Chapter 41 41

Chapter 41 41
Chapter 41
Clarissa’s POV
The stolen secret
I was nervous when I got to school that day because that day was the day that had been announced for us to finally receive our graded papers.
I can't help but think about everything else happening in my life—the chaos at home, the forbidden love silently eating me alive, the way Damien and I had been tangled in something we couldn’t even explain.
We had been carrying each other in ways words could not describe, and that distraction made me believe I might fail.
Yet, when the papers were finally handed out, my hands shook as I unfolded mine. I blinked twice, hardly believing what I saw.
An A. Not just an A, but one of the highest grades in the class. An A+ grade!
My chest swelled with relief and joy. And immediately it felt like a heavy weight had been lifted, and for a moment, the world seemed light again. I made it!
I was overjoyed, not just for myself, but because I could finally make my family proud. More importantly, that A+ meant I was going to qualify for my dream internship.
The opportunity I had worked for day and night was finally within reach. My heart raced with excitement as I hugged the paper close to my chest, whispering silently, I did it.
But happiness can never last long when Gladys is around.
That witch!
That's what I always called her; she couldn’t stand to see me happy. Before I could even fully savor my success, her hand shot into the air.
Her face twisted with the kind of fake innocence only she could pull off, and her words sliced the joy right out of me.
“Madam, I have something to say. Clarissa switched our papers. She cheated on her grade. That A is supposed to be mine.”
Her accusation hit me like a violent storm. My chest tightened. My ears buzzed instantly. I could feel the air in the classroom shift as whispers spread among my classmates.
Eyes turned toward me; many of my classmates who had been waiting for this opportunity got it, as there was doubt and judgment, and some were also dissecting me with suspicion.
My heart pounded furiously, but I forced myself to speak. “That’s a lie!” My voice cracked, trembling with both fear and anger. I turned to Mrs. Agnes. “She’s lying! I didn’t cheat. I wrote my paper myself!”
Mrs. Agnes, the professor, frowned deeply, clearly caught off guard. “Gladys, why would you say something like this? I was the one who marked those papers. I know which one belonged to whom.”
But Gladys wasn’t done. She slowly drew closer to me, her lips curling into a smile that only I could see, her whisper sounding like a poison meant just for me.
“Oh really, Clarissa? You think I don’t know about you and Damien?” she hissed, her tone sharp as a blade. “You think I didn’t see what happened at the party? I saw you leave with him. I saw the way he looked at you.”
My entire body froze. Oh no! That means we were actually seen by someone that day?
“You liar, that's not true… How sure are you? How do I even believe you?” I asked, trying to defend myself.
“Liar? I even have proof,” she continued; her voice was like a taunting ghost against my ear. “You think you’re smart enough, but no, you're not... I successfully took a picture of you two.” My eyes widened slightly in shock.
“You and Damien kissing in the rain. Do you want me to show it to everyone? Do you want me to tell them all that you’re sleeping with the teaching assistant? Because if I do, Clarissa, Damien will be fired. And you will be expelled. Is that what you want, whore?”
Her words pierced me deeper than knives. My hands trembled violently. My mind spun in circles.
How the hell did she find out? That night felt like ours alone… I thought it was already hidden beneath the cover of rain.
No one was supposed to see us. No one. Yet she had a picture; the fact that she already has a picture of us is driving me insane.
I tried to gather my strength, whispering back, “You’re lying. I don’t believe you.”
But Gladys was prepared. She slipped her phone out of her bag, unlocked it, and shoved it just enough in my direction. My eyes widened in horror.
There it was, the picture!
Damien and I, our lips pressed together, drenched in rain, and both his hands on my waist.
My heart shattered. Damn!
“What do you want?” I asked slowly. I didn’t have a choice anymore.
“It's simple…your grade!” She said simply.
What!? I looked at her stunned.
“If you don’t give me your grade, I’ll ruin him,” she sneered. “You said you love him, right? Then prove it. Protect him. Sacrifice your dream for him. Or else…”
Her voice lingered like poison as Mrs. Agnes suddenly addressed me, snapping me back to reality.
