Chapter 12: Rising Above Insults

It was a rainy Wednesday, Sarah though in a good mood was having a strange feeling in her stomach, reluctantly she dragged herself up and dressed for class, walking out of her house, she flagged down a taxi that took her to the school campus, taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the taxi and headed towards her class.

A black tinted Mercedes Benz drove into the school attracting attention, the car drove through the route which was taken by Sarah splashing mud on her white dress. The door of the car opened and a stylishly dressed girl, Mandy Morgan stepped out, dressed in a short brown tight skirt, white long sleeved tank top and a pair of white sneakers. She had a sly smile on her face as she walked towards Sarah. Seeing whom it was some of the students felt jealous and belittled because they can't even afford to take a taxi to school and here was someone being brought to school in a Mercedes Benz by her driver.

"That serves you right" she said and chuckled. Sarah who was both shocked and surprised starred at her with rage building up in her stomach "you know, you should be thankful my driver splashed that mud on you darling, you look a mess this morning and I think you should go get yourself cleaned up" she sneered.

Sarah felt insulted but swallowed really hard to avoid venting out her anger. As Sarah tried to compose herself, she took a deep breath and reminded herself to stay calm. She knew that reacting with anger would only give Mandy more satisfaction. With a determined look on her face, she replied in a calm and composed manner, "Well, accidents happen, don't they? I'm sure you can understand that, Mandy."

Mandy seemed taken aback by Sarah's response, not expecting such composure from her. Nevertheless, she quickly regained her composure and retorted, "Oh please, Sarah. Who do you think you are to talk to me like that? Just because you're dressed in rags doesn't mean you can stand up to someone like me."

Sarah refused to let Mandy's words get to her. She knew her worth and understood . With a genuine smile, she approached Mandy and said, "You know, Mandy, it's not about what you wear or how much money you have. It's about how you treat others and the values you hold. Kindness and compassion are far more important than any material possessions."

By now Sarah's composure was beginning to get Mandy annoyed, "this was the girl she was trying to ridicule and make fun of but here she was looking all composed and relaxed." she thought "Well, I guess you have a point Sarah, but for someone like you," she said and paused shaking her head sideways "I don't think you deserve any of those, you're nothing but a poor little thing and you deserve nothing but to be treated like one"

Sarah took a deep breath, refusing to let Mandy's hurtful words dampen her spirit. She understood that Mandy's insults were simply a defense mechanism, a way for Mandy to mask her own insecurities and deflect attention away from her own shortcomings. Sarah's self-esteem was not dependent on Mandy's opinion or anyone else's for that matter.

With a calm and steady demeanor, Sarah looked Mandy in the eye and replied, "Mandy, I understand that you may have your own opinions about me, but I believe that every person deserves kindness and compassion, regardless of their background or worldly possessions. It's not about what we have, but how we choose to treat others."

Mandy's irritation grew as she realized that her attempts to belittle and mock Sarah were falling flat. She felt a mix of frustration and envy as she observed Sarah's unwavering confidence and resilience. Despite her efforts to bring Sarah down, Sarah seemed unfazed, secure in her own self-worth.

"I don't know why you're so confident, Sarah," Mandy retorted with a hint of bitterness. "You don't have anything to show for yourself. You think you're special huh? let me tell you, you're nothing but a poor little pauper who doesn't deserve any single empathy or pity."

"Can you please stay away from her Mandy?" a voice said through the crowd of students