He extended a densely printed page toward her.
Alarieka took the paper and studied it carefully with lowered head.
"Expulsion?"
Reyna, who had been following Alarieka, gasped in shock. Without thinking, she protested: “How can you expel her? Alarieka’s taking the National College Entrance Examination soon! You know how important that is! Expelling her now would ruin her future!”
Reyna’s voice grew sharper, losing its usual gentleness: “No, expulsion is absolutely unacceptable!”
At her words, the Dean, the principal, and others in the office all frowned deeply.
The Dean’s narrow eyes crinkled at the corners, radiating impatience: “Reyna, given the massive scandal Alarieka caused, the school’s being remarkably reasonable by not expelling her outright. We’re merely presenting her with options and discussing this civilly. What exactly is your objection?!”
Reyna furrowed her brows, her worried gaze shifting to Alarieka.
She wasn’t a fool. Neither was anyone else present. Only a fool would miss the glaring truth behind this conflict between Alarieka and Rose.
Let’s be blunt–Alarieka bore zero blame here. Rose was the one at fault. Yet now, Alarieka was being forced to apologize to Rose? Since when did that make sense?
Reyna, too, had once bought into the collective admiration of Rose—that image of the perfect, understanding, accomplished woman. She’d met Rose. Undeniably, Rose mastered the facade: beautiful, gracious, gentle—every trait fitting society’s ideal of a goddess and female lead. Reyna had genuinely envied women like her—privileged background, top-tier career, an enviably perfect partner.
But witnessing these events shattered that illusion. Rose’s image in Reyna’s mind had twisted beyond recognition. Honestly speaking, Reyna couldn’t stomach Alarieka apologizing, especially not to such a two-faced woman.
Moreover, knowing Alarieka’s character, her pride likely matched Rose’s ounce for ounce. For Alarieka, apologizing to Rose might feel utterly impossible.
Apologizing to someone who’d relentlessly bullied and slandered you? That eroded anyone’s dignity. For Alarieka, it would cut deeper.
Reyna’s expression darkened.
If Alarieka refused to apologize, the school would expel her. How was this “discussing options“? It was pure coercion, leaving Alarieka no real choice.
Reyna’s frown deepened as she stared at Alarieka’s thin, frail back, her concern thickening like fog.
“Alarieka.”
She called out, “Alarieka, what are you thinking?”
Alarieka was still reviewing the statement the Dean had handed her. She looked up at Reyna. “Hmm?”
Reyna opened her mouth, but her voice caught in her throat, trapped. Worry and helplessness stripped away her usual composure, leaving her expression strained.
But Alarieka, the person at the center of it all, remained perfectly calm. Her expression didn’t flicker, her eyes steady in a way no ordinary high schooler’s should be.
Reyna Wright stared at Alarieka’s face, momentarily stunned. She wanted to tell Alarieka that apologizing was the best way out—what did pride matter compared to avoiding expulsion? Though swallowing her dignity to apologize to Rose would be agonizing, it beat getting kicked out, especially with the National College Entrance Examination barely three months away.
Worries swirled in her mind: fear that Alarieka would refuse to apologize, fear that she would apologize to Rose, fear of Alarieka’s expulsion if she didn’t bend, and above all, dread that even if Alarieka apologized, the school might still expel her anyway. These were concerns she couldn’t voice before the administrators. Her thoughts tangled into a messy knot.
Yet seeing Alarieka’s unwavering composure, Reyna’s racing heart suddenly stilled, as if all her anxieties had vanished in an instant.
Strangely, though Alarieka was the student and Reyna the teacher, Reyna found herself trusting the girl more.
An inner voice insisted Alarieka was worthy of that trust. Alarieka would handle this. It wouldn’t be a problem.