Chapter 27

The main gate of Meridian University was still a ways off from the main building, and a leafy path stretched out between.

With fifteen minutes left before class, Megan and Rachel took their time, strolling slowly under the dappled sunlight.

"Hey, Meg," Rachel leaned in with a grin,三didn't get the chance yesterday-what made you switch gears all of a sudden?"

Megan offered a soft smile. "I had this dream. in it, Tristan died for me. It felt too real to ignore.When I woke up, I started thinking back to everything he's done. He wasn't trying to control me, he just. cared too much.I realized I misjudged him. I'm ready now-to understand him, to accept him. and to love him."

Rachel blinked, dumbfounded. "You're telling me a dream flipped the switch? That's wild. Maybe if the Lee family all dreamed I saved their lives, they'd finally treat me better."

Megan gave her shoulder a gentle pat. "Relationships are about two people. But marriage in families like ours? It's all politics. Sure, getting their blessing is nice, but don't let it weigh you down too much. In families like this, love's usually the first casualty. Don't sweat the Lee family. They don't matter. Someday, when Kai's got his footing, no matter who you are, they'll have to respect you."

Rachel nodded, a bit more at ease now.She suddenly looped her arm through Megan's, leaned close,and whispered wickedly, "So. last night?"

Megan flicked her right on the forehead. "Get your head out of the gutter. It's all polatonic right now.."

Rachel hissed in fake pain, rubbing her forehead while mumbling, "UJgh, don't tell me my brother's.incapable?"

Megan shot her an eye-roll. Not like she could admnit her arm was still sore.

As they reached the steps of the main building, three girls abruptly blocked their path. "Oh wow, look who it is-Miss Dumped-by-Reid herself," sneered Lillian.

"Didn't you go on leave or something? Got the nerve toshow up to class again?" added Jeanie.

"Seriously, if it were me, I'd be too embarrassed to show my face," chimed Erin.

Megan turned to Rachel. "Do you hear barking?"

Rachel fanned the air in front of her nose. "Not just rabid barking. but it reeks. Like something crawled in their mouths and died."

Megan clicked her tongue in mock sympathy. "Guess it's true-old habits die hard."

Lillian shot her a finger. "You bitch! Who are you calling that?"

"Whoever's been snacking on crap, obviously," Megan's smile was ice-cold.

She and Rachel made to walk past the trio, brushing off the taunts. But Lillian wasn't done-she lunged forward, fingers aimed at Megan's black hair.

Big mistake. Megan's leg shot out and nailed her square in the face.

With a shriek, Lillian toppled back onto the ground, a dark shoe print smacked right across her pale cheek.She shot a glance at Jeanie and Erin. "Useless. Get over here!"

The two exchanged uneasy looks-none of them dared to move, terrified they'd be the next to get a shoeprint slapped on their face.

Megan let out a mocking scoff. "Calling you dogs would be an insult to actual dogs. I don't even know who you are, so stop trying so hard to get attention."

Lillian felt completely disregarded. No matter what, she and Megan had at least been classmates. Saying she didn't know her? That was a slap in the face, screaming she was a forgettable nobody. That stung worse than an actual hit.

"You act like you're above everyone!" she snapped. "Think you're all that now, huh? Pretending you don't know anyone?" Megan tilted her head and stared at her coolly. "Ever heard of garbage sorting? I'm human; you're trash. No reason for me to know what bin you belong in."

With that, she nonchalantly walked off into the teaching building, Rachel by her side.

As the two entered Room 413, the lively chatter instantly died. All eyes landed on Megan.

In the center of the classroom sat Molly. Her eyes were clear and innocent, and she looked up at Megan with a seemingly harmless smile.

Only the back row had open seats. Megan and Rachel walked up the steps toward the last row.

Right behind them, Lillian and her crew strutted in.

Then a few snide female voices piped up:

"Some people get dumped and somehow the whole country hears about it. Embarrassing much? And she still has the nerve to show up here?"

