Return of The Alpha Heiress-Chapter 28: Clarissa – Back to the Academy

After more than a week in the hospital and a few days at home, I finally returned to academy.

I was now officially a student of the best class, no longer part of the second-best class.

But I still had to collect the things I left in my old classroom.

Walking down the familiar hallway, my steps felt light and steady.

Several students openly pointed at me as I passed.

Whether it was because of the five-centimeter scar on my cheek, or because they already knew my identity... I couldn’t tell.

Anyway, this wasn’t the first time I’d been the center of attention, so I wasn’t going to react.

My pace stayed calm and controlled, until two familiar faces from the next class blocked my way.

One of them spoke in a falsely friendly tone.

"Clarissa, my cousin is the son of his Beta’s pack, and he told me about you. Are you really the Alpha’s dau—"

"Who are you?" I cut her off flatly.

She let out an awkward, embarrassed laugh.

"I’m from B Class. We’ve passed each other a lot—"

I interrupted again. "Oh— now I remember. You’re the one who asked if my purple eyes were injected by my criminal parents, right?"

Her face instantly drained of color.

She probably thought I wouldn’t remember casual insults like that, but I was far more vengeful than people assumed.

I even still remembered every face that laughed at me when Fani bullied me in the entrance hall, and that was months ago.

I continued walking without caring how they or the students who overheard reacted.

When I entered my classroom, at least no one pretended to be friendly.

From the whispers, it seemed they were very aware of how they had treated me until now.

"Clarissa really became Alpha Green’s daughter. Aren’t you going to talk to her?"

"You do it if you dare. Isn’t your pack desperate for Green Pack’s support?"

"I’m not brave enough. I was never nice to her. What if she tells Alpha something bad about my pack?"

"True. She’s not an orphan with no backing anymore."

"But why would Alpha Green adopt a defective omega? Is it really just because she looks like Luna Green?"

"Don’t say that again unless you want Edwin to attack you. He’s super protective of Clarissa."

My class really knew a lot... or maybe the whole academy already knew.

I headed toward my seat.

Nadia, who sat next to me, stared as if she were seeing a ghost.

"All the rumors about my identity are true. I’m transferring to the best class now that I qualify," I explained before she even asked.

Nadia snapped out of her stunned state.

"I didn’t think I’d ever witness something like this in person."

Her expression was so genuinely amazed that I couldn’t help chuckling.

I hoped I could find friends like Nadia in the best class, nonjudgmental, not nosy, and even though she often looked confused, she was far more perceptive than she seemed.

While I packed my things, she asked about my condition and about the scar on my face.

After applying ointment and not covering it with makeup, the wound didn’t look too bad.

Not nearly as terrifying as it had looked at the party.

"I’m fine... really good, actually," I answered briefly. Nadia didn’t push.

Instead, she told me what happened to Fani and Oscar while I was gone.

"In the weekly academy magazine, there was suddenly an article exposing everything about Fani and Oscar. From Oscar’s grades that weren’t earned properly, to their disgusting relationship..."

Nadia leaned closer, whispering,

"The article listed the places they did it. One of them was the janitor’s closet."

"WHAT—!" I yelped, then immediately slapped my hand over my mouth.

No wonder I caught them doing it on the rooftop. They really liked to ’explore.’

Luckily, back then I was too shy to do anything beyond holding hands.

Otherwise, he might’ve asked me to do it there too!

But Oscar never even tried to kiss me.

Aside from those sweet words he used whenever he needed something, he never treated me like a girlfriend.

Thinking back... he treated me like a servant.

Remembering the past made my blood boiled. I should smack his head when I see him later, though honestly, I’d rather never see him again.

Nadia wasn’t done with her gossip.

"You should know... the one who dug up all that information and forced the magazine’s editorial team to publish it was Edwin. Your brother now."

"Edwin?" Hearing his name made my eyes sparkle with gratitude.

This time, I approved of his little crime.

Sometimes, illegal wasn’t that bad.

"Thank goodness the Green family treats you so well," Nadia said softly.

I nodded. "Yes. They’re very good to me."

Even my hardened heart felt deeply grateful to have a family like them.

I was just about finished taking things from the locker when the door opened.

And in walked the person I least wanted to see—

Oscar Sanders.

Our eyes met, clashing with sharp hostility.

But he was the first to look away.

Strangely, he wasn’t wearing the academy uniform.

He headed to a locker not far from mine and took something out.

Nadia whispered beside me, "Because of the article, he’s transferring to another academy."

"Transferring?"

A satisfied smirk curled on my lips. ’Serves you right.’

He must’ve sensed we were talking about him.

He snapped his head toward us, throwing a bitter glare.

"Listen, Clarissa," he spat,

"Don’t get happy just because Alpha Green adopted you. You’ll never be equal to his real children, and you’ll never be truly accepted by them!"

His words were venom, striking straight into my heart.

They echoed my own deepest fear, one everyone at home had already tried to erase with their actions.

But still... I felt afraid.

"Don’t talk nonsense! If they didn’t accept Clarissa, do you think that disgusting article about you and Fani would even exist?" Nadia suddenly snapped.

I turned to her on reflex. Nadia, who had never raised her voice to anyone in class, had actually yelled.

Her outburst spread like fire in dry grass.

Other students, who had never dared oppose Oscar, much less defend me, began to murmur to their seatmates.

Loud enough for Oscar to hear.

...