Felicia had never been someone who handled pressure well.
Now, under the weight of so many stares—and with her "trial student" status exposed so bluntly—her face burned red. She lowered her head, eyes glistening with unshed tears, standing awkwardly at the back of the room.
Fortunately, the instructor didn't press her further. He simply told her to find an empty seat and sit down.
The moment she sat, resentment surged in her chest.
If not for Riley, how could things have turned out like this?
The Yates family had registered Riley for Finance Class 1.
But this morning, Riley had insisted it was Economics Class 1.
Those two departments were in completely different buildings. The campus was massive, and Felicia had gotten lost trying to find the faculty building.
That was why Felicia was late.
Because of Riley, she had been humiliated in front of everyone.
There's no way I'm letting this go.
If I go down, I'm taking you with me.
Felicia deliberately chose a seat in the last row. The tiered lecture hall gave her a clear view of everyone in front.
She scanned the room.
No one holding a giant bunny.
A satisfied smile crept onto her lips.
She raised her hand.
"Excuse me, I have a classmate who hasn't arrived yet. She's also late. Her name is Riley."
The room quieted as students turned to look at her.
Felicia lifted her chin, forcing herself to stay composed.
The instructor glanced around. "Riley? Is Riley here? Riley?"
Just as I thought.
A smug glint flashed in Felicia's eyes. She stood up again, putting on a pitiful expression.
"Sir, I wasn't late on purpose. I went to find my sister, so I ended up late. But when I found her, she refused to come back with me. She said classes are boring, so I had no choice but to come alone…"
The moment she finished speaking, whispers broke out across the lecture hall.
Some students had already started to believe her.
And then—
From an inconspicuous corner, a hand slowly went up.
Riley stood, hugging her bunny, blinking innocently as she met Felicia's gaze across the room.
Silence.
The atmosphere froze.
The instructor frowned. "Riley?"
Riley nodded, soft and polite. "Good morning, sir."
The lecture hall exploded.
"Wait—what? That girl with the bunny has been here the whole time!"
"Seriously? That's such a cheap trick."
"She's the one who was late, and now she's trying to frame someone else? That's low."
"Good thing Riley was already here, or she'd never be able to clear her name."
Voices overlapped, one after another.
Felicia's face turned crimson.
She bit her lip hard, glaring at Riley, fury burning in her chest.
***
After class, Riley walked ahead, hugging her bunny.
Behind her, Felicia staggered under the weight of two large bags, plus her own backpack, barely keeping up.
"Riley!" she snapped. "Why didn't you tell me when you got to class? And why did you say it was the Economics building this morning? Did you do this on purpose?!"
Riley turned back, blinking in confusion. "Aren't we in the School of Economics?"
Felicia nearly choked on her own anger.
Why did I believe anything a fool said? Am I insane?!
Still fuming, she muttered under her breath, then glanced at the heavy bags.
"What did you even pack in here? Why are they so heavy?" asked Felicia.