"Heard she clawed her way into some old guy's bed.Sounds about right."

"Totally shameless,honestly."

Among the whispers, a few disgusting male voices joined in:

"Can't believe l used to think she looked pure. Turns out she's just trash."

"Yeah, if I'd known she was such easy pickings, I'd have made a move too. Who knows how many times she's been passed around."

"Well, if she's that cheap, she's just a toy now."

"Not scared of getting AIDS? Damn, got some real twisted tastes."

"But hey, if it's free, why not?"

"Exactly,lol..."

Rachel's fists clenched tight-she was just about ready to beat some sense into them. It was clear they were spewing filth just to smear Megan's name.

Lillian, still clutching her slapped cheek, let out a low laugh. This show was too satisfying to miss.

She strutted past Megan with a sneer. "Different people, different views. But your dirty laundry's out for everyone to see!"

Megan had already mentally marked the gossiping trash talkers.

Without a word, she took off her backpack and handed it to Rachel. "Hold this."

Then she calmly stepped down two levels and pointed at three sleazy-looking guys. "You. You. And you.Out."

The guys stared at Megan's gorgeous face, their expressions turning lewd.

One of them smirked and shot back, "Wat, this gonna be a live show or something?"Megan curved her lips into a subtle smile and tapped on the desk of the guy with thick glasses. "You. Open the alumni site and start a livestream."

The guy looked nervous and tried to reason with her. "Megan, don't do this to yourself. Let them say whatever they want. Don't bother with it so much."

Three boys snapped at him, "You wanna die, four-eyes?!"

"She's chill about it and you're still whining?"

"Exactly! Keep yapping and I'll knock your teeth out!"

The guy stubbornly averted his gaze, like even if they beat him half-dead, he still wouldn't cave to this kind of shady stuff.

Then,out of nowhere, one of the guys-bleached blond with a cocky swagger-swung his fist straight at the glasses boy's head.

"Ahh!" A loud scream echoed across the huge classroom.

But it wasn't the glasses boy who cried out-it was the blond guy. Megan had punched him right in the wrist.

His whole arm started trembling like crazy. "Damn it! Get her!"

The guy with glasses stared in disbelief, adjusting his frames like he couldn't make sense of what was happening.

Megan's voice was like ice. "Start the livestream."

He fumbled to open the app, hurried to a good spot, and began filming.

He steadied the camera just in time to watch Megan grab another guy by the collar and jab her fingers into his eyes with deadly precision.

Then, with a swift spin, she kicked another dude straight in the side of the head.

As for the bleached blond, he didn't dare take another step forward.

Megan let out a cold laugh, lunged forward, and socked him square in the face. He dropped like a sack of bricks, nose bleeding all over the floor.

Nobody could believe this serene-looking girl with soft black waves and fairy-like features had just won a full-on classroom brawl.

She stepped hard on bleached blond's şhirt, her tone icy. "Next time you wanna talk trash, I'll ship you to the landfill myself. They've got shredders."

Her sharp gaze swept toward the three girls near the window-the same ones who'd been stirring up drama earlier.

Megan lifted her chin a notch. "Need me to do it, or you gonna handle yourselves?"

The girls were completely frozen, gulping hard, heads shaking like bobbleheads.

Megan held up her fingers, making a scissor gesture. "Slap yourselves. Or I'Il save you the trouble." Grimacing, they gave themselves a couple weak slaps.

"Is that all you've got?" Megan's voice cut through like a knife.

Then came the loud "smack, smack" echoing through the room as the girls really started hitting themselves.

Tears streamed down their faces. "Is... is that enough?"

Megan crossed her arms, eyes like frosted glass, her words sharp as frostbite. "Twenty each. Don't cheat."

The three of them sobbed while slapping themselves, trying to drag it out long enough for the teacher to show up and save them from the humiliation.

That's when the sharp click of high heels echoed from the corridor.