Two other girls seized my shoulders with a vice-like grip, while another grabbed my hair.

I could hear my clothes being ripped apart audibly, and everyone was cheering and whistling even as I felt the cool air in the room on my skin.

A camera shutter flashed repeatedly, so blinding that I couldn't open my eyes.

With the corner of my eye, I could see Susie leaning intimately against Ken's shoulder, both of them smiling savagely.

Ken was even adjusting his camera angle, aiming it straight at my cleavage.

However, just before he took the photo, Mrs. Dent entered again, snapping impatiently, "What are all of you standing around for? There's still another important forum tomorrow. Go to bed!"

The class quickly formed a line to block me from view, with Ken clasping my mouth firmly in his palm.

As for Mrs. Dent, she looked around but turned to leave as she found nothing strange.

Ken only let go when Mrs. Dent's footsteps faded into the distance, while I dropped limply to the ground, my tears falling uncontrollably.

Susie grabbed my face right then, her nails digging into my chin.

"Just look at you," she breathed venomously into my ear with her sickly sweet voice and shoved me away in disguise. "Do you understand now? Ken has only ever loved me—you're just a tool used to flirt with me. Hell, he was treating you like a dog just to please me!"

I wiped the blood off my cheek, only finding the situation laughably ironic as I watched Susie strut off smugly.

Ken had no father and only managed to get into our school and pay the tuition fee thanks to his mother's meager salary as a janitor.

Considering how difficult it already was to get him in, if the school and the parents found out he and Susie were revealed to be responsible for this diplomatic incident in Aram, I certainly looked forward to what would become of them!

-

The next morning, Ken gathered the whole class again and distributed the swimwear again.

When they were done, I was once again at the center of attention, as Susie was fiddling with a bottle of sunscreen while flashing an innocent smile at me. "Come on, we'll all be enjoying the sun soon… But I'm so sorry I forgot someone's bikini, so just sit tight like a good doggie!"

"Exactly!" The girl beside her quickly echoed. "She'll be working the whole time while we're sunbathing and taking nice photos. But all her work is still our work in the end… Just the thought makes me happy!"

As the class cheered, a boy was smacking the table dramatically while laughing and pointing at me. "I'd hang myself if my class hated me this much! What even is the point of your existence?"

My nails were digging into my palms as I clenched my trembling knuckles, stung by the class' sickening behavior.

I narrowed my eyes—the audacity they had to mock me for it!

Over the last few days, I was the one who had worked overnight, reviewing and tabulating data and writing reports. During the forums where Mrs. Dent was present, they would only mime all my work as if they had done it!

One of the girls complained for my sake, "I think we're going too far…"

"Too far?!" Susie's lackeys promptly shrieked in retort. "So it's not going too far when she steals Ken from Susie?! This is just payback with interest! Someone like her would never become Ken's girlfriend if she didn't cling to him all the time!"

I snorted. "Heh."

How hilarious, when it was Ken who kneeled under the rain outside my house for 24 hours, begging me to date him.

He managed to trick my parents into footing the bill for his tuition too, and suddenly, I was now the one who had stolen him from Susie?

Back in the day, Susie had sent her clique after me.

They would flush my textbooks down the toilet, put chalk into my drink, and even burn my hair with lighters.

And when the boys saw me, they would jeer, "Look! It's the pig who gives herself too much credit!"

As for Ken, he refused to defend me even though he was supposed to be my boyfriend.

If anything, he loved it when I was being bullied, as it meant Susie, his beloved goddess, still cared about him.

From the very start, I was a tool in their love game.

Susie waved her hands impatiently just then. "That's enough! Let's stop wasting our time on that jinx! Let's go already—I can't wait to bare my skin and enjoy the sun!"

I sneered icily, watching as they hurried to the bus and squeezed their way into it.

'Go ahead, enjoy yourselves as much as you can! Let's see if you're all still laughing soon!'

However, no sooner had they left when Mrs. Dent entered.

Seeing the empty conference room, her face dropped. "Where did everyone go?! I've repeatedly told them that we're having a forum at this time!"

I hung my head as I mumbled tearfully, "Sorry, Mrs. Dent… Susie and Ken led everyone to the beach… I couldn't stop them…"

As I sniffed, I quietly rolled up my sleeves, revealing the swelling and bruises on my arms. "They beat me up… to take the bikinis… It hurts so much…"

Mrs. Dent slammed her palm on the table, her face ashen as she bellowed, "Incorrigible! I've always borne with Ken and Susie for their poor grades, and now, they won't even listen to me!

"How would I explain myself to their parents if things go bad?! Those two brats!"

Pacing around anxiously, she suddenly stopped. "How long have they gone?"

I pursed my lips. "A-Almost three hours now…"

Mrs. Dent's face turned pale. "No! The mayor usually patrols the beach with the guidance patrol! Quick, we need to go!"

We quickly dressed modestly, making sure there were no laws violated whatsoever before driving straight to the beach.

When we finally arrived, the scene that greeted us left us dumbfounded!