her followers. She wasn''t some dumb bimbo who used her pussy to take control of horny, idiotic high school boys, like what Barbara did.


    Barbara ''Barbie'' Cornwell was just projecting her own insecurity to someone else, like always. She was insecure because she was the slut that had no other qualifications other than being a bimbo.


    "Well, this also proves that I can also use the status as Darthmorth''s slutter on. Just you wait, Barbara."


    **


    I went to school the next day with Mason and Logan''s gifts inside my bag. Though, I only intended to show Mason''s gift because that was all I needed.


    I waited until the end of thest ss and headed straight to the parking lot. I didn''t intend to go to the club building today because I had nothing to do there.


    I texted Elise first, asking whether she was already in the cafe;


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Are you already in the cafe, Elise? The school has just ended.


    Elise: I am. I already texted Mona. She said she would being soon, you shoulde too, Em. Before anyone noticed your presence.


    Emmy: I''m on my way.


    ¡ª


    I went with my bike to the designated cafe not far from the school. I parked the bike and saw Elise sitting inside. I went in and sat on the opposite chair, "I''m here, Elise."


    Elise nodded, her expression looked solemn, and she said, "Mona would being soon. But before shees, I really need to ask a few things, Em."


    "Do ask."


    "I haven''t told her about your rtionship with Mason, and I don''t know if she already knows about that one or not. I also want to know¡­ how far is your rtionship with Mason now."


    "The fact that he would give you a love letter, so you can use it to trap Miss Brittany Alba, and now he also gifted you expensive gifts. Em, I feel like you''re already in a serious rtionship with him," Elise asked. She sighed, "I''m sorry if I sound too curious, but whenever I think about Mason Hall, I got very restless and scared that something bad might happen to you."


    I still didn''t understand her nervousness about Mason Hall. Elise seemed to be having a deep trauma with that guy. But for me, I really found nothing wrong with Mason except the fact that he could look a bit¡­ scary.


    But he never actually hurt me, nor did he ever talk bad about me. Which was enough in my dictionary.


    "I will be careful, Elise. But you know that we need to use Mason Hall for this mission, right? He is always going to be the best bait in many cases because of his poprity and mysteriousness," I said, exining my stance.


    "You''re right, Em. He is still the best bait in many things, just like with Miss Alba. I''m just wondering what would happen if he knows that you''ve been using him as bait," Elise wondered, and that question got me worried as well.


    Honestly, I didn''t think that Mason would do anything to me, nor that his goody-two-shoes ass would know about such nefarious deed I do to my enemies.


    It was better to be kept in the dark, doing his Mason stuff, and be the perfect, stable young man with the perfect life.


    Elise and I were staring at each other in silence until the cafe door was opened, and we turned our heads together. I saw Mona looking expressionless as always, searching for our spot.


    Once she found our spot, she quickly went to our seat and sat beside Elise, "Sorry to keep you waiting, how''s the n?" Mona asked.


    I was a tad surprised by her eagerness. She didn''t seem burdened with knowing that she was about to set another trap.


    Elise replied first, "We''re here with Em today. She will be the one who tells you about the n."


    Mona shifted her gaze at me and waited patiently. She didn''t act differently from when I met her during my visit with Noah in her cafe. She was always expressionless but wasn''t hostile.


    "It''s been a while since thest time we met, Emmelyn Jones," Mona greeted me. "Thank you for saving Elise from her depression and giving her the revenge she wants. I was really afraid that she might kill herself out of depression, but you give her hope. Thank you so much."


    I nodded awkwardly, knowing that wasn''t the only reason why I took revenge against Thomas and his gang. But if that would benefit me, then why not?


    "Now that you''re here, Elise had told me that you need to set a trap for Natasha Zest and Barbara Cornwell, right?" Elise asked.


    "Yes."


    "Well, just so you know, they are a regr in a cafe near mine. They often came as two every Saturday evening, probably after shopping in the mall. Suppose you want to set up an eavesdropping trap. In that case, that ce is definitely the most proper," Mona said straight to the point, even giving me a heads-up, saying that it was a proper ce to go with the mission.


    But I also wanted to ask a few more questions, "Do they evere with anyone? You said that they are regrs in that cafe, right?"


    "Yes, they are regrs, and I did see theming with boys, mostly one boy per two weeks or so. The boys they picked were usually from the sports club or from the senior year," Mona replied. "I don''t know many of them, but I do recognize one guy that they brought once."


    "Oh, who?" I asked curiously.


    "Jordan, from American Football Club."


    "Ah, of course, that guy who cheated on Anita," I nodded.


    But wait¡­


    Anita said that Natasha was sleeping with her boyfriend, but there was no talk about Barbara.


    It got me wondering if Natasha and Barbara were partners in crime, would that mean they also shared the boys they hooked? It wasn''t impossible, since they knew each other''s secret, and even helped each other for their interest.


    "Mona, do you know whether Natasha and Barbara ever kissed the same guy when they''re walking together?"


    "I never really followed them around. I just saw it from my cafe. They didn''t know that it was my parents'' cafe and I had no intention of telling them as well.. But they did constantly changing the boys they go with."

 Chapter 196 - Setup (3)

    Chapter 196 ¨C Setup (3)


    "Mona, do you know whether Natasha and Barbara ever kissed the same guy when they''re walking together?"


    "I never really followed them around. I just saw it from my cafe. They didn''t know that it was my parents'' cafe and I had no intention of telling them as well. But they did constantly changing the boys they go with."


    I knew that Barbara often changed boys she came with. Usually, because she wanted that validation and that dick, of course. I already lost count on how many boys she slept with in my previous life; maybe she was half of the boys'' first time, and she unted it so easily like an achievement.


    Which was gross, if you think about it. Imagine getting queued for a free fuck.


    Yuck.


    Since Natasha wasn''t that different from Barbara, that meant they were doing the same thing, right?


    At least that was my theory.


    "What kind of trap are you going to do, Em?" Mona asked. She looked at me with scrutinizing gaze as if looking for truth. "You know I can''t do much other than giving you information, right?"


    "I know, that''s all you can do. But I need their exact ce, so it would look natural," I said. "Here is my n¡ª"


    I took something from my backpack and then put it on the table.


    Elise and Mona stared at the small velvet box on the table, and they seemed to have realized the jewelry inside it.


    I opened the box and showed them the ruby and emerald earrings from Mason Hall. Of course, I had Logan''s ne in my backpack as well, but I didn''t want to show them to lessen their suspicion.


    And also, because Mason Hall was a popr boy in school, any gift from him would be a talk of the week. Not that he ever gifted anyone other than me, from what I expected, of course.


    "Em, this is¡­."


    "A gift, a pair of earrings shaped like a rose, ruby rose, and emerald rose. It''s a gift from someone you know, Elise."


    Elise looked at me with a disbelieved look, "You¡­ did you just ept a gift from Mason Hall?"


    Mona followed her when she heard Mason Hall as well. They looked at me with disbelief and worry, "Emmelyn Jones, don''t you know how dangerous Mason Hall is?" Mona asked. "I thought Elise had told you about our friends in middle school¡­."


    "No, listen to me first. I epted his gift because he has such a big name in the school. He is basically the number one popr guy. What do you think would happen if a random girl got a gift from him, and those gossip girls overheard it?"


    "They will share it with everyone, of course," Elise replied. "Under their anonymity from that Instagram page, of course."


    "Correct, and that Instagram page will blow up in the entire school because of the rumor of Mason Hall dating someone," I exined. I couldn''t hold my smirk as I knew that my n would be perfect after that.


    Because once that Instagram page blew up in the entire school, Natasha and Barbara already put themselves in an extremely vulnerable situation.


    They spread so much fake information, unproven gossip, and malicious rumor that would destroy the lives of many people.


    "Once that Instagram page blew up, I will threaten them anonymously, making sure that they are going to absolutely panic once they realize someone has the information about their real identity," I said.


    "And you will ckmail them with that information?"


    "Oh, of course, if that Instagram page blew up, everyone''s eyes, including the teachers and even parents of students, would be on the person behind that Instagram page. Imagine what would happen to Natasha and Barbara if their information as the owner of that page got leaked?"


    "That¡­ that''s a death sentence," Mona added. "I''ve read the content of that Instagram page, and there are so many malicious, albeit unproven rumors. I think everyone whose name was posted on that page as malicious rumors would want to kill the admin behind that Instagram page."


    "Yep, and that would be our victory. Once we got them by our palm, they will have no way to escape," I said. "And I will make sure to destroy them so much, they wished they would die instead."


    Mona and Elise gulped as they stared at me. I knew what kind of idea they had in mind.


    They might call me a monster or just be scared of me in general, but that wasn''t really my problem, as long as I got to have my revenge. I had no n on staying in this world after three years of high school anyway.


    "Em, you have so many tricks on your sleeve," Elise said. "It''s not a bad thing. But¡­ are you sure you want to use Mason Hall in this mission?"


    "You''ve been repeating that question so many times, Elise¡­."


    "I know, it''s just¡­ I''m so worried about you!" Elise ruffled her hair frustratedly. "I just don''t want something bad to happen to you."


    Mona kept staring at me and sighed. She patted Elise''s shoulder, "Let her be. Don''t you see how Emmy has no fear in her eyes?"


    I raised my brow yfully as Mona pointed at my face, "Rx, Elise. I have everything under control. I also did this for you, for us, right? We need to take Natasha as soon as possible before she did something even more horrible than with the three stooges."


    Elise still stared at me reluctantly. Honestly, I felt honored that someone actually cared for my life so much, but I had no fear or regret.


    Even if I died after my revenge mission, at least I died satisfied, knowing that everyone who hurt me¡­ had their karma worse than death.


    "Mona, I will need your help for the uing setup. I''d like you to keep your watch for Natasha and Barbara as they walk around the street of your cafe, heading to their regr cafe.. I will be waiting inside their regr cafe," I said. "Oh, is there any VIP lounge in that cafe?"

 Chapter 197 - Few Strands Of Hair (1)

    Chapter 197 ¨C Few Strands Of Hair (1)


    "Mona, I will need your help for the uing setup. I''d like you to keep your watch for Natasha and Barbara as they walk around the street of your cafe, heading to their regr cafe. I will be waiting inside their regr cafe," I said. "Oh, is there any VIP lounge in that cafe?"


