I kept my eyes fixed ahead and walked straight to the classroom.

Steven was in my seat, sitting with Lisa. He was looking down and playing with a strand of her hair while she was resting on the desk, gazing up at him with a sweet smile. She had never been that gentle with me before.

Lisa looked up at me after spotting me, her face devoid of any expression. She then asked indifferently, acting as if nothing had occurred the day before, "You're finally here, huh?"

Steven looked back at me with an apologetic expression. "I'm so sorry, Dominic. I had no idea things would get this out of hand. I had only told Lisa that I enjoyed this one scene in an action movie. I never expected this to happen."

He looked at me with eyes brimming with remorse as he said that.

I merely looked at him, remaining silent.

Lisa, with a furrowed brow, pulled me aside and asked, "Haven't you had enough, Dominic? What else do you want from Steven? Didn't he apologize to you already?"

She then continued with a hint of impatience, "It was just a joke, so stop looking so gloomy. I'll pay for your medical fees since the drone ran out of battery yesterday and made you fall."

Having said that, Lisa pulled a few hundred-dollar bills from her pocket and tried to shove them at me.

I stepped aside, causing the money to flutter to the floor.

Lisa's expression immediately hardened. "You'd better not push your luck, Dominic. You ought to know that I only feel sorry for you because we've known each other since we were kids. You'd better not think for a second that I'm dependent on you, Dominic!"

Those around us kept watching and murmuring to one another.

"How arrogant of him to refuse the money!"

"I know, right? I wouldn't mind being suspended a hundred times if I were him!"

I bent over, picked up the money, and went over to Lisa. I then, in front of the whole class, threw the money right in her face and said, "Your apology is as worthless to me as this money is, Lisa."

I then walked over to Steven and said, "You're in my seat—get lost."

Those around immediately fell silent. They all stared at me in shock, including Lisa. She likely never expected that someone as gentle and even-tempered as I would ever do something like that.

Steven's face turned pale with embarrassment. He bit his lip and turned to Lisa with an aggrieved expression. "Lisa…"

Lisa snapped out of her daze and shoved me aside. "Have you lost your mind, Dominic?"

I stumbled and hit my lower back hard against the corner of the desk, my vision momentarily blurring from the pain. I then glared at Steven and stated deliberately, "I'm only saying this one last time—get lost."

Steven, intimidated by my gaze, instinctively got to his feet.

I quietly began packing up my belongings without sparing a look for anyone. I packed my books, notebooks, and pens, making sure that I took everything that belonged to me.

Lisa stood to the side, her chest heaving with rage as she bellowed, "What are you doing? Are you packing up so that you can leave for good, Dominic?"

I ignored her completely.

Lisa grabbed my wrist, her sharp manicure cutting into my skin. "I'm talking to you, Dominic! Is ten years of friendship worth throwing away over this?"

I was sick of hearing that same line again. I finally lifted my gaze and looked her in the eyes—the eyes I once admired were now brimming with fury.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to be suspended more than 300 feet high, Lisa? Do you know what it's like to be watched like a spectacle or to have the person you like make fun of you for wetting your pants, Lisa?"

Lucy grew paler with each question. She wanted to respond to me, but ultimately remained silent.

"It might not be a big deal to you, but it is to me," I stated flatly as I threw off her grip, zipped my bag, and left. I walked away from the classroom with a suffocating silence trailing behind me.

I went straight to the hospital instead of returning home. I met up with my uncle, Lionel Smith, who was working as the attending chief doctor there.

Upon seeing my pallor and the scratches on my wrist, Uncle Lionel didn't ask a single question. He just took me to get checked out, and before long, he looked at the results with a serious expression. "You have acute stress disorder, along with severe anxiety and depressive tendencies."

He slammed the report onto the desk, looking absolutely livid. "I'm going to find that brat and hold her accountable for it!"

I held him back and said, "I don't want to make a big deal out of this, Uncle Lionel."

