School had just ended, and the three of them,Yeri, Nina, and Levi were planning to hang out at a nearby café. Just then, Yeri received a message. She glanced at her phone. It was from Venice.
[Venice: Yeri, do you have to be so vindictive? Is it fun to bully others over petty reasons?]
Yeri raised an eyebrow but didn't bother replying. Lately, Venice had been acting like she took some strange medicine ever since the debut banquet, she seemed completely unhinged and openly hostile.
Unlike before, when Venice pretended to be the elegant and cultured young lady from an upper-class family, she now wasn't even trying to hide her hostility.
Since they hadn't seen each other in person, Venice had resorted to bombarding her with accusatory or bitter texts.
Yeri wasn't sure what Venice was mad about this time, but she hadn't forgotten how she'd kicked Carpet out of the house and tried to humiliate her by staining her dress at her own debut party.
Venice even tried to ruin her reputation.
Yeri was no saint and she wouldn't pretend to be. She wasn't the type to turn a blind eye to people trying to harm her.
Unlike Venice, who thrived on petty schemes, all Yeri did was ask her father not to help Venice transfer to SC University.
If Venice really wanted to transfer that badly, then she should do it on her own merits instead of pulling strings behind the scenes.
Of course, doing it on her own was the same as saying it was impossible.
With her mediocre grades and the sky-high tuition, Venice should honestly stop dreaming.
Yeri let out a quiet chuckle.
"Something good happen?" Nina asked, noticing her smirk.
Yeri just shrugged and opened her locker, only to be startled when a cascade of colorful envelopes spilled out.
What the heck? Was her locker turning into a post office? Why were the letters multiplying every day?
"How does it feel being the undefeated school queen?" Nina teased. "Your admirers are really going all out. From bouquets to chocolates and all kinds of gifts, every day is basically your birthday."
Yeri sighed, feeling a headache coming on. Just that morning, her desk was flooded with breakfast boxes, flowers, and little trinkets. During lunch, someone anonymously requested love songs to be played on the school broadcast, all dedicated to her.
And just yesterday, the dorm reception received luxury deliveries in her name: branded bags, designer shoes, and jewelry. She had them all returned.
"Levi, can you hack into the school forum or any secret group chats? I have this feeling… there's a bet going on about me."
"You think they're trying to win you over because of a bet?" Levi frowned, crouched down, and flipped through some of the letters, scanning names.
"Rowan, Fabian, Erin..." he muttered. "These families are all in the food and hospitality sector. Don't you see the pattern?"
"What pattern? Just say it already!" Nina huffed impatiently.
"Was I talking to you?" Levi replied with a sigh.
"You weren't. But you'll be talking to my fist if you keep that attitude," Nina warned, cracking her knuckles.
Levi groaned. "This is why guys think twice before talking to you. You're so violent."
"Cowards should stay in their caves then," Nina huffed, loud enough for students passing by to look over.
"Okay, enough." Yeri cut in. "Levi, what's your point? I know the surnames, but what does that have to do with me?"
Levi handed her some of the letters. "It means you're officially on the marriage market. You had your debut party, didn't you? You've always kept a low profile, but now that your background's more widely known, even college students are sending you love letters. After your debut, word must've spread fast."
He hesitated, then added, "Also, your father hasn't publicly named an heir to Zhi Corporation yet. It's a massive company bringing in billions annually, any powerful family would want in. Marrying you might be their shortcut to securing a piece of the company."
Yeri nodded slowly and picked up the thread. "Right. These people probably think I'm just a girl and a sickly one at that. In their eyes, I'm unfit to run the company and might not even live long enough to reach old age. That makes me the easiest target. Whoever I marry would automatically become the next CEO of Zhi Corporation. I wouldn't have a say in anything, and they could even use my health as an excuse to bring in a mistress."
"They dare!" Nina snarled, kicking a locker like the offender was right in front of her.
"Don't bother reading this one. Or this one." Levi handed her more envelopes. "This guy trended recently after announcing he'd only marry his current girlfriend, who's a divorcee with three kids and ten years older than him. His parents were so furious they got hospitalized. Now, suddenly, he sends you a letter?"
Yeri nodded at Levi, who tossed the sketchier letters straight into the bin.
