Finally, it was time to open the envelope I had been eagerly waiting for. As I unfolded it, the word ACCEPTED caught my eye, just as I had expected. I'd been admitted to Hera Academy, a school where only the wealthy can afford to enroll—except for a few lucky scholarship students like me, who help boost the school's reputation. Even though they accept only 200 scholarship students each year, it's still clear how they maintain a divide. After all, why would they want scholarship students like me mingling too closely with billionaire kids?
At Hera Academy, our status is defined by the color of our ties: blue for the scholarship students, red for the rich kids, and silver for the billionaire heirs. It's a clear hierarchy, and to be honest, I'm not interested in it. Rich people and their behavior—it's nothing new.
The academy's new academic year party had just begun, and to me, it felt painfully dull. Then again, maybe it was just me; I couldn't relate to the conversations around me—discussions about luxury cars, private jets, and exotic vacations. Understandable, I suppose. I'm here on scholarship, not to make friends with the elite.
As I sat alone, a girl in an incredibly chic with red tie —clearly one of the wealthier students—approached me. Her smile was bright as she slid into the seat next to me. "Hi," she said warmly.
I looked at her, unsure of what to make of the sudden attention. "Do we know each other?" I asked, my voice colder than intended.
She shook her head with a grin. "Oh no, we don't. But I figured we'd get to know each other sooner or later," she replied, introducing herself as Sunny. "Sorry if I startled you, but you looked a bit bored sitting here alone. So, I thought I'd come over and chat. You're a scholarship student, right?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I guess it's obvious since I'm not decked out in designer clothes, right?"
Sunny's face flushed slightly. "Oh, no, I didn't mean it like that! I just thought you stood out in a good way. All these rich kids blend together with their YSL boots and Chanel bags."
I just nodded, not really caring if she'd meant to insult me or not. She seemed nice enough, even if I wasn't looking for a new friend.
"By the way, I'm hoping to become a designer. I've made a few pieces myself. I was wondering if you'd be interested in trying some of them on?" she asked eagerly.
I replied flatly, "No."
"Why not? We could hang out, and I could let you try on my designs. A lot of my pieces are Chanel samples, by the way—haha!"
"Look, I appreciate the offer, but I'm broke. If I ruin any piece, I can't afford to replace it," I said bluntly.
Sunny waved her hand dismissively. "Who said anything about buying them? I have plenty. You can keep the clothes if you like them."
I paused, considering the offer. "So, you're saying I'd get to keep the clothes? Is that right?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, definitely."
"Alright, deal," I said, a faint smile tugging at my lips.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from across the room. "ALRIGHT, guys, it's funtime!" one of the girls shouted, her excitement cutting through the chatter.
"Funtime?" I echoed, unsure of what that entailed.
Sunny smiled, taking another bite of her food. "Yeah, every year at this party, the kids play games—usually Truth or Dare, but sometimes other stuff."
"Do you want to play?" I asked, curious about this unexpected social invitation.
The party was dragging on, the room filled with the low hum of rich kids comparing their latest luxury purchases. Sunny stayed by my side, making small talk, but it wasn't long before some of the other students started to notice me again—this time, with less curiosity and more judgment.
I could feel their eyes following me, whispering behind manicured hands. It was the same as always—being the scholarship kid meant wearing a target on my back, even at a party. I ignored it, keeping my focus on the conversation with Sunny, until one of the silver-tie girls sauntered over with a smug look on her face.
She flicked her hair back, flashing a false smile. "Oh look, the charity case made it to the party," she said, loud enough for the nearby group to hear. A few of them snickered.
I clenched my jaw but forced myself to stay calm. "Yeah, I guess they let anyone in these days," I shot back, letting the words drip with sarcasm.
Her eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer, her friends egging her on with gleeful expressions. "You know, I'm surprised you even showed up. Shouldn't you be studying or something? You must need all the extra credit you can get to keep up with the rest of us."
