BENEATH PERFECT SKIN

CHAPTER 2

The early summer sunlight filtered softly through the swaying leaves outside, scattering pale golden patterns across the rows of wooden desks. The classroom was wrapped in the quiet warmth of morning: the steady hum of the ceiling fan, the soft rustle of turning pages, and the occasional birdsong drifting in through the open windows, blending into a rhythm that made even the busiest minds feel at ease.

At the front of the room, Ms. Anna set her chalk down after writing the final notes onto the blackboard, releasing a quiet breath. Turning back to her students, she offered them a gentle smile. “Alright, that's all for today. Don’t forget to finish your homework.”

Her words were like the release of a held breath. In an instant, the once-quiet classroom came alive with the sounds of chairs scraping, bags zipping shut, and students chatting excitedly as they prepared for the break.

Ms. Anna smiled patiently as she gathered her lesson plans. Her gaze swept across the room before finally settling on a girl seated in the front row. “Chloe, the next period is in the Chemistry Lab. Please keep an eye on our new transfer student and show her the way.” Adjusting her glasses slightly, Ms. Anna looked at Chloe with complete trust.

Hearing her name, Chloe paused mid-writing and looked up. Once she understood the assignment, she tilted her head ever so slightly, casting a glance toward the figure lazily sprawled across a desk at the back of the classroom—Scarlett.

A faint smile slowly curved Chloe’s lips. “I’ll take care of her, Ms. Anna.”

Seemingly satisfied, Ms. Anna nodded before slipping the rest of her materials into her handbag and quietly leaving the classroom.

Only then did Chloe leisurely begin packing her books. Rising to her feet, she spoke in a voice loud enough for the entire classroom to hear. “Next period is the Chemistry Lab in room 306. Make sure everyone’s there in five minutes. I'll be taking attendance.”

The class seemed almost instinctively obedient to Chloe. The moment she spoke, everyone nodded without protest. Within seconds, the once-lively classroom was nearly empty.

As the sounds of footsteps and scraping chairs gradually faded around her, Scarlett was forced to wake from her beautiful dream. She tilted her head slightly, revealing a pair of ink-black eyes as still and lifeless as an autumn lake. Her long hair spilled halfway across the desk, a few loose strands veiling her delicate features, only adding to her nonchalant, dangerously mesmerizing allure.

Chloe raised an eyebrow, her measured footsteps drawing closer to the desk.

Scarlett sat up slowly. Her eyes, still heavy with sleep, remained utterly indifferent, as though the person standing before her wasn’t even worth a second glance.

A slight raise of her brow was enough to catch Chloe off guard. Beneath Scarlett’s lazy demeanor lingered an unmistakable hint of contempt that instantly stirred irritation in Chloe’s chest.

Chloe stopped directly in front of Scarlett, her eyes locked on hers without a hint of wavering.

Scarlett, uninterested in wasting either breath or energy, clicked her tongue softly and looked away, her disgust plain for all to see.

Seeing that reaction, a smirk of smug satisfaction finally flashed across Chloe's face. When she spoke, her voice dripping with sickly sweetness: “Let me show you to the classroom.”

Scarlett met Chloe’s gaze directly, her eyes sharp as a blade. It was as though she were trying to peel back every layer of Chloe’s carefully crafted facade. The corners of her lips slowly curled upward into a smile dripping with manufactured gratitude. “Thank you, Class Rep.”

The two of them left the classroom one after the other. They had barely taken a few steps when Chloe suddenly turned around, her voice hurried. “Scarlett, I need to run to the restroom real quick. Just wait here for me, okay?”

With that, she slipped around the corner before Scarlett could say a single word.

As time slowly passed, the last few students in the hallway disappeared from sight.

Scarlett remained leaning against the wall, waiting. Her patience was wearing dangerously thin as her gaze fell to the Rolex resting on her wrist. Nearly ten minutes had passed.

Was that little b***h trying to stir up trouble on the very first day?

Scarlett slowly lifted her head, a cold, dangerous glint flashing through her dark eyes. She wasn’t going to wait any longer.

Turning on her heel, she strode off without hesitation, intending to find the classroom on her own.

However, things weren’t going nearly as smoothly as Scarlett had expected. Whoever designed the Royal Academy clearly had no sense of logic. Room 306, as it turned out, was somehow on the first floor.

Standing at the corner of the stairwell, Scarlett bit her lip slightly, her cold gaze fixed on the school map displayed on her smartphone.

Inside Chemistry Lab 306, everyone had already gathered. Standing at the teacher's desk, Chloe leisurely made the final mark in the attendance register before looking up. “Ms. Anna, Scarlett is the only one missing.”

Hearing this, Ms. Anna frowned, her voice edged with clear displeasure. “I told you to accompany her. So where is she now?”

Chloe had been expecting that question. For just a brief moment, something flickered in her eyes—then they quickly brimmed with tears. Her shoulders trembled slightly as she looked up, wearing an expression of wounded innocence.

“I... I don’t know either. I asked her to wait for me while I went to the restroom, but when I came back, she was already gone. I... I thought she had followed everyone else here…”

A boy standing nearby, seeing his goddess on the verge of tears, immediately stepped in front of Chloe and raised his voice. “Ms. Anna, I can testify to that! She told Scarlett to wait, but Scarlett was too impatient and left on her own. Scarlett probably got lost, so you really can’t blame Chloe for this!”

Ms. Anna let out a frustrated sigh. She was just about to head out and look for Scarlett herself... when the heavy wooden door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

Scarlett walked in with an unreadable expression. Her delicate features were completely devoid of warmth, her lips pressed into a thin line. There was something cold and oppressive about her presence—enough to make the students nearest the door unconsciously step aside.

Noticing Ms. Anna’s irritated expression, Scarlett glanced into the lab, her eyes landing on the crowd gathered protectively around Chloe, treating her as though she were some fragile little victim.

Scarlett understood instantly. The corners of her lips slowly curled upward. Then a cold, mocking laugh escaped her—and the entire lab went dead silent.

Ms. Anna looked at her sharply. “Scarlett, why did you leave on your own? Do you have any idea how much you’ve disrupted the class?”

Scarlett knew perfectly well that arguing at this point, especially with someone like Chloe who had clearly prepared her little act, was pointless.

Scarlett lowered her head slightly in apology. But when she spoke, her voice was sharp as a blade. “It won’t happen again.”

Ms. Anna let out a quiet scoff before turning toward the laboratory benches. “Fine. We’re staying late today to make up for lost time.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Why do we all have to stay just because of her?”

A chorus of groans and bitter complaints instantly filled the lab, turning the atmosphere unbearably tense.

Along with the noise came dozens of hostile stares, all of them directed squarely at Scarlett. But she couldn’t have cared less. She calmly walked past the rows of desks toward her station.

As she passed Chloe, Scarlett suddenly stopped. Tilting her head slightly, a sinister smile slowly curved across her lips. Then she leaned in just enough for only the two of them to hear, her voice dropping to a near-silent whisper.

“Let me show you how a real game is played, sweetheart.”