𝑆𝑚𝑎𝑐𝑘!
That was the sound expected but wasn't heard.
Rena stood intact, her eyes flashing with coldness as she glared at the enraged woman before her.
Her arm held her wrist, preventing her palm from touching her face.
Julia was irritated.
She badly wanted to hurt this woman. She felt an urge to tear off her slutty face.
She tried to release her arm from Rena's grip but Rena's clinch was firm and couldn't be moved.
"Let go of me!" She roared. "You whore!"
Multiple curses escaped her mouth.
Rena didn't flinch.
She didn't want to get into a fight but she was seriously annoyed with her behavior.
She frowned as she uttered. "Don't try to hit me again or I would hit you back."
Julia laughed as if she had just heard a joke. "Hit me? You dare! Who do you think you are?!"
Her eyes were filled with malice.
Rena didn't want to listen her nonsense anymore.
Such a person had gone too crazy with her emotions, it was pointless to reason with her.
Walking away, she could hear her relentless slams but she didn't turn back.
The next day passed as quickly and just like that, the weekend ended.
Rena returned to the school on Monday and as always headed first to the supervisor's office to sign in her attendance register.
Today, the place was slightly crowdy but Rena had an appearance that always stood out.
As soon as she stepped in, many pair of eyes trailed alongside her but she ignored all of them and solely focused on what she came to do.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say she wasn't familiar with many co-teachers, she wasn't interested either in knowing them.
As she finished and turned to leave, someone suddenly yelled.
"Oh my God! Teacher Rena, is that a proposal ring?"
At those words, a lot of eyes quickly glommed at Rena's hand.
True enough, a beautiful silver ring was quietly lying there.
Rena was a bit startled.
She had intentionally kept the ring on but she never expected it would attract so much attention.
She didn't want this.
Her relationship with Herman was still uncertain. Maybe after meeting with him tonight, he would break up with her.
But her heart yet ached when she thought of taking off the ring this morning. It felt like a bad omen to remove it.
She pursed her lips and remained silent but the people around were quite the talkative, their voices resounding around.
"Goodness, I saw this ring in a magazine one time. It was worth $100k."
"$100k? Pttf! You mean $10k. Where could she find such rich boyfriend? She is still a low level teacher, don't forget."
"Right, it might even be fake."
"Yes, such face is bound only for cheap works. How could she get married, especially this young?"
The voices heightened but the more it did so, the more degrading the words became.
Rena didn't care about the insults and directly ignored those who flocked to her, asking who her fiance was.
She left the office and almost bumped into Bert.
"Sorry." She apologized.
Bert didn't mind. He smiled. "You are getting married?"
It was obvious he overheard what the people inside were saying.
Rena felt a bit hesitant.
His question was really simple but for at that moment, it was really not easy to answer.
But she responded anyways. "He proposed to me."
"Oh." His face flickered to her ring and in his eyes, a complex emotion founded but his smile didn't waver.
"Congratulations."
"Thanks."
Rena headed to her grade and after her pupils arrived, her visage completely brightened.
She came to the school for the money but stayed more because of the kids.
She had always had a fondness for children. Seeing them, it was like a soothe to the intense pain in the heart.
Beaming, she went over and welcomed them, managing their belongings and initiating soft start activities.
~
Teaching the little children could be exhausting, so it was no surprise Rena felt slightly weary as she left to the restaurant but yet she didn't forget to visit the manager at the close of work.
This time, she went there in her work attire.
She didn't want to go to the changing room and encounter Archie. She didn't want to see his shitty face at all.
In the office room she saw the manager named Willis.
He was a slightly plump man with a receding hair, stern face and spotty white skin.
He was on his seat, reading through some megazine.
At her arrival, his gaze flickered to her briefly before turning back to his work.
His voice was hoarse as he asked.
"What is it?"
Rena could sense his impatience so she spoke, going straight to the point.
"Sir, one of the workers around have been causing me some trouble lately. His name is Archie from the server's department, it'd be best if you do reprimand him on my behalf."
He seemed stunned for a moment before his eyes peered at her, this time intently.
Rena felt a bit of confusion. Why does his gaze feel a bit hostile?
But his voice broke through her mind before she could think any further.
"What did he do to you?"
She answered. "He harassed me."
He didn't touch her yes, but he had meant to. He was surely a bit fortunate for if he had, she would have been visiting the police station instead.
Willis sneered. "Are you sure you weren't the one flirting with him?"
"...What?" She was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
But he didn't explain.
He waved his hand off.
"You can leave now, I would talk to him."
His expression was nonchalant and his tone carried an air of flippancy. It was obvious he wasn't taking her seriously.
Rena frowned.
His indifference was quite irking. She wanted to argue but his dismissal was apparent, so she couldn't stay any longer.
She could only add before leaving. "Do talk to him, if he doesn't listen and continues being disrespectful, I would have no choice but to have him arrested."
She left, not noticing the trace of anger clouding his face.
As she went out of the restaurant, she crossed into Aunt Martha who was climbing off her bike.
It seemed she had just returned from delivering foods.
Aunt Martha saw her and a hint of worry enveloped her expression.
She went to her, her steps slightly hasty. "Dear, you must stay away from Archie."
Rena was puzzled. "What's going on?"
She sighed. "Don't you know what's happening? Today there is a tumor ongoing of two of you behaving indecently in the changing room."
Rena was floored.
Such inaccurate information, who shared it was truly despicable.
Perhaps was that why Willis asked her that question?
She didn't even need to guess who did it. Probably Archie himself or Julia, those two were really hateful.
She mouthed simply. "I didn't do anything."
"I know, you are quite sensible, how could you fall for Archie? Sighs... If not because of the little money he owns or his status, how would he be able to deceive so many girls in the restaurant?"
"Status?" She rose a brow. "Isn't he just a server?"
Aunt Martha was dumbfounded. "Don't you know? He is the Manager's son."