    Mona nodded in response, "Yes, there are VIP tables in that cafe. But it''s not really a separate room, just a round table with a curtain to separate it from the regr tables. I visited that cafe once to look around."


    "Oh, that''s perfect! Then, we will start the mission this weekend," I instructed. Mona nodded to ept my instruction, while Elise still looked troubled.


    Mona and I looked at each other, and she tilted her head slightly, signaling me to take care of Elise. She got up and excused herself first, "I''ll leave now. Don''t worry about the mission. I will do anything for my best friend''s safety, and¡ªI think we''re friends now, right, Em?"


    "Right, Mona. Thank you for all your help so far."


    Mona smiled at me and left Elise and me alone. I stared at her, who still looked troubled, "Elise, are you alright?"


    "I''m not alright, Em. No matter how many times you try to convince me that everything will be alright, I still think it won''t be good. You''re dealing with the devil, Mason Hall is the true devil, and now you epted a gift from him?"


    Elise seemed to be dead set about her opinion of Mason Hall.


    "Okay, can you tell me what''s so scary about him? You said that your friend in middle school saw him with few men in ck, and her family got terrorized until they left the city, right?"


    "Yes¡­"


    "I mean¡­ there might be no corrtion at all. Maybe Mason was just getting street cast? He is well-known for getting street-casted by entertainment agents. And there is no hard proof that Mason has that much power to control a mafia group. At least, from what you told me, it seemed that your friend was terrorized by a mafia group."


    Elise looked hesitant and sighed defeatedly, "I''m sorry, Emmy. I''m just worried if I will lose another precious friend of mine. I know there is no proof that Mason is behind that terror experienced by my friend''s family. But still¡­ the coincidence is too uncanny."


    ¡­


    I tried to calm her down to make sure that she would stop pestering me about Mason hall. Though all of her words were mostly ignored, I didn''t want to listen to her rambling about the same thing over and over.


    I knew my risk. I didn''t mind if it would kill me, as long as it would kill my enemy first.


    We finished this meeting in the evening. Since everything was clear now, the only thing I needed to do was prepare for the mission.


    I returned home, did my daily activity of taking care of Grandma and cooking for our dinner, then returned to my room.


    I checked on the money given by the red rose man before and found that I almost blew it all out for the mission to take down the three stooges and also other necessities.


    "Damn, I''m down to 500 bucks¡­." I mumbled as I checked my saving. "Is this enough to reserve for one VIP table in that cafe then?" I wondered.


    I decided to text Mona about this.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Mona, how much do you need to reserve a VIP table in that cafe?


    ¡ª


    Mona replied only a minuteter.


    ¡ª


    Mona: About 400 bucks, if I remember correctly. Though, that was about a year ago. I don''t know the price now. It''s an upscale cafe. Barbara and Natasha can go there because Natasha''s parents are quite rich.


    ¡ª


    Damn, 400 bucks only for the table? And it wasn''t even a single room, only a table with a curtain.


    What kind of rip-off was this? Those damn rich people really knew how to waste their money.


    I wasn''t sure if I could survive with only 500 bucks in my wallet. So I guessed it was time to talk with one person again.


    I texted that particr person;


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Hey, you¡­


    Emmy: Can you¡­ um¡­ help me?


    ¡ª


    Ding!


    In less than ten seconds, that creepy man replied.


    ¡ª


    xx: Of course, I''m always here for you, my dear.


    xx: What do you want me to do?


    Emmy: I¡­ I need money for my next mission.


    xx: Oh~ money is not a hard thing to get. How much do you want? 5 grand? 10 grand? 100k USD? I don''t mind at all.


    xx: There is always a price for everything, though~


    ¡ª


    I swallowed my saliva. Because of the price for everything, I knew this creepy red rose man wanted something I owned.


    He took my worn id shirt and then a handkerchief with a ssic red lipstick kiss on it.


    It acted more like a trade, his money, with my possession. That was why I didn''t dare to take big money from him. I knew it would put me at such a great risk.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I''ll take the 5 grands only.


    xx: Aw, my love, you should ask for more~


    xx: But if that''s what you need, then I have the money ready, and I wille to you after midnight. This money is to take down Natasha and Barbara, right?


    Emmy: ¡­ yes.


    xx: Okay, sure~ Don''t worry, my love, I will always assist you to your vengeful mission.


    xx: But you should know that nothing is freeing from me, right? For 5 grands, I want a small thing from you. So that would be my reward for helping you, is it not?


    ¡ª


    I took a deep breath. I had to prepare myself because I signed up for this.


    There was no free stuff in this world, and I gotta pay for it.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: What do you want?


    xx: Hmmm, for 5 grand, I''d like few strands of your hair, easy request, right?


    ¡ª


    _*_

 Chapter 198 - Few Strands Of Hair (2)

    Chapter 198 ¨C Few Strands Of Hair (2)


    ¡ª


    Emmy: What do you want?


    xx: Hmmm, for 5 grand, I''d like a few strands of your hair, easy request, right?


    ¡ª


    I held my breath out of nervousness when I heard his request. The more I made a deal with this red rose devil, the more I realized that I was digging my grave deeper and deeper.


    Because his request kept getting scarier each time I asked him something. At first, it was as simple as a worn id shirt of mine, then the handkerchief with a red kiss, and now few strands of hair.


    I had the feeling that his request would be even more demanding and scary the more I asked after this, so I had to be careful of what I wished for.


    But for now¡­


    I slid my drawer open and then took a scissor inside. I cut a few strands of my hair without hesitation. If that sick bastard wanted my hair in exchange for my mission, then I would give it to him.


    It was just hair anyway. It wasn''t as bad as when Barbara called me a slut and grabbed my hair. She yanked my hair until my scalp was in pain. They said she did it because I attracted one of her boy toys when I was a freshman.


    It was so ridiculous that I didn''t even want to think about it again.


    "These strands of hair will be my payment for the downfall of that Barbara ''Bitch'' Cornwell," I said. But my hands slowly trembled as I realized that I was giving something from my body to someone I didn''t know.


    Although the red rose man never hurt me and was, in fact, helping me in many of my missions, I still felt scared of him.


    No matter how kind he was, he was still a stalker in the end.


    I took a deep breath and pped my cheeks, "Come on, Em. This is just part of the payment. Do you want to see Barbara having the time of her life in this second chance of yours while she was the reason behind your slut-shaming in the previous life?"


    I hardened my own heart and then put it inside a paper bag. This was what I signed up for. I had to be ready.


    I texted that red rose man.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: I have the hair strands ready.


    ¡ª


    In about five seconds, he replied back;


    ¡ª


    xx: Oh, perfect! I''ve also prepared the money for you. I will be waiting in your backyard after midnight. Just hang it on your door handle outside.


    xx: Unless¡­ you want to spend the night with me? Just harmless fun, we can talk in your backyard, and I will tell you many things that I do to your bullies in the previous life.


    xx: I wouldn''t mind touching your warm body again, Em. The only thing I can touch in the previous life is your cold corpse¡­


    Emmy: No.


    ¡ª


    I replied curtly. But God knew how scared I was right now. This red rose man was beyond creepy, to the point that he scared the shit out of me.


    I waited until midnight, and my Mom and Grandma were already sleeping. I opened my door carefully and looked around to make sure.


    After I made sure, I grabbed the paper bag, tiptoed to the downstairs, and then went to the kitchen. I took a deep breath and then opened the kitchen door.


    My eyes scanned around the backyard, trying to find the spot where that creepy red rose man was hiding.


    I didn''t see him anywhere, but when I was about to close the door. I heard a rustle, and there he was¡­


    The red rose man was wearing a ck hoodie, he was standing under a tree, and his clear emerald eyes were shining bright in the darkness, like a predator ready to pounce.


    I couldn''t really identify his face and the expression he made because he was under the shade of the tree. It was too dark to see.


    But when he suddenly advanced one step forward, I held my breath and closed my door slowly. I locked the door and slumped on the floor again, then I breathed out.


    I could hear his footsteps on this silent night. Then he knocked on my door, just like what he did on ourst meeting in this simr style.


    "Em, my beloved, you can hear me, right?"


    ¡­


    I dared not to answer because if I responded to his question, it would drag me deeper into this unknown madness that he brought.


    "I know you can hear me. I gave you money for the mission. I know you need a lot of it," the red rose man said. His voice was a lot heavier than I thought. On the phone, his voice wasn''t as intimidating as this.


    At first, I was suspicious of Mason and Logan, but their voices weren''t as deep as this. He sounded like someone who had seen and done a lot of shady stuff.


    "Em, do you know what I did to Barbara ''Barbitch'' Cornwell when I realized that she was the first one that called you a slut?" The red rose man asked.


    ¡­


    "Since she slut-shamed you, I showed everyone who is the real slut. I kidnapped her and then sold her to a brothel. She was never-found by anyone for a year and died because of an illness, well¡ªAn STD after she got whored by countless men. Hihi~ You should see the despair in her face as she realized that I am the one behind everything all along."


    "I know you''re not as brutal as me, but I know we have the same maliciousness, my dear. I know that you have been nning something simr, at least, even if it''s not as ruthless as I did. You will make sure that Barbara and Natasha wished that they got killed instead, right?"


    I took a deep breath to calm myself down. I had to make sure that the red rose man''s words wouldn''t affect me.


    But what he said was correct.


    I might not be as brutal as him, but what he said was correct.


    We had the same malicious intent, and even if I wouldn''t be as brutal as him, the aftermath would probably be even more painful than that.


    "Well, I will leave now.. Good night, my love."

 Chapter 199 - Few Strands Of Hair (3)

    Chapter 199 ¨C Few Strands Of Hair (3)


    "Well, I will leave now. Good night, my love."


    The red rose man finally left me alone as I heard the paper bag getting reced for a second, and his footsteps started getting further and further.


    I waited for at least 20 minutes until I was assured that he was truly gone. But I still didn''t trust him easily. I unlocked the door and peeked from the gap. I saw nobody around the backyard and opened the door a bit more, snatched the paper bag, and closed the door again.


