It was about time because my dad got a new girlfriend and said he wanted us to have a meal together to introduce the new woman into our lives.

On the day we met, my college roommate saw my chat background, which had a photo of me and my dad, along with a series of transfer records. She lost her mind.

She enlisted the support of our other roommates, who rarely paid me any attention and began to attack me, insisting that I was a side chick who deserved to die.

I did not expect that my roommate would soon become my stepmom. Before I could explain, she accused me of trying to seduce my dad behind her back, shouting, "Shameless side chick! Going behind my back to seduce my boyfriend! All those times you said you were out studying?! Who knows if you were just meeting up with him?"

I was once physically assaulted, stripped of my dignity, and forced to the restaurant for a public confrontation wearing ragged clothes.

Then my dad came running to where I was hardly breathing and barely moving on the floor, bruised to the extreme.

“Sweetheart, who did this to you?!”

My mom passed away early, and my dad worked hard to raise me on his own. He never sought a new partner because he was worried a stepmother might not treat me well.

When I went to college, I heard he started dating someone my age.

Although I initially teased him as a ‘cradle robber’, as soon as I found out that she was a good person who could be there for him, I was in.

Fiona Reeves, my roommate, noticed I was around and emphasized. She claimed her rich boyfriend was going to introduce her to his family soon, and they were going to get married. She even smiled and said she would treat us to dinner next time.

Of course, her invitation did not include me. Our relationship had been strained for ages over lifestyle clashes and other issues.

I was busy applying my makeup when I saw a message from my dad; I quickly took my tablet to reply.

[When will you be here, sweetheart?]

After I sent a reply, I looked up to see Fiona glaring at me with a dark expression as though she wanted to tear me apart.

Before I could make sense of it, she stormed over and slapped me hard across the face.

“Sophie, you really have no shame! The person you were just texting is my boyfriend! I’d know that profile picture and name anywhere. When did you start flirting with him? How can you be such a snake?!”

I cupped my face, my mind blank from the shock, staring at the tablet, which had just powered off.

Before I could say anything, Fiona hit me again on the head and told me to shut up and that I was just a side chick.

“That’s my boyfriend! I know he’s loaded and good-looking, but thinking you could snag him? Keep dreaming! Have you ever looked in the mirror? I’m going to beat you senseless!”

Before I could say anything, two of our other roommates, who had just walked in, joined in, barely bothering to close the door.

“You even dared to set a photo of you two as your background just to rub it in my face! What kind of twisted game is this? Smiling at each other like that, calling each other 'sweetheart’? He’s never called me that!”

I was shoved to the floor. The makeup fell off the table, and Fiona smashed my tablet.

Claire and Sara each grabbed an arm of mine, making it impossible for me to pull away. I was furious and shouted at them to let go.

“What right do you have to spy on my messages? And I’m no side chick, so get your facts straight!”

“Flirting with my boyfriend behind my back, calling each other pet names? You shameless woman, who do you think you are?! I’m defending my territory and putting you in your place today.”

“You disgrace our whole dorm. Seducing your roommate’s boyfriend? That’s disgusting.”

“Everyone should see just how gross this person is. Acting all high and mighty but just wrecking everything! Seriously, come take a good look!”

Fiona seemed convinced of something. She shouted loudly as she kicked at me, who was struggling to break free.

“I saw him transferring you so much money. How low can you be? You must’ve seen all the pricey gifts my boyfriend gives me on social media and thought you could just slide in and flirt with him on the side!”

I did not pay much attention to social media, so I had not changed my dad's contact info or seen Fiona’s posts, leading to today's big misunderstanding.

However, I knew deep down that if I found out my dad was dating Fiona after three months, there would not be a future for them from the start.

My dad used to avoid remarrying out of fear that a stepmother might mistreat me. Now, he could choose not to be with Fiona because of my words.

Besides, Fiona had never hidden the fact that she juggled multiple college relationships. She even bragged about how popular she was every day in the dorm.

She had no shame in pretending to be so devoted to my dad. I glared at her in anger, which only fueled her rage.

I was so furious that I did not bother clarifying my identity and just stared at her with contempt.

“Really? You? I remember your boyfriend was featured in finance magazines and even had a daughter around your age! You’re dating a man twenty years older than you for money, and you think you’re so high and mighty?”

Fiona, her eyes blazing with rage, lost her usual feigned gentleness and yanked my hair, forcing my face into the ground and rubbing it against the floor.

“Shut up! Damon and I truly love each other. Age doesn’t matter! Besides, you’re just as bad. Flirting with him and knowing him so well, you are shameless!”

Claire and Sara turned more hostile towards me after hearing Fiona's words. They even spat on my face.

“You have no shame. How dare you flirt with someone else’s boyfriend. If you keep acting like a side chick, your future kids will have no father!"

