As soon as Severine got up, her mind became fuzzy.
Fragments, like scenes from an old movie, began to flicker in her mind.
Feeling trapped while hitting Alina's leg. Being guilt-ridden after the incident and unable to focus on her studies. Losing her mother's favor.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't crawl out of that emotional quagmire. And before any redemption could arrive, the end came.
Legs broken and face ruined, then left to die...
The sheer amount of details instantly made her wince.
"Haa... haa," she gasped, trying to control her breathing. But it was of no use.
Hastily, she ran toward the bathroom, dry heaving.
Cold sweat trickled down her neck. Her mind couldn't digest all the information she had just received.
Not eating any dinner, her bruised stomach could only expel gastric juices.
Cleaning her mouth, she stared at the mirror. The familiar yet unfamiliar reflection startled her.
Compared to her dream self, she looked much better. There were no hideous marks on her face, and she was standing straight.
Now that she had sorted all those memories, she could say one thing for sure.
This life, she wanted to live for herself.
Just as she sat on the couch after a long, warm bath, her phone rang.
It was the vice-principal of the academy.
She answered the call, and a hearty voice echoed in her ears.
[Severine, how have you been? Have you eaten?]
Old people always liked to start with that question.
"I'll eat in a while, uncle. How are you doing?"
The vice-principal was the father of Severine's childhood friend. He also kindly helped her deal with her situation.
[You know who rules the academy, child. So I won't hide it from you. It's better to settle this matter as soon as possible. I've asked someone to arrange a place for you guys to talk. Anyway, young people's quarrels shouldn't be taken too seriously.]
Severine let out a tired sigh. Her barely pleasant mood vanished with that reminder.
But that was indeed the reality.
Her family stood several steps below the Rhodes family, making her position even more awkward.
"Thank you, uncle. And... please don't tell my dad. He'll worry. I want to settle this myself."
[Sure. Sure. Only if my brat was half as sensible as you.]
Severine ignored those words as her mind was already drifting through the recent fragments of the book.
After her last dream, all the missing puzzle pieces seemed to have fallen into place.
She could see it with perfect clarity.
Although the book mainly focused on how Damien bullied Alina—the spirited young lady who later stole his heart—it also revealed glimpses of their business world.
Those were going to be Severine's ladder to get out of this quagmire.
Money was power. And that was the goal she had set for herself.
All of a sudden, a message pinged on her phone.
It was a location of Fiala Ground. A place where people spend their free time in the lap of bliss.
According to the book, this was where her leg would be broken. There were still five years untill then.
"Emily Rhodes," she murmured absentmindedly, "I sincerely hope we can put this matter behind us."
Another message chimed in.
[Tomorrow evening at 7:00, be there on time.]
Severine rested her head against the sofa, dazedly staring at the ceiling.
{The ceiling was pure white, just like the innocence hidden deep inside Alina's fiery body. Damien wanted to pull that whiteness and spread it in his dark world.}
The words from the novel flashed in front of her eyes. Only then did she realize how plain their dorm room really was.
White and muted shades of brown.
At the beginning of their classes, it was up to them to choose the design of their rooms.
As she was too busy organising her private investment company, she picked the default setting.
Who would have thought that such a small decision would paint her future with the darkness waiting to consume her?
Even her investment company was taken away by Rhodes and gifted to Alina as an apology for his bullying.
Five years...
All her hard work to stand on her own feet was taken away just like that.
The future she saw in those dreams was brutal enough to make her stomach churn again.
Don't think about it, Severine. You have to stand strong. You have to. For yourself, for your mother...
She wanted to rest, but dreaded moments, like storms, always arrived sooner than expected.
For her, that storm wasn't dressed in branded clothes and a high ponytail as she expected, but rather in a leather jacket.