Chapter 7

SAVANNA (VERONICA)

My gaze fell on their pale, fear-stricken faces. The satisfaction I felt wasn't really enough for what they did to Veronica. Yet, for now, it'd suffice.

A slow, lazy twitch played against my lips as I stepped toward the sink to clean the dirts from my hand.

These girls, after all, were nothing more than pieces of trash I had accidentally touched and made my hands dirty.

I turned on the tap, letting the cold water run over my fingers while calmly rubbing them together.

Behind me, I heard Becky struggling to catch her breath.

I glanced at her through the mirror, her eyes were wide with disbelief, staring right at me— precisely on my back.

And the other girls— well, they didn't dare to move either. They were practically frozen where they were.

The sound of their ragged breathing echoed inside the small restroom. Especially Becky.

She simply could not understand how the same Veronica she had tormented for years had suddenly become someone capable of pinning her against a wall without hesitation, let alone strangle her.

"You... you've gone crazy!" she muttered between breaths, clutching the edge of the sink.

"You think grabbing me like that makes you brave now? Don't forget who you are, Veronica. You're the same disgusting fat girl everyone laughs at!" Her voice trembled with anger, confusion and utter desperation.

Her words didn't bother me at all. Instead, my lips twitched deeper.

The desperation to regain her worth before these girls, before Veronica was too much.

I just realized, these people were all just big mouths with no actions. What a waste, eh.

I calmly turned off the tap and dried my hands with a paper towel, not even bothering to look at her yet. The calmness of my movements seemed to irritate her more than any insult could have.

She expected tears, or trembling, or desperate excuses like the Veronica she knew would have given. Basically, she fed on Veronica's timidness.

Instead, she found a girl who was completely indifferent to her presence.

"I won't let this go," She hissed bitterly, her voice rising with fury. "You embarrassed me today, and I swear I'll make you regret it! I'll— I'll make sure everyone in this school remembers exactly what kind of pathetic pig you are."

Only then did I glance at her over my shoulder. My gaze was calm, almost bored, and that seemed to unsettle her more than anger ever could.

However, more than discomfort, I witnessed her fear again, which she was trying her best to hide.

A slow smirk spread across my lips. "Do whatever you want," I said quietly.

"But next time you try to touch me, make sure you're prepared for the consequences."

Her face reddened, her eyes widened in disbelief.

I, however, tossed the paper towel into the bin and walked out of the restroom without waiting for her response.

I had wasted enough time on this cockroach, not anymore...

The moment I walked out of the restroom corridor, I nearly bumped into Ethan.

He looked exhausted, trying to catch his breath hurriedly. His crutch was tucked awkwardly beneath his arm, and his face was flushed bright red, clearly from rushing here faster than his injured leg allowed.

Immediately, I frowned as worry crept within me. Did someone hurt him? Did they dare bully him as well? These fuckers!

"V-vero!" he gasped, gripping his crutch tighter as if afraid he might fall. "Y-you ok-kay!?" He stammered more than usual due to his nervous panting.

"What happened to me?"

He blinked, then looked me up and down. "I... I thought s-someone was b-bullying you ag-gain. You were g-gone f-for so long, so I c-came t-to check!"

For a moment, I stared at the little guy. Something warm stirred deep within me.

Despite his weak leg and the fact that he rarely left his classroom during breaks, he had forced himself to hurry across the building just because he thought his sister might be in trouble? His concern was genuine, painfully honest, and completely different from the cold calculations I was used to.

Was this why they said 'family is precious'? Probably...

"I'm fine," I assured him calmly. "There's nothing to worry about." Then spread my arms widely. "Look, nothing has happened."

Ethan studied my face, then my body carefully as if trying to confirm that I wasn't lying. After a few seconds, his shoulders relaxed slightly, though the concern didn't disappear from his eyes.

"I'll wa-alk with y-you," he said stubbornly.

"You don't have to, though it's not a bad idea to have lunch together," I replied, and he nodded vigorously..

"Yes!"

I smiled at him. Most of his 'yes' just because he didn't want his sister to be bullied again.

We began our walk down the hallway together, his crutch gently tapping the floor with each step he took. And it wasn't long before the familiar whispers began.

Students turned their heads as we passed, and the mocking smiles quickly spread across several faces.

"Well look who it is," one boy said loudly, elbowing his friend. "The school whale decided to come back."

Clearly for us to listen to each word.

Another student laughed harshly. "Careful, don't stand too close. She might sit on you by accident. Who knows, then you might not survive?"

"Last time I checked, the zoo called. They want their elephant back!"

Their laughter echoed across the corridor, loud and mean.

"Isn't that the girl who confessed to Damon before she tried to kill the poor staircase with her huge body?" A girl nearby covered her mouth while whispering loudly enough for us to hear.

"Yeah. Just Imagine thinking Damon would ever date someone like that."

More laughter followed, and I could feel Ethan stiffened beside me. His grip tightened around his crutch, and his face turned even redder than before.

From Veronica's memory, normally he avoided crowded areas precisely because of moments like this. Yet today he had forced himself into the middle of it simply because he thought his sister might need help.

And it actually bothered me. Living your entire life in fear even after having a family — this seemed more brutal than being an orphan.

As we continued walking, my gaze slowly shifted toward the group of boys standing near the lockers ahead.

Damon, the school's football star, was among them, leaning casually against the metal door with the relaxed confidence of someone who had never experienced real humiliation in his life.

Veronica's memories immediately recognized him as the boy she once adored, the one she had confessed to before everything fell apart... Looking at him now, however, I found nothing impressive about him.

He was tall and had an athletic figure, but there was nothing extraordinary about him. Just a bit of boyish charm, that's all. Nothing extravagant.

Honestly, he was nowhere near as good as my younger brother Ethan's. People, however, laughed at Ethan only because of his birth defects.

His posture and expression only revealed the kind of shallow confidence that came from being popular among teenagers. Compared to the trained and undeniably handsome men I had seen in my previous life, his so-called charisma felt painfully ordinary.

One of the boys beside him, probably, David, from Veronica's memory, smirked and pointed in our direction. "Hey Damon, look. Isn't that the fatso who confessed to you last month?"

The group immediately burst into laughter.

"Man, you should've accepted. At least she'd make sure you never go hungry." Another added. He must be Michael.

"Nah, just look at her brother. She ate it all and now he doesn't have any nutrients in his legs!"

Their voices were loud enough that people down the hallway stopped to watch, joining in their laughter.

I didn't say anything when it was on me. However, Ethan couldn't take it, he lowered his head slightly, seemingly wishing he could disappear.

I knew that I could lose my fat, but Ethan's injury would take a lot of money and time. I must make money faster.

Damon himself looked annoyed rather than amused, though not because Veronica was being humiliated. It seemed more like he simply disliked having his name dragged into the conversation.

"Just drop it," Damon said briefly, his tone carrying mild irritation.

But the boy, David, who had started the joke simply shrugged. "Relax, we're just having fun. I mean, just look at her. One fatso and the other one is crippled. What a sibling pair."

He laughed at his own joke and turned, probably to walk away.

But, I wasn't done, not when he dared to drag my brother in it.

Without hesitation, I reached out and grabbed his collar.

The fabric tightened instantly under my fingers as I pulled him back toward me. The sudden force caught him completely off guard, and his body jerked forward before he could react.

And, I pinned him against the wall..

"Wha-at the hell?!" he snapped, trying to pull away.

My grip tightened instead, and his expression quickly shifted from annoyance to shock.

I stared directly into his eyes. "Apologize to my brother, now." I said calmly...