    I locked the door and quickly went upstairs to my room. Staying in this ce for too long would only get me pissed myself out of fear.


    I checked the paper bag that had be heavier after the exchange, so I guessed he did rece the few strands of hair with money.


    I counted the money that he gave me and was pleasantly surprised when I realized that he had given me more than I expected, "This¡­ 7 grand. 7 thousand dors!? Damn¡­"


    I wouldn''t lie that I kept getting ttered with money. I lived a poor girl most of my life, so when I saw so much money, I just couldn''t control my happiness.


    While counting the money, I got a series of texts from that red rose man.


    ¡ª


    xx: Thank you for the strands of hair. I have been sniffing it nonstop. I really like it when it''s healthy hair, not the ones I kept smelling while you''re a corpse, my love.


    xx: I will be looking around for you. I know that your mission isn''t easy. Always stay guarded, okay? Who knows, there might be some creepy man that wanted to hurt you while I wasn''t looking.


    ¡ª


    Sir, you were that creepy man that scared the shit out of me.


    But I ignored his chat and started formting a perfect n for this mission. Now that I had the money, I texted Mona in the middle of the night, hoping she was still awake.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Mona, tomorrow is Saturday. Can you help me to set things up?


    ¡ª


    I thought it would take a while for her to respond, but then I heard a notification from my phone.


    ¡ª


    Mona: Yes, I can set things up. What do you need, Em?


    Emmy: I got enough money to book all the VIP tables. I want to book all but one VIP table in that cafe for tomorrow evening, to set a trap for Barbara and Natasha.


    Mona: All but one VIP table?


    Emmy: Yes, it would be easy to control their movement with that. We can ensure that Barbara and Natasha only have one VIP table left.


    Emmy: But I can''t do it with my own number because it would strike suspicion that a 15 years old is ordering a VIP table.


    Emmy: Besides, I don''t have any credit card, so¡­ if your parents have it¡ª


    Mona: I have it.


    Mona: My parents gave their credit card to me, but only for responsible spending. The age doesn''t really matter since Barbara and Natasha can book the VIP table with their own credit card. But if you''re afraid of getting traced in any way, then I can do it for you.


    Mona: The one written on the table would be my parents, so even if Natasha and Barbara tried to trace you, they won''t find anything.


    ¡ª


    ¡­


    I swallowed my saliva hardly. Mona was truly prepared for this. She even gave me a good n so I wouldn''t get traced.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Perfect. Please book all of the VIP tables for me. I will give the money to you before the mission starts.


    Mona: Okay, I will book it now.


    Emmy: Mona¡­ what makes you so eager to help me now?


    Mona: Well, first, we are friends now. You got Elise''s trust, and you got mine as well.


    Mona: Second, I heard how Natasha threatened Elise. I wouldn''t let her get hurt by anyone. I know the key to her safety is you. That''s why I''m going to help you in any way.


    Emmy: ¡­ thanks.


    ¡ª


    ¡­


    I didn''t expect to get support from people I could call ''friends.''


    In my previous life, I had nobody around me. And in my very first revenge, Cerise turned out to be a self-centered bitch who used her pity card to get sympathy from anyone she thought was better than her.


    That was why she didn''t give a crap when Helena was suffering from depression and sought help from Cerise. But Cerise didn''t even bother talking to her.


    It was a series of backstabbing that got me skeptical about having a friend.


    "But this is nice¡­ to have someone that genuinely wants to help you¡­."


    **


    I woke up quitete today because I was busy thinking about the good sentence I could say to make it sound believable for Natasha and Barbara once they ''identally'' overheard the next table talking about a girl that got a gift from Mason Hall.


    I went downstairs and checked whether Mom was out to work again today or had a day off.


    "Oh, Em, Good morning," Mom greeted me in the morning. I could see her eating an apple pie with Grandma. The smell was so good that it instantly told me it wasn''t my Mom''s food.


    I approached her and asked, "Where did you get that apple pie, Mom?


    "Huh? What are you saying? You''re the one who told your boyfriend to buy us apple pie for breakfast, right? He came here about 15 minutes ago," Mom exined.


    My eyes widened instantly. I didn''t expect him to be so daring and came in the morning, even meeting my Mom!


    "W¡ªWhat did he wear? Can you see his face?"


    "Hmm, no. He dressed all ck from head to toe and wore a hat and face mask to cover half of his face. But he has such a deep voice, and he also has beautiful emerald eyes. My, my, your boyfriend is really a good catch for you, Em.. Mom is happy for you."

 Chapter 200 - Spilling The Conversation (1)

    Chapter 200 ¨C Spilling The Conversation (1)


    "Hmm, no. He dressed all ck from head to toe and wore a hat and face mask to cover half of his face. But he has such a deep voice, and he also has beautiful emerald eyes. My, my, your boyfriend is really a good catch for you, Em. Mom is happy for you."


    "And you did ask him why he didn''t take off his face mask and hat?"


    "Yes, he said he is embarrassed to show his face in front of his girlfriend''s family. Because he just went for a long jog in the morning, so he is all sweaty," Mom replied. "I don''t want him to feel ufortable, so I didn''t ask him further, Em."


    Ugh, that creepy man really knew how to hide from my family. He knew that Mom and Grandma wouldn''t try to push him because they had a soft spot for him and wouldn''t want to make him ufortable.


    "What''s wrong, Em? Did you have a fight with him? He doesn''t seem to be distressed," Mom asked.


    I shook my head quickly, "We¡­ we are good, Mom. I''m just annoyed that he doesn''t inform me first that he will being. I never told him to buy us food like that."


    "Ohh! That means he wants to give you a surprise. My, you have such a caring and loving boyfriend," Mom praised that creepy man even more, while Grandma onlyughed heartily and continued eating the pie.


    I bit my lower lip because I couldn''t tell them that my boyfriend was actually a creepy stalker who followed me from my previous life. He helped my family and me indeed.


    But in the end, he was still an unknown stalker with a crazy fetish for my stuff.


    I knew that Mom would be scared shitless if she knew that was a stalker. And that stalker might also turn against me if I told my Mom and Grandma about the truth.


    Thest thing I needed right now was a new enemy, at least not until I defeated Jessica, my main target.


    I decided to return to my room, not wanting to join my Mom and Grandma eating something given by that red rose man.


    I checked on the clock and found that it was already 10.00 A.M.


    I decided to start preparing for the mission today by texting Mona first.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Did you already book all but one VIP table in that cafe?


    Mona: Picture sent.


    Mona: Booked all but one for 03.00 ¨C 07.00 P.M.


    ¡ª


    I checked the picture and saw that Mona had indeed booked four out of five VIP tables in that cafe. It cost 2 grand and already included free drink and service and tax.


    The VIP table that hadn''t been booked was also strategic because Mona left the unbooked VIP table at the furthest, with no window view. So, Barbara and Natasha would 100% hear if someone was talking a bit loud from the next table because they were only separated by a curtain.


    ¡ª


    Emmy: Perfect, I wille at 2 sharp and will stay in your cafe first until 3, and then I''ll go there.


    Mona: I will be waiting.


    ¡ª


    I prepared 2 grand to pay Mona for the booking fee and then kept another 1 grand for myself as emergency money.


    I checked on the money given by the red rose man and realized that I was already down to 4 grand after less than 12 hours.


    Who would''ve expected that revenge could be so expensive?


    I took a bath at 11 and then wore a jacket, a face mask to cover half of my face, and sunsses to make me less noticeable.


    Now I really felt like that red rose man who tried hard to cover his own identity.


    I picked my small bag containing 3 thousand dors, the box of earrings from Mason Hall, and my phone. I asked Mona how to enter the VIP table without showing my id since I didn''t have one. She said I only needed the booking code, which was apparently the same way that Barbara and Natasha did to avoid the background check since both were underaged.


    I went out, and Mom asked me before I left, "Where are you going, Em?"


    "¡­ to meet my boyfriend," I replied curtly. At this point, that red rose man was the easiest reason I could think of.


    "Oh! Will hee here to pick you up?"


    "No, I will go and meet him downtown, in the shopping district. He is a bit shy in front of you and Grandma," I replied before leaving as quickly as possible. So Mom wouldn''t ask more questions.


    I used my bike to go to the nearest bus station, parked my bike behind a shop, and then used the bus.


    I got a text from Elise on my way:


    ¡ª


    Elise: Em, I''m already in Mona''s cafe. We''re waiting for you. Mona had told me everything about you booking the VIP tables.


    Emmy: Okay, wait for me.


    ¡ª


    I checked my watch as I stopped at the bus stop in the shopping district.


    It was already 01.30 when I arrived, so I quickly went to Mona''s parents'' cafe.


    "Em!" I heard Elise''s voice as I entered the cafe. My eyes darted at the third seat from the door and saw Elise and Mona already sitting together.


    There weren''t any visitors right now, which was our good fortune, because that meant we could talk with Mona.


    I sat facing Mona and Elise, and the first question that Elise came up with was;


    "Em, I have the good news for this mission."


    "Oh? What is it?"


    "Natasha and Barbara will 100%e to that cafe today, probably around 4.30 or 5 sharp. Because I got news from Anita¡ªthat Jordan from American Football Club is going with them bitches again. They will probably spend the night somewhere as three, you know¡­ threesome and stuff¡­." Elise lowered her voice at thest sentence.


    "Wait, Anita told you that?"


    "Yes, she still hasn''t gotten over Jordan, it seems. That''s why she is still stalking her. But she said she wouldn''t do anything because she is tired of dealing with Natasha and Barbie."

 Chapter 201 - Spilling The Conversation (2)

    Chapter 201 ¨C Spilling The Conversation (2)


    "Yes, she still hasn''t gotten over Jordan, it seems. That''s why she is still stalking her. But she said she wouldn''t do anything because she is tired of dealing with Natasha and Barbie."


    Hmm¡­


    This would be a bonus point for me. I would see if Natasha, Barbara, and Jordan would leak the ce they would be staying together as three. If I got it, I would find a way to tell Anita about it without revealing my identity.


    Anita might say that she wouldn''t do anything, but knowing how batshit crazy she could be for Jordan for all the stunts she did to embarrass him, I was pretty sure she would do something if she knew the whereabouts of Jordan and those bitches.


