Lunch hour was supposed to be a break—a time to rest, eat, and maybe even relax.

For Rose, it was just another battlefield.

She moved through the cafeteria as quickly as possible, head down, tray clutched tightly in her hands. The smell of overpriced gourmet meals filled the air—truffle pasta, grilled salmon, and freshly baked pastries. Nothing here was ordinary. Even the damn water came from glass bottles with imported labels. Caviar was a fucking staple here!.

And then there was her.

Her cheap tray. Her boring, uninspired salad. A bottle of water, not even one of the fancy brands.

The stars on her ID card indicated could eat at the cafeteria for free but Rose was not about to go through the process of checking what her stars could offer her.

Her scholarship status weighed on her like a stain instead of an acknowledgement and admiration for her ideas like the school’s management had said.

The whispers followed her, slithering through the air like smoke.

"She’s eating again?"

"No wonder she looks like that."

"I heard she stuffs her face at night and cries about it later."

"So gross."

Her heart pounded against her ribs.

She wanted to pretend she couldn’t hear them, but their voices had a way of burrowing into her skull, lodging themselves in the spaces where self-confidence should have been.

Her hands clenched around the tray, fingers digging into the plastic.

Don’t react.

That’s what they wanted.

If she reacted, if she showed even the smallest crack, they’d push harder.

She spotted an empty table near the corner and made a beeline for it, moving as fast as she could without drawing more attention. If she was lucky, she’d get through this meal in peace.

She wasn’t lucky.

The moment she sat down, a shadow loomed over her.

"That looks… excessive."

Her stomach clenched at the sick sweet voice.

Lily.

Of course.

Lily stood at the edge of the table, arms crossed, an exaggerated look of concern on her perfect, symmetrical face. Bianca and Maddie flanked her sides like trained bodyguards.

"Are you sure you need all that?" Bianca added, pointing at the tray with a perfectly manicured finger.

Rose looked down at her meal.

A salad. A bottle of water.

That was it.

She could feel her throat closing up, that familiar lump of humiliation forming.

Lily tilted her head, waiting for an answer, her lips curling into a slow smirk.

Rose forced herself to meet her gaze.

"Do you ever get tired?" she asked, voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

Lily blinked. "Tired?"

"Of this." Rose gestured vaguely between them. "Of… whatever this is. The daily performance."

For a split second, just a fraction of a moment, she saw something flicker in Lily’s eyes.

Annoyance?

Amusement?

But then it was gone, replaced with a slow, lazy smirk.

"You really think you’re the main character, don’t you?” Lily asked, leaning in slightly.

Rose held her gaze.

"You think you’re the main character," she shot back laying emphasis on the you.

The cafeteria went eerily quiet.

Bianca sucked in a breath.

Maddie looked at Lily uncertainly.

For the first time, it seemed like Rose had landed a hit. A small one. A scratch. But still… something.

Lily stared at her for a long moment before laughing.

It wasn’t a Duchene laugh. It was the kind that sent chills down your spine, the kind that told you you’d just made things worse.

"You’re funny," she said, her voice smooth as silk. "I like that. I should’ve known you’d be one of those stupid ones."

She reached for Rose’s tray.

Before Rose could react, Lily picked up the bottle of water, unscrewed the cap, and turned it upside down over the salad.

Water splashed over the leaves, drenching them completely, pooling into a sad, soggy mess.

"There," Lily said, setting the empty bottle down. "Healthier now."

Rose stared at the ruined meal, heart pounding.

The whispers started again.

Soft chuckles.

Murmurs of how pathetic she is.

Lily straightened, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Enjoy your lunch. Also, you’re cuter when quiet."

She smirked walking away, her entourage following close behind.

Rose exhaled shakily.

She wasn’t hungry anymore.

She bolted out of the cafeteria, running with her phone clutched tightly in her hand ignoring the jeers and taunts behind her back.

Pretending she didn’t feel like the smallest person in the world.

…..

Rose locked the bathroom stall behind her, pressing her back against the cold metal as she tried to breathe.

In. Out.

In. Out.

Her hands trembled against the rough door, nails digging into the wood. She could still hear their laughter, still feel the cold, sticky sensation of water soaking her clothes.

Some of the jeers from cafeteria incident played on repeat in her head.

"Oops."

"I just realized why this place isn’tso bright. She’s blocking the sunlight."

"She’s like a vacuum. She’ll just suck it all up anyway."

Her stomach twisted, nausea curling at the edges of her throat.

She had spent the past two weeks trying even harder to stay invisible. She avoided confrontation, walked with her head down, kept to herself.

Her thought was that by coming to DYNASTY she could prepare for her future so she took a gap year off college to attend dynasty after her internship.

What a laugh.

She became the organized stress ball for the rich entitled kids.

She forced herself to move, stepping toward the sink. The harsh fluorescent lights buzzed overhead as she turned on the faucet, splashing cold water onto her face.

She didn’t want to look up.

But she did.

And she hated what she saw.

Her wet cheeks. Her red-rimmed eyes. The way her shirt clung to her body, highlighting every insecurity she tried to hide.

Fat.

Pathetic.

A joke.

That’s what they saw her as.

That’s what she was.

Her hands gripped the sink, knuckles turning white. She bit the inside of her cheek, forcing herself not to cry.

Crying wouldn’t fix anything.

Crying wouldn’t make her thin.

Crying wouldn’t make her parents rich. Not that she had a Dad who cared.

Crying wouldn’t erase the whispers that followed her everywhere.

"You’re funny. I like that. I should’ve known you’d be one of those stupid ones."

Lily’s voice wouldn’t leave her head.

Neither would the whispers.

"She’s eating again?"

"No wonder she looks like that."

"I heard she stuffs her face at night and cries about it later."

A bitter taste rose in her throat.

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to forget.

But her body refused to listen.

The nausea came fast.

Without thinking, she turned, dropping to her knees in front of the toilet.

Her fingers trembled as they hovered over her open mouth.

This wasn’t the first time.

It wouldn’t be the last.