Chapter 14

Madelyn was in Class Six at Ventrocloud High School, which was on the sixth floor. Students had a special elevator to use. The classes started at nine in the morning. When Madelyn arrived at her classroom, she saw some familiar faces, but she didn't know most of her classmates. The bell rang, signaling the start of class. Hurrying, she found her seat from memory. As she was about to put down her backpack, she noticed some students looking at her and whispering. "That's Forrest Arnold's seat. She's got some guts sitting there." "She was on sick leave for a few days. Did she go mad or something?" 'What? Forrest?' Madelyn looked at the clean desk in front of her, immediately standing up. 'How can this be Forrest's seat? I've always been in the second-to-last row. Am I not?' Forrest Arnold, her sworn enemy, was the school bully that no one dared to mess with. Madelyn rarely had any interaction with him. But when she did, it was always because Forrest had a bone to pick with her. No specific reason, just that he simply disliked her. Then, she saw Forrest entering the room with his friends, Timothy Johnson and Adrian Mitchell. He was wearing a messy school uniform with his tie loosely done. His cold, icy eyes made Madelyn feel uneasy, and she got goosebumps just from his stare. Catching Serena's pointed direction—second desk from the window in the first row—Madelyn finally realized that the seating had been rearranged during her leave. Wincing at her mistake, she quietly sat in her actual seat. Forrest, who was known for his violent temper, kicked his desk and sent it crashing into the corner. The loud noise startled everyone in the class. "Forry, you just got to school. Where are you off to now?" Adrian slapped Timothy's shoulder. "Where else? He just doesn't want to see her." Timothy approached Madelyn's desk, giving her chair a kick. "Madelyn, why couldn't you just stay home? Why'd you have to come and be an eyesore? Once I graduate, I'll be the first to investigate your family. Just wait, you'll end up spending the rest of your life in prison with your bumpkin dad." He adjusted his tie smugly after he spoke. Madelyn scrutinize Adrian and Timothy. Timothy acted so boldly around her because his father was the chief of the National Investigative Bureau, a man so incorruptible that even Hayson was helpless against him. Over the years, the Johnson family had been relentlessly pursuing Hayson, determined to bring him to justice. As for Adrian, he came from a renowned legal family. His father was a highly respected judge, and his mother was a well-known attorney. Faced with Timothy's taunt, Madelyn didn't show any fear. Instead, she nodded and said, "You're right, that's a great ambition! I also think my father is a terrible person, and I support you. Work hard to bring him down!" Timothy was caught off guard. He pointed at Madelyn angrily but was loss for word. Seeing that Forrest was about to leave the classroom, Adrian quickly grabbed the miffed Timothy and hurried to catch up with Forrest. These three students frequently skipped classes, and the teachers found it challenging to address the issue. Even when parents got involved, it rarely made a difference. As a result, the teachers turned a blind eye to those who did not attend classes, especially in this particular class, which was considered the worst among the six classes in the senior year. The six classes in the senior year were arranged according to academic results, ranging from top to poor performers, with thirty students in each class. Class One students were basically all elites. In her previous life, Madelyn didn't understand why Forrest was always so mean to her. From the beginning of the school year until now, she had tried not to bother anyone. If someone treated her badly for no reason, she used to get angry and respond in kind. She had a quick temper, just like Forrest. But now, she was different. She had changed and become a much calmer person. The first class of the day was math. Madelyn looked at her test paper, which only got eight out of a hundred and twenty points. 'Wow, I did really bad.' she thought. But when she reviewed the paper, she realized the problems weren't that hard. In fact, she could solve many of them easily. Madelyn took out a red pen and started correcting the mistakes on a piece of paper. As she glanced around, she noticed a messy desk with books scattered on it. She thought, 'I still have a chance to switch classes this semester. If I can get good grades on the final exam, maybe I can change to a different class.' She already had a university in mind when she thought of college entrance exams.