[5]

Miya lowered herself onto the somewhat compact bed in her current room. The room had a totally different feel to it compared to the one she'd stayed in previously. It was comfortable enough, but Miya felt it lacked a few things. 

"Has my luck run out since yesterday?" Miya partially closed her eyes, enjoying the view of the ceiling with the back of her hand. She let out a long sigh repeatedly, trying to calm down, even though it was very difficult.

Veronica was dead serious. She'd come to Miya just to confirm that she'd face prosecution. On top of that, she won't be able to attend lectures for the next month because she's serving Mr. Victor's sentence. On top of that, she recently got a call from her father. She still owes him a lot of money.

"How can I get out of this?" she asked quietly. She was so upset that she started crying. "Why does this have to happen to me?" The only sound in the room was the clock on the wall, ticking away.

Miya was completely at a loss, used as she was to a life of ease and facing problems that were both complex and unexpected. She had no appetite, even just thinking about eating. All she wanted was to get out of this tricky situation.

She gently moved her hand away from her face. She felt a stinging sensation in her stomach, which made her grimace in pain. Miya opted to sit on the edge of the bed, despite the slight difficulty in moving. "What's going on with me?" Miya felt like her surroundings were spinning out of control, and her vision was also a little blurred. "Oh, my stomach is hurting." She wondered when she'd last eaten a proper meal.

That makes sense. The last time she ate right was after college, before she went back home. Before she found herself no longer the well-off Miya Ashton. Before all the issues on campus. When she was with Tessa, she remembered only drinking iced lemonade. And then she went straight back home to calm down. Leaving Tessa, who offered to drive her a few times. 

"I need to eat. Don't get sick at a time like this." 

Miya started to push herself to take a step. As she recalled, there were still a few loaves of bread on the dining table. Maybe she could go out to the nearest supermarket later tonight. She needed to buy groceries to fill her stomach, as well as some painkillers.

As it turned out, there were still a few slices of bread, and half a jar of jam left. Miya ate it quickly, hoping the pain in her stomach would soon subside. Her face was a little sweaty, but it felt much better than before. It might be a good idea to remind Miya that if her stomach is filled, it'll be better than just being filled with drinks with a sour taste.

As she finished her last bite, Miya began to think. What can she do to keep going with this weight on her shoulders? "Should I look for a job?" She tapped the table with the tips of her manicured nails. "But what kind of job would be a good fit for me? I'm not suited to manual work."

Miya had a point. Miya was used to getting the best service at home, so she ended up relying on several servants. That includes Hannah and Mrs. Bern. They were great at taking care of all Miya's needs. Hannah was also responsible for preparing Miya's clothes for the day. And now, what's the situation? Miya has to do everything herself, without any help.

"No, no." Miya shook her head firmly. "I'm not giving up. I must work. There's not a lot of money left on that card from that asshole father. It's not going to be enough for the next year, and I'm sure the debt problem isn't as simple as a phone call."

The blonde-haired girl took a moment to think. "But before that, I have to get ready for Veronica's wild antics. Should I just go ahead and accept Tessa's help? I'm sure her father can help me out." Then she grabbed her cell phone, which was always nearby. She called the one person she could really count on.

Once she was on the phone with Tessa, they chatted for a bit. That is, until… "Can I just check whether you're still offering to help?" Miya asked, biting her lower lip.

"Are you looking for a lawyer who can represent you well?" Tessa asked, eager to help. "I never go back on my word, Miya. You can count on me."

Miya let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks. I was just keeping an eye out in case Veronica was acting that crazy."

"She'll do whatever it takes to bring you down, Miya," Tessa said on the other end. "As long as there's an opportunity to corner you, a Veronica Lodge will jump at it. This includes the incident as well."

"You're right," Miya said, exhaling deeply. "And for the duration of my suspension, I'll borrow all your notes."

"Take it easy." Tessa lets out a little chuckle. And they kept chatting about Veronica, college, and Rhett. Miya had forgotten about the contract Victor had given her because she didn't want to think about it.

***

The next morning, Miya woke up as usual. She was trying to tidy up the house so that it would still be suitable for her to live in. Although it was a bit of a challenge at first, Miya was confident that she would get the hang of cleaning the house this way. She was sweating a bit, and it was getting into her eyes. Her shirt was also damp from sweat, but the work of cleaning the house was quite draining.

"Goodness, when will this be finished?" Miya grumbled as she rubbed her forehead. "How does Mrs. Bern manage to be so good at cleaning the house?" Miya was in a lot of discomfort. She decided to take a quick break and rest her body on the sofa. Her task this time was just to tidy up the living room. Miya had to sort through a lot of old, seemingly unused items and toss them. 

