Chapter 4 Life is unfair to me.

Yvonne's POV

"Oh! My God."

"This is the sweetest gist I have heard my whole time in this school."

Since the mention of the Diamond Belfort brothers, everyone kept gushing about it so much that it distracted them from the humiliating scene they had created around me.

"Are we sure about this news? Because what on earth would the Diamond Belfort brothers be coming to our school to do, knowing their status and all?" Someone finally asked the one thing I had considered first, and to think it was Adrian that asked the question made my skin crawl.

But out of nowhere, Tricia replied, flipping her hair dramatically. "Who cares? I mean the Belfort family is one of the wealthiest in the world. If you and I get in with them, we won't ever need anybody else again-we'll be set for life." She squealed like she was already cashing in on their bank accounts.

Someone in the crowd chimed in, "I heard their dad owns like half of New York."

Tricia scrunched her nose. "Half? Oh please! Try all of it. As far as I'm concerned, the Belforts practically own this entire country. And their mum? She's basically the queen of Hollywood. Do you know how many celebrities line up just to be invited to their birthday parties?" She made it sound like she had been there herself.

I stared at her, baffled. How did she even gather this much information? I only knew the basics-that they were rich and famous. But Tricia spoke like she had their family tree saved on her phone. Her obsession was embarrassing, even for her.

Adrian looked equally curious now, leaning in. "That's insane. But do you think they'll even talk to us? I mean, why would they want to mingle with us in the first place?"

"Of course they will, Boo," Tricia said, smirking. "We practically run this school. And they'll be new here, which means they'll definitely need us. Trust me, they'll want to be seen with us."

Adrian nodded like her nonsense made sense. "True anyway."

While they were carried away by the chatter and fake dreams, I took it as the perfect chance to slip away with my mum. She had been dragged into enough humiliation already with me. If I could at least get her out of sight, maybe the ache in my chest would soften.

*****

I wheeled my mum to the school clinic, the squeaky wheels of the chair echoing against the tiled hallway. Inside, the nurse didn't ask too many questions-she just gave me a sympathetic look and went to work. She dabbed gently at the blood on my mum's knees with cotton soaked in antiseptic. Mum hissed quietly but kept still, clutching the sides of her chair.

The nurse cleaned the scrapes, then spread ointment before wrapping them with fresh white bandages. My stomach twisted, watching my mum flinch at every touch. She had been through enough without Adrian adding to her pain.

When the nurse left us alone, I pulled the chair closer and held her hand. That was when the weight of everything slammed down again. The bracelet. Adrian's betrayal. Tricia's cruelty. It all piled on like heavy bricks. I couldn't hold back anymore-tears slipped past my lashes.

"I don't get it," I muttered with a cracked voice. "Adrian lied to me, used me, and he didn't even hesitate to push you to the ground. And now Tricia has stolen the only thing I had left of my birth family. How is this happening to us, Mum? Why does it always have to be us?"

Mum squeezed my hand, her voice soft but steady. "My daughter, you should know by now that people like Adrian and Tricia always have power here. They take what they want because no one tells them no as they have never been stopped in their lives."

Her words stung because I knew she was right. But anger still boiled in me. "I wish I could stand up to them. I wish your job wasn't on the line every time. I wish I could afford your surgery so you wouldn't have to suffer anymore. I wish..." I stopped, the lump in my throat choking me. "I wish life wasn't this unfair."

Mum reached up, brushing a strand of hair from my wet cheek. "Oh, sweetheart..." Her eyes carried both pain and pride. She always tried to be strong for me even when I knew she was breaking inside too.

But then my thoughts circled back, sharper than before. "She took my bracelet, Mum. That bracelet is the only lead I have to my birth family. Maybe... maybe they could help us. Maybe if I find them, they could help with your surgery. They could help us both."

The words tasted desperate, but they were true. My bracelet wasn't just jewelry-it was my only connection to the life I might have had. And without it, that link might be gone forever.

I slumped against the chair, feeling all exhausted. "But without the bracelet, there's no way. She has it now. And I can't fight her for it without risking everything for you."

As if on cue, the loud crackle of the school's PA system interrupted us. "Students, this is the principal. Please make your way to the gymnasium for a special announcement."

I closed my eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. Of course. No time to cry. No time to think. The world just kept moving, even when I felt like I was falling apart. "Mum, I have to go now. If I'm late, the principal will make things worse."

She held onto my wrist before I could turn away. "It's fine, my daughter. Go. Just take care of yourself. And remember, I'll be here when you need me, always."

Her voice cracked, but she smiled anyway. That smile cut deeper than any insult Tricia had thrown today.

I bent down, holding her hand with both of mine. "Mum, before I go... I just need to say thank you. For everything. For adopting me. For raising me like your own even when you had nothing. For loving me when life was already too hard for you. I don't take any of it for granted." My words trembled as they left me, raw and real.

Her eyes glistened, but she pulled me into a half-hug. "Yvonne, I would do it all again. A thousand times over. Don't thank me, my daughter. Just promise me you'll keep going. That's all I need."

I nodded into her shoulder, breathing in the faint scent of laundry soap clinging to her uniform. "I promise, Mum."

With that, I straightened, wiped my eyes quickly with the back of my hand, and turned toward the door. "Bye, Mum. I'll see you later."

She raised her hand in a small wave as I walked out, my chest heavy but my steps forced steady. Whatever waited for me in that gymnasium, I had to face it-even if the whole school was still buzzing with gossip about the Diamond Belfort brothers.