Rural Belle & Three Heirs
Chapter 41 Admitting That You Are a Loser

But Lucy, totally clueless, strutted up to Liam with a smug grin. "Did you see my move? I got rid of that annoying Chloe from school. Didn't you hate her the most? Now that she's expelled, she can't show off in front of you anymore." Lucy was practically begging for Liam's approval, her face screaming "Praise me."

But his intense glare sent shivers down her spine. What was his deal today?

"Lucy, who told you to act on your own?" Liam snapped, furious.

While he used to dislike Chloe for her looks and attitude, he had only hinted to Lucy to tease her a bit. But getting her expelled? That was a step too far.

He could mess with his own people, but if someone else did, it was a direct insult to him.

Lucy, confused and nervous, shot a pleading look at her dad, Ford.

Ford quickly jumped in to defend her. "Liam, this wasn't just Lucy acting alone. Chloe was openly bullying classmates in class. As the Academic Dean, I caught her red-handed. It was serious, and the school decided to expel her." With Ford's explanation seeming convincing, Lucy's pressure eased up as she had a recording of Chloe insulting her and her dad. Liam, wanting to defend Chloe, found himself at a loss for words.

Chloe watched the whole scene unfold, feeling pretty speechless. She could have fought back, but she chose to accept the expulsion as a quick way to leave the Martin family.

But Liam had no clue about her real plans.

Just when things were about to settle, the usually timid Rena suddenly stood up.

"Chloe never bullied anyone. The recording Lucy has is edited. What we heard was different," Rena asserted.

"Yeah, Lucy, you're just using your dad's position to bully other students," Philip chimed in.

Other students started speaking up for Chloe too.

Rena added, "Everyone, the claim that Chloe bullied classmates is a lie. The real bully here is Lucy. Since Mr. Kim and the other teachers are here, let's all speak up. Worst case, we all get expelled together." Rena's courage inspired everyone, and Chloe realized this timid girl was standing up for her.

Growing up, only her best friend Zara had ever defended her like this. Now, Rena was willing to fight for her too.

Having friends by her side felt amazing.

Chloe suddenly felt a bit reluctant to leave Sovereign City.

Encouraged by Rena, all the students who had been bullied by Lucy stood up.

"Lucy tore up my homework, knocked me down, and even slapped me until my face swelled up."

"Lucy dragged me to the bathroom, put a trash can over my head, and made me scrub the floor."

"Lucy ripped my clothes and even cut my skin with a knife. She threatened to kill me if I told my parents or the school."

"Lucy made me bring her money from home. When I didn't, she made me kneel on the ground."

"Chloe is innocent. She didn't bully Lucy; it was Lucy who bullied her first."

As more and more students spoke up, Lucy's face showed visible panic.

Ford was also at a loss for words.

"Nonsense, you're all talking nonsense..." Lucy frantically tried to defend herself, but it was useless. These students had indeed been bullied by her.

Seeing her classmates helping her, Chloe felt she couldn't let the other side continue their tyranny.

So, she approached Ford and asked, "Mr. Kim, your daughter also bullied classmates. Shouldn't she be expelled too? Shouldn't she be kicked out too? You just said troublemakers don't belong at Quest University." Ford hadn't expected things to escalate this far. Liam's presence had clearly given the students confidence, leading them to unite against him.

As the Academic Dean, he had the authority to expel one or two students, but expelling an entire class of seventy or eighty students was beyond his power. "Well..." Ford stammered.

"Stop stalling and give everyone an answer." Chloe pressed on.

He looked to Liam for help and then lowered his voice to discuss with him. "I mishandled this. If it escalates, it'll be tough to manage. Let's both take a step back. I won't expel Chloe, and she won't push the bullying issue with Lucy any further. I'll make sure Lucy doesn't trouble Chloe again."

Ford completely changed his attitude.

Standing among her classmates, Lucy didn't know what to do. She only wanted to expel Chloe, not get expelled herself.

Upon hearing Ford's statement, Liam turned to Chloe and inquired, "What do you make of this?"

Recognizing Lucy's actions as a ploy to gain favor with Liam, Chloe, aware of her continued stay at Liam's residence, opted to avoid unnecessary conflict. After all, it's prudent to leave some room for future encounters. She could extend this courtesy to Liam, but Lucy needed to learn a lesson.

With this in mind, Chloe fixed her gaze on Lucy, who visibly trembled with fear.

"Lucy, do you want to be expelled or continue studying at school?" Chloe asked Lucy.

Lucy quickly replied, "I want to stay in school."

"Since you want to stay in school, let's follow through with what was said earlier. Admit that you and your father are useless, and we'll call it even today!" Chloe demanded assertively.