    I waited until it was 2.45 P.M and then asked Mona for the online booking ticket for those VIP seats.


    She sent me all the required documents, and I got up from the table.


    Elise grabbed my hand before I left and asked, "This is thest one, Em. Are you sure you want to use Mason Hall''s gift as the bait? You know the risk, right?"


    "I will take any risk as long as I can take them down, don''t worry. I can handle this," I said with confidence, even though I couldn''t 100% guarantee that I would be safe after this.


    But I had to take the risk.


    Elise finally released me, and I left Mona''s cafe.


    I went to the cafe only a few blocks away from Mona''s cafe.


    Mona told me this cafe usually didn''t do any background check, but if you looked too young, they would ask about your ID and such.


    So I stopped midway and looked at my reflection in a closed shop window. I wore a jacket because of the winter, and a brown sweater inside.


    But the sweater I wore was tighter than my usual shirt because I wanted to show something that I tried to hide every day after I returned in time¡ªmy boobs.


    My boobs were big and perky. It developed much faster than a regr 15 years old, and I always thought it would be my disadvantage.


    But today, this would be my advantage.


    I zipped my jacket down until my upper stomach, so it only showed my big boobs. The tight brown sweater highlighted the shape of my boobs even more.


    I winced because my body was holding the mental pain I had to endure just by highlighting my boobs.


    Because back in my previous life, my boobs were the source of bad attention, and people slut-shamed for it.


    "Okay, Em, take a deep breath. This is the first time you''re actually using your boobs for something useful¡­ huff¡­ huff¡­." I said in a low voice, trying to calm myself down.


    After I felt calmer, I straightened my back and fixed my gait.


    I strutted towards the cafe confidently and fixed my shades.


    I raised my chin when the male waiter greeted me in front.


    "Good afternoon, Miss. My name is Devon, and I will be your waiter today. Did youe here alone for one table or¡ª"


    I unlocked my phone and showed the booking order to him, and the waiter was surprised, "O¡ªOh, wee, Miss¡­ Mira Stone¡ªmay I have your ID for confirmation, Miss?" He asked, calling me the name of Mona''s mother.


    "Huh, excuse me?" I acted as if I was offended. I crossed my arms in front but intentionally did it under my boobs and pushed my boobs upwards to showcase that I was a mature woman, "Why would you need my ID? Do I look like a kid to you?!"


    Devon, the waiter, looked flustered. He nced down at my boobs for a split second and shook his head, "N¡ªNo, Miss, I''m sorry for offending you. Please follow me to your VIP table."


    Damn, my boobs really helped me on this. The waiter must''ve realized that I was a grown woman from my boobs.


    I still felt ufortable, of course. I always felt too exposed when someone looked at me from my neck down. But this was for the mission¡­ so I had to endure it.


    The waiter led me to the VIP table section, there were five VIP tables, and he asked, "Miss, you have booked four tables. Which table do you want to sit on?"


    I acted as if I was looking around and then pointed at the fourth from the row, right beside the unbooked VIP table.


    Devon, the waiter, pulled the seat for me and said, "I will prepare the drink and the menu for you, Miss."


    "Thank you," I said. "Please close the curtain. I want to eat in peace."


    "Certainly, Miss."


    The waiter closed the curtain and left me alone to take the drink and the menu. I stuck my head out from the curtain, trying to check whether Natasha, Barbara, and Jordan were already here or not.


    The cafe was mostly empty since it was still noon, but it would probably get more customers after dinner.


    Devon, the waiter, came with a drink and menu.


    My eyes were bulging under my shade because the price was goddamn unreasonable! I could literally buy ingredients from the market and eat for 3 days in exchange for 1 meal here!


    But¡­ I had to order stuff to make it believable for anyone, including those bitches. So I ordered an appetizer, main dish, and ice cream as dessert.


    As I waited, I got a text from Elise;


    ¡ª


    Elise: Em, I''m sitting in a convenience store across the cafe right now. I''ll be watching for Natasha, Barbara, and Jordan. I will tell you when they''reing.


    Emmy: Thanks, Elise.


    ¡ª


    About ten minutester, I got a text from Elise;


    ¡ª


    Elise: They are here! They are already in front of the cafe!


    Elise: Picture sent.


    ¡ª


    I clicked on the picture, and it showed Natasha, Barbara, and Jordan walking as three, greeted with another server in front of the cafe.


    I quickly slid the curtain, fixed my hat and shade, and zipped my jacket up to cover my boobs.


    "Okay, Em, let''s get our revenge."

 Chapter 202 - Spilling The Conversation (3)

    Chapter 202 ¨C Spilling The Conversation (3)


    I quickly slid the curtain, fixed my hat and shade, and zipped my jacket up to cover my boobs.


    "Okay, Em, let''s trap them," I said to myself.


    **


    "Huh? There is only one VIP table left? Wait, the empty one is the one with window view, right?"


    "I''m sorry, Miss. That one has been booked. The only one left is the furthest right."


    "Near that toilet?!"


    "Y¡ªYes, Miss¡­"


    "Then, arrange me to the one near the window! I want that table!"


    "We cannot do that, Miss. It has been booked until 7."


    "Ugh, I''m a regr here! How could you treat your regr VIP customer like this?!"


    I heard Natasha''s loud voice as she protested to the waiter outside. If this is ording to my n, Natasha, Barbara, and Jordan would be staying at the next table.


    But my body jolted in shock when the waiter suddenly slid the curtain off my table and bowed his head, "Excuse me, Miss. There is another guest that wants the table near the window. Is it okay for me to switch your booking table? Since you booked four tables."


    I quickly collected myself after the freight from this damn waiter. At least let me prepare my arrogant act first, damn it!


    I raised my chin and scoffed, "Who is the one who booked that table near the window first?"


    "T¡ªThat''s¡ª"


    "It''s me, right? Do you still need to ask a question? Whether I used that table or not, I already paid it upfront, and I will not ept a switch. Let them sit in the unbooked VIP table or leave," I said arrogantly. "Or do I need to file aint to the manager?"


    The waiter looked distressed, I pitied him a bit, but this was his job. I was the one who booked it first, so I had them right here.


    "P¡ªPardon me, Miss, I will tell the guests about this. I''m sorry for the inconvenience."


    The waiter slid the curtain and left me alone, I could hear another protest from Barbara and Natasha after that, but in the end, they epted the worst VIP table, even if it was near the bathroom.


    "Ugh, who is the bitch who booked literally four tables anyway? I bet she is a creepy old man''s mistress. Probably a whore for rich people! No wonder she has four tables set up for her, one for each old man, hah, what a slut!" Barbara said as I saw their silhouette on my curtain.


    They walked past my table and sat at the next table. I kept my silence because I had to get more information about them, whatever kind of information that would be.


    I turned my recorder on and waited for them to speak.


    __Recording__ Third person POV__


    "Oh, Jordan, thank you foring with us. I got so bored in my house on the weekend~" Natasha said as she leaned on Jordan like a spoiled maiden.


    Jordan from the American Football Club stretched his arms to pull both Natasha and Barbara to his chest, "I''m always here if you need help."


    "Help, haha! Well, if this¡ª" Barbara suddenly put her hand on Jordan''s crotch. "¡ªThis is what you call help, I guess it''s very much helpful. I''m tired of eating some bad dicks, seriously."


    "Haha, yeah! Who is thest man we hooked up with?"


    "Hmm, I think it''s a senior. I kind of forgot his name. But I know his tiny dick. It looks like chili pepper, hahaha!"


    "HAHAHA!"


    "AHAHAH!"


    Their mockingugh echoed around the cafe, but nobody was here to reprimand them since it was still very empty. Nor did they think anyone would be bothered to stop anyway.


    Natasha and Barbara were always like this. With Natasha''s money and Barbara''s connection to get all kinds of boys they wanted in or outside of school, they could y with many boys, whether they were older or younger. It didn''t matter to them. There was no barrier to being a minor or not because they were also minors, so they could hook up with anyone they wanted without repercussion.


    They liked to do it with boys around their age or just slightly older.


    "Well, Jordan, do you think we should head to the hotel nearby?" Natasha asked.


    "Oh, the same hotel as ourst time?"


    "Yep, I have another room reserved there. It even has a good balcony view," Natasha replied. "It''s called Lotus room, for some reason. But we shouldn''te as three, you know, they will suspect us if wee at the same time."


    "Yeah, just like before, right? You two go first, and I wille about an hourter," Jordan said. "Just tell me the right room."


    "It''s Lotus room number 5 on the fifth floor," Natasha said, giving the information needed for Jordan toe.


    "Yeah, don''t forget to bring a condom. I forgot to buy one," Barbara added. "Anyway, you''re in the American Football Club, right?"


    "Yeah, I am. What? Do you want someone else toe instead?"


    Natasha and Barbaraughed at the same time, "No, idiot, we want you to bring another boy with you. I''ve never tried a foursome before. Sounds challenging, you know~."


    "Yeah, but we don''t want you to bring someone random. We also want to score big, you know."


    "Score big?"


    "Yes, why would we hook up with a random dude that we don''t like? We go with you because we like you, and this, of course, ~" Barbara said as he gently patted Jordan''s bulge.


    "Yeah, we need someone that will definitely score us big because nobody has ever slept with him. At least from the rumors I heard, he has never been in a rtionship with anyone, so I guess he is still a very handsome, hot, and popr virgin boy, hihi~."


    "And who that person would be?"


    Natasha and Barbaraughed at the same time again, "Tsk, tsk, really? You don''t get the hint?"


    "It''s your own captain, idiot."


    "Yes, we want Mason Hall to pop his first time with us!"

 Chapter 203 - Spilling The Conversation (4)

    Chapter 203 ¨C Spilling The Conversation (4)


    __Recording__Third person POV__


    "It''s your own captain, idiot."


    "Yes, we want Mason Hall to pop his first time with us!" Natasha and Barbara said at the same time.


    "Oh gosh, can you imagine how good it would be? I got the picture from one of his fans. She took a picture of Mason Hall''s bulge when he was wearing sweatpants after he left the American Football Club. Damnn, it''s so big!" Barbara said.


