Chapter 3

The next morning, Noelle's phone buzzed continuously with notifications. After the noise woke Noelle up, she checked her phone, her expression dark. These notifications were all from a forum app, and her message inbox was flooded with insults. She was no stranger to such insults, as the incident of her pushing Xenia into the pool last night had been uploaded to the campus forum. Xenia was very popular in school, and most people began berating Noelle. Despite her throbbing headache, Noelle jumped into the fray and lashed back at her haters. The number of comments on the forum spread to over a thousand, causing the page administrator to think that the forum had been hacked. After posting her response, she tossed her phone aside and lay back down. Now that she no longer had to please the Liddell brothers and care about her reputation, she would just live however she wanted. Not long after, a maid knocked at her door. "Ms. Liddell, it's time to get up for school. You're going to be late." It wasn't until then that Noelle realized she still had to go to school that day. She splashed cold water on her face to wake herself up. If she wanted to leave the Liddell family, she had to graduate and get into a university far away from here. She changed into her uniform and headed downstairs with her backpack. Just then, Frank and Blake turned up. Noticing Noelle's slightly flushed face, Frank walked over and instinctively reached out to her forehead to check her temperature. But Noelle dodged his hand and headed to the dining room instead. She took a seat, knowing that she needed to eat breakfast to get better and gain the energy to focus on her studies. She was aiming for Yole University, after all. Frank's hand paused mid-air. As he awkwardly lowered his hand, Blake snorted and said, "I told you she's an ingrate. Unlike Xenia, who has always been weak, she's as strong as an ox. She's burning up just because she fell into the water last night and caught a cold. "But Noelle? She'll never get sick!" Frank fell silent. It was true that Noelle had always been in excellent health. He approached the dining table and said, "Xenia's sick, so you'll have to take care of her for the next few days at school until she's fully recovered. Got it?" Now that Noelle had become more rebellious as she grew older, he thought he couldn't spoil her like before. He would force her to learn if she didn't know how to be grateful. "Noelle, Xenia's father saved your life, but you almost killed her," Blake chimed in. "You must take good care of her to atone for your sins!" Noelle merely hung her head low and indulged in her breakfast. Her appetite wasn't great, but she still forced herself to eat. With less than 100 days until the entrance exam, she was determined to leave the Liddell family behind once it was over. Annoyed by her indifference, Blake snatched her utensils away and snapped, "I'm talking to you! Are you deaf?" Noelle glanced up at him, her eyes cold and unblinking. "You shall fetch some warm water for Xenia when she takes her medicine, and you shall buy lunch for her at the cafeteria. You'll have to hurry up so the food doesn't get cold," Blake ordered. "If she needs to use the bathroom, you must go with her. "Her father saved your life, so you owe her this. Do you understand?" "Understood," Noelle replied coldly, though she had no intention of complying. She left the Liddell residence with a stoic expression, gazing up at the sky to force back her tears. She had thought that living her life over again wouldn't upset her anymore, but Blake's earlier words pierced her heart like a needle. Memories of how Frank had stayed by her side all night when she was sick during childhood were still vivid in her mind. Back then, Blake even told her jokes to coax her to take her medicine. But because Xenia was born weak, her brothers' attention was always drawn to her first whenever she fell sick. Later on, even when Noelle had a fever, she had to bear it alone. Suppressing her sorrow, she got into the car and closed her eyes to rest. She reminded herself that she just had to bear it a little longer. It was less than 100 days to go. When she arrived at school, she went straight to her senior-year classroom. As soon as she entered, the noisy classroom fell silent. Rumors of her outburst on the forum spread across the school, and everyone wondered if she had lost her mind. "I wonder what triggered Noelle to give up on herself completely." "I think it's because she can't improve her reputation anymore, so she's given up on maintaining a façade. She's just being herself now." Noelle did not heed the whispers around her, though she could hear them. She dropped her bag down on her desk and went straight to sleep. She slept through the entire morning. At lunch, Xenia arrived at the classroom. She was still on an IV drip, and her appearance immediately gained the sympathy and care of her peers. Noelle frowned, changing another position in her nap. After a while, someone slapped her desk hard. She glanced up impatiently, irritation evident in her eyes. Xenia was standing in front of her, flanked by her lackeys, who looked very pissed. Squinting at them, Noelle realized that the women before her were Gwen Hopkins and Betty Yates. They always followed Xenia around and constantly spread rumors about Noelle, even fabricating lies to bring up her brothers. "Noelle, what would you like for lunch?" Xenia began meekly. "I'll go get it for you. Please don't be mad at me, okay?" "No need," Noelle replied coldly. "How dare you!" Gwen hissed. "You're so ungrateful. Xenia is already sick!" "Exactly! Noelle, you should be taking care of Xenia instead. She got sick because of you!" Xenia coughed weakly and interjected, "Don't say that, guys. I can take care of myself. I've always been on my own. Stop criticizing her, or else she'll get upset." "Xenia, you're just too kind. No wonder people take advantage of you!" Annoyed, Noelle got up and prepared to leave the classroom. Just as she exited, Xenia suddenly hurried toward her. Her IV stand fell over, and she coincidentally fell on the broken glass. What a coincidence, indeed. The classroom erupted into chaos, and Noelle sensed an impending headache. She was just about to say something when her vision went black, and she fainted. When she woke up, the scent of disinfectant filled her senses. She wondered if she was in the school infirmary. "Your temperature is 103°F. You've been pushing your body too far. Are you trying to burn yourself alive?" Noelle glanced to the side and saw a man in a white coat. He was tall and lean, with indifferent eyes peeking from behind his mask. She remembered now. This was the new school doctor, an attractive man who had caught the attention of many female students. Yet, he had a sharp tongue. He didn't stay long and soon left. Thanks to the IV drip, Noelle sat up and felt much better. She lowered her gaze and asked, "Can I leave now?" "Wait until your family comes to pick you up," Cedric Greene drawled out from his chair. "I don't want to be responsible if you die on the way." He indeed lived up to his reputation of having a sharp tongue. "I don't have a family," Noelle replied hoarsely. Blake's concerned voice echoed from outside as soon as her words fell. "Xenia, are you okay? How did your injuries get so severe?" "It's just a minor injury, Blake. Please don't blame Noelle. She didn't do it on purpose. I was careless and knocked over the IV stand." Gwen added fuel to the fire, saying, "That's not true! Xenia wanted to help Noelle get lunch, but she refused Xenia's offer. She then tripped her out of revenge. We all saw it all with our own eyes!" "Exactly!" Betty chimed in. "Despite being sick, Xenia still cared about getting lunch for Noelle. Who knew Noelle would be so evil?" Fury boiled over Blake. His tone was laced with anger as he boomed, "Where's Noelle? Get her out here this instant! How dare she let Xenia get her lunch instead? "Xenia's father should've let her die in that accident to save his daughter from such torture!" A mocking smile crossed Noelle's face. Indeed, Blake would believe whatever Xenia said. A second later, the curtains beside Noelle were forcefully drawn back. She glanced up, looking particularly pallid with her charred lips and sickly complexion. "Noelle, you—" The moment Blake saw her, he held his tongue back.