Chapter 62: Chapter Sixty One
Eros
After midterms, the Grade 11 students embarked on a school camping trip. I wasn’t among them—my grandmother had fallen ill, leaving Athena vulnerable. Scarlett took full advantage of my absence, seizing the opportunity to torment her.
The situation was made worse by the three accompanying teachers, who harbored a clear dislike for Athena and turned a blind eye, allowing Scarlett and her minions to act without consequence.
Things took a dark turn when Scarlett and her group poisoned Athena, forcing her to be rushed to the hospital. Only then did the teachers finally acknowledge the severity of the bullying. Scarlett had gone too far, and now, they had no choice but to intervene.
Now, you might wonder how I knew all of this despite not being there. Simple—the camping trip had been my idea. The location? Also mine. I had grown impatient, waiting for Scarlett to walk into my trap. And now, not only had she fallen right into it, but she had exposed herself with her own reckless actions.
I wasn’t just going to get justice for Athena—I was going to make sure Scarlett Granville was expelled from Emerald Crest. Vice President’s daughter or not, she was finished.
Athena lay motionless on the hospital bed, her pale skin a stark contrast to the IV drip attached to her arm. The steady beeping of the heart monitor filled the sterile room, a rhythmic reminder of what she had endured. I stood by her bedside, my jaw clenched, eyes dark with fury.
A soft knock broke the silence before the door creaked open. Mr. Hawthorne entered hesitantly, followed by Ms. Delaney and Mrs. Carver.
I turned to them, my voice cold as ice. “Now you show up?”
Mrs. Carver’s gaze flickered to Athena, guilt clouding her expression. “How is she?”
“Poisoned,” I bit out. “And you let it get this far.”
Before anyone could respond, the door swung open again. Dr. Leland stepped inside, a clipboard in hand.
“We ran all the tests,” he began. “Miss Athena ingested a toxic amount of detergent mixed into her drink. Fortunately, we caught it in time. Her stomach had to be pumped, and she’ll need a few days to recover.”
I swore under my breath. “Detergent?”
“Yes,” the doctor confirmed grimly. “Any more, and it could have led to internal bleeding or permanent organ damage.”
Mr. Hawthorne paled. “This… this can’t be happening. Who would—”
“Scarlett,” I growled. “Scarlett and her little pack of monsters.”
Mrs. Carver stiffened. “You can’t accuse students without proof.”
“Oh, don’t even start,” I snapped, my patience razor-thin. “Everyone knows what Scarlett’s been doing to Athena. You all stood by and did nothing. Don’t pretend to be shocked now.”
Ms. Delaney averted her gaze, shame creeping into her expression. “We thought it was just… harmless teenage drama.”
“Harmless?” A bitter laugh escaped me. “You thought isolating her, mocking her, pushing her to tears was harmless? She almost died.”
A soft groan interrupted the tense air.
Athena stirred, her fingers twitching. I immediately turned to her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Athena, I’m here.”
Her eyelids fluttered weakly. “Eros…”
“I’m right here,” I whispered.
She tried to sit up, but I gently pressed her back down. “Don’t move. You’re still weak.”
“Where… where’s Scarlett?” Athena’s voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.
“Hopefully getting expelled,” I muttered, shooting a glare at the teachers.
They exchanged uneasy glances before Ms. Delaney finally spoke. “I’m sorry. We should have stepped in sooner.”
Athena closed her eyes, tears slipping from the corners. “You let them treat me like garbage. I kept reporting it… but no one ever listened.”
Mr. Hawthorne straightened, his tone forced into something resembling authority. “We’re taking this seriously now. Scarlett and the others have been suspended, pending investigation. The disciplinary board will meet with the principal tomorrow.”
“Suspended?” My voice was sharp, laced with disbelief and disgust. “She should be expelled. Better yet, charged.”
Dr. Leland interjected, his tone grave. “She’s lucky Athena is recovering. But if there’s any setback in her condition, we’ll have to file a police report.”
Mrs. Carver hesitated, then gave a reluctant nod. “We’ll inform the principal.”
I turned back to Athena, my voice softer. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
She offered a faint smile. “You had to be with your grandmother.”
“That’s no excuse,” I whispered. “If I had known they’d go this far…”
Athena reached for my hand, her fingers weak but steady. “You’re here now. That’s what matters.”
Ms. Delaney cleared her throat. “We’ll speak to the school board. Scarlett’s reign ends here.”
“She poisoned a student,” I said coldly. “This wasn’t some childish prank—it was attempted murder.”
Mr. Hawthorne exhaled heavily. “We failed you, Athena. We’ll make sure this never happens again.”
