CHAPTER 8

After finishing her self-study in the evening, Hedy walked home. It was the end of April, so it was still chilly. Hedy had searched through her wardrobe in the morning but could not find a long-sleeved shirt to wear. Therefore, she was still wearing the short-sleeved shirt under her school uniform that she had worn for two or three years. It was drizzling, and the night wind was exceptionally cold. With her hands in her pockets, Hedy strolled home leisurely.

As she approached the old residential area, Hedy stopped. The streetlight emitted a faint glow, and she stood with her back to the light. "I'll be home if you still don't make a move," Hedy said calmly. As Hedy spoke, four or five ruffians emerged from the shadows. The leader, with a cigarette in his mouth and hair dyed red and green, grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "You're quite sharp, little girl."

Hedy could not be bothered to move. She just stood there with her hands spread out, waiting for the ruffians to surround her. Hedy knew these people, or more accurately, the owner of her body knew them. These ruffians hung around Norwood High all day to extort money from students. Therefore, the students of Norwood High would avoid them, including the owner of this body.

"You're young, but you've got guts," the leader of the ruffians commented, looking Hedy up and down. "You're a bit chubby, but you've got a pretty face." Hedy's mouth curled up slightly. Although there was a smile on her face, her eyes were filled with a chilling coldness. "No one has ever dared to blow smoke in my face."

The ruffians still did not realize the seriousness of the situation. Hedy, who had lost some weight, looked more delicate now. Immediately, her smile aroused the desires within the ruffians. "Oh really? What would happen then?" The ruffian reached out to touch Hedy's face with his yellow teeth bared. Just as he was about to touch her, a fair hand suddenly gripped him. It did not look like she was using much force, but the ruffian winced in pain. He tried to break free but found that he could not move at all. The hand that seemed to have used no force was holding him tightly, like a clamp.

"You would die," Hedy said calmly. The next second, Hedy exerted force on her hand and twisted the ruffian's arm. Immediately, the sound of bones breaking could be heard. She forcibly dislocated the man's entire arm. "Ah!" Almost in the blink of an eye, the ruffians, who were just acting tough, were lying on the ground with broken hands and feet. At the moment, only the wailing of pain could be heard.

With her hands in her pockets, Hedy looked down at the leader of the ruffians, whose limbs were twisted at strange angles. She stepped on the ruffian's chest and said, "Be grateful. I'm not in a position to dispose of bodies right now, so I've decided to spare you."

"Who sent you?" The ruffian was wailing in pain, so he did not hear what Hedy said. He was occupied by his pain right now. "Who sent you?" Hedy asked again impatiently, exerting more force on her foot. The ruffian felt as if his chest was about to be crushed. So, he howled, "It was … a student from Norwood High!"

Catherine. Hedy knew it was her even without thinking. "How forgetful of her!" Hedy cursed inwardly. Back then, she would not give the people who were courting death a second chance, but now she could not act without any restraint. However, if she really wanted to, she could take Catherine's life in an instant and leave no trace, whether it was a silent assassination or in public. However, Catherine's crime was not punishable by death. Besides, there were many ways to deal with people like her. She did not mind finding some entertainment. Hedy looked down at the ruffian under her foot and instantly had an idea.

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Catherine was in an exceptionally good mood this morning. When she got out of the car at the school gate, she even waved goodbye to the driver. Catherine came from a well-off family. Her father held an unimportant official post, and her uncle owned a factory and countless restaurants. So, she was Ms. Perfect, as they called her. She had always been driven to and from school since she was a child, and she had always been the center of attention.

As soon as she got out of the car, she ran into Alex, who was also getting out of his car. So, Catherine greeted him enthusiastically, "Good morning, Alex." Alex glanced at her and responded with a cold grunt. It was a polite response. After that, he went on his way. Catherine was a bit annoyed, but it was only for a moment. Shortly after that, she quickly caught up with him.

Alex was a top student. Moreover, his father was the mayor, so his future was limitless. Catherine had known Alex since she was a child and had always liked him. Her followers knew this, so when they found out that Hedy also liked Alex, they bullied Hedy even more. To her, it was an insult to Alex that Hedy had a crush on him.

"Alex, which college are you planning on going to? I'm planning to go to Raven University. My uncle is in Raven City, so I'll have someone to look after me there." Upon hearing that she was planning to apply to Raven University, Alex, who had always ignored her, glanced at her and initiated a conversation. "I remember you scored 650 in the mid-term exam, so you have a good chance of getting into Raven University."

"You actually remember my midterm score." Catherine's heart raced and her cheeks flushed slightly. "Good luck with your college entrance exam," Alex said indifferently before quickening his pace to walk away.

After two classes, her follower rushed to tell Catherine that she had seen Hedy come to school completely unharmed. "What? How is that possible?" Catherine did not believe it and ran to see for herself, only to find Hedy sitting at her desk, safe and sound.

"How are they so weak? They can't even handle such a small task, yet they dare to ask for so much money from me." Catherine was so angry that she did not calm down until noon. Being a picky eater, Catherine was never fond of the school cafeteria. Since she was still mad, she decided to eat out. However, the moment she stepped out of the school gate, a group of people rushed towards her, causing her to scream in fright. Upon closer inspection, she realized that they were the ruffians she hired. Yet, to her surprise, they were all bruised and battered. Some of them had broken arms and some were even on crutches, which frightened Catherine a lot.

In the cafeteria, students were enjoying their meals when a few of them burst in, loudly gossiping. "Everyone, go to the gate! Catherine is being confronted by some ruffians with broken arms and legs. They claim that Catherine hired them to beat up someone from our school but in the end, they got counterattacked. Now, they are here to demand medical expenses. The principal and teachers have already gone there."

"Go look! Catherine is crying and insisting that she has nothing to do with it, but they have evidence." Upon hearing this, Kayla dropped her chopsticks and rushed to witness the commotion without finishing her meal. Alex furrowed his brows. After pondering for a moment, he followed the crowd to investigate the situation. In an instant, the cafeteria became empty.

Ethan looked up and noticed the empty space in front of him. He spotted his sister sitting by the window in the vast cafeteria, calmly eating her meal. She was completely uninterested in the chaos outside. So, Ethan approached with his tray.

"Aren't you going to join in the fun?" Hedy casually initiated a conversation. "I'm not interested," Ethan replied. He then continued to eat without looking up. Hedy glanced at Ethan's plain meal and moved a drumstick from her plate to his. "You're right. There's nothing interesting indeed. I'll show you something more thrilling and enjoyable when I get the chance," Hedy said. Ethan glanced at her but did not take her words seriously. However, he noticed that his sister seemed to have lost weight again.