The comments stung, but I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of seeing it. "That's the thing about being smart—you don't have to work as hard as you think. But I guess you wouldn't understand."
Her face flushed with anger, and she took a threatening step toward me, her hand pushing against my shoulder. "Watch your mouth, scholarship girl," she sneered.
Without missing a beat, I grabbed her wrist, firmly pushing it away from me. "Or what?" I said, meeting her glare head-on. "You think I'm scared of you because you've got money? Think again."
She seemed genuinely taken aback that I wasn't backing down, and for a moment, she looked like she might try something else. But then the air shifted, and the crowd's attention turned toward the entrance. I followed their gaze to see Felix Riether walking in, his presence commanding the room.
He was the heir to the Hera business group, the son of the academy's founders, and practically royalty around here. Felix had a reputation for being untouchable—distant, cold, and someone who hated being around people, let alone being touched by them.
The silver-tie girl quickly released my arm and adjusted her posture, clearly trying to look unbothered by the confrontation. I rolled my eyes, refusing to be impressed by his entrance like the rest of them. He made his way through the crowd, his expression as unreadable as ever, and for a moment, our eyes met. I couldn't quite read the look he gave me—curiosity, maybe, or something sharper.
But before I could dwell on it, the group decided it was time for another round of Truth or Dare. The boy with the movie-star smirk from earlier noticed me again, his eyes gleaming with mischief. He seemed eager to continue the night's entertainment at my expense.
"Alright, Faerie. Since you're so bold, let's see if you can handle this one," he said, leaning forward with a devilish grin. "I dare you to kiss any guy in the room."
A hush fell over the circle. A few of the girls shot me withering looks, already assuming I'd back out or choose one of the lesser-known scholarship boys. They waited, eager to see me stumble.
But I wasn't about to give them that satisfaction. Without a word, I turned on my heel and walked straight up to Felix. A wave of gasps rippled through the room, and I could feel the glares from the girls piercing into my back. Felix remained still, his expression cool and detached, as if he couldn't care less about the chaos unfolding around him.
I stopped in front of him, holding his gaze. "It's just a dare, right?" I said, more for the crowd's benefit than his. Then, without giving myself time to second-guess, I closed the gap between us and pressed my lips to his.
The room went completely silent. The kiss lasted only a second, but it felt like an eternity. I expected Felix to pull away immediately—after all, everyone knew how much he hated being touched. But to my surprise, he stayed still, letting it happen without a hint of resistance. If anything, he leaned into it, just slightly, before I pulled back.
When I finally stepped away, his expression remained unreadable, though there was the faintest hint of a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. My heart pounded as I met his gaze, half-expecting him to say something snide or brush it off like it meant nothing.
But Felix just tilted his head, studying me for a moment before murmuring, "Interesting choice."
I shrugged, keeping my voice steady. "I don't do predictable."
Behind me, I could hear the whispers spreading through the room like wildfire, the girls' voices sharp with annoyance. They couldn't believe what they had just seen—Felix, the untouchable, not only letting a scholarship kid kiss him but doing nothing to stop it. And the fact that I had the audacity to do it in the first place? That would be the talk of the academy for weeks.
Sunny caught my eye from across the room, her expression a mix of shock and amusement. She gave me a subtle thumbs-up, clearly entertained by the scene I'd just caused.
As the group recovered from their stunned silence, the game moved on, but the atmosphere had shifted. They no longer saw me as just the outsider; I was now the girl who dared to break the unspoken rules, who refused to play by their expectations. And Felix? He lingered nearby, watching with an unreadable expression, as if he was just as curious as everyone else to see what I would do next.
I could feel the eyes on me, the whispers, the envy, but I held my head high. Let them talk. Let them be shocked. For the first time, it felt like I had taken control of my own story at Hera Academy.
And maybe, just maybe, this game wasn't over yet.
Maybe it was just the beginning…