Alexandrea returned to the Academy of Justice, her suspension over. The halls echoed with whispers and murmurs about her false accusation against Javier.
She walked with her head held high, but her heart pounded in her chest. She knew that everyone was talking about her, judging her.
She could feel their eyes on her, burning holes in her back. She wanted to run and hide, but she forced herself to keep moving forward.
She had made a mistake, and she had to face the consequences. She had to learn from her actions and move on.
As she walked, she could hear snippets of conversation.
"Did you hear she accused Javier of stealing her bracelet?"
"Yeah, but it was all a lie."
"What a snake."
"I can't believe she did that."
Alexandrea’s stomach churned. She felt like she was going to be sick.
She finally reached her classroom and took a deep breath. She stepped inside and was greeted by a chorus of jeers and insults.
"Look who it is!" one of her classmates shouted. "The liar is back!"
Another classmate threw a crumpled piece of paper at her. It hit her in the chest and fell to the floor.
Alexandrea ignored them and walked to her seat. She sat down and tried to focus on the professor's lecture, but it was no use. She couldn't concentrate.
After class, Alexandrea was walking to the library when she was cornered by a group of her classmates.
"Where do you think you're going?" one of them asked.
"I'm going to the library," Alexandrea said calmly.
"Not so fast," the classmate said. "We need to have a little talk."
Alexandrea looked at them defiantly. "What do you want?" she asked.
"We want you to apologize to Javier," one of the other classmates said.
Alexandrea shook her head. "I already apologized to him," she said, another lie.
"That wasn't enough," the first classmate said. "You need to apologize to him in front of the whole class."
Alexandrea hesitated. She didn't want to apologize in front of everyone, but she knew that it was the right thing to do.
"I'll do it," she said.
The next day, Alexandrea stood in front of her class and apologized to Javier. She told him that she was wrong to accuse him of stealing her bracelet. She said that she was sorry for the pain and embarrassment she had caused him.
"I did that because I'm falling in love with him. It was just my way of getting noticed." Alexandrea added.
Their classmates' jaws dropped as Alexandrea's confession echoed through the classroom, revealing her hidden love for Javier.
Javier nodded in acceptance. He knew that Alexandrea was truly sorry.
Alexandrea’s apology was met with a mixed reaction. Some of her classmates forgave her, while others continued to hold a grudge.
But Alexandrea didn't care. She had done what was right. She had apologized to Javier, and she had learned from her mistake. Did she really tell that because she was falling in love to Javier?
Or as Javier and his classmates thought.
*****
Yuan clapped his hands discreetly, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"Well done, Alexandrea," he said. "You've truly made me proud. You've convinced Javier and the entire academy that you're in love with him."
Alexandrea nodded, her eyes glittering with satisfaction. "But this is just the beginning," she said. "I still have to make my revenge complete."
Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how do you plan to do that?"
"I'll make him fall for me, completely and utterly," Alexandria said. "And then, when he's at his most vulnerable, I'll crush him."
Yuan laughed, a dark and sinister sound. "I like it," he said. "I like it very much."
Alexandrea’s plan was simple, but brilliant. She would use her newfound love for Javier as a weapon against him. She would make him fall for her, so hard that he would be blind to everything else. And then, when he was completely and utterly hers, she would destroy him.
She started by being more attentive to Javier. She would smile at him in the hallways, strike up conversations with him in class, and even invite him to study with her. At first, Javier was hesitant. He was still suspicious of her after what she had done. But Alexandrea was persistent. She wore him down with her charm and her wit.
Eventually, Javier gave in. He started to enjoy Alexandrea’s company. He found himself drawn to her intelligence, her humor, and her beauty. He began to fall for her.
Alexandrea savored every moment of it. She loved watching Javier fall for her, hook, line, and sinker. She felt a sense of power that she had never felt before.
*****
Ian's heart pounded in his chest as he stormed into Javier's room. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Alexandrea, his girlfriend, had confessed to the entire student body that she was in love with Javier.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Ian demanded, his voice trembling with rage. "You know that Alexandrea is my girlfriend!"
Javier looked up from his laptop, his face unflinching. "I didn't do anything," he said. "Alexandria is the one who made up the whole thing."
Ian scoffed. "Don't play dumb with me," he said. "Everyone knows that you're in love with her. You've been trying to steal her from me for months."
Javier shook his head. "That's not true," he said. "I've never had any feelings for Alexandrea."
Ian's eyes narrowed. "Then why did she confess to you in front of the entire school?" he asked.
Javier sighed. "I don't know," he said. "But I had nothing to do with it."
Ian didn't believe him. He knew that Javier was lying. He could see it in his eyes.
He turned and stormed out of the room, leaving Javier sitting alone.
Ian found Alexandrea sitting on a bench in the quad. She was crying.
"What have you done?" he asked her, his voice filled with sadness and anger.
Alexandrea looked up at him, her eyes red and swollen. "I'm so sorry, Ian," she said. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"But you did," Ian said. "You broke my heart."
"I love Javier more than you, so I don't think we can be together anymore." Alexandrea had fully decided.