That was the beginning of my new life.
The school was called Blue River High School — a place where the richest families in the country sent their children. The buildings looked more like a royal palace than a school. Tall glass windows, shining marble floors, and gardens that were bigger than the park near my old house.
Everything about it screamed money.
And then there was me.
A poor orphan wearing a scholarship badge.
From the very first day, I could feel the difference between them and me.
Their shoes probably cost more than everything I owned. Their watches sparkled like tiny suns.
But I didn't care.
Because I had already learned the most important lesson in life:
Money and power control everything.
If I wanted to survive in this world, I had to become stronger than all of them.
At first, I stayed quiet. I studied harder than anyone else. While others were partying or shopping, I was in the library. Every night. Every weekend.
People started noticing.
Teachers praised me.
Students whispered about me.
But attention always brings enemies.
That was when I first met Rose.
Rose was beautiful. Everyone loved her. She was kind, gentle, and always surrounded by friends. She looked like the perfect heroine from a fairy tale.
And beside her was Jack.
Jack was the most popular boy in school. Tall, confident, and rich.
Everyone admired him.
At first, they treated me kindly.
Rose smiled at me.
Jack helped me with some classes.
For a moment… I thought I had finally found friends.
But I forgot something important.
In a world ruled by money and status, friendship can easily become competition.
Years passed.
Our small school rivalry slowly turned into something much bigger — a fight for power, reputation, and the future.
There was one thing everyone wanted.
A symbol of ultimate success at Blue River High.
The Diamond Crown.
It was awarded to the top student — the one who proved they were the best in everything: academics, leadership, and influence.
Winning that crown meant one thing.
Power.
And I wanted it more than anyone.
But so did Rose.
And that… was the moment our friendship began to crack.
Slowly.
Silently.
Until one day, everything broke.
After that, Rose stopped talking to me completely.
One day, while I was walking through the school hallway, Rose and a few girls suddenly bumped into me on purpose. My phone slipped from my hand and fell to the floor.
Rose stepped on it with her heel and said calmly, "Oh… I'm sorry. It was an accident."
But it wasn't an accident.
Rose knew I was an orphan. She knew I had no one to support me. And she used that weakness against me.
That day was the beginning of my humiliation.
At first, I tried to ignore it.
But slowly… things started getting worse.
I worked part-time at a small restaurant after school. One evening, Rose came there with some friends and created a huge scene. She loudly accused me of being rude and told my manager that I embarrassed the customers.
In the end, I was fired.
But that was only the beginning.
At school, the bullying became a daily routine.
Sometimes they put a snake inside my locker.
Sometimes they locked me inside the toilet.
They mocked me in front of everyone.
Once, someone even tried to cause an accident with a car when I was walking to school.
Every day felt like a battlefield.