[3]

Miya was raised in a somewhat challenging environment. Her father was often occupied with work, while her mother was frequently unwell. Leukemia took a gentle woman with eyes as warm as the morning sun from Miya at a young age. Even so, there's one important lesson her mother left Miya with: don't give up, especially when you've been humiliated.

That's what Miya was up to now. Although she was feeling very emotional, Miya walked steadily, as if she were walking on eggshells. She approached the man she was seeing, ignoring the crazy girl who had just provoked her emotions. Then,

PLAK!!!

Miya gave Rhett a sharp slap. It was so hard that the man she loved actually turned red in the face and cut his lip a little.

"You!" Rhett exclaimed, looking annoyed. "What are you doing?" He was ready to lunge at Miya. The slap Miya gave him caught the attention of some of his college friends, and Rhett wasn't pleased.

However, Miya wasn't concerned. This time, her steps led her back to the girl who was staring at Miya with a somewhat troubled look. "Are you upset because I told the truth?" Vero asked, folding her arms across her chest. Her gaze was still on Miya, as if she were looking down on her. Vero saw Miya as her main rival on campus.

Particularly when it comes to competing for Rhett's attention, who is now turning to her. Vero is feeling pretty happy right now and she'll keep pushing Miya to the wall, especially given her current situation. This is a great chance to make Miya look bad in comparison to Ashton.

"No," Miya replied calmly. She was already in front of Vero, looking at her with a small smile. "You like my boyfriend, right? Because of what I've been through, you think you're more worthy of being by his side?"

Vero looked up and gave a little smile. "Oh, did Miya Ashton admit to bankruptcy? I'm looking forward to making a donation in case you need a lot of money to fulfill your life's goals."

Miya's hands were clenched, but she tried to stay calm. "You didn't answer my question, by the way." Without worrying about the consequences, Miya grabbed Vero's long hair and pulled it tight. The girl let out a cry of pain and tried to break free from Miya's tight grip.

"You're out of your mind! Let me go, Miya!"

"It's delicious." Miya let out a short laugh. "It's payback for you getting my goat. I don't care if you take Rhett away from me.

After all, that guy is nothing like a cheap guy, who deserves to be with someone who's not so cheap like you." Miya gave a triumphant grin. But that didn't last long, as Vero came back with a vengeance.

The early morning drama, which seemed like a fight over a man, and the many insults that came out of Vero's mouth, was witnessed by many people. Those watching and cheering the commotion were in for a surprise. Some people backed Miya, while others sided with Vero.

It caused quite a stir until…

"How long do you plan to continue this wrestling match? Should I set up a boxing ring?"

***

Miya winced as the cotton swab, soaked in alcohol, hit her wound. She had a cut on her lip, a bruise on her cheek, and scratches on her hands and feet from Vero's nails, which were quite sharp. But at least Vero felt the same way. The girl's appearance was no worse than Miya's. That was another reason for Miya's grin.

"See?" Vero indicated the area where Miya was receiving treatment. She was still unhappy with how she was treated because of what Miya did. "That girl really needs to be taught a lesson! I'm not going to stay silent on this.

I'm going to make sure Miya Ashton is held accountable for this."

One of the teachers with Vero couldn't help but sigh. "Can you take a moment to calm down? Your wound needs to be treated right away."

"There's no need," Vero said right away. "I'll go to the hospital and have a post-mortem done. I'm also going to sue Miya with the best lawyer in the country and make sure that girl begs for my forgiveness."

"Are you sure about that?" she interjected with a chuckle. "Even if I am who you say I am, I'm not going to put up with your cheap behavior, Bitch!"

"You!" Vero again approached Miya, who was sitting casually with Tessa, her best friend. Tessa stepped in to break up the confrontation. She also found herself in the middle of what might soon become a bit of a commotion. If we don't intervene, this situation in the rector's room is likely to repeat itself.

"Could you please calm down?" Tessa said in a loud, clear voice.

"Let's sit down and talk this through, Verocina Lodge." The voice also came from the teacher who was with Vero and who had been treating him. "If you misbehave, you'll face consequences that might be more severe than you expect."

Vero made a displeased sound, while Miya just chuckled even though her heart was suddenly in turmoil. Ms. Thompson was right. They were in for a big punishment, especially since Mr. Victor, the owner of the university, saw the commotion and struggle in the corridor that morning.

He was arguably too young to be one of the important rectors and owners of the famous Hillarious University. He had dark brown hair and similar beady eyes, and he was tall and well-proportioned. But Victor Wyatt's looks don't necessarily reflect his behavior.

Victor was known as one of the most disciplined middle-class teachers around. He doesn't have much patience for students who haven't done their assignments. He likes to come up with some ridiculous punishments to show students that if they're in school, they need to follow the rules. He's also a very cold and rigid school owner.

This made Miya's goosebumps bristle. She wondered what punishment she would get for the commotion. Even though she could defend herself, there'd still be monitoring, and a lot of people would agree with Vero's statement about who attacked first. Miya let out a frustrated sigh, without even realizing it.

"What's up with you?" Tessa asked, refocusing on Miya. "I haven't finished healing your wound yet. Let's take a quick break. You're a bit too rough."

"I wasn't the one who started the fight," Miya grumbled. But her eyes were now fixed on the floor she was standing on. "To be honest, I'm a bit scared."

