Young Overlord

Unlike Alice and Evelyn, who didn't have many supporters in school, Kendra was different—she was the No. 1 belle at State High School.

Six months ago, Kendra was diagnosed with cancer. Since then, she had been receiving special treatment. She was exempted from punishments, and the class even started a donation fund in her name, gathering money to support her treatment. Kendra was a goddess in their hearts, and they would do anything to protect her.

It was no surprise that Alice's words immediately triggered an uproar.

"Alice Chen, how dare you try to smear Kendra's name! What kind of friend are you?"

"I've always said that someone as vengeful as Alice shouldn't be friends with our goddess!"

"Don't worry, goddess! No matter what kind of lies Alice decides to spill this time, we won't believe her!"

Kendra's face was as delicate as a flower, her lips wobbled, and tears threatened to spill down her pale cheeks.

"Alice, how could you accuse me…? You called me on the phone last night and told me you found out something about Evelyn. You even mentioned something about an underground fight in Capital City."

Damn!

Alice almost cursed out loud. She had no idea Kendra had heard that part. She noticed that the confident expression on Evelyn's face had faltered. In her past life, she had watched this brave, confident girl completely break down. At that time, it had given her a twisted sense of satisfaction. She had felt victorious, watching the principal announce Evelyn's expulsion. But now, she regretted how cruel and foolish she had been. She owed Evelyn in her past life, and now, she had the opportunity to make it up to her.

"It's funny how you're eager to frame Evelyn when you're the one hiding a dirty secret all along," Alice scoffed, brushing off the dirt from her fingers. "I did call you last night, but it had nothing to do with Evelyn. I was only trying to figure out your location."

"What do you mean?" Kendra's brows arched in suspicion.

"For someone who's supposed to be undergoing chemotherapy, you sure had a lot of drinks last night at Cloudy Bar." Alice smirked.

Kendra's eyes widened in shock. She always visited the bar in disguise. Even if someone saw her, they would never recognize her. She was sure that even if Alice had tracked her location and traced her to the bar, she had no proof to back up her words.

"Alice… I've always regarded you as my best friend," Kendra's voice broke, her soft tone attracting sympathy from the class, including the other two in their friend group, Serena Su and Donovan Hao.

"I didn't expect you to slander me like this."

Serena was quick to step protectively in front of Kendra.

"Cut the crap, Alice! Everyone knows you'd stop at nothing to bring down your fellow classmates, but I didn't think you'd stoop so low as to frame your best friend. Everyone knows that a cancer patient can't drink alcohol!"

"Alice Chen! You're despicable!" Donovan roared.

"Despicable?" Alice didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Unlike Kendra, who put up a gentle facade, Serena and Donovan were arrogant and downright condescending. Before Alice joined the school, the three of them were the golden trio. Alice had felt honored to be given a chance to join their friend group. Like a fool, she had treasured their friendship, doing everything she could to please them. But in the end, these three had kicked her down at her lowest.

"Do you know what's actually despicable? Faking an illness to scam people out of their money." Pushing Serena aside, Alice ran her fingers through Kendra's long, glossy black hair. "If I'm correct, cancer patients start losing their hair within four to five weeks of chemotherapy, but you claimed to have lost all your hair even before you were diagnosed. To be honest, I'm quite envious of you—having an entire collection of expensive wigs, yet their only job is to cover an empty head like yours."

Kendra turned pale, faced with numerous scrutinizing gazes. "I… It doesn't prove anything."

Pffft! A deep, rumbling laugh erupted from the back row. That row belonged to Brandon Xu, the class overlord. His brown, foxy eyes were fixed on Alice, eyeing her the way a cat would eye a rabbit.

"You're right, it doesn't. But this does!"

With a strong tug, Alice pulled the wig from Kendra's head, revealing the shoulder-length hair underneath.

"You should tell the class the name of the hair product you use. It's so great that your hair is growing at an astonishing rate—even during chemotherapy."

"Damn! Not only is it growing fast, but it's also thick and lustrous. That hair product must be amazing. My grandma is also undergoing chemotherapy—why don't you recommend it to her?" Brandon winked playfully. His two friends, Dylan and Denver, exchanged puzzled glances. Brandon's grandma has cancer? How come they never knew about this?

Kendra turned even paler. She hadn't considered the possibility of Alice yanking off her wig. If she had known, she would have held on to it with all her might.

Murmurs spread through the classroom, and the gazes directed at Kendra were filled with doubt.

