Chapter 6 Proof

• Duradel may not be Vero’s domain, but she believes she can make her new friends bow to her, just as she did back home.
• After making sure Lev was no longer on the 4th floor, Vero entered her room and took the cell phone she kept in the nightstand drawer. She turned on the phone and waited for the main screen to appear and the signal was established.
• For a moment, she expected notifications of messages or missed calls, either from her parents or from her friends who wanted to know her whereabouts and current condition.
• But none appeared.
• Vero pursed her lips, and her shoulders slumped in disappointment. She put her phone on silent mode and put it in her bag. It is a violation to carry a cell phone to class and Vero didn’t want to lose it on her first day here. So she had to be careful.
• The long lunch hour was still going on when Vero returned to the campus. She headed to the cafeteria and looked around for her new friends amidst the crowd of students having their lunch.
• Mia’s red hair and Ava’s blue hair stand out from the crowd. Vero waved, then walked over to them. She didn’t notice something was wrong until she arrived at their table and all the girls stared coldly at her.
• Vero’s eyebrows rose. “What’s wrong? Did I miss something?”
• No one gave her an answer.
• Vero’s mind immediately went to Lev and the threat he gave earlier. Is this one of his doings? By ordering Vero’s new friends to stay away from her?
• What a cheap way, thought Vero. How dare he talk about reputation when he used lowly means like bullying to pressure her?
• Vero gave a slightly relaxed smile, and then she sat down on the empty seat at the end. She placed the bag on the table and unzipped it. “I want to show you something,” she said as she looked into her bag to find her cell phone. “This is about Lev. You should know what happened between us.”
• The girls’ reaction was beyond Vero’s expectations. No one gave a response and instead, they stood up from their seats, carrying their trays of food.
• “Guys?” Vero’s hand stopped reaching into the bag when she looked up and saw her friends leaving her one by one. “Hey, where are you going?”
• When Mia passed Vero, Vero tried to stop her by touching her arm, but Mia tilted her food tray and made a thick and oily orange liquid, she didn’t know what kind of food was that, spilled and soaked Vero’s clothes.
• Vero stood up and turned away from Mia. She stared at her in disbelief and Mia just gave her a disdainful look and a small, annoying smirk of victory tugged at the corners of her lips.
• Once again, Vero became the center of attention. This time, however, there were mutters of disdain that followed the sharp eyes that were directed at her.
• Vero grunted as she took off her black cropped jacket and gripped it tightly while glaring at Mia and her friends.
• After that, Vero looked for Lev’s whereabouts, but she couldn’t find him anywhere.
• Vero grabbed her bag, and half ran, about to get out of the cafeteria. But she stopped when she saw the bowls of food filled with oily orange sauce that lined the food counter. It’s the same food Mia spilled on her clothes.
• Vero took a bowl and walked to the table where Mia and her friends were sitting. Saying nothing, she splashed the contents of the bowl right on Mia’s head, making her scream.
• Everyone held their breath in shock, and their reactions satisfied Vero.
• “The color suits your hair,” said Vero with a smile and put the empty bowl on Mia’s food tray.
• Satisfied with taking revenge and venting her frustration, Vero walked away from the cafeteria.
• *
• Mia and her friends didn’t show up for the next class, and until the lecture ended, Vero didn’t see them.
• She thought the problem with Mia was over, and her mind was back on Lev.
• She could feel a glare on her back during the lecture, and she was sure that was the look Lev was giving her. He sat one row behind Vero.
• When the lecture was over and everyone left the classroom, Vero rushed to catch up with Lev, who had left earlier with his friends.
• As Vero walked out of the classroom and through the stairs that led downstairs, someone grabbed her and slammed her back against the wall.
• That’s Ava. She grinned when she saw Vero grimacing in pain.
• Mia and the others appeared from the bottom of the stairs.
• “How dare you…,” Mia hissed. She didn’t finish her words, but approached Vero and slapped her hard.
• “Why just one slap?” Ava said. “Give her more.”
• “Oh, I will. But not now. I don’t want to scare her to death and leave Duradel on her first day.” Mia squinted and poked Vero’s shoulder with her forefinger. “Once again you dare to humiliate me like before, I will not spare you.”