“Usually, you try to avoid us like we’re a bad influence, but it turns out you’ve been sneaking around being a side chick. No wonder you’re so ashamed. Seriously, how low can you be? Messing with someone else's happiness is bound to come back and bite you!”

“It makes sense now why Fiona said you wear earplugs when she talks about her boyfriend. You can’t stand that he loves someone else, or should I say, that you’re having an affair with Fiona’s boyfriend!”

One by one, they accused me of being a side chick, making their claims sound more convincing, which only delighted Fiona.

Fiona grabbed my face, looking at me from side to side before suddenly taking a craft knife and slashing it across my cheek.

I screamed in pain, and as she yanked my hair, I tilted my head back, unable to make a sound.

“If you want to be a side chick, I’ll make sure everyone remembers you as one.”

Then, she carved the words “side chick” into my skin with the bloodied knife while covering my mouth with tape, preventing me from screaming.

“Lucky you, I’ve never written this seriously for my finals, haha!”

“Wow, what beautiful handwriting! It’s obvious you’re labeled as a ‘side chick.’ Just look at how pathetic you are! I can't wait to see how you'll try to seduce Damon looking like this now!"

Seeing my pale face in the mirror, now streaked with red, the words "side chick" made me feel utterly repulsive.

As I stared at my helpless reflection, the rage inside me felt like it was about to explode, aimed straight at Fiona!

I had never felt such humiliation before. When I was a child, my health was not great, and my dad pampered me to no end, terrified that I might fall or get hurt.

Now, his girlfriend was cutting my face with a knife, making me look hideous.

Tears streamed down my face, yet Fiona and the others saw it as proof of their success. They took pictures with me and laughed heartily.

The crowd at the door continued to grow larger and larger. They pointed at me and gossiped, looking at me with a mix of sympathy and ridicule.

“I can’t believe the top student is such a terrible person. Looks like being smart doesn’t mean you’re a good person.”

“Ever since Fiona landed that rich boyfriend, she’s been flaunting it non-stop. No wonder she’s attracted all these vain people.”

“I thought Sophie’s outfits were expensive because her family was wealthy. Turns out God is fair. She’s getting what she deserves.”

“Like, if you have a sugar daddy who is rich, then you cannot be seen wearing cheap clothes, right? Honestly, I bet Fiona doesn’t even have as much as she does. That dude probably likes Sophie a bit more anyway; she’s hella cute!”

Fiona heard that and pressed down harder with the knife. Her eyes were dark with fury.

Suddenly, a phone rang, and Fiona happily answered it.

I knew it had to be my dad, and I started to cry. Fiona angrily dug the knife into me while speaking in a sweet one.

“Baby, I’ll be there soon. Tell me, am I your favorite person?”

“Of course! Besides my daughter, you’re my favorite. I’m finally introducing you to my closest family today.”

Fiona puffed up with pride like a peacock showing off its feathers. At the same time, I listened to the familiar, gentle voice on the other end, tears streaming down my face.

After asking for a new Hermès bag, Fiona tossed the knife aside and used her foot to grind down hard on my face as I was pinned to the ground.

“You think my boyfriend is coming to save you? Get real, you shameless little sidepiece! I’m about to rip your clothes off. What's it to you if they're worth a lot? They’re all gifts from my man, and that makes them mine!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Claire and Sara quickly began to pull my clothes down.

They knew that since Fiona started dating such a rich boyfriend, she had been showering them with benefits.

Now, they could get their hands on plenty of stuff they could never afford.

Besides, since Fiona’s boyfriend was the college’s shareholder, they enjoyed special treatment, too, and no one dared mess with them.

Without anyone holding me down, I struggled hard to keep them from stripping me, but my fists were no match for their hands.

As they tore at my clothes, Fiona rummaged through my desk.

Suddenly, a redwood box was flipped over. I could not be bothered about my exposed skin. I tried to rush over, but they yanked my hair, pulling me back.

Fiona pulled out a jade bracelet with beautiful colors and stared at it with greed.

I was filled with rage, like a trapped beast, determined to protect the last thing my mother had left me.

However, the desperate look on my face only made Fiona bolder, and she raised her hand, holding the bracelet high.

“What gives you the right to hold something so nice? Is this another gift from my boyfriend?”

“Mmm... (Let go!) Mmmph! (That’s my mom’s heirloom!)”

Fiona shot me a look of disdain, then glared at the bracelet, grumbling that my dad never gave her anything that nice.

Then she perked up again, throwing the bracelet heavily away from me.

I watched helplessly as the bracelet my mother gave me hit the ground and shattered into pieces.

“Here. Catch it!”

Amidst the cruel laughter, my heart began to crumble, and I glared at Fiona with eyes aflame, a storm of rage and despair brewing within me.