Rain quickly shut the window curtains after tying Marcus's body with her rope. From time to time, she glanced outside where the crowd was noisy. Luckily, Marcus's bodyguards managed to calm people down and stood guard at the front of her house.
"So, what do you know after the participants lose?" Rain asked.
Marcus's eyes were swollen from crying. He still trembled at the sight of Rain's knife. "Actually, they die immediately if they lose the game," he said.
Like being struck by lightning in broad daylight, Rain's eyes welled up. Her lips clamped shut after hearing Marcus's answer. "So, do you mean my brother is already dead?" she asked to be sure.
Without a word, Marcus nodded.
Rain tried to stay calm. She had to find for as much information as possible from Marcus. She thought maybe Marcus was lying again, since he was also known as a master deceiver. "Alright, tell me in more detail about the Star Game."
"That's all I know."
Rain raised her knife again at Marcus. "Do you want me to stab your neck with this? Isn't your left arm already enough?" she pointed at his wounded arm.
Shaking with fear, Marcus finally tried to muster courage. "Believe me. That's all I know," he insisted. "Oh, there's one more thing, the game is terrifying, because the participants must fight their opponents until one of them survives to the very end. That's why it's called the death game, because the price is life itself."
Rain frowned, showing her burning curiosity. "How do you know that?"
"I saw it myself, because I was once invited to watch. But I left on the first day after being humiliated by the higher-ups from Class A to Class E. They said my class was trash, even though their class was trash as well," Marcus grumbled, remembering the insult.
"They were right, we are trash. And it's because of scum like you and those corrupt leaders! The Elite poured in plenty of gold coins to build this class, but thanks to greedy officials like you and the class chief, our class never advanced. Look at Class E, even though they're only one rank above us, their lives are prosperous because they have competent leaders who don't only think about themselves."
Marcus lifted his head toward Rain. His eyes watered again, and for the second time, he wet himself.
"Damn it!" Rain cursed. She walked to the door and peeked outside. "I must tell the truth to everyone in Class F, they need to know they've been deceived by the Elites all along."
"No! Didn't you promise to keep this secret?"
"That was then. Not anymore."
The door swung wide open. Rain smiled at Marcus. "Relax. I still need you, so I won't tell them!"
She called Marcus's bodyguards who were waiting outside. Then she ordered them to clean up the floor that Marcus had soiled and take their boss out of her house.
"Clean it now!"
***
Not long after, someone came carrying a bag of rice. Her face was bright with cheer. "Rain, where have you been? I hardly see you these days," she said, hugging Rain from behind. "Oh, here, I brought some rice. I heard you ran out yesterday."
"Let go of me, Verr!"
Verra released her hug while Rain paced back and forth in her room, clearly deep in thought.
"Suddenly, I miss Felix," Verra said as she placed the rice on Rain's dresser. She brought it intentionally, knowing Rain's family hadn't bought rice yet and today was supposed to be their day to buy supplies.
Rain instantly turned to her. She walked closer. "What did you just say?"
"I miss Felix. Even if he never comes back, he'll always remain in my heart."
"Oh, how talented the daughter of Mr. Max is at acting. You really deserve an award for best actress of the year," Rain sneered, moving so close that Verra fell back onto her bed. "A traitor like you doesn't deserve to be with my brother. If he had known about your affair with Chris, he would've killed you and your lover."
Verra's eyes widened in shock at Rain's words. Her heart pounded wildly. She couldn't believe her future sister-in-law knew about her secret with Chris, something she had hidden so carefully.
"W-what do you mean?"
Rain laughed at her terrified expression. She patted Verra's head mockingly. "Make a confession and clear my family's name. Tell everyone the child you carry isn't my brother's, but Chris's."
Verra resisted. She rushed to the door, but Rain tripped her, sending her sprawling on the floor. "If you don't, I'll have Felix's friends drag Chris to your parents and force him to confess your affair," Rain threatened, glaring into her frightened eyes. "You know how savage Felix's friends can be."
Verra swallowed hard, then stood up, rubbing her bruised knee and trying to cover it with her skirt.
"You must've enjoyed it when Chris spent the night at your house, enough to scrape your knees like that."
Cornered, Verra confessed. "Yes, I enjoyed it. Unlike your stiff brother—he didn't even want to kiss me." She puffed out her chest. "And it's true, the child I carry isn't Felix's, but Chris's."
"At least my brother is more honorable than you."
Verra stormed out of Rain's room, eager to escape, but froze when she found Max standing outside with a broomstick in hand. His face was red, his chest heaving. Behind him stood several Class F residents—including Edmund.
"Boom! The third class war begins," Rain said, waving mockingly at Verra.
Max dragged Verra out of the house and beat her mercilessly with the broomstick. "What kind of daughter are you, huh? How dare you shame your father like this?"
"Forgive me, Dad!" Verra begged, but Max's fury had exploded beyond control. He was consumed with humiliation, convinced he had failed as a parent.
Soon, Felix's friends arrived, dragging along a battered Chris. They threw him in front of Verra, who was already beaten by her father.
Rain stepped forward, eyeing the crowd shouting at Max for raising such a "rotten" son-in-law. She poured leftover dishwater over Verra and Chris, just as villagers had once done to Felix after beating him. "Look, the truth is out, Verr. My brother's friends and I brought Chris to your parents, and he confessed that the child you carry is the result of your affair before you ever married Felix!"
Verra stared at Rain's eyes, which glittered with triumph like she'd just hit the jackpot. Rain leaned close to whisper, "We're even. You and your family were disgraced by your own doing."
***