• Vero smiled crookedly as she rubbed her sore cheek. Her ears were still ringing.
• She could have returned the slap and challenged Mia to fight, but she didn’t want to get into trouble just because of Lev’s instigation.
• First of all, she had to tell these idiot girls who Lev really was. A selfless playboy.
• “I don’t know what Lev said to you guys,” Vero said. She stood up straight again and lifted her chin. “But there is something I must tell you about him. Once you find out, you won’t trust him anymore.”
• “What are you talking about??” Mia spat. Her forehead was furrowed and her mouth was slightly open. She acted as if Vero was speaking in a foreign language they didn’t understand.
• “You guys are like this because of Lev, right? Did he threaten you like he threatened me, so that you abused me?”
• “I don’t understand what you’re talking about, so stop this nonsense,” Mia snapped.
• “Don’t pretend to be stupid,” Vero replied. “Stop covering up for Lev’s rot and side with me. Let’s fight him together.”
• Vero thought she had given a convincing speech about rekindling friendships, but her words were greeted with laughter by Mia and her friends.
• “Side of you? Do you want to fight Lev? Who do you think you are??” Ava said. “You’re just a reckless girl who doesn’t know who Lev is and how much influence he has in this town.”
• “It’s only a small town,” Vero said with a shrug. “Once outside of Duradel, I was sure he was nothing.”
• “Watch your words,” Mia replied. “Right now we’re in Duradel, and you can’t deny the fact that the Deammone family is one of the most influential families here!”
• “Deammone?” asked Vero, not understanding.
• “That’s Lev’s family name.”
• “What can he really do?” challenge Vero.
• The girls were surprised to hear Vero’s question. Mia gritted her teeth and squinted. Her finger was pointed at Vero and she saw the finger was shaking. Either out of anger or fear. “He could have ordered one of the villagers to kill you and dump your corpse into the bottom of the lake, and no one would have cared. That’s how big Lev’s influence is in this town.”
• A long silence follows Mia’s dramatic statement. When no one spoke, Vero laughed while holding her stomach. She laughed until she bent down and shed tears.
• “That sounds terrible,” she said after her laughter died down.
• Vero wiped a tear from the corner of her eye while looking up at the ceiling.
• All the girls frowned at her. “Are you crazy?” asked Mia. “Why are you laughing?”
• Vero opened her arms to the sides, and her head tilted. “You ask why I laugh?” she replied. She pointed at Mia. “Of course, because of your ridiculous remark just now!”
• “You think I’m kidding?!” Mia snapped.
• “Well, what you said just now only applies to fictional stories! There’s no way the police would stand still and see murder happening before their eyes!”
• Mia pushed Vero’s shoulder roughly. “You,” she hissed. “You’re from a wealthy family, aren’t you? There’s no way you don’t know the influence families of the rich have on law enforcement.”
• Mia’s statement silences Vero.
• Of course, she knew that, because her parents often bribed law enforcement to get Vero out of the way.
• Vero slapped Mia’s hands and shook her clothes to get rid of the dust from Mia’s hands that might have stuck to her clothes. “Still, that doesn’t make any sense.”
• “I suggest you read the history of this town before you talk,” said Mia. “You will know how powerful and terrible the Deammone family is.”
• “I don’t care,” replied Vero. “I just want to speak the truth and leave this place as soon as possible.”
• Although this small town is beautiful, Vero doesn’t want to be in the same place as the person who causes her trouble. Not to mention the bullying she had to accept from these tacky village girls.
• She didn’t want to be down anymore.
• “I’m not boasting when I say that Lev and I went to a hotel together to celebrate my birthday.”
• “And where did you meet him?” Mia folded her arms in front of her chest.
• “In a nightclub. The Queen’s Secret Palace.”
• “Isn’t that one of the famous clubs in a big city located a few hours from here?” muttered one girl standing behind to a friend next to her.
• Mia took a deep breath until her chest puffed up. “Do you have proof?”
• “I do, and it's solid proof.”
• Vero unzipped the bag and reached inside. “Get ready,” said Vero. “You will be very surprised to see this.”