Chapter 62
Carmen had just stepped into the classroom when she was instantly drowned in a flood of prying stares and hushed whispers.
A person asked, “Did you hear?”
Another said, “Everyone’s heard about it by now, alright? She cheated in the state competition and got Alec kicked out of the Painting Association. As for that Rithol Art School incident, like she didn’t know someone swapped her project. She probably just hired a ghostwriter.”
“And that’s not all. She probably just got back from the new principal’s office. Those bullies who got someone killed were expelled, and word is, she was pulling the strings behind the scenes too.”
“Appearances can be so deceiving! She always acted like such a sweet and generous person; who would’ve thought she’d turn out like this?”
“The Wilson family is really unlucky, favoring this worthless trash over their own flesh and blood.”
“Man, Aubree is totally killing it these days!”
One foot in the classroom, the other rooted outside, Carmen stood frozen, her fingers digging into the straps of her backpack until her knuckles turned white. Head slightly bowed, her eyes blazed with barely contained fury.
She thought, ‘Aubree is becoming more and more of a threat. Last night, Dad and Daxton even made me promise, in front of the whole family, that I’d find an opportunity to apologize to her! How humiliating is that?
‘Why should I apologize to Aubree? I didn’t do anything wrong!
‘Not only that, but Mom actually had my custom–designed gown altered for Aubree! How dare she? That dress was mine!’
Carmen seethed as the gossip swirled around her. She thought, ‘It’s all Aubree’s fault! Why couldn’t she have just stayed missing after being abducted? Why did she have to come back and steal my family, my identity?’
Lizzie Kim snapped, “That’s enough! Don’t act like you all haven’t taken favors from Carmen before!”
A person said, “Everyone knows you’re Carmen’s biggest suck-up.”
Lizzie’s face flushed crimson with anger. Unable to argue with so many people, she rushed up to Carmen, grabbed her, and pulled her toward the classroom. “Don’t mind them, Carmen,” she said urgently, “They’re just jealous of your family’s status and the fact that you’re with Alvin.”
A person said, “Hilarious! Didn’t you see how annoyed Alvin was with her last time?”
Carmen finally snapped. She shook off Lizzie’s hand, stepped forward, and delivered a stinging slap across the speaker’s face. “Since when do you get to judge my life?” she spat, her voice trembling with rage.
The girl who got slapped was just as hot–tempered and instantly swung back to return the blow, but a quick–thinking classmate grabbed her arm. “Let it go, let it go,” the classmate urged, “She’s got the whole Wilson family behind her. Hit her today, and you’ll be the one paying for it tomorrow.”
The girl said, “What a joke! Mark my words, you’ll never measure up to Aubree, not in this lifetime!”
‘Aubree, why is it always her?’ Carmen seethed inwardly, her frustration reaching a breaking point.
Carmen was deaf to Lizzie’s words of comfort. The farce only came to a temporary halt when the teacher entered with teaching materials.
Carmen barely registered a word of the lesson. Her mind was still seething with resentment.
She thought, ‘Make me apologize to Aubree? Fine then, I’ll go apologize to her!’
A calculating gleam flickered in Carmen’s eyes.
The first class was followed by an extended break. Seniors could use the time freely, but nearly everyone stayed in the classroom, buried in their textbooks.
The bell had just rung when someone called from the classroom door, “Aubree, someone’s here to see you.”
Aubree was led to the stairwell. When she saw who had come for her, she smirked. “Well, well, fancy seeing you come to me for once.”
“Sis, don’t be like this,” Carmen said, reaching out to her. Aubree immediately took a wary half–step back, putting distance between them.
“So, trying that ‘you pushed me down the stairs’ trick again?” Aubree crossed her arms, her eyes full of mockery.
Carmen slowly withdrew her hand, her voice soft and pleading. “Sis, you’ve got me all wrong. I just wanted to apologize. Everything that happened was my fault. Please forgive me.”
She tilted her face up, putting on the most pitiful, doe–eyed look imaginable.
“Do you really think that’s possible?” Aubree rolled her eyes. She guessed Ronald must have sent Carmen.
“I don’t think that’s possible either.” Carmen suddenly smirked, her tone doing a complete 180 from just a moment ago.
Before Aubree could react, Carmen suddenly raised her hand and delivered a stinging slap to her own face. The sharp crack echoed unnervingly through the stairwell. “Sis,” she said in a trembling voice, “I just wanted to apologize to you.”
Carmen clutched her cheek as tears welled up in her eyes.
