THE WEIGHT OF WEALTH AND INFLUENCE
A sleek black Mercedes-Benz glided into the compound of Nova Academy, its glossy exterior catching the morning sun like liquid silver. The driver, dressed in a crisp suit, moved with swift precision, pulling open the back door as though rehearsed a thousand times.
From within, Jia Wilson emerged. Her polished shoes struck the marble pavement with a soft, deliberate click, every step carrying the effortless grace that power had etched into her. She was the daughter of a politician—one whose influence could silence newspapers with a single call, whose wealth could bend the Academy itself with generous donations.
Yet unlike many of her privileged peers, Jia did not wear her fortune like a crown. Beneath the fine uniform and composed demeanor lived a spirit devoted to equality, loyalty, and kindness.
But not today.
Today, her heart was a storm, and anger flowed through her veins like fire.
She adjusted her bag and stormed into the building. Conversations died mid-sentence. Heads turned. Students instinctively cleared the hallway, whispering behind their palms as she passed.
By the time Jia reached her class, the low murmur of gossip was already buzzing. Screens glowed. Phones were raised.
"Oh my God… isn't that Prisca?!" Gina, one of the loudest voices in their circle—and a scholarship student—blurted, her hand half-covering her mouth. "This is disgusting."
Before anyone could react, Jia snatched Gina's phone. With a single motion, she powered it off and slammed it onto the desk so hard a hairline crack streaked across the screen.
Gasps filled the room.
"Don't watch that." Her voice was sharp, leaving no room for debate.
Gina's lips parted, rage flickering in her eyes at the sight of her cracked screen, but the weight of Jia's glare crushed her protest.
Jia stepped forward, her gaze sweeping across every bowed head, every guilty face. The tension in the room thickened, heavy like a storm. Sweat beaded on foreheads despite the hum of the air conditioning.
"I'll say this once." Jia's voice was low but vibrating with suppressed fury. "Delete it. Stop the comments. Stop the reposts. I don't want to see anyone engaging with that video again."
The silence was suffocating.
Then the door opened.
"Elena!" someone whispered.
Elena swept into the room like she owned it—flanked by Jade and Rose, her ever-loyal shadows. Her glossy hair caught the light, her polished smile crafted for admiration. She spotted Jia immediately and feigned surprise.
"Oh, Jia! You're here already?" she exclaimed, her tone dripping with false sweetness. She rushed over, touching Jia's arms, her eyes theatrically wide with concern. "How are you feeling? I'm so happy you're back! When did you arrive? Are you sure you're okay?"
Jia's eyes darkened with disdain.
Then Elena noticed the faint bandage on Jia's palm. Without asking, she grabbed her hand. "Jia, how many times have I told you not to come to school if you're not fully recovered?" she scolded in mock concern.
Jia jerked her hand away. "Drop the act." Her voice cut like a knife. "Take down that video."
The room's temperature seemed to plummet.
Elena blinked, her mask of concern cracking. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me." Jia's chest rose and fell with fury. "I know you hate Prisca. But aren't you ashamed? Haven't you done enough already?!"
Murmurs rippled across the classroom. Heads swiveled between them.
Elena's smirk spread slowly. "Do you know what your flaw is, Jia? You always flock with the lowlifes. You let them drag you down. You forget who you are." She folded her arms, chin tilted proudly. "How can someone as insignificant as Prisca try to destroy our friendship? Can't you see she's manipulating you?"
Jia's voice cracked, though her anger didn't waver. "No. The only person destroying anything here is you. And I'm done with it. I'm done with this so-called friendship."
Gasps erupted.
As Jia turned to leave, Elena's hand shot out, gripping her arm tightly. Her voice rose, trembling with a mix of desperation and rage. "What? This isn't possible. How can you throw away years of friendship for that lowlife? Does she even value you the way you value her? Do you even know how pathetic you look defending her?"
Before Jia could respond, the door slammed open.
"GUYS!" Jake burst in, breathless. "The Five Star Outlets are back!"
Chaos exploded. Students jumped from their seats, racing out of the classroom. The argument dissolved instantly into a frenzy.
Within seconds, only Elena, Jia, and her girls remained.
The hallway outside roared with excitement as students pressed forward, phones raised high, desperate to capture a glimpse of the famous athletes. The Five Star Outlets—Tess Harrington, Neo Blackwell, and Lee Ashford—were more than Nova's pride. They were legends, their names known far beyond the school walls.
Neo, quiet and thoughtful. Lee, playful and charming. And Tess… the untouchable.
Girls screamed as the trio strode down the corridor, cameras flashing like a red carpet premiere.
"Excuse me, Tess… can I take a selfie with you?" a junior stammered, clutching her phone nervously.
Tess smiled kindly. "Sure."
The girl's face lit up. But before she could even snap the picture, Elena shoved her aside, sending the phone clattering to the floor. Gasps erupted.
The girl shrank back, humiliated.
Without missing a beat, Tess bent down, picked up the phone, and handed it back to her. Then he leaned in and snapped the selfie himself, his warm smile erasing the sting of Elena's cruelty.
The crowd buzzed with murmurs. Elena's jaw tightened as she clung to her boyfriend—the man no one dared make eye contact with, despite the countless secret admirers who wished otherwise.
And then—the chaos shifted.
"Ooh, isn't that the girl from the video?" Lee's voice rang out, playful but piercing.
Heads turned instantly. All eyes landed on Prisca, frozen at the back of the hallway.