    "Ohh, show me! I want to see it too!" Natasha asked. Barbara showed the picture of Mason Hall''s bulge under his sweatpants, and they giggled happily. "Wow, how big, definitely bigger than Jordan here~."


    "Hey, hey! Don''t talk about this in front of me!" Jordan protested. "Besides, do you guys think it''s that easy to take Mason Hall with you? He is extremely popr, and there is something about him that kind of¡­ scared the rest of the team members."


    "Oh? What kind of gossip is this? Is this something that only the American Football Club members know?"


    "Kind of, it''s the way he leads us. He is a great captain that knows how to handle us all, but¡­" Jordan hesitated for a few seconds. He didn''t know if it was alright to spill a club secret.


    But he also felt obliged to tell these two about Mason Hall.


    "But¡­ he is terrifying when he is not in the mood," Jordan said. "Most of the time, he is all happy and diligent. He would even treat us to a meal after practice. He is also great at leading, but once he is dissatisfied with someone or the whole group for bad performance, he would intimidate us all. You SHOULD never let him show his angry side. He is 10x scarier than anyone you''ll ever see. The whole American Football Club was terrified when Mason Hall got angry. Even I would feel too nervous to even breathe," Jordan said. His body shivered out of fear. Even imagining Mason Hall getting angry was enough to send a chill down to his spine.


    "HAHAHA! Jordan, you''re so spineless!" Natasha said as she continuedughing.


    "That''s what most girls like, you idiot! Of course, a man like him would look scary when facing you guys. But let''s see if he is in front of two cute girls like us. Of course, he won''t show that face!" Barbara added. "He would probably make that kind of begging expression when we yed with his big dick!"


    "You two¡ªah, forget it! You girls seriously underestimate him!" Jordan said frustratedly.


    "Hahaha, okay, let''s stop now. The foods are here, guys~."


    ____Recording__Third person POV__End__


    I stopped recording on my phone after listening to everything that Natasha, Barbara, and Jordan were chatting about. It also coincided with their orders, and mine came simultaneously.


    I had predicted that they would be talking about sex. It was obvious if Barbara was around.


    I had also written down the hotel''s name where they would be staying next, alongside the room name, number, and floor. I knew that Anita wouldn''t just burst through the security, but I was pretty convinced that someone like Anita would find a way to embarrass Jordan.


    But for thest topic¡­ I seriously didn''t expect them to suddenly talk about Mason Hall.


    They talked about how they wanted to bed him and even took a crotch shot to check his bulge.


    It was¡­ sickening.


    I knew Mason was a very introverted guy at heart because he always looked out of there when talking with a group of fans or other students. So he would probably feel embarrassed, sad, and angry once he found out that his fans took a crotch shot.


    Not that I wanted to snitch on them, though, I didn''t want to get directly involved with Mason Hall''s fans in any way possible.


    But what Jordan said caught me off guard. He told Natasha and Barbara that Mason Hall was a lot scarier than he looked, especially when he got angry. It even frightened the whole American Football Club.


    I often saw Mason Hall''s angry face, though it was mostly just a second glint because he quickly fixed his expression.


    Indeed, he looked terrifying when he got annoyed or angry, but was it enough to scare literal dozens of boys around his age or even older? Heck no, Jordan was definitely over exaggerating.


    Anyway, since they talked about Mason Hall and how much they wanted to eat his dick, I guess this would be the right timing to stage the ''conversation'' on the phone between Mason and me, the random girl who was apparently his new love interest.


    I took out the jewelry box from my bag and opened the lid. I put it on the table, making sure that Natasha and Barbara would be able to see the earring if they peeked from over the curtain.


    I fixed my hat again and tucked my long, ck hair inside the jacket to ensure that I wouldn''t get identified if they decided to record this.


    I put my phone on my ear and acted as if I was calling someone.


    __Emmy''s Acting__


    "Hello? Mason?" I said in a sweet tone as if I was calling my lover. "Mhm, yes, I''ve received it. I never expected that I would get a gift from Mason Hall, the most popr boy in Darthmorth."


    I continued acting and did a few meaningless talks first, such as whether Mason Hall was healthy and took care of his health or not, and reminded him not to push himself too far when he is practicing for another match or going for another advertisement shoot.


    I could sense that Natasha, Barbara, and Jordan started noticing my talk as I heard them suddenly go quiet. I couldn''t even hear the sound of their utensils. Meaning that they were actuating eavesdropping right now.


    So this would be a great chance to use this weapon;


    "Hm? Yeah, I really like the earring that you gave me.. But it looks really expensive. Is it okay for me to ept it?"

 Chapter 204 - Spilling The Conversation (5)

    Chapter 204 ¨C Spilling The Conversation (5)


    __Emmy''s Acting__


    "Hm? Yeah, I really like the earring that you gave me. But it looks really expensive. Is it okay for me to ept it?" I dropped the bomb as I got their attention.


    I heard their whispers¡ªwell, failed attempt of whispering. Maybe they were so used to speaking out loud in this ce, so they didn''t realize that we were only separated by two curtains between our tables.


    ¡ª


    ''Did you hear that? She is talking about Mason Hall.''


    ''I know, but I''ve never heard Mason Hall ever gifting someone. He never has any rtionship, right?''


    ''Never, but who knows. He might be hiding his girlfriend. Maybe his girlfriend is someone from outside of the school? Maybe the one he met her when he was shooting that movie?''


    ''Oh yes, that''s possible. But I still can''t believe that someone can date him. I wonder if she has been fucking him as well?''


    ¡ª


    I could hear all of their whispers and decided to take it even further. Because if it was just gossip, they could put it inside their Instagram page, but it wouldn''t blow up if it was just random gossip.


    They needed to have some kind of proof this conversation actually happened, and even more, the proof this ''random girlfriend'' of Mason Hall had actually received the gift.


    "Oh, yes, I love the gift. The pair of ruby and emerald rose earring is really eye-catching and beautiful. I''m the luckiest girl on earth to have received this! Hm, yes, I''m looking at it right now." I intentionally raised my voice, so they would realize that they needed to record it now or miss the chance of getting spicy gossip.


    I heard the sound of them debating over something, this time in an even lower voice, then I could see a shadow on top of me.


    From the frame, either Natasha or Barbara, she climbed the chair and recorded from over the curtain rail. I was facing backward as I kept talking with the ''Mason Hall'' on the phone while opening the jewelry box in front of me on the table, so they would be able to get a good tape of the ruby and emerald rose earring.


    "Right now? I''m in a cafe downtown. I''ve booked four VIP tables, just in case you want toe here," I said. "Well, I know that you''re busy with another ad job today. Do you want me to apany you there?"


    I was sure they already got a good tape, but it wasn''t on par with my expectation of a viral video in school. I needed it to create chaos, at least within Mason Hall''s fan club members.


    The more chaos I created, the better it would be when I started ckmailing these whores. I got a tad giddy, imaging the expression that Barbara and Natasha would make once they realized that it was all trap, and they had nowhere to go.


    "Mason, do you think we need to go public with our rtionship?" I asked. I stopped a bit and acted as if I was attentively listening to what ''my boyfriend Mason Hall'' would say on the phone to make it realistic.


    "Well, the students in the school would be curious, and the reaction would definitely be mixed. But I guess you''re right. We cannot really go public now. Especially to the members of your fan club. You know, since I''m still a part of that Mason Hall fan club of yours."


    "Hihi, yeah~ I guess it''s quite fun to see. Since they always dreamed of kissing Mason Hall, while I can kiss you freely~."


    I heard the gaspsing from their mouths. They must''ve been shocked to the bone by my words.


    Because I was apparently, still a part of a huge Mason Hall fan club and also had kissed the most popr boy in school that would be a popr actor in the future as well.


    That was definitely the dream of almost every girl in Darthmorth right now.


    After spilling all the fake tea, I didn''t want to let them recover from the shock. I didn''t want them to suddenly raid me for real ande to my table.


    "Well, I have to go now. Talk to youter, babe. Bye~"


    __Emmy''s Acting end__


    I acted as if I had finished the call and grabbed the small earring box. I put it inside my bag and took out 500 bucks. I knew all of my food would probably be 250-300 bucks at most, but I wanted to make a statement that ''Mason Hall''s girlfriend is a rich girl from Darthmorth who happened to be a member of Mason Hall''s fan club.''


    I bet that fan club would be in chaos, and this rumor, even if people finally realized that it was all fake, would still create a big rift there. They wouldn''t trust each other because they thought someone from Mason Hall''s fan club was actually dating Mason.


    Even though they weren''t supposed to date their idol.


    I darted my head towards the girl who was recording and turned out it was Barbara.


    The slut was shocked, and she slipped, falling back on her chair, then I heard the squeak and grunt from the next table.


    Luckily, I was wearing a hat, shade, and mask that covered half of my face, so I bet Barbara wouldn''t be able to identify me had we met in the schoolter on. I smirked and left my table because I was done with this setup.


    "Ah, Miss, how about the bill¡ª"


    "I''ve left 500 bucks on the table. Take the rest as your tip. You should be quick because I heard the people on the next table are thinking about taking the money," I said. "Oh, one more, don''t tell them about my identity, or I will make sure you will pay hell and back for revealing my personal information to random people, got it?"


    The waiter was confused by my threat, but he nodded in the end, "Yes, I won''t tell them even if they ask, Miss."


    "Good, thank you for your good service.. You helped me a lot today."

 Chapter 205 - Spilling The Conversation (7)

    Chapter 205 ¨C Spilling The Conversation (7)


    "Yes, I won''t tell them even if they ask, Miss."


    "Good, thank you for your good service. You helped me a lot today," I said. I walked away from him and left the cafe.


    I quickly returned to Mona''s cafe and found that Elise had been waiting on a table while Mona was busy serving customers that starteding for early dinner or meeting with someone.


    Elise stared at me anxiously. She must''ve been worried that something bad had happened to me during my mission.


    I sat on the opposite side of the table and took off my hat, shade, and face mask.


    "Em, how was it? Are you alright? Did they recognize you?" Elise started asking me bullets of questions.


