The academy's marble halls echoed with laughter and chatter, but to Sara, the sounds carried an unfamiliar sharpness. Whispers trailed her wherever she walked, fragments of conversations sliced into her like hidden blades.
"Did you hear? She only got into this academy because of her family's money."
"I heard she's already being matched with the Zhao heir. Typical — using connections instead of merit."
"She acts so innocent, but everyone knows she's just playing the victim."
Sara kept her chin lifted, her steps steady, but her grip on her books tightened until her knuckles turned white. The words weren't random. They were deliberate, crafted, designed to dig beneath her skin.
When she passed a group of students who suddenly fell silent, eyes darting away with feigned innocence, the truth became clear. Someone was orchestrating this.
And she didn't need to guess who.
From the end of the hallway, Emily leaned casually against her locker, a perfect smile on her lips. Her entourage giggled behind her as if the whole school were their stage.
When Sara's gaze flickered toward her, Emily tilted her head, offering a mocking little wave.
Sara's stomach clenched. She wanted to march up and confront her, demand she stop hiding behind whispers. But she knew that was what Emily wanted — to see her break in public, to make her anger look like guilt.
Instead, she walked past without a word, though her heart pounded.
"Coward," Emily's voice carried just loud enough for Sara to hear. Laughter followed like daggers thrown at her back.
By lunchtime, the tension had worsened. Sara sat at her usual table with Lina, trying to ignore the stares and murmurs. Her food sat untouched.
"Don't listen to them," Lina said firmly, stabbing a fork into her salad. "They're parrots repeating whatever lies Emily feeds them. You know the truth. I know the truth. That's what matters."
"It still hurts," Sara admitted, her voice low. "I thought things were getting better. And now it feels like I'm back at the start again."
Lina reached across the table, her hand covering Sara's. "Then we fight back smarter this time. You don't have to carry this alone anymore."
Sara managed a faint smile. "Smarter, huh? You sound like Adrian."
Right on cue, Adrian plopped his tray down beside them, grinning. "Who's saying my name? I must've felt the disturbance in the force."
Ryan sat down across from them, adjusting his glasses. "Adrian, not everything is about you."
"Correction: most things are," Adrian shot back, earning a snort from Lina.
Sara blinked at them, a flicker of warmth in her chest. Even in the middle of this storm, her circle was expanding. Daniel's friends had started weaving themselves into her world too — steady Ryan, unpredictable Adrian, and quiet Leo, who often lingered nearby without saying much.
They weren't just Daniel's allies. Slowly, they were becoming hers as well.
Across the cafeteria, Emily watched, her smile faltering at the sight of Sara surrounded by laughter and loyalty. She had expected Sara to crumble under the weight of the whispers, to sit alone, fragile and defeated.
But instead… she was adapting. Growing.
Emily's nails tapped against her juice carton. No matter. This was only the beginning.
Leaning closer to one of her lackeys, Emily whispered, "Spread the word that Sara bribed her way through last semester's exams. Make sure it reaches the teachers' ears."
The girl hesitated. "But… won't that—"
"Do it," Emily snapped, her sweetness vanishing for a moment. "Or don't bother coming back tomorrow."
Fear flashed in the lackey's eyes before she nodded quickly.
Emily leaned back, her smile returning. "Let's see how perfect Sara looks when the school starts questioning her integrity."
That evening, Sara walked home with Lina, the setting sun casting long shadows across the street.
"Do you think it'll ever stop?" Sara asked quietly.
Lina glanced at her. "Not as long as Emily's obsessed with you. But here's the thing, Sara — she's loud because she's scared. You shine brighter than she does, and she knows it. That's why she's trying to dim your light."
Sara absorbed the words, her heart steadying. For so long, she had felt powerless. But maybe Lina was right. Maybe Emily's cruelty wasn't proof of Sara's weakness — but of her strength.
For the first time that day, Sara allowed herself to smile.