Tessa can't help but laugh a little to keep her composure, especially in front of Veronica, who is still grumbling and trying to explain what happened. The news also included the announcement of the Ashton Group's bankruptcy. It seems like the news really pleased Veronica.

"If you're lucky, it'll only be a month suspension."

"You're making me even more nervous," Miya said. "I can't solve the problem just by talking to you."

"I admire your courage." Tessa gave her a thumbs-up. "I think it's safe to say that the whole campus is aware of Rhett's reputation now."

"Cih!" Miya made a disapproving sound.

But as soon as Victor Wyatt walked in, the conversation came to a standstill. Tessa and Ms. Thompson also took a step back, hoping Miya and Vero were okay facing Victor's intimidating wrath.

"Alright, what can I hear from you?" Victor pulled up a chair in the center of the room. Veronica was on his right, staring at the other side with a look of intense anger. Meanwhile, Miya Ashton appeared to be attempting to compose herself. Both of their faces were covered in plaster from the struggle that took place this morning.

"She came to me first, Mr. Victor. She came at me, slapped me, grabbed me..." Veronica just kept on talking. She winced in pain now and then, and her words also seemed to suggest that she was the victim of Miya's cruelty.

Miya knew she wasn't allowed to speak yet, so she just listened to all of Vero's complaints, her breath catching. Veronica made her face red with emotion as she recounted many incidents, exaggerating them. Damn it!

"And I'm not going to stay silent, Mr. Victor. As you know, the Lodge family has a lot of influence in the legal field. I've asked my parents to demand damages and retribution from Miya. I can't accept her treating me like a punching bag!" Veronica spoke up with a fiery tone. Veronica was confident she would win this fight, especially since Miya was in no condition to defend herself.

The family is already bankrupt, so they won't be able to afford a lawyer to defend against the demands Veronica will make.

"If you've had your say, Miss Lodge, please come out," Victor said, pointing at the door to his room.

"But, sir, I just wanted to..."

"As for Miya and her punishment, that's something the school will decide."

"I still don't agree that Miya has..."

"Leave now." Victor shot a sarcastic look at the gorgeous, infuriating girl. Victor's actions didn't sit well with Vero, but she respected the school owner's decision. At last, she stepped out, feeling rather downhearted.

Even so, Veronica thinks Miya will face consequences for her actions. She'll also act because she won't stand for Miya's arbitrary treatment.

Meanwhile, Miya sensed a sudden chill in the air in Victor Wyatt's room. It made her hair stand on end. She swallowed a few times, feeling anxious and scared as she waited for her punishment to come. On top of everything else, she was no longer able to attend school here. Oh my goodness, Miya never thought this would happen. This was her last semester before she would complete her bachelor’s degree.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Victor," Miya said quietly.

"Oh, you admit you made a mistake?"

Miya nodded and looked down.

"There's no smoke without fire. Right, Miya?"

"I..."

"I'm sure Miss Lodge's threats are no joke. I also know what happened with your family. I don't have time for small talk, Miya. In the next couple of days, you might find yourself in a bit of a pickle. Of course, you'll also have to face consequences from me."

"But, sir, if it wasn't for Vero starting it, I wouldn't want to get into trouble." Miya tried to muster up the courage to look at the other person, but after catching sight of Victor's bright brown eyes, she looked down again. What did that look all about? That was awful!

"Your only mistake is that you're a bit impatient." You tend to rely on your emotions when it comes to problem-solving. And that's what happened as a result."

Miya looked down again. "My apologies."

"Is this apology going to solve the problem?" Victor tapped his fingers on the table. "You're suspended for a month. The school isn't organizing any extra classes. When you come back, you'll need to show me your final test results. Not the other examiners."

Miya bit her lower lip hard. "Yes, sir."

"And the school won't get involved if you run into legal issues involving Miss Lodge."

This is the worst-case scenario for Miya.

"Unless..." Victor gave a little smile. Because of this, Miya looked up and exchanged glances with him.

"What is it, sir?"

"You'll do as I ask."

Miya's brow furrowed. "Your request?"

"That includes returning all the assets we've taken, stopping Ms. Lodge from trying to bring you down, and getting back to normal studies."

"Is that something we can do?" Miya asked, surprised. "You're... joking?"

"No." Victor gets up from his seat and goes over to his desk, which is just a few steps away. He opened one of the drawers and pulled out a blue folder. He gave it to Miya and said, "Take a look at what's in there and let me know what you think. If you're on board, we'll make it work."

Miya quickly opened the file Victor gave her and saw "Geheime Vertrag" right away.

"Geheime Vertrag?" Miya couldn't help but mutter involuntarily.

"It's a secret contract," Victor said quietly, right in Miya's ear. "It's a secret contract between you and... Mr. Damian Sawyer.

Miya's eyes were wide with surprise. "Damian Sawyer?"

"You know him, right?"

"No way!" Miya closed the file right away. "I'm not going to get involved with that guy." She quickly grabbed the bag that was nearby. "Thanks for the advice, Mr. Victor. I'll serve my sentence right away."

Victor smiled knowingly, having seen this coming. "Come back if you change your mind," he says before she leaves his office.

While Miya grumbled, "Is there anything crazier than this?"