    "Rx, they didn''t recognize me at all. But they are definitely in shock when I said that I am Mason Hall''s girlfriend," I replied with a grin. "The setup that Mona prepared for me is definitely the most perfect setup we cane up with. They are forced to sit in the only VIP table avable and listen to me speaking crap about the gift that I received from Mason Hall."


    "Did they do something while you''re faking stuff out?"


    "Oh, yeah, they are trying to record me. Barbara climbed to one chair and recorded me over the curtain railing between our tables. But I have4 set the spot, so all she recorded was my back and the earring on the table. If things went smoothly, they would be posting about this tea on their Instagram page, Darthmorth spicy whispers."


    "Oh, I also bring something from this mission. I think we can use this to embarrass them even more," I said as I fished out my phone. I searched the recording and then plugged my earbud.


    I handed the buds to Elise and said, "y this. This is a great gift for Anita, definitely."


    Elise pressed the y button and then listened to the recording. Her expression went from curious to shock after the first minute of listening, much to my expectation.


    After she listened to everything, Elise shook her head and took off the earbuds, "Damn, they''re crazy as fuck."


    "Well, what do you really expect from them? You haven''t been able to go to school because of that crazy bitch Natasha who threatened to do something even worse than before. And I can''t even imagine what kind of ''worse'' thing she could do after she literally told those three bastards to beat you up and sexually assault you."


    Elise shivered in fear and gave the phone back to me, "Thank you for the recording, Em. You''re right. They''re really crazy. And for Anita, let me guess, you want to tell Anita about the ce where Jordan, Barbara, and Natasha would do it together, right? They clearly mentioned their meeting ce after this."


    "Yep, I don''t know what she will do. But I know she would create a big scene that would embarrass many of them all. Anita seems to be someone that will do some crazy stunt just to embarrass them all."


    "But I can''t use my phone to tell her. Because if she got caught, or during the heat of an argument, she might identally spill my name as the one who told her Jordan and those whores'' location. If I got revealed, that means so¡­" I stared at Elise with one intention. "Elise, are you friend with Anita?"


    "Well, I know her, but not really a friend. Do you want to use my number to text her anonymously?" Elise asked straight to the point.


    I nodded because that was exactly what I thought. Because Anita hadn''t saved Elise''s number, that would count as an anonymous text.


    But contrary to my expectation, Elise shook her head instead. "I don''t think that would be good, Em. Anita might haven''t saved my phone number because we barely know each other, but the history of me sending her text would still be there. My number would still be there, and she could call me anytime. She might also spill the number to Natasha¡ªand that would be the death of me," Elise said.


    "But don''t worry, Em. I don''t want you to work alone on this kind of mission. I have another idea," Elise said. She took out her phone and then clicked on one application.


    "Snapchat?" I asked. "What are you going to do with that?"


    "I have a second fake ount in Snapchat. I will use it to send a message about the location of where they are going next to Anita''s real Snapchat ount," Elise said.


    "Wait, you know her Snapchat ount instead?"


    "Yeah, she advertised it to my batch for some reason, but oh well¡ª" Elise opened her second Snapchat ount and then gave the phone to me. "You should be the one who types it, Em. You know how to incite some emotion."


    I nodded and grabbed Elise''s phone. I was thinking for a moment and then started typing.


    ¡ª


    Grand Sun Hotel, Lotus Room no 5 on the fifth floor. Come after dinner if you want to see Jordan ying with that same bitch + another bitch.


    Maybe he dumped you because you haven''t given your pussy to him like those two whores.


    :Kiss: :Kiss:


    ¡ª


    I added a kiss emoji to incite Anita''s anger even more.


    "Elise, do you still have the picture of Jordan, Barbara, and Natasha together when they were in front of the cafe?" I asked. I remember the picture that Elise took when I was inside the cafe.


    "Oh, yes, it''s in the gallery," Elise said. "Just click and insert the picture yourself."


    I was pretty appalled by her trust. Because she allowed me to see her photo gallery. That was another level of confidence that even I wouldn''t have for now.


    I clicked on the gallery and then used the pic of Barbara, Natasha, and Jordan in front of the cafe before as the background pic of the snap.


    "Okay, aaannd send.. Let''s see what kind of drama Anita would show."

 Chapter 206 - New Instagram Post (1)

    Chapter 206 ¨C New Instagram Post (1)


    Mona joined us after she was done taking care of the customers. She sat tiredly beside Elise and then demanded us to tell the progress of our mission to take down Barbara and Natasha.


    I told her about the progress and how everything went smoothly because I had recorded their conversation, and Barbara had recorded me as this anonymous girlfriend of Mason Hall.


    "So, basically, we have a recording of each side, their side, and our side, right?" Mona asked. Elise and I nodded at the same time as a confirmation.


    "Well, from what I heard, it seems the news about Mason Hall''s new girlfriend is very sensational, especially when you said that you''re part of Mason Hall fan club and dated in secret. You''re going to create chaos in that big group. But¡­" Mona stared at me, full of worry. Now I could sense that she might turn into Elise 2.0 here.


    "You''re ying with a big fire, Em," Elise said, basically parroting what Elise said yesterday about risk in this mission, no matter how many times I told them that I would be alright.


    I was about to deny her worry, but she interrupted me first, "No, before you say that everything is under control. What you told us about how you posed as Mason Hall''s girlfriend and how you epted a real gift from him."


    "Em, if anyone found out about your real identity, you''re a dead meat for sure," Mona said while staring at me with a dead serious gaze. "I''m not even plying around right now. Mason Hall and his poprity are vtile factors that you can''t control. I believe things would be more unpredictable for you after this mission. Besides, about the gift¡­ it''s a real gift from him, right?"


    Somehow, her warning was a lot scarier than Elise''s concern. Mona talked to me as if she was already expecting some terrible shit that would unfold soon.


    I sat in front of Mona and Elise, who stared at me with their scrutinizing gaze. Since I had nothing to hide from them at this point, I took a deep breath and took the earring box from my bag, and showed it to them for the second time.


    I looked around, though everyone in this ce was older people in their 20s, I leaned in and whispered, ''Yes, it''s a personal gift from Mason Hall himself. He is the one who gave it to me.''


    Elise and Mona stared at the earring andmented, "What a stunning pair of earrings. It looks expensively real as well. We''ve seen it once, but I won''t lie, it looks like something that no ordinary schoolboy could obtain."


    "Em, what is your current rtionship with Mason Hall?" Mona asked.


    "¡­"


    I didn''t know how to answer that. Should I say that we had nothing inmon and were just friends? No friends would literally give such expensive earrings, let alone put them on my ears. That was another level of trust given from a woman to a man.


    Mona took a deep and heavy breath. She leaned on the seat while staring at me, "You didn''t date him, did you?"


    "No, we''re not dating¡­ just¡­ kind of close," I replied truthfully. We weren''t dating, and I still had no intention of dating Mason Hall. He also had the same idea, knowing how rabid his fans were.


    "Em, this is why I said that you''re ying with a big fire. I won''t lie that you''re a very pretty girl. I bet if you try to stick out more, there will be a lot of men lining up for you. But Mason Hall is¡ª"


    "I know, that''s why I didn''t date him¡­ yet," I replied.


    "Elise and I can''t do anything once you''re set to date someone, Em. But I think you already understand our worry, right?"


    "Yeah, I understand," I sighed deeply. "Let''s not talk about Mason and me, okay? I know the risk, and I know that if someone could identify me from that recording, that would be a big disaster for me. But I will take the risk because¡­ let''s face it, can you defeat Natasha and Barbara without taking some big risks?"


    Elise and Mona looked at each other and shook their head simultaneously. It seemed that they already knew the risk I had to take for this. I took the earring box and put it inside my bag again.


    "Well, let''s just see how things unfold right now. Because the trap has been sat anyway," I said. "Oh, I''ve also informed Anita about the location where Natasha, Barbara, and Jordan would have their threesome. I bet she will go absolutely nuts after she found out that the information is correct."


    "Oh, let''s find a way to record the shit that would happen soon. Though, I don''t think we can enter the hotel lobby without looking too suspicious," Elise said.


    "Oh, I can, don''t worry," I said as I unzipped my jacket to highlight my perky boobs. "These boobs actually helped me to look much older than my real age," I said boldly with a chuckle.


    "Oh~ well, I mean, with that kind of well-developed body, I can see why the waiter in that cafe didn''t ask for your ID," Monamented. "You''re going to sneak inside that hotel and record everything in the lobby, aren''t you?"


    "Yup, I will be there to witness the chaos as an innocent bystander, hahah~" Iughed evilly as I imagined how things would unfold soon.


    "Oh, speaking of chaos, we should check that Instagram page. Let''s see if they have uploaded the recorded conversations of Mason Hall''s new girlfriend."


    Mona, Elise, and I quickly focused our attention on our phones and then clicked on the first profile as we searched the name,


    Darthmorth spicy whispers.


    I clicked on the profile, and¡ªthere it was!


    The post that we had been waiting for, even the post''s title, was very controversial.


    Mason Hall has a secret girlfriend!? And his secret girlfriend is a backstabber!

 Chapter 207 - New Instagram Post (2)

    Chapter 207 ¨C New Instagram Post (2)


    Mason Hall has a secret girlfriend!? And his secret girlfriend is a backstabber!


    I was already lured by the controversial title of the post. To say that his girlfriend was a backstabber was such a strong usation.


    I read the Instagram post first before ying the recorded video;


    ¡ª


    O M G! Girls, do you know what we have just found? We got the real news, a recording from one of our followers about what they found in a cafe in the shopping district.


    Mason Hall, your beloved school idol, American Football captain, and fresh young actor¡­ has a secret girlfriend!


    Aw, Aw, there is something even spicier than that. From the recording, it seems that Mason Hall has gifted his girlfriend a precious gift, a pair of expensive earrings! Now girls, which one of you has gotten that kind of expensive gift from a boy? Bet none of you are that treasuredpared to Mason Hall''s girlfriend.


    Oh, about the backstabbing girlfriend¡­ believe it or not, his girlfriend¡­ is actually one of his fans. She is a member of Mason Hall''s Fan Club.


