From Ruin, She Rose - Chapter 11: Chapter 11

When Emily was first sent to St. Gabriel Reform Academy, the one she thought about most was Vincent.
Vincent was her fiancé. They grew up together, and he once swore he'd love and protect her forever.
If it hadn't been for him, Emily wouldn't have ditched the bodyguard Charles had arranged two years ago to go see him alone.
She wouldn't have walked foolishly into that blind spot without cameras, where she got tied up by the Bennetts and sent off to St. Gabriel's.
No one around seemed to notice how pale Emily looked. They were all gathered around Lydia, showering her with praise and blessings.
"I'm so jealous of Ms. Bennett—Mr. Shaw treats her so well."
"Ms. Bennett and Mr. Shaw are a perfect match."
"Ms. Bennett, you're about to graduate, right? I bet the wedding with Mr. Shaw is coming up soon. Best wishes to you two!"
Lydia looked shy and pleased. "I keep telling Vincent I already have enough clothes, but he just keeps buying me more."
Even though she sounded like she was complaining, the smile on her face gave her away.
Emma was smiling too, holding Lydia's hand. "A girl can never have too many clothes. It's not like the Shaw family can't afford it. What matters is that Vincent's always thinking of you."
Emily felt like a stranger, standing there watching Lydia's sweet expression, Emma's warmth, and all the smiling faces around them. Her numb heart felt like it had been stabbed all over again.
Then Lydia finally seemed to notice her. Her eyes landed right on Emily. "Emily, why are you so quiet?"
The others turned to look at her too, their eyes full of curiosity and confusion, like they were trying to figure out who she was.
Lydia didn't seem to notice anything strange. She walked over with a big smile. "Emily, didn't you used to love this mall? Come look around. If you see anything you like, just let Vincent pay for it."
She winked playfully. "We'll just tell him I bought it. He'll never notice. And even if he does, he won't blame you."
Looking at Lydia's innocent-looking face just inches away, Emily couldn't help but dig her nails into the back of her own hand.
"Lydia, is this why you brought me here today? To show off?" she asked.
Lydia was clearly showing off Vincent—the guy who once swore to love only Emily and protect her forever—and how good he was to her now.
But Lydia just stared at her, confused. "Emily, I don't get what you mean," she said, all innocence. "Wait... do you still love Vincent?"
The people who'd been watching Emily suddenly seemed to understand something.
"No wonder she looked so familiar. She's Ms. Emily Bennett."
"Ms. Emily Bennett? I thought the Bennetts only had one daughter."
"You haven't heard? Years ago, the Bennetts took the wrong baby home from the hospital. She's the one who got switched."
"You mean the one who stole Lydia's place and turned out to be cruel and jealous of her? Emily Bennett? I thought she went abroad."
"Emily Bennett? Didn't she change her name to Emily Harper? That story was all over the news for like two days."
"I guess just because she went abroad doesn't mean she can't come back. I just didn't think it'd be this soon. She's not here to take stuff from Ms. Bennett again, is she?"
The voices weren't loud, but they were indoors—Emily could hear every single word.
Lydia stood there looking innocent and helpless. "Emily, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to show off how good Vincent is to me. I didn't know you still loved him.
"I-I thought you hadn't contacted us for the past two years because you'd already moved on. I really didn't mean to upset you."
Everyone heard her clearly. And now, the looks aimed at Emily carried even more hostility.
"I always heard Emily was jealous and mean. Guess it's true. Ms. Bennett kindly told her to pick some clothes, and she just assumed Ms. Bennett was showing off like she would've done."
"She must've come back just to take something from Ms. Bennett again. Everyone in Cloudridge knows how much she used to love Mr. Shaw. She's clearly jealous now that he's so good to Ms. Bennett."
"She didn't speak to her family for two years. She never loved Mr. Shaw—what she loved was Ms. Bennett's status. Too bad Mr. Shaw and Ms. Bennett are in love. She's never going to win."
No one even bothered to lower their voices. They all jumped to the worst conclusions about Emily, like they were eager to say the nastiest things they could think of. It was always like this.
Emily didn't understand why every time Lydia said something, everyone just believed her. In the end, they pinned all the worst things on Emily.
She had never done anything wrong, but in the end, she was always treated like a villain.
A dull pain spread across the back of her hand. She had clenched it too hard—it was almost numb.
She looked at Lydia, confused and tired. "Ms. Bennett, why do you always assume you know what I'm thinking?"
Her voice was quiet but clear. "I just wanted to spend more time with my grandpa and live my life. I never planned to take anything from you.
"You're the heiress of the Bennett family. You're Vincent's fiancée. I've never once said I still loved him. So why do you see me as a threat?"
Her love for Vincent had already cost her too much. She couldn't—wouldn't—go back to St. Gabriel Reform Academy.
Maybe it was something in her voice, that faint trace of hopelessness, but the whole store suddenly went quiet.
Lydia seemed stunned. For a moment, she couldn't meet Emily's eyes, and her face showed a flash of panic.
She hadn't expected Emily to say everything so plainly. Before, whenever people accused her, Emily had only stammered, "I didn't... I didn't do it," like someone weakly denying a crime they committed.
It had only been two years, yet Emily felt like a completely different person.
Lydia bit her lip, then suddenly started crying. "I'm sorry, I misunderstood you. I was guessing things that weren't true. It's all my fault.
"I-I just saw that you were quiet since you came in, and you didn't look well. Then you asked if I was showing off about Vincent, so I thought you were still upset over him."
Her words planted a new idea in everyone's head. They thought, 'If Emily really has moved on, she won't have acted so cold—or asked Lydia if she was showing off.'
Now they were sure Lydia had hit a nerve, and Emily was just lashing out after getting exposed.
The looks aimed at Emily turned cold again—harsher than before.
And right in the middle of it all, Emma suddenly rushed toward Emily, raising her hand.