When A Bully Falls In Love by Valerie Sax (good books to read for women TXT) 📖

Chapter 4: A Wrong Step

The following day, Aoife found herself in front of the Dean’s office. Confused, she looked around before knocking on the door. The humiliation gifted by the seniors flashed in her mind. 

It was not only what they did in the class, but what level they stoop to mistreat her. Being a girl who lived independently, she couldn’t accept this in justice anymore. She decided she would see no one else suffer for the same reason: “Am I doing right or wrong?” She quietly whispered in her mind.

At last, she gathered the courage to knock on the door.

“Come in,” the voice came from the other side of the door.

She entered and greeted the Dean with a smile.

“Good morning, sir,” 

“Good morning. What brings you here? Miss....,” The Dean answered.

“Aoife Marshall,” she added.

“Sir, as you mentioned, your college has a strict policy against bullies,” her confident voice changed Dean’s expression.

“Yes,”

She took a step closer to his brown table.

“I am here to complain against Xander, Victor, and Zareena,”

Aoife expected more concern in Dean’s voice, but the words coming out of his mouth shook her core.

“Who?”

“Xander, Zareena, and Victor,” she repeated.

Dean’s jaw clenched at the mere mention of Xander’s name. He didn’t give her a chance to talk.

“Miss Marshall, I would suggest you calm down.”

“But, sir, yesterday after the class, he humiliated me in front of everyone. Who made these stupid rules for first-year students, and how...”

“Miss Marshall, I am sure you have done something wrong. Respect your seniors. And we will talk later. I have so much work to do.” The Dean replied, showing no interest.

“But sir,” she wanted to finish her complaint, but he didn’t listen to her and pointed her out.

With a heavy heart, she walked herself out.

As she came out, her gaze met Zareena and Victor, who were waiting outside to humiliate her more.

“Poor baby. Do you want to complain?” Zareena said.

Aoife kept her peer down and walked past them.

“We need to teach her a lesson,” Victor whispered in Zareena’s ear.

As Aoife reached her class, Luka and Clara came toward her.

“Where were you?” Clara asked.

“What happened yesterday?” Luka asked at the same time.

“Did you go to the Dean’s office?” They fired multiple questions.

She exhaled the cold air, thinking about how this system is crippled when confronting bullying activities.

“Yes, I went to the Dean’s office. I wanted to complain about Xander, Victor, and Zareena.”

“What?” Luka screamed.

“But why, Zareena?” Clara said.

 

~Aoife~

 

Flashback:

After that incident, I went to my dorm. I stayed in the girl’s hostel, which is ten minutes away by walking from my college.

It’s an enormous place where most of the girls like me used to stay. After I reached my room, I started arranging my stuff. Luckily, I placed all my stuff in no time, pulling up my posters, planners, and everything. Exhausted with the activity, I only wanted to have a hot shower before heading out for dinner. But before I entered the bathroom, I heard a knock on my door.

“Who’s this?” I questioned.

“Open the door.” A voice came from the other side.

I cracked open the door, but the girls busted it wide open and entered the room.

“What the hell is this?” I screamed.

“Look down.” A girl whispered.

That made me realize they are my seniors. “So, I heard what you did back in the canteen?” A brunette tilted towards me.

This time I made myself quiet; I didn’t want any drama from my side. I didn’t want to give them any reason to bully me.

“I am sorry,” I answered. They went through my stuff and started throwing my arranged clothes on the floor, ripped my planner., threw my books here and there.

But as I promised myself, I mummed and quietly gulped the busting anger inside.

“I am Zareena, and I will ensure you behave nicely here, too.”

She intentionally dropped her orange juice on my bed. My anger was roaring inside me as I wanted to break her jaw.

After a few warnings, she left the room with a cynical smile.

First, my anger and then my tears rolled down. Isn’t it strange when you can’t bust anger out? It knows how to make a way out of your eyes. 

My planner, my books, everything was on the floor, and an empty bed for me to sit and scan this mess.

“Get back to work.” I sighed and started my job again.

Tomorrow, I need to talk to the Dean about these people. Otherwise, it would be difficult for me to survive like this.

****

 

I explained everything to Clara and Luka.

“Babe, you are in a big problem. You gave them a reason to torture you. And I know Xander will not forgive you for this.” Luka reacted to my situation.

“Shut up.” Clara jerked her hand.

“What do you want me to do?” “They ruined my room, humiliated me, and how much more do they want to bully me?”

My anger pulsated through my voice and my eyes. Luka’s eyes squinted when he saw someone coming from the back.

We three gulped the lump stuck in our throat when we saw Xander giving me an angry watch, followed by Zareena and Victor. It didn’t take time for me to understand they told him about my latest step. 

Something told me I was dead now. The way these look at me gives me a vibe; the war has begun.

We hastily walked inside our classroom and ducked ourselves into the chairs.

******

After finishing our lectures, we headed to keep our stuff in our respective lockers, not to mention a continuous fear of getting encountered by these people was killing me inside.

Clara and Luka were busy chatting with each other. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Xander standing on the opposite side of the hallway, watching us getting close to our lockers.

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