"For what?" she snapped. "Fiona, aren't you tired of tormenting me? We are in the same class; you are not above me. Stop trying to bully me."
Her voice grew stronger.
"…it was you who sent your friends to pour that drink on me. And now that Chris decided to help, you still won't let me be. It's all your fault I missed my lessons the whole day, just because of you!" Angela snorted.
"Don't talk to us like that," Lisa snapped, stepping forward angrily.
Fiona folded her arms, a cold smile forming on her lips.
"And just so you know," she said slowly, "Chris is smarter than you think. We deliberately stained your uniform with that drink… and he deliberately gave you his T-shirt."
She paused, enjoying the moment.
"So we could deal with you like this. It was all a setup… and you walked right into it."
Angela's eyes widened in shock.
"He… did?" she asked, her voice trembling. The pain in her chest was deeper than anything she had felt before. She felt betrayed… completely broken. She thought Chris was finally being kind and reasonable, maybe even starting to notice her, but she had no idea it was all part of a carefully planned setup.
But before she could say anything else. Lisa's hand struck her hard across the face.
Angela staggered backward, disoriented.
Julie immediately shoved her to the ground.
Before she could recover, they both began to hit her, mercilessly.
Angela tried to shield herself, but it was useless. Their blows came fast and hard, leaving her weak and defenceless.
Fiona stood there, watching with cold satisfaction.
Then, stepping closer, she grabbed the T-shirt Angela was wearing and tore it violently.
The fabric ripped apart in her hands.
Angela gasped, trying to cover herself, but the damage was already done. Pieces of the torn cloth hung loosely on her body, leaving her exposed and humiliated.
Elsa arrived just in time to witness the scene.
Her eyes widened in horror.
The place was quiet and isolated; there was no one else around.
"Angela!" she cried out, rushing forward, but fear took over.
She quickly turned and ran back toward the hall.
"Help! Someone, please help!" she shouted as she called for the other students.
Back at the scene, Angela lay on the ground.
Her body ached terribly.
Bruises and wounds covered her skin, and her breathing grew weaker with each passing second.
Her vision blurred.
The voices around her faded.
And before help could arrive, she lost consciousness.
.
Angela slowly opened her eyes.
Her head felt heavy, and her body ached all over. She blinked a few times, trying to adjust her vision, and that was when she realized she was in a hospital room. A drip was connected to her hand, and the steady sound of the monitor filled the quiet space.
She struggled slightly, then managed to sit up.
Her eyes moved around the room until they fell on Elsa, who was seated beside her.
"Elsa…" she called softly, her voice weak and barely above a whisper.
Elsa immediately leaned forward, her eyes already filled with tears.
"You need to rest, dear. Just lie down," Elsa said gently, holding Angela's hand carefully. "Those bitches are going to pay for this, I promise you."
Angela gave a faint nod.
"Thank you, Elsa…" she said slowly, trying to gather her strength. "What about Fiona? What did the school authorities do to her?"
Elsa's expression darkened.
"She was only given two weeks' suspension," she replied, her voice filled with frustration. "No real punishment at all. Her parents came to the school, and I'm sure they bribed them."
"They only suspended her so people wouldn't complain that they were being too biased," Elsa continued. "It's all just a cover-up."
"What?" Angela exclaimed weakly, anger rising despite her condition. "I can't believe this school could stoop so low… to accept a bribe from her parents… just because I'm a poor orphan."
"Angela, please," Elsa said softly, trying to calm her down. "You need to rest. Don't stress yourself too much. Just let it go… let God lead."
Angela slowly lay back on the bed, tears slipping down the sides of her face.
The door suddenly opened as Chris walked in.
Angela's eyes widened the moment she saw him.
Instantly, Fiona's words echoed in her mind.
It was all a setup.
Her expression changed immediately.
"Angela… I'm really sorry for what happened to you," Chris said, his voice etched with concern.
"Just leave!" Angela snapped suddenly, her voice breaking. "I know this is what you've always wanted… just leave!"
"Calm down, Angela," Elsa said quickly, worried about her condition. Then she turned to Chris. "I think you should go. I don't even understand why you would do something like this to my friend."
Angela let out a shaky breath.
"Fiona told me everything," she continued, her voice trembling. "It was all a setup. I told you I wasn't interested in the rehearsals, but you forced me to go… and now look at where it has landed me, here, in the hospital!"
Her eyes filled with tears again.
"I know you never liked me," she added painfully. "But I never thought you would stoop so low… to plan all this with Fiona, just so they could have me beaten like this."