Revenge and Redemption: A Campus Story

To pay for my tuition, my mom sold five sheep to support my college education.

Once the semester started, I became the new campus queen.

Rumors spread that I was only able to attend university because my deaf and mute mother collected scrap.

They all said that the clothes of Gucci and Chanel that I was wearing were all fakes.

Despite the fact that my parents own vast pastures with a total worth of over one billion dollars, I was labeled the biggest fake socialite on campus.

The gossip intensified, even attracting the attention of the top students, who came to watch me become a laughingstock.

Judged from the situation like that.

It seemed the rumors were unstoppable.

If that was the case, I would let them see the real wealth of my family.

1

A month into the semester, a user with the ID "Dreamlike" began posting wildly on the social media platform.

"Breaking news! The new campus queen comes from an impoverished family and is attending college thanks to scrap collecting."

This statement caused an uproar.

"Isn't she the one who looks like a famous star, Cindy Smith? I thought she was a rich heiress!"

"Yes, and she's incredibly vain, carrying fake luxury bags, using a second-hand iPhone, and always bragging about her family's great wealth, while in fact her family just works for a farmer!"

Indeed, since the semester began, I had been the subject of much discussion.

"Who on earth is campus queen named Cindy?"

Cindy looks exactly like the famous star, Jennifer Bailey!

......

I scrolled through the comments with interest, was surprised by how many people were paying attention to me and felt a mix of chaos and noise inside.

Jennifer was my distant cousin, and she was a rather well-known star.

Growing up, I always lived in her shadow, a feeling I deeply resented.

"How do you prove it?" Asked a male user with a gray avatar, named Superman. "Don't attack others without evidence!"

Unexpectedly, another user, "Strawberry Cream", added insult to injury by presenting so-called evidence.

"I can prove it. I saw the enrollment records in the school archives, and Cindy's mother is indeed a deaf and mute scrap collector!"

A slew of malicious comments followed.

I ignored them because I had already got used to them. Such comments were everywhere.

2

My family owned vast pastures and ran a livestock company valued at 2 billion dollars.

But my mom, Lucy Smith, to prevent me from becoming vain, always told me we were just working for ranchers. She constantly complained about being poor, claiming we barely had enough to eat, and sent me to boarding school with gritted teeth.

This made me study diligently. I hoped to achieve good grades and make my family proud.

I wore cheap clothes and used a clunky old phone, oblivious to the world outside.

After the college entrance exams, my mom, with a worried expression, said, "Cindy, take two dollars to buy some pickles. That'll be our month's supply of vegetables."

Seeing the luxurious dish on the stove, I cried.

My mom was so stingy. She talked about pickles while ignoring the abalone and truffles.

At the end of August, she tearfully said, "Cindy, the semester is starting soon. I sold five sheep for your tuition."

Looking at the thousands of cattle, sheep, and horses on our vast pastures, I understood.

My mom claimed we were shepherds, yet she never mentioned the vast pastures and the large number of cattle and horses.

But my classmates didn't know this, and they mocked my background.

Overnight, I went from a noble and beautiful campus queen to an object of ridicule.

I had always been kind and gentle, considering myself somewhat reclusive.

Over the years, I had attended classes alone, traveled alone, and eaten alone in the cafeteria.

"Hey, isn't this our famous new campus queen? Why would someone from a wealthy family eat in the cafeteria?"

I looked up to see a stranger, dressed in a leather jacket and fishnet stockings, with heavy makeup, looking like a rebellious girl.

Was she here to laugh at me?

Please, I just wanted to be an ordinary person.

"Lily, don't say that. Cindy was just confused when she claimed her family was wealthy."

Only then did I notice the four people standing beside the rebellious girl. There was a woman among them who had a dignified and beautiful face. Her eyes were like autumn water, hiding unknown malice.

I just wanted to quietly attend school and graduate without causing trouble.

I stood up, holding my tray, ready to leave.

Unexpectedly, the rebellious girl spread her arms to block my path.

"Hey, don't you know who I am?"

Seeing my confusion, she sneered.

"Even if you don't know me, you should know the beauty beside me, right?"

"I don't know."

"Crash"

The rebellious girl slammed my tray to the ground, the leftovers splattering everywhere.

The noise attracted a crowd, who watched my embarrassment.

All I wanted was to leave quickly.