Aubree’s eyes widened in disbelief. ‘Is she out of her damn mind? We’re not even at the Wilson family, who the hell is she putting on this show for?’ she thought, unable to make sense of Carmen’s behavior.
“Pathetic,” Aubree muttered, turning to leave, only to be stopped by that all–too–familiar accusing voice.
“Aubree! What the hell is this?” Daxton snapped.
Carmen shot her a smug grin and silently mouthed, “Dearest sister, my brother is here at school today, just to deal with my little problem.”
During the break, Carmen had deliberately sent Lizzie to wait by the entrance. The moment Daxton arrived, she would lead him straight to the stairwell, just as Carmen had planned.
Watching this scene unfold, Carmen thought smugly, ‘No matter which brother shows up, they’re bound to resent Aubree now, aren’t they?’
Out of the corner of her eye, Carmen saw Bryan and Daxton approaching.
Daxton charged forward, yanking Carmen behind him protectively. “You’re bullying Carmen again!” he snarled.
Aubree couldn’t decide whether to be more impressed that Daxton could still move so swiftly after the beating she’d given him, or to roll her eyes at how he never seemed to grow, either in height or in brains.
Rolling her eyes, Aubree muttered, “Dumbass.”
Seething with pent–up rage from old and new grievances, Daxton lunged forward, only for Bryan to intercept him at the last second.
“Aubree,” Bryan said sincerely, “can you tell me what really happened just now? If it wasn’t your fault, I’ve got your back.”
All she had to do was speak, and he’d believe her.
Carmen wasn’t the least bit flustered. She simply hid behind Daxton, feigning quiet sobs.
She thought, ‘This is a surveillance blind spot. Winona and her gang used to beat people up here all the time without ever getting caught.
“Who’d believe I slapped myself? No cameras here to prove otherwise.’
Daxton exploded, “Isn’t it obvious? Carmen came here to apologize, and you went and hit her! You just can’t stop bullying her, can you?"
Daxton seethed, “Aubree is so vicious and ruthless! As if beating me up last night wasn’t enough, now she even dares to lay hands on Carmen!”
Daxton glared daggers at Aubree, his eyes blazing with fury.
Daxton’s words ignited Aubree’s fury. She’d been ready to let it go. After all, it wasn’t worth arguing with an idiot. But since he insisted on accusing her of hitting someone, she figured she might as well make his accusation come true.
Aubree challenged, “Carmen, do you dare to face me?”
Carmen timidly stepped out from behind Daxton, putting on the most pitiful, victimized expression she could muster. In a trembling voice, she said, “Bryan, Daxton… it’s all just a misunderstanding. Aubree didn’t do anything to me.”
“Of course I didn’t do anything to you!” Aubree sneered. Then, seizing the perfect moment, she delivered a stinging backhand slap across Carmen’s other cheek.
She said, “Because this is the only slap I gave you.”
The slap came so fast that neither Bryan nor Daxton could react in time to stop it.
“Aubree?”
Daxton’s cry was laced with fury, while Bryan’s was sharp and urgent.
Bryan was completely stunned. He never expected Aubree to take action without a word of explanation.
Carmen couldn’t believe Aubree dared to hit her right in front of her brothers. She stood rooted to the spot, completely stunned, her mind blank for a long moment. ‘How could she do this with them watching?’ Carmen thought, still unable to react.
Aubree didn’t care what anyone else thought. She stepped forward, gripped Carmen’s chin, and forced her face to the side. “Open your damn eyes and look,” she sneered, “Are the slap marks on her face the same? If I had slapped her, that side of her face would be even more swollen.”
Bryan instinctively glanced at both sides of Carmen’s face. Looking closer, he saw the slap marks really were different.
“If that useless brain of yours isn’t doing anything, donate it to science, spare the world your stupidity.” With undisguised contempt, Aubree wiped her hand clean on Daxton’s shirt, showing not a shred of courtesy.
By the time Daxton snapped out of it, Aubree had already kept a safe distance between them.
She thought sarcastically, ‘What if these two grown men decide to play dirty and gang up on a ‘helpless girl’ like me? Better keep my distance, just in case.’
As a doctor, Daxton could clearly distinguish the differences between the two slap marks on Carmen’s face—the angle, redness, even the subtle swelling. The professional observation left him momentarily speechless, his throat tightening with emotion.
After a brief silence, Daxton steeled himself, ‘Carmen only did this because Aubree’s been hogging all the attention lately. She had no choice, it’s all Aubree’s fault!’