Chapter 58
She really was sharp, sharper than anyone had expected.
“Yeah, that must be it,” Shirley said quickly, nodding like her life depended on it.
Bald Lee looked Charlotte up and down, not quite convinced, his face darkening. “Cut the tricks. If you can’t find the snake—”
“Snake!”
Before he could finish, one of the security guards shouted. Everyone spun around to see a green snake peek its head out and then dart back into hiding.
“Back up, everyone!”
The guards rushed in with their tools, digging into the flowerbed. After a bit of chaos, they uncovered a deep hole right at the base of the wall.
“There are two snakes in here, and some eggs too,” one of the guards called out, his voice a little shaky. “Good thing we found their nest. If those eggs hatched, imagine how many students would have freaked out.”
The guards scrambled, carefully scooping up the snakes and eggs and dropping them into a bag.
“They’re living creatures. Take them out to the wild and let them go,” Charlotte said softly, almost as if she was talking about a lost kitten.
Once the guards left with the snakes, the whole scene went quiet. The truth was clear as day.
“Mr. Lee, looks like everything’s settled. Charlotte really is innocent,” Eleanor said, letting out a sigh of relief.
With no excuses left, Bald Lee’s face went from sour to downright stormy. He kept his mouth shut and tried to slip away, but Charlotte stepped right in front of him.
She stood there, posture relaxed, her expression almost lazy. “Mr. Lee, you made a promise. Time to keep your word and apologize.”
Apologize? No one had ever demanded that from him in all his years at this school.
“Charlotte, I’m already letting this go. Don’t push it.”
Charlotte blocked his path, tall and calm, looking down at him. Her voice was cold. “Are you going to break your promise?”
Class C students, never ones to miss some drama, started whispering from the sidelines.
“Mr. Lee, we all heard you. You promised.”
“Set an example for us, Mr. Lee.”
“Apologize, apologize!”
“You” Bald Lee was flustered. He turned to Eleanor, desperate. “Ms. Adams, why don’t you handle this?”
Eleanor acted innocent, as if she didn’t know what he meant. “Didn’t you say if Charlotte proved she was innocent, you’d apologize? I think teachers should keep their promisés, right? It’s important for students to see that.”
Charlotte couldn’t help but glance at Eleanor, raising her eyebrows in silent approval.
Bald Lee was fuming now, face twisted with anger as he glared at Charlotte. “I’m not apologizing. What are you going to do about it?”
Charlotte’s eyes narrowed, a flash of
irritation on her pale face. She was
about to say something when a cold
voice cut through the tension
“If you don’t, by tomorrow, everyone at Vanguard High will know you bullied a new
student. Maybe the whole internet will know, too.”
Bald Lee looked up and saw Andrew,
leaning casually against a planter with his phone out, a teasing smile on his lips. The Blair family was the riches in cabinda, with serious influence everywhere. And Andrew’s older brother, Anthony, was known for being ruthless. This was not someone you wanted to upset.
Andrew held up his phone, still smirking. “So, what’s it going to be?”
Bald Lee’s face was like thunder. He turned back to Charlotte, clenched his jaw, and forced out, “I’m sorry. Is that enough?”
Charlotte arched an eyebrow, her tone completely unbothered. “Sorry, what did you say? I didn’t quite catch that.”