Uncle Lionel trembled with rage. "How could this be considered as making a big deal? Lisa pushed you to the brink! What about your parents? They're not just going to stand by while you're being tormented by Lisa, right?"

I lowered my head, thinking that with Dad being the chauffeur and Mom being the housekeeper of the Thornton family, they wouldn't dare confront Lisa about this. They believed Lisa was always right and that I should just endure the mistreatment; after all, our family's survival depended on the Thornton family.

"I want to transfer to a different school," I stated softly, revealing the real motive behind my visit.

Uncle Lionel froze momentarily before catching on. "You should definitely transfer to a different school and get out of that terrible place! Do you have a place in mind, Dominic? I'll make it happen as long as you tell me! You should head to Casoria! You see, I'll be able to take care of you there if you attend university there as well!"

Casoria, the capital city, was a four-hour drive from here. That place was far enough to cut myself off from everyone and everything I didn't want to deal with here.

Uncle Lionel was highly efficient. He pulled some strings to reach out to the best high school in Casoria. That high school immediately accepted my transfer application after reviewing my grades and my medical diagnosis report for my acute stress disorder.

"Your transfer should be finalized sometime next week, Dominic."

"Thank you so much, Uncle Lionel."

"You don't have to be so polite to me, you silly kid," Uncle Lionel said as he ruffled my hair, his eyes brimming with sympathy. He then said, "You should stay with me for a few days and not return home anymore, Dominic."

I changed my SIM card that night, leaving the old one in the bin at the hospital. I lay in bed in Uncle Lionel's guest room in his apartment, looking at the moon outside the window.

I realized it was my first night in a decade without saying goodnight to Lisa. I would no longer receive her daily check-ins or the demands she used to make whenever she felt like it.

I couldn't help but feel empty inside, but more than anything, I felt a sense of liberation.

It was then that my phone buzzed with a message from Uncle Lionel. "That young lady from the Thornton family has been calling me nonstop, looking for you, Dominic. I'm ignoring her, though. You made the right call, Dominic—some people just aren't worth your time."

I looked at the message with tears streaming down my face. I realized that Uncle Lionel was right—Lisa truly wasn't worth my energy and time. I felt like a complete fool as my ten years of effort resulted in a deliberate public shaming from Lisa.

I completed all the transfer procedures a week later. I kept Mom and Dad in the dark about it, claiming that I was going to Casoria for a two-week academic camp. They believed me and were even proud, thinking that I had brought honor to the family.

Mom handed me 150 dollars just before I left, saying, "You shouldn't be too frugal while you're away, Dominic. You should buy yourself something good to eat. You should also stop spending all your time studying—get out and socialize with your friends."

Dad added, "You should take care of yourself and don't be a burden to Ms. Thornton."

I felt a shiver run down my spine, realizing that Dad thought my participation in the camp was connected to Lisa.

I simply remained silent, accepted the money, and nodded dismissively.

Uncle Lionel drove over to get me.

I didn't even look back as the car left the city where I had spent 18 years of my life.

Casoria Central High School exceeded my expectations. Their campus was sprawling and green, with a serious focus on academics.

I was introduced to my new homeroom teacher, John Zimmerman, who was a mild-mannered middle-aged man.

He glanced at my transcript, asked no questions, and patted me on the back, saying, "Welcome to Casoria Central High School, Dominic. You can think of this place as your new home from now on."

I sat in the fourth row next to the window, and my deskmate was Leonardo Ziegler, who was very outgoing.

"Hey there! I'm Leonardo Ziegler! You can just call me Leo!" Leonardo smiled brightly, his expression full of warmth and confidence.

"I'm Dominic Hunt."

"You have a very cool-sounding name, Dominic—like the name of a hero from an action-fantasy novel!"

Leonardo was very friendly and outgoing, chirping away as he told me details about the class, like which teachers were strict and which cafeteria window served the best food.

