Chapter 2
1173 Words
I didn’t feel different.
That was the strangest part.
Not richer.
Not powerful.
Not… anything.
Just confused.
The words still echoed in my head as I sat in the office, waiting for the paperworks to be completed.
I was transferring schools, not like I cared though. It was still going to be the same way, doesn't matter if I'm the so called "Heir" to the Vale fortune.
I'll still always be the abandoned girl from the gutters, still be the center of all bullies.
“Miss Voss,” the man said, his tone calm, almost detached, “I understand this may be overwhelming.”
Overwhelming didn’t even begin to cover it.
“I don’t know him,” I said quietly. “I’ve never even heard that name before.”
“That will be addressed,” he replied smoothly. “For now, what matters is that everything has been verified. Legally, there is no dispute.”
No dispute.
Like this was normal.
Like people woke up and became… this.
The vice principal cleared his throat, shifting slightly in his chair. I wonder what he was thinking, maybe how to get money out of the man, it won't suprise me.
“There are… procedures we need to follow,” the bearer of my new found "good fortune said" I'll need to ask for his name, it's only normal I know that, seems like he'll have a huge role to play in my new life.
Funny how quickly it disappeared.
“What kind of procedures?” I asked.
The man closed the file neatly.
“Your life is about to change, Miss Voss. It would be best if that transition is handled… publicly.”
Publicly.
Something in my chest tightened.
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” I said quickly.
“It is,” he replied.
No hesitation.
No room for argument.
Before I could respond—
A knock sounded on the door.
“Sir,” a staff member said as she stepped in, slightly breathless. Addressing the Vices Principal. “Assembly is about to begin.”
The man’s expression didn’t change. For now I'll call him Mr Good Fortune, until I find the courage to ask for his name.
But something about the timing felt… deliberate.
“Perfect,” he said.
My stomach dropped.
“Wait—”
“Miss Voss,” he interrupted, his tone softer now, but no less firm, “you won’t have to hide anymore.”
I wasn’t trying to hide.
I just… didn’t want to be seen.
Not like this.
But it was already too late.
The assembly hall was already filling up when we entered.
Rows of students.
Voices overlapping.
The usual noise.
The usual energy.
Normal.
Until we walked in.
It started small.
A few glances.
A few whispers.
Then more.
“Isn’t that…?”
“Why is she here?”
“Didn’t she just get—”
Laughter.
Low. Very familiar.
My chest tightened slightly, but I kept walking.
Kept my head up.
Even when I felt their eyes on me.
Even when I knew exactly what they were thinking.
Nothing had changed.
Not yet.
I saw them.
Of course I did.
The same group from earlier.
Still gathered.
Still watching.
The girl who had hit me tilted her head slightly, a slow smile spreading across her face.
“Well,” she called out, loud enough for people nearby to hear, “looks like someone’s not expelled after all.”
A few laughs followed.
“Give it a minute,” someone else added.
I didn’t respond.
Didn’t stop walking.
Because for once…
I didn’t know what was about to happen next.
That made two of us.
The teachers moved quickly, ushering everyone into place as the principal stepped onto the stage.
“Settle down,” he said into the microphone.
The room slowly quieted.
Not completely.
But enough.
I stood off to the side, unsure of where I was supposed to be.
Then I felt it.
A shift.
Mr Good Fortune stepped forward, Onto the stage.
That wasn’t normal.
The principal stepped aside for him.
Actually stepped aside.
That wasn’t normal either.
Murmurs spread instantly.
Confusion. Curiosity.
The microphone adjusted slightly.
“My name is Mr. Laurent,”he began, his voice smooth, controlled, carrying effortlessly across the room. Ohhh, beautiful I won't need to ask myself, I thought.
No one spoke now.
“This announcement concerns one of your students.”
My pulse started to rise.
No.
“This institution,” he continued, “has always prided itself on recognizing excellence, legacy, and… potential.” What exactly is he talking about, that has never been the case in this school, but we'll whatever.
My hands clenched slightly at my sides.
“Today, we acknowledge a transition that reflects all three.”
The silence deepened.
Heavy. Expectant.
Then, “Zara Voss.”
My name echoed through the entire hall.
A ripple moved through the crowd.
Confusion.
Shock.
Recognition.
I didn’t move.
Couldn’t.
“All records have been verified,” he continued. “Effective immediately, Miss Voss is the sole heir to the Vale estate and its associated assets.”
Silence.
Complete.
Then
“What?”
“That’s not possible—”
“Are they serious?”
Voices broke out everywhere.
I saw it.
The moment it hit them.
The girl who had hit me earlier, her smile disappeared.
Completely.
Her expression shifted.
Confusion first.
Then disbelief.
Then something sharper.
Fear.
The laughter was gone.
Gone.
I swallowed slowly.
For the first time, they weren’t looking at me like I was nothing.
They were looking at me like they didn’t know what I was anymore.
And somehow…
That felt even heavier.
“Miss Voss will be transferring effective immediately,” Mr. Laurent continued. “All arrangements have already been made.”
“This will be her final day here." I heard the murmurs, they each had mixed feelings, some happy and most annoyed, their play toy would be taken away from them.
“Further details will not be disclosed,” he finished.
And just like that—
It was over.
But the silence didn’t break the same way it usually did.
No laughter.
No whispers of mockery.
Just tension.
Eyes.
So many eyes.
On me.
I didn’t look at them.
Didn’t look at anyone.
Because if I did—
I wasn’t sure what I would see.
Respect?
Fear?
Resentment?
Or something worse.
“Zara.”
The voice came from behind me.
I turned slightly.
The same girl.
But she didn’t look the same anymore.
Her confidence was gone.
Replaced with something tight. Careful.
“You didn’t tell anyone,” she said quietly.
Tell them what?
I had just found out myself.
“I didn’t know,” I replied.
She stared at me.
Like she was trying to figure out if I was lying.
Then her lips pressed together slightly.
“This doesn’t change anything,” she said.
But it already had.
We both knew it.
I didn’t respond.
Because something told me this wasn’t over.
Not even close.
- Writer