"That's right, Kendra, please do share the name of this product. It would really help cancer patients." Someone sneered.

Damn this stupid Alice Chen! Kendra cursed under her breath. The whole situation felt strange. Alice had always been subservient and obedient toward her, but now, the cold chill in Alice's eyes almost sent a shiver down her spine. Something is different about her.

Kendra quickly regained her composure. Most of her supporters were still staring trustfully at her, waiting for an explanation. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she rummaged through her backpack.

"I honestly can't explain why my hair has been growing so much..." She pulled out a set of documents. "My test records are all here. The doctors confirmed that I have leukemia."

"I would never lie about an illness. If this is about the money that was donated to me, I can return it if that's what you all want."

Her slender figure shook with sobs, making her look even more pitiful.

Alice scoffed. Kendra was a natural at acting—it was no surprise she had pursued a career in acting after graduating high school.

"You mean those forged reports? I bet if we look up the hospital's name, it won't even exist. Why don't I invite a real doctor over to do a test?"

Before Kendra could respond, someone walked in. Immediately, all the girls started shrieking with excitement.

"Oh my God! It's Jace Li!"

"He's so handsome! It's such a pity he's dating someone like Alice. Ughhh, a mean bitch like her doesn't deserve to be my idol's girlfriend."

"Angel."

Jace's voice was calm yet questioning.

A wave of revulsion washed over Alice. In the past, whenever Jace called her by this nickname, she had felt ecstatic—until she discovered that it was the same nickname he used for Angela. In his heart, she had been nothing more than a mere substitute.

Hearing it now only confirmed one thing: Jace had known about Angela's existence all along, even before their relationship began. That was the only reason he had agreed to date her.

"I know you love playing detective," he continued softly, "but you've gone too far this time. You should apologize to Kendra."

"And what if I don't?"

The blazing fury in Alice's eyes took Jace by surprise. Although she acted like a tyrant in school, she had always been an obedient little lamb in front of him. This was the first time she had openly defied him.

"Angel… you should stop causing a scene at school. If there's any misunderstanding between you and Kendra, we can all meet at a café after school to discuss it," Jace suggested. He deliberately added the last part, knowing that Alice had always begged to spend time with him, only for him to come up with countless excuses. He was confident she would agree.

Her next words, however, shocked him to the core.

"You want us to discuss it privately, huh? Let me guess—you and Kendra are accomplices, and you get your share from the donation fund."

Jace gritted his teeth, finally losing the last thread of his patience.

"Alice! Don't be ridiculous. Why would I do something shameful for a mere ten million yuan?"

"You're right," Alice smiled sardonically. "That's why it's best to clear everything up now."

She turned towards the back row, where a pair of foxy brown eyes remained fixated on her.

"Brandon, your dad owns a hospital, right? Can he send a doctor over for a rapid blood test? It takes less than fifteen minutes to detect abnormalities in a cancer patient's blood. Since Kendra is telling the truth, she has no reason to refuse."

A sly grin appeared on Brandon's face. "Of course. I can get someone here within minutes."

The classroom erupted into an uproar. Brandon Xu, the class overlord, was offering to help someone? And not just anyone—it was Alice Chen.

"I… I don't have to undergo a humiliating test just to prove anything to you… I won't do it," Kendra protested weakly.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Then that only proves you're guilty. You know your lies will be exposed once the doctor arrives. Let me guess—your symptoms are going to 'flare up' now, aren't they?"

Beads of sweat rolled down Kendra's face. Just now, she had been about to feign dizziness to escape home. But now that Alice had pointed it out, doing so would only confirm that she had been faking her illness.

At the same time, she couldn't afford to wait for the doctor's arrival. Once the test was conducted, her lies would be exposed, and the entire school would tear her apart. She couldn't let her image as the class goddess be destroyed just like that.

In the end, she chose the first option.

"I—I don't feel well. I need to go home," she croaked, clutching her head before bolting for the door.

The classroom remained frozen in stunned silence, broken only by the sound of Kendra's hurried footsteps echoing down the hall. No one had expected that.

Lisa Mo was the first to speak. "For someone who can no longer participate in PE, she actually ran quite fast."

Watching Kendra's retreating figure, even her loyal supporters had nothing to say in her defense.

Alice smirked inwardly. Perfect. The seed of doubt had already been planted. The class would take it from here.

Leaving Jace in shock, Alice strode out of the classroom. There was still enough time to grab something to eat at the cafeteria.

She had barely picked up a can of soda when someone ambushed her.