Chapter 55

“What did you say?”
Getting called out so openly in front of all these students made Bald Lee’s face flush with embarrassment. Who did Charlotte think she was anyway? Just the Main family’s daughter, and not even the legitimate one. Rumor had it she was a troublemaker, the kind no one respected or paid attention to. He had assumed she must be protected by someone important.
“Mr. Lee, do your ears only work for the top students? Or do you just ignore the rest of us?”
Her sarcasm was sharp and direct, exposing his favoritism and snobbery for everyone to see. It was exactly what the students had been wanting to say for the past three years. A few couldn’t help flashing Charlotte a thumbs-up behind their desks.
“If Charlotte actually pulls this off and stays, I’m calling her boss from now on.”
“Not likely,” someone murmured.
Everyone remembered a similar scene back in their first year. A student didn’t do well on a test and Bald Lee tore into him. His words went too far, crossing into humiliation. The student stormed out of the classroom. Even though that kid had good grades and a great family, Bald Lee still managed to get him expelled. If Charlotte was picking a fight with him, she was probably doomed.
“Charlotte Main!” Bald Lee’s voice shook with anger as he glared at her. “I’m calling your parents right now. Get them to the school immediately!”
“Charlotte,” Shirley whispered, tugging gently at Charlotte’s sleeve, her face full of worry.
“Don’t waste it. It’s expensive,” Charlotte replied with a lazy smile. She took the fork from Shirley and calmly went back to eating her cake, acting like the threat of expulsion had nothing to do with her.
The other students stared, stunned. Bald Lee was so mad he clutched his chest, his face contorted with rage. He wanted her gone, right now.
He pulled out his phone, ready to call the Main family, but a voice sounded from the door.
“Mr. Lee!”
It was Eleanor, the homeroom teacher for Class C. Bald Lee found a new target for his frustration and immediately snapped, “Ms. Adams, what kind of students do you let into your class? You’re here at the right time. Call Charlotte’s family and tell them to get her out of here within the hour!” There was no room for discussion.
Eleanor was still new, having only joined the school last year. Compared to an old-timer like Bald Lee, she barely had any say. Charlotte had just transferred Kere, and nobody had even figured out what really happened yet. Forcing a student out right before the college entrance exams could ruin her whole future. Eleanor couldn’t let it happen.
“Mr. Lee, maybe there’s been some misunderstanding,” Eleanor said softly, glancing
over at Charlotte. “Shouldn’t we at least hear her side first?”
“The facts are right in front of us. Anything she says now is just an excuse,” Bald Lee cut in, his glare icy. “She’s from some nowhere village, probably not much education. Eve heard she’s always causing trouble. Are you really okay having someone like that in your class? Aren’t you worried she’s going to drag everyone else down? Today it’s a snake tomorrow she might bring á gun!. The more he talked, the wilder his accusations got, like he was determined to make Charlotte sound as bad as possible and get her thrown out.
Problem student, always stirring up trouble…
Eleanor’s face went pale at his words. She turned to look at Charlotte, who stood quietly off to the side in her black uniform, her skin looking almost luminous. There was a cool, distant look in her eyes, but standing there in silence, she actually seemed pretty well-behaved.
Eleanor remembered reading Charlotte’s file. She knew how tough her life had been. Growing up alone in a remote place, with no family to look out for her, just surviving must have been hard enough.