I met his gaze, my tone ice-cold. “You can start by resigning. You call yourselves teachers? You’re nothing but enablers. When Scarlett is expelled, you should be gone too. And if you’re not…” I let the threat hang in the air. “Let’s just say, you won’t want to find out what I’ll do next.”
Shame hung over them like a storm cloud as they shuffled out of the room.
Once they were gone, I turned back to Athena and exhaled, the weight of everything settling in as I sat beside her. “You scared me.”
She gave me a weak smile. “Guess I have a knack for drama.”
“Not funny.” I scowled.
She chuckled softly, then winced. “Still hurts.”
“I’ll stay until you’re better.”
“You don’t have to—”
“I want to.” I cut her off firmly.
A silence stretched between us, heavy with things left unsaid. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, I promised, “No one will ever hurt you again. Not while I’m here.”
******
The next day
The atmosphere in the room was suffocating, every hushed whisper amplifying the tension. At the front of the auditorium, the school board members sat alongside the principal and the three teachers who had accompanied the students on the ill-fated camping trip.
To the side, Scarlett sat rigidly, arms crossed, her expression more irritated than remorseful. Beside her stood her father, Vice President Brett Granville, his face set in a stern mask, while her mother sat quietly, her anxious gaze flitting around the room.
Then, the doors opened.
Athena entered, pale but resolute, with me by her side. A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd. She walked slowly, deliberately, every step a reminder of the betrayal that ran deeper than any wound.
The very teachers she had trusted had stood by as Scarlett had nearly succeeded in getting rid of her—this time for good.
Principal Edgar Crawford tapped the microphone. “Let’s begin.”
Mrs. Carver rose first. “We are here today to address the incident during the Grade 11 camping trip, which resulted in Athena Sanderson being hospitalized after ingesting a poisonous substance.”
“And the deliberate act,” I interjected coldly, “carried out by Scarlett Granville and her friends.”
“Mr. Belmonte,” Principal Crawford cut in sharply. “Let’s allow the process to continue.”
I held his gaze for a moment before giving a curt nod.
Mr. Hawthorne cleared his throat and began reading the findings. “Following a review of testimonies and the hospital’s toxicology reports, it has been confirmed that detergent was mixed into Miss Sanderson’s juice bottle. Multiple students reported seeing Scarlett and her peers laughing about a ‘special drink’ meant for Athena.”
Scarlett scoffed. “That’s hearsay. I never touched her drink.”
Athena’s voice cut through the air like ice. “You didn’t have to. You handed it to Brielle and said, ‘Give the freak her treat.’ I heard you.”
A collective gasp swept the room.
Scarlett’s father stood abruptly. “My daughter would never—”
“She did,” Mrs. Carver interrupted, her voice firm and unyielding. “And this isn’t the first time. We’ve turned a blind eye to Scarlett’s harassment of Athena for weeks, and now it has escalated to this.”
Principal Crawford’s expression was grim. “We have failed in our duty of care.”
A board member spoke next. “The school’s code of conduct allows for immediate expulsion in cases of deliberate harm. This situation qualifies.”
Scarlett’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re expelling me? Based on one girl’s word and a bunch of rumors?”
“No,” Principal Crawford said, his voice unwavering. “We’re expelling you based on witness statements, teacher negligence that is now being acknowledged, and medical evidence.”
Scarlett shot to her feet. “This is ridiculous! She’s exaggerating half of this just to play victim!”
“Enough!” Her father’s voice cracked through the room like a whip. “Sit down, Scarlett.”
She froze, her eyes flickering with shock, stunned by the unexpected sharpness of his tone.
The principal exhaled, then delivered the final blow. “Scarlett Granville, effective immediately, you are expelled from Emerald Crest Academy.”
A soft gasp escaped her mother, but Mr. Granville only nodded, his jaw tight. “We understand.”
Scarlett trembled as she turned to Athena, her eyes burning with fury and disbelief.
You’d think I’d be happy about this, right? After all, I got what I wanted—Scarlett was expelled.
But here’s the thing: I wasn’t. Because I knew her father wouldn’t let it end here. He’d go behind my back to pull strings and get her reinstated. He was close friends with my grandparents, and they absolutely adored Scarlett.
My grandmother, in particular, had always hoped I’d end up with her. Sorry to say, but my dear grandmother could die and reincarnate a million times, and I’d still hate Scarlett.
Athena looked up at me, hope flickering in her eyes. I didn’t have the heart to tell her the truth.
“We did it,” was all I could manage.
Scarlett stormed out, her parents trailing behind.
But this wasn’t over. Not even close.