Chapter 1
1112 Words
The first hit wasn’t the worst part.
It was the laughter.
My cheek burned as my head snapped to the side, the taste of iron spreading across my tongue.
“Look at her,” someone said. “She still won’t cry.”
Another shove.
My back slammed against the lockers, metal rattling loudly, but no one stepped in. No one ever did.
They just watched.
They always watched.
“Say it,” the girl in front of me demanded, her manicured nails digging into my chin as she forced my face up.
Her perfume was too sweet. Too fake.
“Say you don’t belong here.”
I swallowed, my throat dry.
Around us, a small crowd had already formed. Phones out. Eyes bright. Waiting.
Always waiting for the moment I broke.
“I don’t—”
The words stuck.
Not because they weren’t true.
But because I was tired of saying them.
Her grip tightened.
“Louder.”
Something in my chest twisted.
Not pain.
Not even fear.
Just… exhaustion.
“I don’t belong here,” I said.
The laughter came instantly.
Sharp. Loud. Satisfied.
“See?” she smiled, letting go of my chin like I disgusted her. “Even she knows it.”
Another push.
This time I hit the floor.
Cold tiles. Hard impact, my butt hurt, everywhere did.
My palms stung, my vision blurring slightly, but I didn’t move.
Didn’t fight.
Didn’t cry.
Because this wasn’t new.
This was normal.
“Get up,” someone said.
I didn’t.
A foot nudged my side. Not hard. But I still felt it quite deep.
Still beneath them.
And then—
“Zara Voss.”
The voice cut through the noise like it didn’t belong there.
Sharp. Authoritative.
Wrong.
Everything paused.
I blinked, lifting my head slightly.
The vice principal stood at the end of the hallway, his expression tight, eyes fixed on me.
Not on them.
On me.
“Come with me.”
A few snickers broke out behind me.
“Guess she finally got expelled.”
“About time.”
I pushed myself up slowly, ignoring the ache in my body.
Ignoring them.
Like I always did.
Wondering what was in store for me.
I followed him down the hallway, every step echoing louder than it should have.
No one stopped me.
No one said anything now.
The show was over.
The office door closed behind us with a soft click.
Too quiet.
“Sit,” he said.
I didn’t argue.
Didn’t ask questions.
Didn’t care enough to.
My hands rested in my lap, fingers curled slightly as I stared at the floor.
Waiting.
“For the record,” he started, his tone different now, measured, almost careful, “you are not in trouble.”
I frowned slightly.
That was new.
Before I could say anything, the door opened again.
A man stepped in.
Not a teacher.
Not staff.
Too well-dressed. Too composed.
His gaze landed on me instantly.
Sharp. Assessing.
Like he had already decided something.
“Zara Voss,” he said.
Not a question.
“Yes,” I replied quietly.
He stepped closer.
Placed a file on the desk.
Opened it.
“You’ve been very difficult to find.”
My brows pulled together slightly.
“I’m not—”
“You are the sole heir,” he continued, cutting me off smoothly, “to the estate of Alexander Vale.”
The room went silent.
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
“I think you have the wrong person,” I said.
“I don’t.”
He slid a document toward me.
Official. Stamped. Very real.
“Effective immediately,” he said, his voice calm, final, “everything he owned… is now yours.”
"Who is Alexander Vale and why did he leave his estate to me?" I asked, very confused.
If this were a prank it's a really expensive one, I thought.
So my life has become so much of a joke, that even grown up men feel the need to leave important matters to indulge in.
"He was your uncle", the man replied.
I don't know when I started laughing like a maniac, maybe I've really gone mad, won't that even been for the best, so that people will have something more to laugh about.
"I'm sorry mister, but I do not have any Uncle." "Thank you for making my day a bit different from the normal, at least I'll have something to laugh about this night" I said, ready to take excuse and leave the office. My body was still aching, and I was sure I'll find bruises again, the previous injuries were yet to heal, soon I won't be able to wear anything other than long sleeves, to be able to cover them.
"Wait a minute miss Zara" he said.
"You do have an uncle, from your father's side".
Father's side? his word made me pause.
I can't recall anything about my father, mom never spoke of him before she abandoned me.
I've never even thought about him, if the mother I had couldn't love me enough to stay, why will I man I never saw during my childhood be interested in me.
I learnt so early never to give a single thought about anyone who didn't think about me. So there was no reason for me to think about an absent father.
"I believe you don't know your father" he said, I quietly nodded.
"I won't tell you anything about him, because it's not my place to do so" he continued, but you must accept this inheritance from your uncle".
"And what happens if I don't" I ask quietly.
"You won't want to find out" he said, with such a serious face, that I felt shivers in my bone.
The vice principal shifted uncomfortably.
Like even he didn’t fully understand what was happening.
“There must be a mistake,” I said, quieter this time.
“There isn’t.” From this instance you're now Zara Voss, heir to the Vale fortune.”
He gave me a document to sign on, I glanced at it as quickly as I could, and then signed on it.
I acted so composed, but internally I was screaming. "What is this about, why is my life so full of drama".
An Uncle, I never knew I had one, and he was rich.
OMG, is this really my life or am I dreaming.
No wonder Manny took me in, I'm sure she knew of this, she would not have done so otherwise. No one chooses me on their own, mom never did, no one else will. I wonder what the catch to this inheritance is, I hope I don't regret it.
- Writer