“Clarissa,” she said sternly. “Why are you silent? Is Gladys lying about you? Speak up.”
The entire class turned to me. My throat went dry immediately. I could feel My chest was heavy with the weight of the choices I was about to make.
I looked at Damien, my heart screaming for help, and with the faintest signal of my eyes, I tried to tell him that Gladys already knew about us. I had no choice. I couldn’t risk destroying his life.
Tears stung the corners of my eyes, but I swallowed them back, refusing to let them fall. I can't cry, at least not here….
My voice shook as I whispered, “No, Madam. She’s telling the truth. I… I switched our papers.”
The words felt like fire tearing through me. My chest burned, and my pride shattered painfully. I can't believe that I just saw my dreams crumble into dust.
Gasps erupted across the classroom. Gladys smirked triumphantly, her victory shining through her wicked eyes.
“You see?” she said dramatically, turning to the professor. “I told you she wasn’t a good student. She cheated. She doesn’t deserve that grade. I do.”
And then, like a snake sinking its fangs deeper, she added, “She pretends to be innocent, but she’s the real liar here. She gossips around on campus; she spreads rumors about Clinton being a cheater, but look, she’s the one who cheats. She lies. She ruins people. Isn’t that right, Clarissa?”
Her words echoed painfully in my ears as the classroom broke into chaos. I caught Abigail’s glare slicing through Gladys like daggers, my best friend ready to defend me, but my own voice was gone.
My world was collapsing in slow motion.
Gladys came closer to me again, with a smirk on her face, her voice filled with venom. “Say it, Clarissa. Admit it. Say that you’re a liar and a cheater. Or I’ll expose everything. Every. single thing about you and your stupid step-cousin.”
I couldn’t fight back; I don't want to ruin Damien’s dreams. I slowly bowed my head, fighting back tears, shame pressing heavy on my shoulders.
My lips trembled as I whispered, “I’m a liar. And a cheater.”
The silence that followed was deafening, which was broken only by Mrs. Agnes’s cold, authoritative voice.
“That’s enough, Gladys,” she snapped. Then, turning to me, her tone softened but remained stern.
“Clarissa, you may leave the class. Go to the dean and explain what happened; tell him that you were sent out of my class for cheating. I can’t decide your punishment. The dean will. It may be suspension, it may be expulsion. But it is no longer in my hands.”
Her words struck me like a final blow. Expulsion. Suspension. Punishment. My dream internship is slipping right out of my grasp.
Gladys’s face glowed with twisted delight, her victory painted across her expression. My blood boiled at the sight, but I forced myself to move.
Without wasting time, I packed my bag; my fingers have gone numb, and my legs are already trembling. “I understand, Madam,” I said softly. “I’ll meet the dean now. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
As I stood up, my body felt so heavy to me, and I turned to leave. My hand reached for the door. I couldn’t even take steps closer; I only dragged my legs. Should I just tell the truth?
But then, just as I was about to step out, a voice cut through the silence like thunder.
“Clarissa, wait.”
It was Damien.
I froze mid-step, my body stiffening at the sound of his voice.
Slowly, I turned, my heart pounding violently against my ribs. His eyes were fierce, his expression unreadable, and his jaw clenched.
“What the hell is he doing?” I thought in panic. “He can’t… he can’t say anything. He should just let me go.”
But Damien didn’t back down. He faced Mrs. Agnes squarely, his voice steady and determined, and he didn’t even flinch at all.
“Clarissa didn’t cheat,” he said firmly.
The entire class erupted in shock. Mrs. Agnes’s brows knitted together in confusion. “What do you mean, Mr. Damien? She admitted it herself.”
Damien’s gaze darkened at mine; I just stared at those blue eyes of his. His voice was cracking with intensity as he spoke again.
“She only said that… because she was protecting me.”
My eyes widened; I could feel my blood turning cold instantly.
“What is he saying!?”