Despite owning a mansion worth billions, I couldn't shake off the inferiority my mom instilled in me for over a decade.

"Oops, clumsy me."

I crouched down, carefully picking up the pieces of the broken tray.

She suddenly stepped on my hand, grinding it viciously. The shards of porcelain pierced my palm, and blood gushed out.

I bit back the pain, letting out a whimpering cry.

I glanced around. There were five of them.

No, I couldn't fight back now. If I did, I would probably end up getting beaten even more.

"Do you really think you can compete with Rosalyn for the title of campus queen?" She said, laughing.

"How cruel!" A voice emerged from the crowd, but no one claimed it.

"Oh, Jane, don't be like that to Cindy. The campus queen title is just a label."

Rosalyn said sweetly as she helped me up. Out of sight from the others, she viciously jabbed my wound with her nail.

She continued, "Cindy, let me take you to the school clinic. We wouldn't want you to have a scar."

"Wow, now that's our real campus queen." Someone exclaimed.

"She's so magnanimous. Compared to her, Cindy is nothing."

People often idolized what they saw on the surface, unaware that what lurked beneath the beauty was rotten inside.

3

Approached the school clinic, the pungent odor of disinfectant assailed my nostrils, and the midday sun blazed fiercely.

They half-pushed, half-dragged me into the clinic. Rosalyn whispered threats with a smile, while the others chimed in.

"Doctor, please take a look at Cindy's injury."

"What happened here?"

The doctor frowned deeply, his tone suffused with sympathy.

"Cindy accidentally got hurt by some broken porcelain. Doctor, you must take good care of her and make sure there's no scar." Rosalyn's eyes were filled with tears and she said softly.

"Tsk, she should really watch where she's going. Besides, don't come to me for such trivial matters in the future."

The doctor said, touching his shiny bald head, looking quite repulsive.

"Use tweezers to remove the shards, and then..." He paused, then looked disdainfully. "Then just wait for the scar."

Hearing all this left me speechless. I had never expected the school doctor to be like this.

"I'll do it, Dr. Barnett." A voice said.

I turned to see a young man in a white coat, his steps causing the fabric to sway. The dappled sunlight through the window highlighted his sharp features.

For some reason, the "bystanders" scattered like shadows fleeing from light. Even Rosalyn and the school doctor, who tried to curry favor with him, received only cold indifference and eventually left awkwardly.

I followed the young man to another room to treat my wound. His hands were remarkably beautiful, as they worked steadily and powerfully to disinfect, pick out, clean, and bandage.

"They hurt you on purpose, didn't they?"

His sudden question startled me, tears of pain welling up in my eyes.

How did he know?

"It hurts, doesn't it? Here, have a candy."

He pulled out a candy from his pocket, unwrapped it, and held it to my lips.

I hesitated, but when I looked into his piercing and smoldering eyes, I was drawn to his chiseled nose and perfectly proportioned lips, which held an alluring charm like that of a Hollywood heartthrob.

But... I only used my innocent appearance to hide my true self.

We... seemed to be the same kind of people.

The candy slipped between my lips, the sweet taste of white peach dancing on my tongue.

He smiled slightly, a gentle curve at the corner of his lips.

"Relax, Cindy. Just think of me as someone who can read minds."

I looked at him in shock. Could he really read minds?!

"People have done many excessive things to me, such as slandering me, deceiving me, insulting me, mocking me, belittling me, despising me, and hating me, but I will fight back against each one."

He said things that were all secrets buried deep within my heart.

I said, "Maybe, in time, they'll come to their senses. Maybe... maybe they..."

I started, but he interrupted me.

"Endure them, let them be, ignore them, avoid them, tolerate them, respect them, don't mind them. Is that it?"

I paused, then nodded silently. "Yes, just wait a few more years."

"But Cindy, life is too short. We don't have time to wait and see. If you don't fight back and protect yourself, you might not get the chance."

"Perhaps good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished?" I timidly countered.

"I believe that, but I also believe that kindness often arrives late. When their conscience finally awakens, what will your situation be? Cindy, don't use your kindness to tolerate those who hurt you."

He was right. I used all my kindness to embrace the world, just to follow my mother's "survival rules" for the poor.

For the sake of my life, I had to forget about the "grin and bear it for the sake of peace" life rule.

He was wrong. I was never a person who would submit to being bullied by others.

Finally, he advised me to rest well and pay attention to my diet.