The Returned Heiress Who Had It All (Cassia) novel Chapter 7

Cassia looked at Vance with a calm, unreadable face. She didn't say a word.
Swinging her shoulder bag to her back, she sighed inwardly, This is so troublesome! These childish things are such a waste of time!
"Did you hear me?" Vance snapped. That indifferent look on Cassia's face made his blood boil. Did she even realize how hard he'd worked to get her into this school?
Cassia nodded lightly. "Yeah." Her tone was flat, her expression still cool. No one could guess what she was thinking.
Just then, Harold walked over. He glanced at her and sighed to himself. Yep, just as I thought—dull as a rock. I hope she wouldn't drag down the senior class's grades.
With her academic record, she barely qualified for the advanced class. That's the weakest class in the senior year.
He wasn't happy about it, but what could he do? A deal was a deal, and money had made the impossible happen. So Harold forced a smile and put on his friendly teacher act.
"Come with me," he said, his voice cheerful but fake. "I'll take you to meet your homeroom teacher."
Cassia nodded and followed behind him.
Harold led her to the teachers' office. A few teachers were chatting in small groups, sipping coffee and gossiping about their students.
"Ms. Reed, could you come here a second? I need to talk with you." Harold clapped his hands to get their attention.
Lilian Reed was the homeroom teacher of the senior advanced class. She was chatting with a few other teachers when Harold walked in.
The moment he called her name, everyone turned to look. Naturally, they noticed Cassia standing quietly behind him.
"What's going on, Mr. Bell?" Lilian asked as she walked over. She was sharp enough to guess what this was about.
"Ms. Reed," Harold said smoothly, "this is Cassia Wood. She's a transfer student. She'll be joining your class." It wasn't a request. It was an announcement.
Lilian's brows drew together. She gave Cassia a quick once-over and frowned even more. One look was enough—this girl screamed trouble. Her posture was lazy, her face blank. That cold, distant look in her eyes made it seem like she was above everyone else.
Lilian wasn't comfortable about this. She said, "Mr. Bell, my class may not be the honors class, but it's not a dumping ground. You can't just stick anyone in here."
Harold winced. Oh my! Teachers these days, every one of them has a temper like a firecracker. You have to treat them like royalty just to get anything done.
He forced a smile and advised, "Come on, Ms. Reed. You're one of our best. I picked you because you have a gift for turning hopeless cases into success stories."
Flattery, his last weapon.
"Please," Lilian huffed. "You say that every time. Do you even realize that bringing in a weak student drags down everyone else? Our class average grade will tank because of her!"
"I get it, I get it," Harold said quickly, trying to keep the peace. "Let's just let her sit in first, okay?"
He sighed inwardly, What a nightmare!
Just then, Selena Parker, the homeroom teacher of the senior honors class, walked in. She had overheard part of the conversation. When she glanced at Cassia, she immediately understood what was going on. When she saw the irritation on Lilian's face, Selena couldn't help adding fuel to the fire. "Oh, Ms. Reed," she said with a playful smile, "that's quite the compliment from Mr. Bell. He clearly believes in your talent—trusting you to guide those poor lost lambs."
Lilian's jaw tightened. She hated that proud tone.
The two of them had been classmates in college. They were both now teaching seniors. They had never gotten along—always polite on the surface, never truly friendly underneath.
"Well then, since Ms. Parker is so confident, why don't we let her take the opportunity instead?" Lilian shot back sharply; she wasn't the kind to back down easily.
Harold could tell the tension was about to explode. His expression turned stern as he cut them off.
"Enough. It's decided. Cassia will join Ms. Reed's class."
His tone was sharp enough to silence them both instantly. They exchanged tense looks but said no more.
Once Harold left, Lilian turned toward Cassia, her tone frosty. "I'll take you to class. But let me be clear: if your grades are too poor and you hold my class back, I'll ask Mr. Bell to remove you. Understood?"
Cassia lifted her gaze slightly, her dark eyes calm and unreadable. She didn't reply.
Lilian's irritation only grew at her silence. "What? Cat got your tongue?"
Cassia finally murmured, "Okay."
Lilian huffed and walked ahead, heels clicking across the floor. Cassia followed quietly behind.
Senior Advanced Class.
The classroom buzzed with chatter. It was Monday morning, and most students were still caught up talking about their weekend plans.
Suddenly, a student burst through the door, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention. "Big news! Big news, everyone!"
The class erupted in laughter and teasing. "What news? Quit dragging it out—just say it already!" someone yelled.
"Listen up! Breaking news, everyone!" The student who had just rushed into the room announced proudly, grinning from ear to ear.
As soon as he spoke, the classroom went silent for a few seconds, then burst into chatter.
"What? A new student? It's senior year! The SAT's right around the corner. Are they serious?" someone exclaimed. "Yeah, who in their right mind transfers now?" another said in disbelief.
"Maybe she's just here to get a cert for the college application," one girl said with disdain.
"Wouldn't be surprised," another added, lowering his voice but making sure everyone could hear. "I heard she's from some backwater town—total country bumpkin. Probably doesn't even know how to keep up here."
"Oh my gosh! A hillbilly? You've got to be kidding me! We actually have a farm girl in our class?" Someone's voice rang out, dramatic and loud enough for everyone to hear.
The room erupted like a firecracker. Whispers and laughter spread fast—everyone was talking at once.
Danica sat at her desk, chin resting in her palm, lazily flipping through her book.
When she caught bits of the conversation, her brow furrowed. A hillbilly from some backwater town?
No way. That couldn't be her, right?
It couldn't be Cassia. She had already told her dad she didn't want to go to the same school as her, let alone end up in the same class. Her dad adored her. He'd never do that to her, right?
Her deskmate, Tyne Cole, overheard too. She said with a sneer, "What's wrong with this school? Why would they take in someone like that? From some nowhere town? She's going to drag our whole class average down. We were already behind the honors class; now it'll be worse."
Danica nodded. "Exactly. We'd better keep our distance, or she'll pull our standard down too."
"Totally. It's annoying," Tyne muttered. She always followed Danica's lead. After all, Danica was beautiful, smart, and came from a rich family. The perfect "it girl."
The chatter grew louder and louder until the classroom door opened. Lilian stepped in, followed by Cassia.
The entire classroom froze. Every head turned toward the door. Every gaze hit Cassia like a dart.
What?
That's the so-called bumpkin from that backwater town?