Pity

''…..The life cycle of malaria….'' In a lecture theatre packed with young males and females, all eyes faced forward, fixed on the middle-aged woman in glasses. With a long brown ruler in her outstretched hand, she voiced her teachings, making some clarifications with the long ruler shifting to some specific areas on the projected image.

All eyes were indeed focused on the lecture. However, along the line, some eyes couldn't help but stray away from the boring lecture albeit distractedly. Some students would play with their phones out of the lecture's view, and some would scribble on their notes mindlessly.

Out of all the students, Calla was perhaps the only one with a full mind on the lecture. Her notes were filled with written and comprehendible words of the lecture.

'I wonder why this department is offering a parasitology course, when we are not microbiology majors.'

Though her mind still strayed away from time to time, mainly brooding about the reason why she, as a zoology student, should offer a microbiology course.

She wasn't the only one who thought in that manner. Most students in the third year zoology department still wondered why a microbiology course was not an elective this time around.

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*2 hours later*

''Ah…Finally the boring class is over.''

''I thought I was going to die of boredom.''

''Don't even complain. I saw you snoozing off. The drools on your notes is an evidence.''

''Hey!''

'I better read more on malaria to have a good understanding. I also have to read on the phylum.' While packing her books in her bag pack, Calla planned her reading time-table for the night. As of now, the parasitology course was the last class of the day, and she needed to stop by the pet shop as well.

'From next month, tests will be coming up. I really need to catch up with my studies….' Done with packing her books, Calla zipped her bag and hoisted the strap over her shoulder before making her way down the stairs her side.

'I should hurry...I must get to the pet shop before four….' Her steps hastened to the door with that thought. If she could get to the pet shop early, then she would be able to close before seven and make it to her apartment on time. Unlike her husband's mansion, her apartment was not far from the pet shop and the university.

At least, if she arrived in her apartment late at night, no one would know or speak about it. There had been some days in her husband's mansion that she would arrive late. Carol had never spoken about it, and the other servants were also the same.

But…her mother-in-law wasn't.

Even if the middle-aged woman wasn't always in the mansion, she always had a knack for knowing what was going on. She probably had her own eyes among the servants in the mansion.

''whoa….'' All of a sudden, calla mysteriously tripped on something and stumbled off her balance. Her body fell to the ground with her some of her textbooks in her arms scattered on the ground in an unsightly manner.

'How….' Just before she could question herself, an amused and familiar voice sounded right behind her.

''Oopsies. I didn't expect you to trip for our lacy. Sorry, not sorry, she doesn't have time to fall for freaks with worm-like faces.''

''....'' Right. Her mind was jumbled with a lot of thoughts, causing her to be in a daze for a while, and now this happened right in front of the entire room.

With her head lowered, Calla bit her lower lip, her masked face hidden behind short curtains of her pale brown hair. At this moment, she felt somewhat embarrassed. To think that this morning, she had a thought of her life being a little peaceful just because nothing of sought had happened to her during the past one month.

No complaints from her mother-in-law and less bullying in school. Her life during that one month just dealt with school, pet shop and staying in her apartment with the puppies.

Very peaceful.

'How naïve of you, Calla….' Inwardly criticizing herself, Calla crooked her black mask to secure her chin before getting on her knees to pick up her textbooks.

''That's brutal….''

''Sometimes, I pity her.''

''It's not as if we are in high school anymore…''

''Don't you think this is getting far?''

''This is between her and Lacy. Don't poke your nose where it doesn't belong.''

*murmur* *murmur*

''....'' Hearing those words from the hushed students, Calla's fingers froze just as she was about to pick up a textbook. Though her frozen fingers were only for a brief moment. She picked up the textbook, and her eyes sighted the last one a bit far from arm's reach. Her decision to reach the textbook was to scoot over with her knees, but….

''I heard from Rose that you are from New York City….'' The mastermind behind her predicament revealed herself with her heels pressing down on the textbook.

''Ah…'' At the sight of the heels on the textbook, Calla released a faint sound. Her eyes trembled at those words and the sight of the textbooks she used to buy from her hard-work earned money.

Please don't step on my books.

Calla truly wanted to say these words, but her only response to Lacy's actions was her pursed lips and lowered head. She did not bother to reply to words uttered to herself.

''Hey Freak, Lacy asked you a question. Don't ignore her just like you did with Rosie.''

''Yeah, that was so rude of you.''

''Lacy, why bother asking her? Rosie probably made a mistake.''

''There's no way someone as poor as the masked freak would be from the big city.''

As Lacy's two friends continuously brought down the kneeling Calla with their words, the spectating students just watched without offering help. Some of them felt Lacy and her two friends were going too far, but fear stopped them from voicing out their thoughts.

To them, Lacy had a rich background with money and power. If they didn't want to end up like a female student who dropped out of the university, it was better for them to mind their business.

There had been a time that a female student reported Lacy for cheating during the exams in their first year. The same female student was also suspended for making a false report. However, no one had seen her after the suspension. It was as if she had disappeared into thin air, making the students feel that Lacy had a hand in her disappearance.

With money, anything was possible.

This was what the students believed. So when it comes to Lacy, there were two choices for them, either suck up to her feet or avoid interacting with her in any form.

That was why some students who felt pity for calla had no choice but to ignore the bullying that sometimes went too far….like now.

''Hey Freak, I asked you a question. Are you from New York City or not?'' Lacy's dark eyes narrowed, a sense of pleasure flickered in those orbs at the sight of Calla kneeling on the ground.

''....''

At the same time, her eyes flashed with impatience and disapproval when no answer was given to her repeated question. No matter who they were, everyone must pay attention to her. They must react to her presence. This was one of the reason why she hated Calla. The latter had never reacted to her no matter what injustice she had suffered all these years.

It was as if those empty honey brown eyes looked down on her, and Lacy hated being looked down upon, especially by someone less fortunate than herself.

Seeing no indication of Calla giving an answer, Lacy glanced to the side, her brief glance falling on her two friends. The ladies caught her glance, understanding the unspoken signal. Their eyes falling back on the kneeling masked lady with wicked glints.

''Hey Freak….'' Just as one of them parted her lips to speak, another new voice interrupted them from the doorway.

''…Calla?''

'Huh?' Lifting her head in her surprise, Calla's gaze turned to the side, her eyes landing on a familiar man standing in the door way. His sky-blue eyes widened in shock at the sight of herself. A man whom she had not seen in a while.

''Vincent….'' His name unconsciously left her lips in a whisper.

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