    Now girls, watch your back. Who knows, that girl who has snatched Mason Hall is actually your closest friend in that Fan Club. Tsk, tsk¡­


    ¡ª


    I couldn''t control my grin as I read the post. Natasha and Barbara really knew how to make stuff up. In the post, it was said that the admin got the video from one of the followers. But they were actually the ones who recorded it.


    It was such a simple trick to emit suspicion. Just in case someone recognizes the curtain oryout of the cafe from the video, one of them might realize that it was the cafe where Natasha and Barbara were regrs.


    So by saying that it was a video from a follower, people wouldn''t think that Natasha and Barbara were the admin of this sinful Instagram page.


    Also, they said that the girlfriend was a backstabber because she was Mason Hall''s fan but dated him in the process. It was just a way to incite chaos.


    As the admin of this sinful Instagram gossip page, they were definitely girls who loved to see chaotic drama.


    Which would be my benefit, of course. Natasha and Barbara really thought they were invincible because they hid behind anonymity. They didn''t care whether there were hundreds of students already preparing their knives to kill the admin behind that gossip page.


    We yed the video recording, and I saw myself getting recorded from above. The recorded¡ªwhich was Barbara¡ªvideotaped my back, so she couldn''t identify my face. Nor that she was able to in the first ce, since I wore a hat, shade, and face mask. I was basically fully covered at that point.


    She recorded everything that I talked about in that ce, up until the point when I finished my fake call with Mason Hall, put the earring back in my handbag, and dropped 500 bucks on the table.


    I got up and turned my head towards the camera, and the recording was cut abruptly. That was because the next scene would be Barbara getting shocked by me turning my head towards her. She lost her bnce and fell on Natasha and Jordan''sp. So they had to cut the video.


    But the video was enough to definitely create a big wave in the school, especially after other students know that the Instagram page also has A LOT of malicious posts directly intended for them.


    Elise and Mona put down their phones after watching the video. They stared at me with even more scrutinizing eyes as if they were judging me.


    "What?" I asked.


    "Are you sure you''re not in a rtionship with Mason?" Mona asked.


    "Yeah, it looks like you''re really calling him on the phone," Elise added.


    "Of course, it was all fake," I replied, denying their baseless usation.


    "Well, because your acting is just simply amazing. With that video, even I would be fooled if you''re not here to confirm it," Mona said. "I think this would blow up soon. Do you want us to anonymously share it on Instagram or send it to WhatsApp group?"


    "Not now. If you guys want to share it, do it tomorrow morning. Give it gap because if it went viral now, there is a possibility that Natasha, Barbara, and Jordan would cancel their night together in that Grand Sun Hotel," I instructed them. "Besides, I still have to call someone to help me in this case."


    My mind instantly went to Logan Walker. It had been a while since thest time I met him. He texted me a few days ago, saying that he was really busy with something outside. But he had already told some important people to crack and dox the information about that Instagram ount.


    Honestly, I kind of missed him. He had been really busy these days. I hadn''t had any real conversation with him since that time when he gave me the cobra ne.


    I liked wearing that ne, but only when I was alone. Because it was too precious, just like the ruby and emerald earring that Mason gave me.


    Both were just too precious.


    "Well, we''re following your order, Em. Since you said that we should hold on for now, then we will hold on to wait for your instruction," Mona said.


    **


    As I waited for my cue to go to the Grand Sun Hotel, not far from here. I had dinner in Mona''s cafe, but she said that dinner would be on her this time. Since I had spent literally 2500 dors today.


    "Oh, Em, how could you have that much money? Did you ask your parent?" Elise asked as we ate our dinner.


    I stopped eating for a moment and shook my head, "I got it from a loan to someone I know¡ªuh¡­ a rich cousin of mine."


    "I was worried, you know. I didn''t have that much money, but if it''s for the mission, I have enough saving for that," Elise offered out of concern.


    "No, the loan has been settled. He doesn''t need me to pay back as long as I did his homework for 1 year straight," I said as I lied. Of course, I couldn''t say that I got the money by exchanging my hair strands.


    "Well, if you say so, I can''t do much. Just tell me if you need money. I have enough saving for you¡­." Elise said.


    Aww, Elise, she was so sweet to me. But really, my creepy sugar daddy had all the money I needed for my list of revenge.


    I just have to be careful with the amount I asked for and should probably refrain from asking things other than money because I knew how dangerous he could be.


    "Do you want me to apany you to that hotel, Em?" Elise offered again, and I shook my head in response.


    "No, you don''t look mature enough to pass that hotel. They might actually ask for your ID," I replied. "Besides, if Natasha or Barbara recognize you, then you''re real dead meat. Just trust me for this.. I will give you the drama."

 Chapter 208 - Commotion In Hotel Lobby

    Chapter 208 ¨C Commotion In Hotel Lobby


    "Do you want me to apany you to that hotel, Em?" Elise offered, and I shook my head in response.


    "No, you don''t look mature enough to pass that hotel. They might actually ask for your ID," I replied. "Besides, if Natasha or Barbara recognize you, then you''re real dead meat. Just trust me for this. I will give you the drama."


    Elise looked a bit sad after I turned her down many times, but this was for the best of us. Elise''s position right now made her unable to act because Natasha had already identified him.


    This was why I never wanted to be well-known because the more mon'' you were, the more invisible you got, and people wouldn''t give a shit about what you did. Because you were just another mob character in their beautiful story.


    "Just be careful, Em," Elise warned for thest time.


    I went out after 7 and walked to the Grand Sun Hotel not far from the cafe. I supposed Natasha, Barbara, and Jordan was already inside their room right now.


    I looked at the front of the hotel and then turned around to zip down my jacket to show my big boobs under the brown sweater. I strutted confidently, yet leisurely, acting like a mature woman that had just gone out for dinner outside of the hotel.


    The hotel security bowed their heads at me, and I raised my chin in response. He opened the hotel door, and I yed with my phone, acting as if I was busy, and sat on a seat in this big hotel lobby.


    I acted as if I was calling someone on the phone while my eyes observed around the lobby, hoping that I would find Anita somewhere.


    I waited for about thirty minutes and then heard amotion from the front. I turned my head and saw that Anita was here, with a literal megaphone in her left hand and a sign written.


    -Two whores and cheating bastard, Natasha, Barbara, and Jordan!-


    Holy fuck, Anita wasn''t ying around. I really thought that she woulde and just create a smallmotion or something while cursing Barbara, Natasha, and Jordan.


    But she came equipped, and she didn''t take a no from anyone.


    "Youngdy, you should leave now. This is not the ce to make a mess," the old security said. But when he was about to catch Anita, she dodged and stormed inside the hotel lobby.


    The receptionists were shocked when Anita raised the sign and then put the megaphone in front of her mouth, "BARBARA CORNWELL, NATASHA ZEST, JORDAN PILL, COME OUT YOU BITCHES AND CHEATING BASTARD! OR I WILL TELL EVERYONE ABOUT YOU ALL! YOU WILL GO FUCKING VIRAL ON YOUTUBE!"


    I quickly recorded this messy event when Anita repeated the line over and over to make a point. The security guards tried to catch her, but she ran around the lobby, trying to dodge those fat security guards. She kept talking with her megaphone, effectively catching everyone''s attention in the lobby.


    "TELL THOSE BITCHES AND BASTARD TO COME DOWN, OR I WILL KEEP MAKING PROTEST HERE! THEY ARE IN THE LOTUS ROOM NUMBER 5 ON THE FIFTH FLOOR, NOW!"


    The receptionist apologized to each guest in the hotel lobby. They even apologized to me. But I told them to;


    "I think you should call those people toe down first. This crazy woman wouldn''t stop until she got what she wanted, right? Besides, she already knows the room of those people. Better solve it as soon as possible, or I''ll give a bad review for the hotel because I am really disturbed with this crazy stunt."


    The receptionists seemed to be taking my advice at heart. They looked at each other and then nodded.


    I saw that Anita kept on screaming over and over with the megaphone, and she also yelled at the security guards, "DON''T TOUCH ME! I WILL TELL EVERYONE THAT THE SECURITY GUARDS IN THIS HOTEL ARE TRYING TO HURT ME IF YOU DARE TO TOUCH ME!"


    The receptionist finally gave up and called the guest in Lotus room number 5 from the fifth floor. After a few more calls, the line was connected. They begged Natasha, Barbara, and Jordan toe down or Anita would keep on making amotion.


    About fifteen minutester, they all went down to the lobby, and when the lift was opened, their gazes met with Anita, who was furious, holding a megaphone and a sign written;


    -Two whores and cheating bastard, Natasha, Barbara, and Jordan!-


    "Anita?!" Jordan was the first to speak after the fright.


    Anita red at Jordan and yelled, "You cheating bastard! I will fucking kill you and those whores! You told me that you are over with them, and you are thinking about getting back together with me!"


    "N¡ªNo, please wait a minute, we can talk about this. Just don''t make amotion, okay? We''re in public!"


    Anita found that as more of a challenge rather than a warning. Maybe she saw this as a sign that Jordan was more embarrassed by her making amotion rather than cheating with two bitches.


    So she put the megaphone in front of her mouth and yelled, "JORDAN, YOU CHEATING ASSHOLE! I WILL MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS THAT YOU ARE FUCKING NATASHA ZEST AND BARBARA CORNWELL. EVERY ONE OF YOU WILL GO VIRAL IN FUCKING YOUTUBE AND ALL SOCIAL MEDIA!"


    I got giddy by her yelling. This was a really good video. I could just post this on YouTube or Instagram under a fake ount and then tag every popr students'' ount.


    It would be such a humiliation for Barbara and Natasha.


    After that, Barbara and Natasha didn''t seem willing to fight with Anita. Maybe they realized that fighting with Anita would only embarrass them even more, so they hid behind Jordan''s back.


    After I got what I needed, I got up from the seat. Barbara caught me in the edge of her eyes, and we stared at each other for a few seconds before I turned around and walked away.


    "Hey, that girl¡ª" Barbara was about to chase me, but Anita grabbed her wrist and red at her.


    "You can''t run away from me, you Barbitch!''

 Chapter 209 - With Mason Hall (1)

    Chapter 209 ¨C With Mason Hall (1)


    "You can''t run away from me, you Barbitch!''


