bChapter /bb64 /b

Jocelyn patted Amber’s shoulder and said firmly, “Amber, tell them bwe’re /bnot afraid of this nonsense. Expulsion? We don’t bgive /ba damn. We’ll never

btake /bthis humiliation.”

Just as Amber bwas /babout to bspeak/b, she suddenly heard footsteps approaching. As if on cueb, /bshe spun around. It was Sienna.

Jocelyn bfixed /bSienna with a look of undisguised loathing. ‘What’s she doing bhere/bb?/bb‘ /bshe wondered.

bSienna /bstrode into the office, her formidable presence instantly silencing the room. Instinctively, everyone held their breath, awed by hermanding aura.

Susan hesitated and asked, b“/bAnd you areb?/bb” /b

“My apologies for beingte. I’m Sienna Hart, Amber’s eldest sister. You must be her homeroom teacher. My father couldn’t make it. Now, would you mind exining what exactly bis /bgoing on here?” said Sienna.

Though Susan had developed some authority as a longtime homeroom teacherb, /bin front of Sienna, she waspletely outmatched.

“Hello, I’m Susan,” she said nervouslyb, /bswallowing hard.

bSusan/b, nice to meet you. Amberb, /b/dive here,” Sienna ordered.

“Why bis /bSienna here?‘ Amber wondered, even as her legs carried her forward without conscious thought.

Jocelyn clenched her bfists /bso tightly that her nails dug into her palms, seething with the urge ito /itear Sienna to pieces. If it weren’t for her, they would have made it out.

Jocelyn seethed inwardly, “That wretch. That damned wretch.

Wendy frowned in confusion. “If you’re her eldest sister, then who is she?” she asked, ncing at Jocelyn.

Sienna gave her a dismissive nce, the sheer contempt in her eyes cutting Jocelyn to the core. Jocelyn looked like nothing more than a pathetic clown putting on a show.

Sienna said tly, “She’s nothing but an outsider.”

Susan sighed and said, “Since you’re bher /bsister, fine. You decide how to handle this.”

Sienna gave a slight nod, her gazending on the love letter on the desk. She looked at Susan and asked calmly, “May I see that letterb?/bb” /b

Susan immediately handed it over. Sienna nced at it and saw through it at once. “This wasn’t written by Amber. Susan, bif /byou don’t believe me, you canpare the handwriting.”

As the homeroom teacher, Susan recognized the handwriting immediately. “Indeed, this wasn’t written by Amber,” Susan confirmed.

One of the ssmates shouted, “If she didn’t write it herself, maybe she got someone else to do it for her.”

Sienna looked at Amber and demanded, “Amber, tell me honestly. Did you write this letter?”

Sienna’s words left Amber at aplete loss. Her eyes darted anxiously toward Mia, who stood by the door.

Mia gripped the doorframe tightly, a chill running down her spine and cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. Mia pleaded inwardly, Amber, please don’t bsay /ba word.‘

Amber remained silent, her head bowed the entire time.

“Fine, since you choose not to speak, iso /ibe it. The fight has little to do with this letter anyway,” Sienna said coolly, pulling out a USB drive. “On my way here, I obtained surveince footage from your school’s monitoring room.

“Madams, perhaps you’d like to watch it and decide whether these students deserved to be beaten.”

As Lana walked in carrying aptop, bseveral /bof the girls instantly broke out in a cold sweat, clutching desperately at their parents‘ clothes. In a panic, they wailed that they were in unbearable bpain /band demanded to be taken to the hospital immediately.

Sienna looked at them calmly and said, “Since you’re in excruciating pain, go to the hospital first. The principal will personally handle your disciplinary actions. Later, police or court officers wille to byour /bhomes to serve summons.”

“What?” The mention of police and court left the parents utterly dumbfounded.

The surveince footage captured the girls sneering and taunting Amber, physically blocking her path and refusing to let her leave.

At the sight of the surveince footage, the parents, Wendy, and Susan bwere /brendered speechless.

