Chapter 173: Sasha is Back!!!

Catherine’s POV

The new car was waiting in the driveway when we stepped out of the mansion. The huge smile on Lucy’s face pissed me off more than the fact that I would be sharing a car with her.

She didn’t even wait for the driver to greet us; she stepped forward, and claimed the right-side passenger seat as if she were a queen ascending a throne.

I followed in silence, sliding into the seat beside her. The door closed. sealing us in. The driver got into the front and started the engine. As we pulled away from the estate, Lucy didn’t wait to clear the gates.

Her mouth flew open as she leaned back against the leather, crossed her legs and looked at me with a jagged smirk. “Look at us, Catherine. Sisters. Isn’t this exactly what you’ve always wanted? A seat at the table? A ride that isn’t a hand-me-down from your mother’s husband?”

I didn’t look at her. I reached into my bag, pretending to look for something. I quickly tapped the voice memo app and hit record, before sliding the phone face-down onto my lap and resting my hand over it.

To deal with her, I needed to be smart about it. I made sure my lips were sealed while she threw mean words at me. Maybe this would be enough to open Richard’s eyes and make him see how venomous the girl he wants his son to marry… is.

“Oh, don’t give me the silent treatment,” Lucy scoffed, her voice rising in pitch. “Or are you trying to become Richard’s good daughter? No way, it doesn’t suit you at all. Besides, it will not change anything. Richard is just humoring you. He wants to see how long it takes for a stray like you to trip over your own feet. He knows you don’t belong here. Everyone knows it. You’re just a temporary fixture until the day you and your mother get thrown out. He will get bored of your mother’s desperate attempts to fit in, soon.”

Her words hurt but I clenched my teeth hard and focused my gaze out the window. This way, I could have control over my anger and not say a word.

“Did you hear me?” Lucy snapped, turning her body toward me. “Your mother is a joke, Catherine. She spends all day trying to prove she’s more than a gold-digger, but she’s just a placeholder. And you? You’re even worse. You are a pig, who tried to pick from her mother’s legacy by trying to get in bed with the Vaughn heir. Richard knows all this, so don’t think he actually cares for you. He’s just giving you this car so he doesn’t have to deal with the embarrassment of you begging for rides.”

“You know he’s rich. People will ask why his stepdaughter doesn’t have a ride of her own.”

I didn’t know why her words about Richard seemed to make sense to me, even when I knew how spiteful she was and how far she could go with words.

No. I will not listen to a word she says.

“Is that all?” I asked quietly, not taking my eyes off the window.

I could feel her heavy breathing. Being ignored was clearly getting her furious, she hated it. “You think you’re so smart? You think that guy, Dante, is going to save you? He’s probably laughing at you behind your back. A guy like that only wants to fuck you and scram. Enjoy your moment for now before he dumps you in the gutter where he found you.”

She leaned in closer, her breath hot against my cheek. “You’re nothing, Catherine. A zero. You have no blood, no name, and no future. Once the engagement between me and Julian is official, I’ll make sure Richard kicks both you and that pathetic mother of yours out on the street. I’ll make it my personal mission to see you ruined.”

I felt the heat rising in my neck, the urge to scream back at her almost overwhelming. But I remembered I was recording it all. If I wanted Richard to truly see her for who she is, I had to remain calm.

“Gosh. Why is it taking so long to get to the school?” I asked the driver, ignoring Lucy entirely.

Lucy let out a frustrated scream, slamming her fist against the leather armrest. “I’m talking to you! Look at me when I’m insulting you, you bitch!”

This girl was damn crazy. How could she be stipid enough to think I would keep my eyes on her while she was abusing me?

My head shook in disappointment and I let out a little laugh to rile her up the more. She spent the rest of the drive calling me every name she could think of, her voice trembling with anger and disbelief that with all she said, I didn’t entertain her. By the time we pulled into the university gates, she was breathless and red-faced, while I felt more in control than I ever had.

The moment the car stopped, the driver opened the door. Lucy practically tumbled out, her chest heaving as she tried to regain her composure. She turned back to me, giving me one last scornful look.

“Who could be getting all this attention when I’m here?” she muttered, looking toward the main courtyard.

I stepped out behind her and saw what she was talking about. A massive commotion had broken out near the fountain. A large crowd of students had gathered, their phones held high, the air thick with the sound of excited murmurs and gasps.

I started walking toward the crowd. Just then, Tessa ran up to me, her face flushed and her eyes wide with disbelief. She grabbed my arm, nearly pulling me off balance.

“Catherine, you are here finally! You won’t believe what’s happening right now,” she panted. “Guess who just showed up? Guess who had the audacity to walk back onto this campus?”

My mind paused for a moment to think but no answer came. “Who? Tessa,” I asked, looking over the heads of the students.

“See for yourself,” Tessa said, pointing toward the center of the fountain.

I moved closer, pushing through the outer edge of the crowd. My eyes landed on the girl standing in the middle of the circle, looking as if she hadn’t been humiliated in front of the entire world. It was Sasha.

She was dressed in a pristine white outfit, her hair perfectly styled, her head held high. But the atmosphere around her wasn’t welcoming. It was hostile.

“How dare she come back?” a girl nearby whispered loudly.

“Is she serious?” another guy added. “After that video? She’s a total slut. I wouldn’t even sit in the same row as her.”

The murmurs were vicious. People were laughing openly, pointing at her and calling her names that would have broken anyone else. Sasha didn’t move. She stood there like a statue, her eyes scanning the crowd with coldness.

Then her voice rang out. “Enough of the stares and gossips! It’s me… Sasha Halls! Back to this school.”

“Everyone knows what happened and that’s fine. You do not have to make it such a big deal. Remember who I am. I still have the power to make anyone fall to their feet.”

Suddenly, Lucy’s voice rang out in a demanding tone. “Get out of my way! Move! All of you!”

The crowd parted as she marched through. She looked like she was ready to reclaim her territory. She stopped a few feet away from Sasha, looking at her with a sneer.

Immediately, Sasha saw her. A small, tentative smile appeared on her face, it was obvious she was happy to see her long lost fellow shaming, wicked witch. “Wow. You… you’re a student here now, Lucy?”

Lucy didn’t smile back. She stood there, her hands on her hips, as she looked Sasha from head to toe. Then she did it again, more slowly this time, her eyes lingering on Sasha’s scuffed shoes and the slightly-too-tight fit of her blazer. It was the most condescending look I had ever seen, a total dismissal of Sasha’s existence.

Lucy let out a mocking scoff. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. “Did you just say you have the power? You?”

“A dirty whore that goes around sleeping with her boyfriend’s friends?”

Sasha’s smile vanished, she let out a shocked gasp and her eyes widened. She was probably expecting her former friend to be happy to see her. Instead, Lucy had just publicly disgraced her in front of the entire school.

I couldn’t help it. A short, sharp laugh escaped my throat before I could stop it. I had tried to keep it in my head, but the irony was too perfect.

Both Lucy and Sasha’s heads snapped in my direction. Lucy’s eyes flared with anger, and Sasha looked at me with shame and hatred. I didn’t wait for them to say anything. I wasn’t going to get dragged into their drama today.

“Enjoy your reunion,” I said, loud enough for both of them to hear.

Choosing not to drop any more attention on myself, I turned on my heel and headed toward the main building. I could feel their eyes on my back, but I didn’t care.

Just as I reached the doors, the voice of the student coordinator rang out over the loudspeaker, his tone sharp and no-nonsense. “Students! Clear the courtyard immediately and head to your assigned classes! The first lecture begins in five minutes. Move it!”