"But this time, it didn't take long before their methods escalated into extreme ones. And it's most likely due to that psycho girl's influence. They probably felt a.s.surance from the fact that a 'real' heiress was backing them up and so, their whispers turned into a more blatant malicious teasing."

Still closing her eyes, Inna caressed her wrist again comfortingly. The repet.i.tive motion was now noticed by Raghnall and he couldn't help but be silently curious as to why she was doing it. But he pried his curious eyes away when Inna continued to speak.

"I… I knew I had to put a stop to it. My parents would soon know one way or another and I fear that they wouldn't welcome the news well. I didn't want to be a burden to them nor have them see me as one. And so, after delaying it for a couple of days out of fear, I gathered up all the courage I had left and decided to confront the psycho. I called her out to meet at an empty cla.s.sroom and when she arrived alone, I immediately went up to her and told her to stop everything that she was doing, the teasing… the rumors… all the manipulation… I sternly told her to stop with the most serious face I could make without giving away the trembling of my limbs and the quivering of my voice. But instead of listening, she just pretended like she was never involved in the whole thing. And after a huff of fake disbelief, she just turned around and completely ignored me."

Inna snorted in disbelief as she recalled the scene.

"I knew it was futile. I knew how stubborn she was. How deeply rooted the jealousy she had of me. But I was desperate for it all to end. And so, to please her selfish and psychotic self and ego, at the same time end everything, I knew exactly what to say."

"What should I do to make you stop? I asked her that and the moment I did, she immediately turned around with a bright amused smile on her face. Then, as she walked painstakingly slow towards me, she chuckled lightly. She began to speak about how futile my efforts were. That even though she would stop, it doesn't mean that the people would stop as well. She began to ridicule my intelligence, doubting whether I really was that famed genius kid my parents would always brag about in front of her parents."

"She circled me while peering wickedly at my trembling timid body. She continued to rattle on and on about various other insults she threw at me but I tuned her out. But I soon had enough of it and decided to just cut her off sternly by repeating my question again."

She knew the part that going to come next so, in preparation for what's to come, Inna s.h.i.+fted her position so that her back was facing Raghnall but she still had her head leaning on his side. She s.h.i.+fted because she suddenly had the urge to hide her face from him but she didn't want to be obvious about it. So, with her eyes now wide open and staring at the garden before her, she continued.

"Despite being rudely cut off, to my surprise, that psyc-hoe just smiled and shrugged at my question. Then, using such an innocent tone, she started to speak again. This time, she did it with a bit of a condescending tone as though she was speaking to a stupid kid."

Inna clicked her tongue in annoyance at the memory.

"She told me that the solution to my problem was just a simple thing. Since the rumors were mostly just about me being an adopted child that no one wanted, I just needed to prove that what she was saying was wrong. That I wasn't an unwanted child. That I was just like my parent's legitimate child. That I was greatly loved and cared for by my parents. I just had to prove that and 'maybe' the rumors would die down and the teasing would stop."

"I didn't know what she was letting on but she made sense so I couldn't help but agree to her. But after trying to think of ways to prove it, I ended up with just an empty mind. After all, even if I had proof, how would they believe me? I'd most likely have to involve my parents so that they'd believe me. But if I did, I knew it will surely just blow things out of proportion so I decided against it."

"And so, with nothing in my mind and being the naive little s.h.i.+t that I was, I admitted to her that I didn't know how to make everyone believe me even if I had evidence. I admitted that I didn't want to bring my parents into the issue as well. And it was as though she expected my answer because she immediately giggled in amus.e.m.e.nt at my reply. 'I have an idea how,' she offered and then, she placed a 'comforting' hand on my shoulder as she leaned close to my ear to… uhm… whisper something."

"It's simple. Why don't you just cut yourself? Hmmm?"

"S-she said those words in the coldest tone I've ever heard someone use. And I... I froze… I didn't know what to do. I-I actually had chills run down my spine when she leaned back to sweetly smile at me as though nothing happened. It was as though she just simply talked about something casual, like the weather. In fact, I thought she was joking--well, I hoped back then that she was joking. But I knew she wasn't when she continued to talk about her 'idea.'"

"I'm not saying you should but just think about it! If you plan to cut yourself secretly and they notice, then that means they care, right? But if they don't, then that just means they don't care. Tell me the result tomorrow. That's all I'm asking. And even if they didn't notice, you can still lie to me about it. After all, I wouldn't know it, right? It's a great method, I tell you. You just need to show a scar to prove you did it and I'll stop all these rumors."

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Inna spoke in a sickly sweet tone filled with suppressed ridicule as she imitated how that psycho talked to her back then. Then, as if that woman was currently right in front of her, her face contorted into the ugliest face she could make that was filled with both spite and regret. A face she would never wear unless she felt pure hatred emanating inside her.

Thank G.o.d she was facing away from Raghnall.