"Yz, call your dad and get your family lawyer to sue these creeps for harassment," Nina growled. "You wouldn't be dealing with this if you hadn't..."
"Nina." Yeri shot her a warning look.
Nina leaned closer and whispered, "You really broke up with Shin Keir? If it's him, at least you know he's not after your family's money."
Yeri didn't refute, but with Levi around, talking about Shin Keir wasn't ideal. Although Nina had a point.
Shin Keir's company had nothing to do with the food industry, and Zhi Corporation's net worth was likely just a small fraction of his.
He was the last person who'd approach her for that kind of reason.
Wait. Why was she even thinking about this?
"Stop spouting nonsense." Yeri gave Nina a look. "I'm not worried about these people. My parents don't pressure me to get married. Honestly, I don't even have to get married."
Nina nodded seriously. "Exactly. These days, we're not living in the dark ages. In fact, you should just marry me. Same-sex marriage is legal now, and I'll treat you like a queen."
Levi scoffed, and the two of them instantly started bickering again.
Yeri ignored the two, rummaging through her bag. "I think I left my power bank under my desk. You two go ahead. I'll catch up."
Before they could reply, she had already rushed off.
---
"Found it," Yeri muttered as she retrieved her charger from her desk. As she was about to leave, she detoured to the restroom.
She was washing her hands when the door creaked open. She didn't look up until a sharp, unexpected pain slapped across her cheek.
Yeri staggered back, stunned.
A stinging slap landed on her cheek, catching her completely off guard.
"Tiffany Rhian, are you crazy?!" she shouted, clutching her stinging cheek.
It was the first time in her life she'd ever been slapped.
"You're the crazy one, you damn vixen!" Tiffany shrieked. "I'm going to teach you a lesson today!"
Yeri was about to retaliate but froze when she got a good look at her.
Tiffany looked completely deranged—eyes red and swollen, eyeliner smudged like a black eye. Her thick makeup was cracked, her foundation mismatched. She looked like a ghost haunting the school.
The class monitor had reported earlier that Tiffany had skipped afternoon classes. Yeri hadn't paid it any attention.
Pointing at Yeri's face, Tiffany suddenly yelled, "Don't act so innocent with that pretty face of yours! Everyone might be fooled, but I see right through you! You're just a manipulative little bitch, pretending to be sweet while hoarding all the boys' attention. You think I didn't see you throwing their love letters in the trash? You're probably laughing at them behind their backs!"
She then looked Yeri up and down with a sneer. "Whenever those boys talk to you, you just happen to be sick? What, trying to show off your figure in that loose P.E. uniform?"
Yeri was too stunned to speak. How was a baggy P.E. uniform 'showing off' anything?
"Tiffany, I don't care if you hate my face. But you're not the only young lady in this school, stop acting so entitled like the world owes you something."
Tiffany just let out a crazed laugh. Two girls suddenly entered the restroom behind her, wearing smug, threatening expressions.
"So what if I'm entitled?" Tiffany sneered. "Yeri Zhi, aside from your face, what do you have? Is it satisfying? Seducing other people's boyfriends? Being a homewrecker? You just can't stand to see others happy while you're stuck with whatever illness you have."
"Careful, Tiffany," said one of the backup girls. "She might go crying to your boyfriend again."
The other girl nodded. "Yeah, she's good at playing victim. Who knows what lies she'll tell him this time?"
Yeri: "…"
Boyfriend? Homewrecker?
Yeri was stunned. When did she ever seduce Tiffany's boyfriend? She didn't even know who the guy was.
In fact, she didn't even know Tiffany was dating anyone.
In just a few minutes, these three had written a whole drama where she was the villain who ruined a relationship and caused a breakup?
"Who even is your boyfriend, and how did I supposedly seduce him?" Yeri shot back, calm but firm. "Do you have any evidence? If not, you're slandering me."
Tiffany's eyes blazed with fury as if Yeri had just slapped her. "Shut your pretentious face! If you hadn't dangled yourself in front of him, would he have taken a fancy to you? He dumped me just to chase after you properly!"
Yeri "..."
"Evidence? What evidence?" Backup Mouth #2 chimed in with a sneer. "That vixen face of yours is the evidence!"
Yeri blinked. Tiffany, this absolute psycho and her two minions, really had a personal vendetta against her face. It was disturbing.