Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Sohpia took a deep breath and sat down , it had gone better than she anticipated 

   Wow I am so sorry about your grandmother Mrs Jameson called ,but wait did you say your name was Sophia? The professor asked again 

 ..the same one who's results was off the charts and we had to offer her a scholarship here

    Yes that is me professor Sophia responded to her feeling confident all of a sudden

"Well, it’s great to have you here. When I heard you would be joining this school, I didn’t know it would be our faculty. We’re lucky to have your brain in our presence," Mrs. Jameson teased with a warm smile, her eyes all over Sophia with admiration.

"Thank you, ma," Sophia responded with a bright, polite smile, though inside, her nerves still fluttered. She had worked tirelessly to be here, and hearing praise from a professor on her first day felt like validation.

"So she’s a charity case," a voice scoffed from the front "No wonder she looks so out of place."it all makes sense to me now , imagine the guts of her wanting to sit beside me 

Katrina said to her friends it was only audible to them 

Her voice, dripping with amusement, was followed by the quiet laughter of her friends. They didn’t even bother to whisper properly—just loud enough for Sophia to hear, just enough to sting.

Sophia's fingers tightened around the strap of her bag, but she didn’t react. She had known stepping into this prestigious school wouldn’t be easy. She had prepared herself for judgment, for whispers, for sideways glances from people who thought she didn’t belong.

Ignore the negativity and focus on the opposite.

Justine’s words echoed in her mind, the same advice her cousin had given her countless times before.

Instead of turning toward Katrina, instead of giving her the reaction she wanted, Sophia exhaled slowly and fixed her eyes forward. The professor had praised her. That was what mattered.

"Alright, now that everyone is done introducing themselves, may we begin?" Mrs. Jameson announced, shifting the class’s attention back to the lecture.

The room fell silent as notebooks were opened and pens clicked.

Sophia allowed herself to breathe again. This was her moment. She wouldn’t let anyone take that away from her.

Meanwhile, in Another Classroom…

Across the campus, in an entirely different classroom, Ryan sat by the window, lost in thought.

The lecture was in full swing, but he wasn’t listening. He wasn’t even pretending to. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the world outside—the movement of students across the lawn, the sway of the trees in the soft wind, the faint hum of life beyond these four walls.

The professor’s voice spoke on, a distant background noise he had long since tuned out.

He had never been the type to care about classes. Not because he wasn’t smart—he was—but because none of this felt important to him. It was just another routine, another day he had to sit through, another set of expectations he had no interest in meeting.

A few seats away, some students were whispering, passing notes, sneaking glances at their phones. At least they were trying to pretend they cared.

Ryan didn’t even bother with that.

"Mr. Walsh the professor’s voice cut through the air.

Ryan blinked, shifting his gaze from the window to the front of the classroom.

"Are we keeping you from something more important?" the professor asked, arms crossed. A few students chuckled under their breath, amused at the teacher calling him out.

Ryan didn’t react. He didn’t flinch, didn’t stammer out an excuse. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, as if considering the question.

"Not really," he said, his voice calm, indifferent.

The class erupted into laughter.

The professor sighed, rubbing his temples. "Just try to pay attention, will you?"

Ryan nodded, but the moment the professor turned back to the board, his eyes drifted once again to the world outside.

He wasn’t trying to be disrespectful. He just didn’t see the point of pretending to care about things that didn’t matter to him.

And right now, this class, this school, this whole place—it all felt meaningless

It was a really exciting class for Sophia , one she didn't want to end , she had grabbed a lot and it was only the first day 

   Mrs Jameson started from the basics , of how things works and every Intro needed 

By the time Mrs. Jameson dismissed the class, Sophia felt both mentally drained and relieved.

She had done well today. She had held her own, taken notes, answered a question correctly, and refused to let Katrina’s words get under her skin.

As she gathered her things, Katrina and her friends walked past her desk, pausing just long enough to drop another comment.

    She seemed to be wanting sophia to notice her so bad, Sophia thought, they had only seen each other for a minute and it was looking like she would have to deal with another case of a rich kid disturbing her 

"I wonder how long she’ll last here," Katrina said to her and muttered with a smirk. Flipping charity case 

Sophia’s heart clenched, but she said nothing.

She wouldn't give them the satisfaction

  She stood up and faced her squarely for a moment. Katrina thought Sophia was going to talk back to her , give her a slap or something, but she did nothing of such. Instead she picked up her bag ,made sure her books and pen were complete then turned to leave the classroom

As she exited the classroom, she reminded herself why she was here. Enough trouble had already come to her and was not planning on adding another person to it ,but she knew She wasn’t just another student. She wasn’t a charity case.

She was here to prove herself.to show she can survive against all odds 

And no amount of whispers would stop her.

And now she needed a job 

 When the class was finally over Ryan quickly left left the class , happy it was done with  

Ryan stepped out of the classroom, relieved to finally be free.  

The last hour had been nothing short of excruciating—sitting through a class he had no interest in, being called out for not paying attention, and worst of all, not being able to answer a single question when put on the spot. The professor had clearly enjoyed that moment, watching him stumble over his words in front of the class. Not because he cared anyway,but he felt the professor could have found better ways , instead of calling him out in public 

Ryan hated that.  

He shoved his hands into his pockets, fuming to himself as he made his way down the hallway. He didn’t care much for school, but that didn’t mean he enjoyed being embarrassed, especially not in front of people who would remember it.  

**I’ll show him never to treat a member of the Walsh family badly.** This man doesn't know my family is one of the biggest donors in this school,the guts on him 

The thought burned in his mind. His family name carried weight, and he knew he should do better and should try to always flaunt it, that way he will be respected. More so he wasn’t about to let some underpaid professor think he could humiliate him and get away with it.  

Ryan wasn’t one to take embarrassment lightly.  

A plan was already forming in his head, a way to make sure that professor regretted ever calling him out. Maybe he’d pull some strings, file a complaint, or even get his mother involved.it was a stretch for such a little thing but he didn't care It wouldn’t be the first time his family had made a problem disappear.  

But before he could dwell

on it further, a voice interrupted his thoughts.  

"Hey, you."