Aristocracy 101

Chapter 5

Early in the Morning

The first rays of sunlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains, brushing against her face and dragging her unwillingly from a restless sleep.

“Damn…” Lilian groaned, pressing a hand against her forehead. A sharp headache pulsed through her skull. “I forgot to drink the hangover soup.”

She had never been good with alcohol. Her body felt heavy, as if every bone had been weighed down overnight. Coldness seeped into her skin, making her shiver slightly.

Her unfocused gaze wandered downward.

And then she froze.

For a few seconds, her mind refused to process what she was seeing.

She was naked.

A scream tore from her throat.

She shot upright, clutching the sheets around herself as panic flooded her veins. Her eyes immediately turned to the person lying beside her.

Oliver.

No.

She blinked once.

Twice.

But he didn’t disappear.

“Can you keep it down?” Oliver mumbled sleepily, his voice rough with exhaustion. “I’m trying to sleep.”

For a moment, he looked completely unaware of the situation.

“Oliver!!!”

Her terrified voice finally forced him awake.

His eyes slowly opened, confusion clouding his expression—until he saw her face, the sheets wrapped tightly around her, and the realization hit him.

His expression changed instantly.

“Oh shit.”

He sat up abruptly, searching for his clothes.

“What did you do, Lilian?”

The accusation in his voice made her stare at him in disbelief.

“What did I do?”

Her voice trembled as she pulled the sheets higher, feeling completely exposed. Then she noticed his eyes briefly lingering on her.

A second too long.

“Nice t**s, by the way,” he said casually.

Her jaw dropped.

“Shut up, Oliver!”

Her face burned with embarrassment and anger. “Damn it…”

She buried her face in her hands for a moment, wishing she could disappear.

Oliver sighed, running a hand through his messy hair before putting on his clothes.

“This stays between us, alright?” he said seriously. “Our parents can’t know about this.”

Lilian slowly looked up at him.

“What do you mean?”

Her eyebrow lifted.

“Do you think you can just sleep with me and walk away without taking responsibility?”

Her voice was filled with anger, but underneath it was something else.

Hurt.

Oliver’s expression hardened.

“I don’t remember anything happening.”

The words felt like a slap.

“And I would know if something did.”

His eyes moved over her briefly.

“Besides… your figure is top-notch, Lily.”

The nickname made her heart tighten.

He only called her Lily when he was being serious or angry.

And she hated how distant it sounded.

“How do you know?” she snapped.

Her eyes narrowed.

“You’re not the one who might end up pregnant, Oli.”

The fear she was trying so hard to hide leaked into her voice.

She couldn’t stand the thought of him treating her like one of those girls he casually moved on from.

Was that all she was to him?

Another mistake?

Another name on his list?

Oliver’s face became colder.

“First of all, there’s no blood.”

His tone was blunt.

“And you don’t seem to be in pain either, judging by how loudly you’re arguing with me.”

Lilian stared at him.

“Not every girl bleeds on their first time.”

Her voice shook with frustration.

“Not every situation is as simple as you think.”

Oliver’s eyes narrowed.

“How do I know this isn’t some scheme of yours?”

The room went silent.

Lilian looked at him as if he had just stabbed her.

“You don’t believe me?”

Her eyes immediately filled with tears, but she refused to let them fall.

“I would never do something like that.”

Her voice cracked.

That alone showed how much his words had hurt her.

Oliver looked away.

For a brief second, guilt flashed across his face.

But it disappeared quickly.

He grabbed his jacket.

“Just go home.”

His voice was colder now.

“We both need time to calm down. I’ll look into what happened and make sure this doesn’t get out.”

He paused at the door.

“I really hope you’re not involved in this… for your sake.”

Before she could respond, he walked out.

The sound of the door closing echoed through the room.

And Lilian finally broke down.

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Lilian drove through the streets faster than she should have, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Her heart refused to calm down.

Everything felt unreal.

She was exhausted, confused, and terrified.

Her phone had died sometime before she saw the notifications.

Fifty missed calls from her mother.

Five from her friends.

Three from her father.

And that was what scared her the most.

Her father never called repeatedly unless something was seriously wrong.

Something terrible had happened.

When she finally reached home, she barely remembered parking the car before rushing toward the door.

Her hair was a mess. The smell of alcohol still clung to her clothes, a reminder of the disaster that had happened the night before.

She had no idea what punishment awaited her.

But she knew it wouldn’t be small.

“Damn…” she whispered.

“Whoever caused this is going to pay ten times worse.”

She loved Oliver.

She always had.

But she refused to let herself become another person trapped in whatever game he was playing.

Oliver hated betrayal.

And she could only pray this misunderstanding wouldn’t destroy everything.

The moment she opened the door—

A cup flew toward her.

It hit her forehead before she could react.

Pain exploded through her head.

“Ah…”

She stumbled back, touching the wound as blood slowly slipped down her face.

“KNEEL DOWN!”

Her father’s voice shook the entire room.

“Good morning, paps,” she said weakly, forcing herself to stand straight.

Another scar.

Another injury.

She almost laughed bitterly.

Her body was becoming a collection of memories she wished she could forget.

“How is it a good morning?”

Her father’s voice was filled with disgust.

“You have brought shame to this family!”

His furious eyes turned toward her mother.

“Look at the daughter you raised.”

Her mother immediately lowered her head, fear flashing in her eyes.

“Honey…”

“Don’t.”

His voice silenced her.

“She is a disgrace.”

His gaze moved back to Lilian.

He looked toward the vase beside him, his anger reaching a dangerous level.

“KNEEL DOWN!”

The command echoed.

But this time, Lilian didn’t move.

“Father…”

Her voice trembled, but she remained standing.

“If you don’t tell me what I did wrong, I can’t accept this punishment.”

She knew coming home late was wrong.

She knew she had worried them.

But she refused to accept violence without even knowing why.

The maids stood in the corner, whispering among themselves, their frightened faces bringing back an old memory.

A memory she had buried for years.

When she was fourteen, her older sister had brought shame to the family by dating someone her father considered beneath them.

She didn’t remember every detail.

Only the aftermath.

The shouting.

Her sister leaving.

And her father refusing to search for her despite her mother’s desperate pleas.

Her sister had only been eighteen.

After that day, her father’s attention shifted entirely to Lilian.

He trained her.

Controlled her.

Prepared her for a perfect marriage.

Not because he loved her.

But because he wanted her to replace what he had lost.

Power.

Status.

Control.

Pathetic.

That was all he cared about.

“Good…”

Her father’s voice pulled her back.

“You’ve grown wings, haven’t you?”

His voice lowered.

But somehow, that made it more frightening.

“Have you seen the internet?”

Lilian froze.

“The internet?”

She swallowed.

“No… my phone—”

“Gerald!”

Her father’s voice cut through hers.

“Give her a phone.”

The butler approached silently and handed her one.

Her hands trembled as she unlocked it.

She didn’t know what she was about to see.

But deep down…

She already knew it was bad.

And then—

She saw it.