He then pointed toward a quiet young lady with fair skin and a sharp-looking profile, reading in front of the classroom, and said, "That's Winnie Gibson, our class president. She's a straight-A student and very kind. You can ask her for help if you have any questions about schoolwork, Dominic."

Winnie, as if sensing our gazes, turned around.

Winnie acknowledged me with a gentle, friendly nod.

I felt a bit awkward, but I still managed to smile back at her.

I was in a new environment, surrounded by new people. They were welcoming, and no one judged me or knew what I had been through. I felt as if I'd had a fresh start in life.

I thought my time with Lisa was finished, but I had forgotten that she wasn't the type to let go so easily—especially if she felt someone else was eyeing what belonged to her.

I noticed a familiar figure as I left school that afternoon. Lisa was leaning against her ostentatious luxury car, a lollipop hanging from her lips. I noticed that she looked visibly thinner and had dark circles under her eyes, radiating a sullen, violent energy.

Lisa tossed the lollipop aside after spotting me, walked right up to me, and asked in a raspy voice laced with bottled-up anger, "Have you had enough, Dominic? You're coming home with me this instant!"

Leonardo, intimidated by her aggressive manner, instinctively moved to shield me behind him. "Who is this woman, Dominic?"

I replied flatly, "She's just a lunatic."

"Did you just call me a lunatic, Dominic?" Lisa burst out laughing, as if she had heard the funniest thing ever, though her eyes remained cold.

"You're right! You're the one who drove me to this lunacy, Dominic! You ghosted me and blocked my number! Do you have any idea how hard I've been looking for you, Dominic?"

I looked at her calmly and asked, "What of it then? There's nothing between us anymore, Lisa."

Lisa gripped my wrist with incredible force. "How dare you! Do you think our ten years together can be forgotten so easily? Your father is still working as the chauffeur, and your mother is still working as the housekeeper of our family, Dominic! I'll have them both fired tomorrow if you don't do what I say!"

I had never seen her lose it like this. I also couldn't help but feel my blood run cold, as this was the first time she had threatened me using Mom and Dad.

"You'd better let go of him this instant!" Winnie stated coldly, having approached my side without me noticing. She then methodically pried Lisa's fingers off my wrist; her steady movements were backed by an uncompromising strength.

Lisa narrowed her eyes as she studied Winnie dangerously. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Dominic's classmate," Winnie replied as she stepped in front of me, meeting Lisa's gaze with composure.

"You've found yourself a girlfriend, huh?" Lisa sneered, her eyes brimming with contempt. "You're quite something, Dominic. You've only been gone for a few days, and you've already hooked up with someone new! Your taste is still terrible—you picked some broke bookworm!"

Winnie showed no change in expression, remaining perfectly composed. "I don't care what you think of me—what matters is that Dominic doesn't want to leave with you."

"Who gave you the right to decide what he wants?" Lisa was absolutely livid. She then lashed out and tried to slap Winnie in the face.

I shouted out loud. Winnie sidestepped in time, but Leonardo, standing behind her, wasn't as fortunate—Lisa's strike sent him stumbling to the floor.

In that instant, the scene turned chaotic, and the school security, upon hearing the commotion, arrived and broke up the fight between the two of them.

I was sent to the principal's office along with Winnie and Lisa.

Mr. Zimmerman, my homeroom teacher, and Uncle Lionel arrived promptly. Lisa's parents, Oliver Thornton and Dahlia Greene, arrived as well.

Oliver burst in and immediately pointed at me, yelling, "You've got a lot of nerve, Dominic! You lied about your academic training camp just to come here and mess around with another woman!"

Dahlia pulled Lisa close, checking her for injuries with concern. "Did you get hurt, Lisa? That brat went way too far!"

Uncle Lionel, trembling with rage, threw my diagnosis report directly in their faces. "You're actually accusing him of messing around? You'd better take a look at what your darling daughter did, Mr. and Mrs. Thornton! Your daughter tortured Dominic until he developed severe depression! How dare you act like we're the problem here!"