While she was relaxing, Miya checked her phone and saw that she had a lot of notifications. She didn't know what was going on until her eyes got big with disbelief. Miya checked and rechecked to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

A student doesn't necessarily reflect well on themselves as a good student. She attacked her classmate over something minor.

Veronica was out of action for a while after she got a nasty cut on her temple. It was all down to Miya Ashton's violent actions against her.

Miya Ashton, the only daughter of the Ashtons, attacked Veronica Lodge because she was upset that her family had gone bankrupt.

A video of sadistic bullying at Hillarious University, which is known for its discipline and for producing talented people from all walks of life.

"We're asking that Miya Ashton be expelled from the university. She's damaged the reputation of Hillarious and caused serious trauma to Veronica Lodge." 

As soon as the Lodge family's lawyer outlined the steps, they'd be taking on this matter, Miya was unsure how to respond to all this. Even gossip sites are sharing the uncensored video of their struggle. You could clearly see Miya's face in the video. As it turned out, Miya's social media accounts were suddenly full of blasphemous posts, and some even called for her death.

"This is... too much for me to handle," she said, rubbing her temples in frustration. Miya wasn't sure if her sudden sensitivity to sound was due to the problem or if it was because people outside her house were calling out to her.

She went straight to the window overlooking the front area. There were lots of people with cameras waiting for her. They just kept pointing their cameras at her house. Fingers crossed Miya will come out soon and maybe… clarify?

"But they know where I live here?"

Miya was taken aback. She had to think quickly about what could be done in this situation. She managed to get out through the back door and detoured a bit from the main road, but now she had to figure out where her destination was.

"Never mind, there's no time to think about it now. First and foremost, I need to get out of this house. Just in case, Tessa has found me a lawyer. Dealing with that crazy girl isn't enough to get me in the headlines without a defense!" She picked up her small bag. She threw in a few essentials and a black hoodie so she wouldn't be easily recognized. She made sure her appearance was tidy and presentable. 

It was tough for Miya to dodge the reporters who were all over her. Even though they were just outside the fence, it was still a new experience for her. She often found herself grumbling and wishing she could curse Veronica for her crazy actions. She thought about how she could get back at Veronica. Given this news, it's becoming increasingly clear that Miya's reputation is taking a hit and that her family's financial situation is being linked to this. 

She took a deep breath and summoned her courage before knocking on the beautifully carved wooden door. This room's decor suggested the owner had good taste. But before she could do that, the door opened, and the owner was there. He looked at Miya with a kind of questioning look. 

Miya took a deep breath before speaking. "I'd like to talk to you, Mr. Victor."

"Sure." Victor gave a small, amused smile. "There's no way you'd come to my office looking like this without a reason, is there?"

Miya bit her lower lip. Her brain was on overload. On her way to campus, she wasn't sure what kind of help she needed. The issues she was facing were significant.

"Come on in," Victor said, inviting Miya to come back into his office. Although she seemed a bit unsure, the girl went inside with a clear understanding. As he'd expected, Damian Sawyer was waiting for her. That made Victor smile again. This time, the smile was full of meaning. He knew his plan was going to work.

Miya sat there for a while, looking a bit uncomfortable. She took a few quick glances at the shelves with Victor's large collection of books. But the room's owner wasn't ready to talk to her yet. She liked to enjoy his cup of tea at her own pace. 

"So, what's up, Miya?" The words came just as Victor put a cup on the glass-bottom table. The man looked at the girl in front of him with his bright brown eyes. "Don't waste my time."

"My apologies." Miya had to take a deep breath and calm down. Even though she was clenching her hands, she had to speak. "Is...?" Miya closed her eyes, taking a moment to collect herself. She was trying to restrain herself, but this was the best way out. There was no way that man wouldn't be able to protect her. "Is the contract still valid?"

"If you're asking like that, I assume you don't have a way to deal with the problems that come up in your life?"

Miya looked down, feeling even more discouraged. It was like she was walking into a trap set by a powerful demon. 

"The contract is still in my hands, Miya. Mr. Sawyer isn't sure if you ever turned it down." Victor went over to his desk and got the scrap he kept in one of the drawers. "You should be grateful I didn't hand this over to Mr. Sawyer yet."

Miya was given the file back.

"Take a look at this carefully, Miya. Once you've put pen to paper, there's no way to backtrack."

Miya swallowed nervously. "Before I read and decide, can I ask you something?"

Victor looked at Miya with interest. "What is it?"

"Restore my good name."

That remark made Victor laugh. "That's it?"

Miya's eyes blinked in disbelief. 

"Read the file carefully, Miya. You will get what you never imagined before. Let alone clearing your name, restoring your chaotic life of the past few days is something Mr. Sawyer can do."