7

Sienna said coldly. b“/bFrom what I knowb. /bss One is supposed to have the best learning environment in your school. Yet it’s now be thetest hotspot for bullying incidents in this school.

“I can’t begin bto /bimagine the sense of helplessness andplete breakdown my sister must have experienced in those ten minutes. And I’ve never heard of students being physically barred from leaving a ssroom by their ssmates.”

Wendy looked at the students she had once taken such pride in, now overwhelmed with shame. bThe /bbgirls/b, guilt–ridden, shrank back into their parents‘ arms, unable to meet bher /bgaze.

Sienna looked at the parents and said calmly, “Amber was wrong to hit them. I willpensate your medical expenses tenfold. I’m not an unreasonable person. The court hearing will be scheduled after your SATsb, /bout of consideration for your studies.”

“bWe-/b”

“Mom, Dad, bwe-/b”

At these words, every parent turned and delivered a stinging p bacross /btheir daughter’s bface/b.

“How dare you bully bher/b? Apologize right now.”

“Apologize to Amber this instant.”

Miss Hart, these are just childish squabbles between kids. Let’s not take this to court. Can’t we just settle this privately?”

b“/bYes, we won’t ask you to pay for the medical bills. It’s all our kids‘ fault. Miss Hart, bas /bfellow parentsb, /bbwe /bbeg you to show some mercy in this matter.”

Sienna turned to Amber, handing her the final say. “What do you think, Amberb?/bb” /bshe asked.

For the first time, Amber felt truly liberated by their apologies. A beam of light pierced through the bdark /bbfog /bin her heart, scattering it into nothing.

Jocelyn also meant well for Amber, but her approach was worlds apart from Sienna’s,

Jocelyn’s way of handling things left Amber feeling utterly suffocated. They would never bcare /babout the truth, let alone apologize to Amber.

Yet Sienna’s way cleared the air, making Amber feel weightless and free.

Jocelyn suddenly stepped forward and cut in sharply, “Weren’t you just insisting on expelling Amber? Well, now I demand all of them be expelled too. What do you say to that, Wendy?”

Jocelyn shot Wendy a taunting re, her lips curling in contempt. The contempt and menace in Jocelyn’s eyes made Wendy go pale and fall silent.

“Miss Turner, this is a Hart family matter. Outsiders should know when to step aside,” said Lana.

Lana’s words instantly shattered Jocelyn’s smug disy. Furious, Jocelyn shot Lana a venomous re. Lana remained expressionlessb, /bpletely unfazed by her re.

Amber nced at the girls bruised faces and tear–streaked eyes, then at the pleading looks in their parents‘ eyes. After a heavy pauseb, /bshe finally spoke, her voice low but firm. “Apologize now.”

Jocelyn stared at Amber in disbelief, her voice rising with anger. “What? Amber, how can you just let bthese /bpeople off so easily? Did you forget how they treated you just now?

“Haven’t I taught you? Never forgive anyone. Since they dared to bully you today, they would dare to do it again tomorrow.”

Jocelyn seethed inwardly, ‘Since when did Amber turn so soft–hearted? She’s supposed to be hard–nosed, never letting anyone off the hook when she’s in the right.’

Jocelyn wouldn’t let Amber change. Not ever.

Sienna deliberately ignored Jocelyn, reaching out to gently pinch Amber’s cheek in a show of affection,

Jocelyn bwas /bpletely ignored, trembling with barely contained rage.

Sienna said, “Alright, Susan, since Amber is your student, as her guardian, bI /brequire these students to write a 1,000–word letter of apology and deliver it publicly before the entire school faculty and student body. Surely that’s not too much to bask/bb?/bb” /b

Before Susan could respond, the parents mored over each otherb. /b“Of course not. bIt’s /babsolutely reasonable. Even if you want them to write 2,000 words, we’ll make sure of it. It’s all our fault.”

b“/bAbsolutely, Miss Hart. Children must learn from their mistakes. Rest assured. I’ll personally supervise her writing that letter of apology when we get homeb./bb” /b

They bwere /bterrified that even a second’s dy would get them med.