Gasps. Murmurs. Fingers pointing.
"Oh my God… it's her." A girl sneered from the crowd, her eyes flashing with cruel delight. Before Prisca could move, the girl shoved through the students and grabbed her by the shirt, yanking her forward.
Prisca's head bowed, her face burning with shame. Phones came out again, screens glowing, the humiliating video replaying in cruel detail.
Elena's laughter rang out above the noise. "Look at her! Exactly what I said—a pig in uniform."
Prisca trembled, wishing she could vanish as students jeered and mocked her.
Suddenly—SLAP!
Jia's hand connected with the face of the girl who had grabbed Prisca's shirt. Gasps froze the air.
"Let's go," Jia said firmly, pulling Prisca through the stunned crowd.
But before they could escape, a calm, authoritative voice cut through the hall.
"Jia."
It was Tess. His tone silenced the noise instantly. His eyes locked onto hers, unreadable.
"We're having a meeting."
The hallway fell into uneasy silence.
Jia froze, torn between Prisca's trembling form beside her and Tess's commanding presence.
*****
The student council room gleamed with marble floors and polished wood, its atmosphere exuding authority. Only the wealthy and influential sat here. Yet beneath the polished surface, battles for control raged like silent storms.
Elena leaned back in her seat, her smile sharp, edged with pride. "I'm so proud of you, Tess. I knew you were going to crush Impact High School. No one can compete with you in basketball."
Lee chuckled. "You mean us, Elena."
"I wasn't talking to you," she snapped, her eyes narrowing.
The conversation drifted — excursions, council duties — but the tension never loosened its grip. Then Rose, smirking, tossed out a mocking remark about Jia's "poor friend."
Jia's composure shattered. She lunged across the table, seizing Rose by the collar.
Chairs screeched back. Everyone jumped to their feet accept tess.
"Jia!" Neo rushed forward, prying her hand free with firm restraint.
"Let go of me!" Rose gasped, struggling to tear Jia's grip from her uniform.
Jia's breathing came in sharp bursts, her glare searing into Rose before she ripped herself away and stormed out of the room.
Silence weighed heavy.
Elena crossed her arms, her lips curling. "That Prisca girl… she's starting to irritate me just by breathing".
Tess rose from his chair without a word and strode out of the council room. Elena quickly followed, her heels clicking sharply against the marbled floor.
They emerged onto the rooftop, the wind tugging at their uniforms as they stood side by side. Tess's voice was cold, sharp as steel when he finally spoke.
"Why did you do it?"
Elena smirked, stepping closer, her fingers brushing his sleeve like nothing was wrong.
"Do what?" she asked, feigning innocence.
Tess lowered his gaze briefly before lifting it again, his eyes hard and unyielding.
"Why did you post that video?"
Elena scoffed, her hands sliding over his shoulders as she forced his face toward hers. She laughed, her tone dripping with cruelty.
"So, you saw it. That b*tch doesn't know her place. She keeps trying to be friendly with everyone—even us, the high class—when she's nothing but a scholarship lowlife. Can you imagine? She even had the nerve to challenge me."
Tess scoffed back. "Really."
"Yes," Elena said sharply, nodding with pride. "But you know your girl—I made sure I dealt with her."
"Elena." Tess brushed her hands off, his voice razor-sharp. "Take down that video. Stop humiliating yourself—and this school."
He turned to walk away.
Elena froze, stunned, then rushed to block him. "What? I'm humiliating myself?" Her voice rose. "How dare you, Tess!"
Her hand cracked across his face in a sharp slap.
Tess straightened slowly, smirk tugging at his lips. He exhaled, calm and unshaken.
"I'm done with this rubbish we call a relationship."
The words slammed into Elena like a physical blow. Her chest tightened, her brain spun. In desperation, she clutched his shirt, holding him back from leaving.
"I'm sorry, babe. I don't know what came over me—I didn't mean it. Please, I'm sorry." Her grip tightened, her voice breaking.
But Tess pried her hands off and shoved them away. His expression was cold, detached.
"Don't beg me, Elena. We both know this isn't real. This isn't love. My father and your mother are using us, shaping our future for their gain. To them, we're nothing but a contract—signed before we even had a choice. After high school, they'll force us into marriage. But that's not the life I want. I can't keep faking this with you."
Elena's eyes widened, her voice trembling as she cut in sharply.
"But I need you, Tess! Don't you get it? Without you, I'm nothing. Even if it's a contract, even if it's fake, it doesn't matter. As long as you're mine, that's enough."
Her hand slid to his cheek, tears spilling freely now.
Tess's eyes hardened, his lip curling in disgust. Her words only confirmed what he had always known—Elena didn't love him. She loved the image, the control, the status he represented.
"I won't do this with you," he said firmly. "I don't care if they want to use us to boost their status—I won't be part of it. I don't love you. And I never will."
Her hand dropped instantly, lifeless at her side. Tess brushed past her, shoving her aside as he walked away.
Elena's entire body trembled with rage, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turned bone-white. Her scream tore through the rooftop, raw and unhinged.
"F*ck you, Tess!" she spat, her voice breaking with fury. "You think you can walk away from me? I swear, you'll regret this. No matter what you do, you're mine—we will get married, and we will be together. And if anyone dares to stand in my way…" Her eyes gleamed with a chilling madness as tears streaked down her face. "…I'll get rid of them."
Her words lingered in the air like a curse, dangerous and irreversible.