Chapter 4

• Vivianne Sinclair
• SLAPS!
• My dad's hand struck my face the moment I stepped into the principal's office.
• My eyes sparked, and my hand flew to cover my burning cheek.
• "You shameless whore! How dare you bring shame to my family?"
• Tears welled up in my eyes, but I held it back. My heart ached.
• “I gave you everything, and this is how you pay me back?”
• I scoffed. Everything? Acting like a good father here, huh? Give me a fucking break, please! When did he ever know that I exist?
• I locked eyes with the principal briefly, my fingers tightened at my sides as I lowered my gaze.
• “Ms. Sinclair…”
• My breath caught in my throat the moment the principal's voice echoed in the office.
• This wasn't going to go unpunished. I could handle anything else but expulsion... I've worked too hard to get here... I can't lose everything now.
• “You do know what you did is against Stormbridge Academy's code of conduct, right?”
• I nodded, biting into my lip.
• “And if this gets to the public, it will not only put the school's reputation at risk, but would also worry the parents who has kids here.”
• I remained silent.
• “This act cannot go unpunished.”
• I swallowed hard. Just give me hard labor, please... I prayed silently.
• “According to Stormbridge’s rule, you are hereby expelled from the Academy with immediate effect.” he said, tossing an expulsion letter before me.
• My knees buckled beneath me, and heat blossomed in my chest.
• “Si…Sir…” My voice cracked, tears welled up in my eyes.
• “I…I…” I stuttered, but no words came out.
• Dad looked away with disappointment as I turned to him. Not that he would stand up for me anyway.
• “You can't do this, Sir. I didn't do…” Tears streamed down my cheeks as my voice trailed off.
• “You have thirty minutes to vacate the Academy's dorm.”
• I dropped to my knees, my body trembling, and voice shaking. "Please, sir... Y...you can't expel me... I... I... I'll do anything else, please. I can't leave this school."
• The principal looked at me coldly, his eyes void of emotions. “Excuse me. I'm busy.”
• My dad stood and left without another word.
• "Si...sir---"
• "I might be forced to ask the security to see you out if you don't leave now, Ms. Sinclair."
• His mind was already made up... Nothing I say will change it.
• I dragged myself up, then reached for the expulsion letter before walking out of his office.
• Noah stood outside the moment I stepped out, and my grip instinctively tightened on the paper as I paused.
• Right… Noah wasn't summoned too. Not even the principal would dare summon Mr. Boulevard’s son, knowing that the Academy stands a chance to lose its biggest fish… their largest shareholder.
• He stood before me, staring with guilt written on his face... Or maybe I was just trying hard to see him feel guilty that I made that up in my head.
• He couldn't have felt remorse...This is what he wanted anyway.
• “Vivi…”
• Without sparing him a second, I walked past him...
• *****
• Students hung along the walkway, whispering, laughing, and throwing insults at me as I dragged my suitcase down, but I held my shoulders and head up high.
• I paused as I approached the parking unit and spotted Bailey walking towards dad's car. She paused and looked back at me, a smug smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.
• I joined them in the car, and the ride home began.
• Back home, I headed inside before dad and Bailey, ignoring my stepmom who was sitting in the living room, I headed upstairs to my room.
• Dad walked in at that moment.
• "Vivianne…”
• I stopped on the staircase.
• “You can stay here for just today. You're moving out first thing tomorrow morning.”
• My grip tightened on my suitcase, and I let out a scoff.
• “I can't let you cause any more trouble for this family. I won't let you ruin Sinclair's reputation.”
• Throwing me out now and talking reputation? The same reputation my mom built for him? The same company my mom helped raise to the top twenty successful companies in New York before she died?
• Another second barely passed when my phone pinged with a text. An alert of ten thousand US dollars popped on the screen.
• “That should be enough to sort yourself out.”
• I huffed. Ten thousand dollars? Will that even pay a year's rent?
• I turned to him, blinking back my tears.
• “Did you ever see me as your daughter?”
• He scoffed, placing his hands on his waist.
• “You have never treated me as a daughter. You've never looked at me with love. You've always neglected me—”
• “All I asked of you is to be like your sister! If you were half as good as Bailey, I would've loved you!”
• “All you do is cause trouble. You are useless, Vivianne! You should never have been born!”
• Those words struck my heart, and my stomach knotted, but I composed myself. No! They must not see me in tears.
• I looked at Bailey, and she smiled softly… as if saying ‘look, I took everything from you’.
• I wanted to yell at him… to defend myself and insist on staying here, but fuck it! Staying around these people was already messing with my head anyway.
• I lifted my phone to my face... For a second, I thought of sending the money back to him, but paused, my grip tightening on my phone.
• I have student debt to pay... I don't have any savings... And I don't even have anywhere to go. How will I survive?
• With that in mind, my hand dropped beside me, and I swallowed the lump in my throat.
• Bailey stepped forward, standing beside dad, her arms wrapped around his arm, and a faint smirk at the corner of her lips. "You shouldn't just stand there, Vivianne. Maybe dad will change his mind if you beg him."
• "You can't take her back, honey. She's brought so much shame to the family. She's always causing trouble, and she's ungrateful." My stepmom spoke for the first time.
• That witch!
• My fingers tightened on my suitcase. Fine! I'll leave! There's no point staying here when I'm not valued anyway.
• I'm going to make all of them pay for this... Noah... dad... Bailey... and everyone that hurt me. They'll all regret it...