Stella banged furiously on Tia's dorm door, causing both Tia and Clara to jolt in fear.
"Who could that be?" Clara asked, her voice trembling. Tia only responded with a silent shrug. She reached for the handle and opened it with shaky hands, but her nervous expression hardened into a scowl the moment Stella pushed past her without permission. Both Tia and Clara stole a glance at Stella's coffee-stained trousers; they fought back a desperate urge to laugh, pressing their lips thin. Clara offered a polite greeting, but Stella ignored it entirely. She wasn't there for pleasantries; she only wanted to speak with Tia.
"How could you do this to me, Tia?" Stella demanded.
Tia met her gaze head-on, her eyes cold. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Stella tapped feverishly at her phone and shoved the screen in Tia's face. "Are you really going to deny that you're aren't responsible for this post?"
"The name on that post doesn't look or even sound like mine, Stella. So, what exactly makes you think I did it?"
"Oh, don't play dumb with me! You obviously changed your handle so I wouldn't know, but deep down, I know it was you."
Tia chuckled, the sound devoid of warmth. "I would never go through the stress of creating a fake identity just to post about someone like you. If I wanted to blast you, I'd do it under my own name because I'm not scared of you. Besides, did you even see me taking pictures?"
Stella groaned loudly, her frustration boiling over. She wanted a confession, but Tia's stubborn logic was making her more irrational.
"If you hadn't spilled that coffee on me, none of this would have happened!"
"You were the one trying to ruin my dress, so don't you dare try to shift the blame onto me," Tia snapped back.
Stella let out a menacing, high-pitched laugh. "Tia, Tia... I know you're just jealous because you aren't with Michael. That's why you're trying to humiliate me with this pathetic post. But guess what? Nothing you do will ever make him want you."
"I will never be jealous of you being with Michael. You're bragging as if you're already dating, and honestly? It's hilarious."
"Very soon, Michael and I will be a couple, while you'll still be lonely and miserable," Stella sneered, a triumphant smirk stretching across her face.
Tia swung the door wide. She had heard enough, and she refused to let Stella's delusions ruin her afternoon. "I wish you both the best of luck. Now, get out of our room."
Stella stepped forward, her voice dropping to a low threat. "You might have turned the entire student body against me for something that isn't true—because I clearly don't fake accidents for attention—"
"Can you just get to the point?" Tia interrupted.
"I'll make you pay for this," Stella threatened.
"And how exactly are you going to do that?" Tia asked with a mock-thoughtful chuckle.
"You'll see."
"Stella, get... out. Don't make me push you," Tia warned, her voice rising. Stella finally stepped out into the hallway, fuming.
Frustrated, Tia threw herself onto her bed and pressed her palms against her forehead. She thought about 'Brenda' again—the person behind the post. Closing her eyes tightly, she searched her memory for anyone by that name. Suddenly, an image clicked. It was a freshman Stella had bullied relentlessly in the past. Stella used to mock the girl's hair and clothes, calling her ugly until she cried. Tia had comforted the girl several times and warned Stella to stop, but Stella never listened.
To confirm her suspicion, Tia scrolled through the account's previous posts. Sure enough, the style matched the Brenda she knew. She quickly whispered the discovery to Clara. Her mind then drifted to Michael. He hadn't listened to a word of her truth, and she wondered how he was reacting to the campus scandal.
*****
Michael didn't see the forum post immediately; he only discovered it after finishing lunch.
"What is wrong with these students?" he muttered to the empty room. "Why would they claim she's faking it when she was clearly in pain?"
His eyes scanned the comments, and his blood began to boil when he saw his own name dragged into the mess. The students weren't praising him for his gallantry; they were mocking him. They called him a 'willing victim' of Stella's latest trick. He tried to brush it off, convinced he had done the right thing, but the irritation lingered. He tossed his phone onto the mattress and rubbed his face tiredly. "This is all Tia's fault," he whispered.
The door creaked open, and Karen entered. Michael immediately adjusted his posture, masking his frustration with a calm facade.
"What's up, Mom? Do you need something?"
"No, I just came to check on you," she said, sitting beside him. "What's with that face?"
Michael looked at her, confused. "What face?"
Michael looked at her, confused. "What face?"
"The one you're making right now. You look disturbed."
"Mom, I'm fine. You don't have to worry," Michael assured her.
"I'm your mother, Michael. I can tell when something is wrong just by looking at you." She studied his features again and smiled softly. "You know, you're just like your father."
Michael's head snapped up, a flash of irritation crossing his eyes. His father, Stephen Blaze, was a powerful, wealthy businessman who had made it clear that Michael would only inherit the empire if he graduated successfully. He wasn't a 'nice' father; he was a strict commander. Michael had to obey every order to keep the allowance that made him the richest kid in his department. In truth, Michael couldn't stand the man. He could go a whole year without speaking to him and felt far happier when his father was away on business.
"Mom, please. I'm nothing like Dad."
"Yes, you are," Karen insisted, poking his arm gently. "He always has a million things running through his mind, and whenever I try to get him to open up, he claims nothing is wrong." She sighed. "I just don't want anything to turn you away from the family that loves you."
"I can't exactly say Dad loves me."
"He does, Michael."
"Then why is he always angry at my smallest mistakes? That doesn't sound like love to me," Michael argued, crossing his arms.
"I don't have an explanation for that right now, but I think you'll understand when you're older." Karen stared at the ceiling for a moment, searching for a way to lighten the mood. "How about Tia? It's been a while since I saw her here."
Michael seized the opportunity to end that line of questioning forever. "Mom, I want you to forget about her. That girl has the heart of a serial killer. I don't want her coming here ever again."
Karen gasped, unsure if she should believe such a harsh accusation. She feared that if she didn't take his warning seriously, she might regret it. She didn't ask for details, but she already felt a pang of sadness for the 'nice girl' who used to visit. She tapped Michael's shoulder one last time before leaving him alone.
Despite his words, Michael actually missed Tia's help with his workload. He needed a way to get her back on his side. He hit upon an idea: if he asked her out on a date, she would surely accept and stop being so difficult. He decided then and there to 'forgive' her for the project and the coffee incident. He planned to call her as soon as the day's drama had settled.