She didn't even set the record straight, and that was the most dangerous part, because people trusted conclusions they reached themselves more than the truth someone else gave them.
“So it's true?”
“Felix is Serena's father?”
“That explains it.”
“Yeah.”
“They really do look alike.”
Felicia almost laughed when she heard that. Alike? Felix had a sharp, commanding face, while Serena didn't have a single feature that resembled him.
But logic was never the main tool of gossip. Emotion was far more effective, and Serena understood that perfectly.
“Now that I think about it...” one student said. “Felicia looks even less like Felix than Serena does.”
Several heads nodded.
“Have you guys noticed?”
“Actually, yeah.”
“I never thought about it before.”
Felicia's heart remained calm, but Evelyn, sitting beside her, nearly snapped her pencil in half. “I want to throw a chair.”
“Don't.”
“Why not?”
“It's a hassle.”
Evelyn rubbed her temples. “How can they be this stupid?”
Felicia slowly closed her book because she knew this was only the beginning.
Three days later, the tiny spark began to grow. Felicia was walking toward the laboratory when a conversation from around the corner made her stop.
“I heard Serena is actually Felix's biological daughter.”
“Then what about Felicia?”
“My upperclassman said...” The voice dropped lower. “Felicia's just a maid's daughter whose tuition Felix paid.”
Felicia didn't move.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“They say her mother was going to sell her to pay off a debt.”
“And Felix felt sorry for her. That's why he adopted her.”
“Oh my God. So that's what happened.”
They let out a few quiet laughs. Gossip was always entertaining for people who weren't involved in it.
Felicia stared at the hallway wall. She stayed silent, then slowly smiled. The sight of that smile made Evelyn shudder when she saw it from the far end of the corridor. “What is that look?”
Felicia turned around. “Nothing.”
“You look like you're about to kill someone.”
“Relax. It's not time yet.” Felicia started walking again, her steps calm and steady.
Felicia's words made Evelyn stop in her tracks.
“What do you mean, not yet?”
Meanwhile, in the school's main courtyard, Serena stood with a group of elite students—the heirs of conglomerates, bank owners, shipping companies, and hospital networks.
They were the kind of group no one had ever been able to get close to. Yet that day, they laughed with Serena as if they'd known her for years.
“I love your bag.”
“Thank you.”
“That's a limited edition, right?”
Serena smiled. “I'm not sure.”
In reality, Serena knew exactly what it was. She had spent the entire night researching it online before going to the store to buy it.
“So cute.”
“You're so humble.”
Serena's smile grew softer, more captivating—and without a doubt, more fake. Meanwhile, from the third-floor balcony in the distance, Felicia watched everything.
The afternoon sun reflected off the building's windows, making the entire courtyard look like a massive stage. And at the center of that stage, Serena stood as the lead actress.
But this time was different. Felicia had already seen the threads moving the performance, and she didn't find it entertaining anymore.
A gentle breeze swept through the courtyard. Serena laughed with the elite group while, in the distance, Felicia stared at her without a trace of expression.
“Laugh while you still can, Serena.” Felicia's gaze did not waver. “Because this time, I won't be the victim anymore, and you definitely won't be able to hold everything back.”
The smile on Felicia's lips was thin and cold. Her sharp eyes remained fixed on Serena as she busily accepted praise from her new friends.