Claiming Her Heart Is a War

Chapter 7 Theodora Stroke Cecy

Cecy Watson was the undisputed school bully, backed by her family, the Watsons, a prestigious and powerful clan.

Though the Watsons' main household resided in Rean City, their Benwell branch held more influence than even the Belbin family.

Lance sighed at the news, his eyes cold as he turned to Theodora. "You're right," he said, his voice stiff. "I didn't want to say this before, out of respect for all the years we've known each other, but now I'll say it clearly. I should be engaged to Tania. Give her the engagement token."

Tania looked at Lance with a heartwarming expression.

She felt a surge of gratitude for Theodora—it seemed like she had brought this day forward.

Finally, everything was falling back into place.

"No problem," Theodora replied indifferently, her tone devoid of emotion. "But the token was given to me by your grandmother, so I'll return it to her. There are some other things we need to address too." She gave them no further attention and walked straight into the school.

Her nonchalant attitude irked Lance, a knot of unease tightening in his chest.

Did she really just give up on them that easily?

She had been so infatuated with him, always ready to help whenever he needed it. That was why he hadn't canceled the engagement earlier—she had real strength. But now, she just walked away without a fight. Was it really over?

Tania noticed Lance's lingering gaze on Theodora, and a sharp pang of jealousy twisted inside her. She spoke softly, her voice dripping with feigned sweetness, "Lance, I think Theodora's really losing control... It's so sad to watch. If I take you from her, she'll have nothing left, and I'm afraid she might spiral into ruin. Maybe... maybe it's better if you stay with her, after all?"

Lance's face darkened. "You think she's spiraling out of control, and I should still stay with her? Do you really think I'm that naive, Tania? I want to be with you. She means nothing to me."

Lance gazed at Tania with affection, but in his mind, he couldn't help but smirk. He was looking forward to seeing if Theodora would really return the token, or if she would back out.

*****

Soon, the rumor mill at school was buzzing with gossip.

Wherever Theodora went, people watched her, but she couldn't care less.

Since Tania transferred in, her reputation had already taken a nosedive due to Tania's long-standing efforts to smear her name.

After lunch, Theodora returned to class.

She had once been in the most prestigious elite class, but after being scolded by her family for "showing off" with her grades, she had stopped studying seriously and ended up in one of the worst classes in school.

She reached the door of the classroom, which was oddly quiet. The door was slightly ajar.

Theodora narrowed her eyes.

The "bad class" was exactly as it sounded—full of the school's worst students, mostly rich and spoiled second-generation heirs, loud and unruly. They were a nightmare for teachers.

But today, it was eerily quiet.

As Theodora had suspected, the silence had a purpose.

A water basin was carefully wedged against the door. It contained dirty water that was meant to spill all over her the moment she entered.

A few students smirked, watching the door, eagerly anticipating the moment when Theodora would get drenched.

Cecy sat nearby, twirling her pen, a wicked smile playing on her lips. Her eyes were locked on the door. She had orchestrated this little trap.

As a Watson, she had bullied countless people, and taking down someone like Theodora, who no longer had the Belbin family's protection, was child's play.

The door suddenly slammed open, and in the next instant, the water basin flew through the air, landing squarely on Cecy's face. She was so caught off guard that she swallowed a mouthful of dirty water before realizing what had happened. She bent down immediately to spit it out.

"You b***h!" Cecy sputtered, still gagging. "Get her! Beat her up!"

Several spoiled rich boys, stunned by Theodora's boldness, rushed towards her.

But their screams echoed as they fell to the ground one by one, writhing in pain.

Cecy, furious, never imagined that Theodora could fight back so fiercely. Seeing the situation slipping away from her, Cecy crept around to launch a sneak attack, aiming to smash a basin over Theodora's head.

Before she could strike, Theodora kicked backward, sending the basin flying. It smashed directly into Cecy's face.

Cecy screamed in agony, clutching her face.

"You're f*****g dead!" she shrieked, trembling as she pulled out a compact mirror. She checked her face in a panic, horrified at the blood spilling from her wounds.

Cecy nearly fainted. "Get someone! Call the teachers!" she ordered, her voice shaking.

Not long after, several students were escorted to the disciplinary director's office.

"What happened here?" the disciplinary director asked, his voice faltering as he took in the chaotic scene.

These were the heirs of Benwell's elite families—future tycoons, no less.

The disciplinary director turned to Theodora, and his tone immediately shifted to reprimand. "Theodora Belbin, are you out of your mind? This is a school! How dare you fight with others?"

Theodora's eyes darkened, and her voice remained eerily calm. "They attacked me first."

Cecy jumped in quickly, her voice a shrill accusation. "Bullshit! You started it, you street thug! You've ruined the whole class' atmosphere!"

The others quickly chimed in, agreeing with Cecy.

Theodora's lips curled into a cold smile. "If I started it, we can just check the security cameras. It'll tell you everything."

This was a private school, and every classroom had cameras.

But the disciplinary director waved his hand dismissively. "I've already checked—the cameras are down. Theodora, you should just apologize to them."

Theodora's cold gaze remained fixed on him. The disciplinary director's face flushed with a flicker of guilt before it quickly morphed into anger.

He was just trying to help her out—after all, she was no longer a Belbin. If she offended these rich heirs, how would she survive at Benwell?

"Theodora, this situation is serious. We've already notified your parents. Even if you don't apologize now, when your family arrives, you'll still have to apologize."

Theodora's expression shifted slightly, her eyes momentarily cold as she looked down, the corners of her lips twitching in silent mockery.

This incident would certainly have wide-reaching consequences. By the break, nearly everyone knew about it, and Tania, for one, couldn't help but feel pleased. She hadn't expected Theodora to be this reckless—she had just made enemies with several influential families at once.

Tania quickly called her mother, Laura. "Mom, I think Theodora got into a fight with Cecy Watson. You should come see her—I'm worried they'll bully her!"

Laura, already frustrated from not being able to see Floria, snapped, "She picked a fight with Cecy Watson? This i***t really knows how to stir up trouble!"

At first, Laura had been too annoyed to leave her beauty spa appointment, but when she heard that Theodora had fought with Cecy—an incident that could jeopardize the Belbin family's potential collaboration with the Watsons—she cursed under her breath and stormed out.

Meanwhile, other parents were on their way to the school as well.

Donna Watson, Cecy's mother, was enraged when she heard about the incident. She rushed to the school, her face a mask of fury. When she saw Cecy's bloodied face, her temper flared even higher. She was about to scold Theodora when her phone rang. It was her husband, Edgar Watson.

"Donna, I just got some news. The main branch of the family is looking for the missing daughter. They've found a lead—right here in Benwell."