    I smirked as I heard that from Anita. That was a perfect name for Barbara ''Barbie'' Cornwell. Thanks to Anita, I had the excellent video to shame themter on.


    I already told Elise and Mona that I would be returning home after my mission in the Grand Sun Hotel.


    I sat at the bus station, waiting for the next bus.


    I checked my watch and was a bit surprised that it was already 8.30 P.M. That drama in the Grand Sun Hotel Lobby was so fun that I forgot how long had I been waiting there.


    I looked around and found myself alone in this bus station. Fear slowly crept on me because I had never ventured this far alone at night. And there was no way I would call my Mom, knowing that she would be worried sick if she knew that I was all alone without a boyfriend or anyone with me. She might never allow me to leave my house if I told her the truth.


    I checked my phone as I waited for a bus, and my blood ran cold when I saw the number of texts that had been sent by my Mom since an hour ago.


    "Crap, I shouldn''t have put my phone in silent mode," I cursed myself, remembering that I was the one who turned on the silent mode because I was afraid to get a sudden phone call or text while recording themotion in that hotel lobby.


    After mustering my courage, I read the text from Mom;


    ¡ª


    Mom: EMMELYN JONES! WHERE ARE YOU NOW?


    Mom: DON''T YOU SEE THAT IT''S ALMOST 9 NOW?!


    Mom: TEXT ME BACK OR YOU WILL BE GROUNDED, YOUNG LADY!


    ¡ª


    My body shivered from head to toe. Mom rarely typed with capital letters like that. It was only when she was worried, sick, or really angry. In this case, she was probably worried and mad at the same time.


    I was thinking of a good reason to lie to her, so she wouldn''t be worried sick. But before I could finish typing a proper response, my Mom suddenly called me.


    I gasped and almost lost my grip on my phone. I was wondering whether I should answer the call or not. But before I reacted, I saw a shadow standing right in front of me.


    I slowly looked up and saw a breathtakingly handsome man with blue eyes and blond hair smiling at me, "¡­ Mason?"


    "Good evening, Em. What are you doing in this bus station alone?" Mason asked. He proceeded to sit beside me, but without any gap between us. Thus, our thighs touched.


    The phone kept ringing, and my attention was divided between Mason Hall and my Mom, who kept calling relentlessly.


    Mason peeked at the caller''s name and smiled, "Do you want me to help?"


    "Ah, you shouldn''t¡ª" Mason suddenly snatched my phone before I could evenplete my sentence.


    He picked up the call from my Mom;


    __Phone call with Mom__


    "EMMELLYN JONES, DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?! WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW!?"


    My Mom''s thundering voice was heard without even the loudspeaker on. But Mason didn''t even budge while my face already paled, thinking how much I would get yelled at by Mom once I got home.


    "Good evening, Mrs. Jones."


    "¡­ who is this? Why do you have my daughter''s phone?" Mom asked.


    Mason nced at me, who was still petrified from head to toe, and he smiled, "My name is Mason Hall. I''m Emmy''s boyfriend," Mason imed, much to my surprise.


    I was so shocked that I couldn''t say anything when he imed to be my boyfriend. I just stared at him with my jaw dropped.


    "E¡ªEmmy boyfriend? But I thought his voice was deeper¡­ are you the same man with that emerald eyes?" Mom asked.


    Mason frowned, and he looked genuinely confused. He looked at me with a questioning gaze, waiting for an answer. I whispered to him with a voice as low as it could be, so Mom wouldn''t hear it.


    ''Just say yes, I will exin it to youter.''


    Mason''s expression told me that he had tons of questions in his head, "Ah, yes. I am that man with emerald eyes. I''m still with Emmy in the shopping district. We just had dinner together."


    "I''m sorry for taking so long, Mrs. Jones. We just have a lot to talk about. I will drive her home safely," Mason Hall said.


    "Ah, well, if that''s the reason, then she should text me first. I was worried sick here," Mom said. She sighed in relief. "Okay, Mason, can you give the phone to Em?"


    "Ah, sure, Mrs. Jones."


    Mason gave the phone to me, and I answered the call, "Yes, Mom¡­."


    "Em, you got me worried sick, you know that? I won''t stop you if you want to date your boyfriend. But that doesn''t mean you have to ignore my text!"


    "I''m sorry, Mom. I didn''t do it on purpose. I was just¡ª" I looked at Mason, who smiled at me sincerely. I seriously didn''t know how could he find me here or whether it was just a strange coincidence that got me creeped out. But for now, Mason Hall really had helped me tremendously from getting grounded by my Mom.


    "¡ªI was just having fun with my boyfriend. We had lunch and then watched a movie and had dinner together. I put my phone on silent mode, so I didn''t realize your text. Sorry, Mom."


    "Ah, if that''s the case, then it''s alright. Just be sure to return before 10. Your boyfriend is driving you home, right? Because I don''t want you to use any public transportation thiste night, I''d rather pick you up."


    I looked at Mason, and he nodded willingly.


    I swallowed my saliva hardly, knowing that I had fallen into a trap, whether Mason deliberately set it up or not, but I was definitely trapped to say yes. Mason would be the first boy in my high school to know about my real address after this¡ªoh, after Noah, I guess. But he had moved out to another state.


    But in the end, I had to say yes.


    "Yes, Mom.. I will return home with my boyfriend''s car."

 Chapter 210 - With Mason Hall (2)

    Chapter 210 ¨C With Mason Hall (2)


    __Phone call with Mom__


    I swallowed my saliva hardly, knowing that I had fallen into a trap, whether Mason deliberately set it up or not, but I was definitely trapped to say yes.


    "Yes, Mom. I will return home with my boyfriend''s car," I replied weakly.


    "Oh, perfect! Then I don''t need to worry anymore," Mom said on the phone. "Well, I will be waiting at home. It''s quitete already. You two should return home soon. Uh¡­ young man, your name is Mason Hall, right?"


    "Yes, my name is Mason Hall. I am Emmy''s boyfriend," Mason imed. I felt it was wrong because we weren''t dating, at least not yet. But he had to im to be my boyfriend to save my careless ass.


    "Oh, aren''t you the same man who always brings a red rose for Emmy?" Mom asked again.


    This time, the confident expression on Mason''s face gradually dimmed, and he looked confused instead. He frowned and nced at me, waiting for an answer. I held my breath because this was where the story didn''t add up. If Mason Hall imed to be my boyfriend, that meant he also had to dere himself as the red rose man.


    I found it very hical since the red rose man was a creep who knew no boundary, and he was a very creepy guy. Unlike Mason Hall, who was basically the opposite, he was smart, very caring, and knew his boundary. Sometimes I wondered what was in his mind when he got angry or annoyed.


    He seemed to be a different person when he was angry at someone other than me.


    But that wasn''t really the problem right now. I just found it hical, but we were already deep in this lie about Mason Hall as my boyfriend, so I had to sacrifice him for now.


    I whispered to him, ''Just say yes, I will exin it to youter.''


    Mason Hall nodded obediently and replied to Mom, "Yes, Mrs. Jones. I am that man as well, I¡ªuh¡­ I''m just too shy to show my face before. I''m sorry if it scares your family¡­."


    "Oh, no, not at all! You''ve helped so much! Thank you for taking care of my daughter. I hope you two have a good rtionship in the future," Mom said happily. She seemed to lean more towards this creepy red rose man than me.


    Maybe Grandma talked through her about it, and she was influenced. Because Mom was generally very protective of me because of the abuse we experienced together from Dad.


    But she seemed to be very lenient about this red rose man.


    "Well, I will be waiting for Em at home. Would you mind taking her home now?"


    "Yes, surely, Mrs. Jones. We will return home soon," Mason said.


    "Okay, bye~."


    Beep.


    __Phone call with Mom__End__


    Mason and I stared at each other in the bus station for a while. We both had our lines of questions that needed to be answered. But since he only stared at me awkwardly without saying a word, I had to start the conversation.


    "Mason, why are you here?"


    "Ah, I thought you''d see me from afar. I''m eating in that restaurant¡ª" Mason replied. He pointed at a restaurant directly facing the bus station, so anyone from that restaurant could see the bus station from the ss pane. "I''ve been watching you. I want to text you first, but you seem to be busy with someone on the phone, so I quickly finished my dinner and came here instead."


    "Ohh¡­ I see¡­"


    Honestly, I had something more sinister in my mind. I thought that he might have been stalking me since the moment I entered this shopping district. He might be hiding somewhere, lurking while watching me from afar.


    But that wasn''t really possible, since I knew he had a lot of activities on the weekend. Unless you already made an appointment with him, of course.


    "Yeah, I finished my advertisement shooting about two hours ago, went here to have dinner, and nned to shop for groceries first before going home. But I found you here¡­" Mason nced at me again and asked, "How about you, Em? What are you doing here alone? You know this ce isn''t the safest for¡­ a beautiful girl like you."


    "I¡ª" I paused for a moment, trying to find a good reason that was less suspicious. "I have a shopping spree and dinner with my friends today. We had a st since afternoon, my friends left first with their parents, and I''m here waiting for a bus, haha."


    I wished that my dryughs would cover the shakiness in my voice. Because I was goddamn nervous right now.


    Mason Hall was probably the only person in my circle who didn''t know jackshit about anything I did. He was busy with his own life and probably thought that I was just a regr female student who happened to catch his eyes.


    But I had a sinister background in me. I had no intention of telling him about it, though, nor was I going to show him the sinister deeds I did to take down many students so far, from Kristen and Cerise, Leah and her gang, the three stooges, and now, Barbara and Natasha.


    ''I think, for someone like Mason, all he needs to know is that I am just a regr female student. I think I''ve indirectly implicated him with so many things in my missions. All of my missions had directly or indirectly dragged him. It''s better not to draw too much of his attention.''


    "Really? You''re going with your friends on a shopping spree?" Mason looked genuinely confused. He looked at my left and right and asked, "But where is your shopping bags? Why would you go on a shopping spree without buying anything?"


    "Ah, that''s¡ª" I swallowed my saliva, every time I tried to lie to Mason Hall, I felt guilty.


    "That''s because I don''t have money. I apanied my friends to go and shop.. I just look around and have lunch and dinner with them."


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