Chapter 3

The homeroom teacher seemed like a lifeline to me. Seeing the filth on my face, she asked sternly: "Who's openly bullying a classmate in class? Morgan, was it you?"

Morgan rolled her eyes, clutching her stomach: "Teacher, you can't favor Lily just because she's sick. She's the one who rammed into me."

Seeing Morgan's pain didn't seem faked, the teacher looked at me critically: "Lily, you explain."

But I'm naturally mute. Except when facing Ethan and his parents when I can communicate normally, when interacting with others, being able to say ten words in a sentence is already good.

I stammered: "It's not, I... I..."

The powerlessness of being unable to defend myself made me anxious.

Just then, Ethan stepped forward and said: "Teacher, let me explain."

Like a beam of light shining on me, I looked at Ethan hopefully, thinking he would give me justice.

But Ethan said: "Lily had an episode this morning and made a mess of her own desk. Morgan kindly tried to help, but she not only wouldn't listen, she rammed Morgan with her head."

His tone was lazy: "That's what happened. No one bullied Lily. She attacked someone while sick."

In an instant, my mind went blank.

He knew full well that when facing false accusations, I had no ability to defend myself. Yet now, he cruelly threw dirty water on me.

The teacher was disappointed: "Lily, you've let me down! Go stand in the hallway and reflect on yourself!"

The teacher's criticism stung. I stared blankly at Ethan, lips trembling: "Why?"

He didn't give me any look, carrying Morgan to the infirmary. Only when passing me did he raise his eyes: "The teacher told you to go stand in the hallway. What, didn't understand?"

My heart throbbed with dull pain.

Ethan, my knees are bleeding. Can't you see?

After class, the crowded hallway was full of malicious stares.

"Look at her face, so disgusting!"

"Doesn't it look like a pile of shit stuck to her face?"

The mockery was endless. Someone even picked up the disgusting bread from my desk and threw it at me.

I trembled all over, completely breaking down. My condition felt like a flood about to breach the dam, ready to become hysterical any moment.

I didn't want to hurt others during an episode, so I shakily fumbled through my bag for my medicine.

Finally finding it, someone snatched it away.

"Give it back!"

I looked up sharply to see Morgan's mocking expression. And Ethan stood beside her, not stopping her.

I stood up and rushed toward Morgan, only wanting to get the medicine back. But Ethan instinctively kicked me away, as if I were some uncontrolled wild dog:

"You want to hurt people again?"

His force wasn't great, but that kick shattered my heart.

Seeing me fall, Ethan looked away with reluctance: "Lily, if you apologize to Morgan, I'll have her return your medicine. After all, you were in the wrong first. She's doing this just to get your apology."

He wasn't someone who couldn't tell right from wrong. Who was at fault—he knew perfectly well.

Ethan was doing this just to force me to give in.

He was so excessive, yet I didn't even have the right to hate him.

After all, I truly owed him my life.

Thinking of what I owed him in my past life, I stood up and left dejectedly: "I won't take it."

The boy's footsteps moved forward unconsciously, but ultimately pride won out and he didn't chase after me.

I went to clean the filth from my body, trying to make myself somewhat presentable.

Just as I'd finished washing my face, Morgan came over twirling her delicate hair.

"What spell did you cast on Ethan to make him care about you so much? Eagerly sending me to bring you medicine."

I didn't want conflict with her, but she blocked my way: "Hey, you're usually so quiet, but today you dared to ram me with your head?"

Morgan was angry about my resistance today.

I looked up, meeting her eyes directly: "I'm not afraid of you anymore."

In my past life I feared her, endured her bullying without telling anyone, because I didn't want to cause trouble for the Wilson family.

Morgan sneered: "Is that so?"

She handed me the medicine: "I'm done teasing you. Here."

I reached for the medicine, but in the next moment, Morgan suddenly grabbed my hand and dragged it across her own face, falling to the ground pitifully: "Lily, I kindly brought your medicine back to improve our relationship. Why did you hit me?"

Absurd.

I didn't understand why she did this and was about to leave when I suddenly saw Ethan's disappointed gaze.