The Forgotten Daughter: Reclaiming Love

Chapter 45: Unspoken Tension

Third Person's POV

The girl on the ground was crying, clutching at her scalp where her hair was being yanked by the blonde. The rest of the Royals sat back, watching the scene unfold with detached expressions. None of them moved to intervene, as if this was just another casual occurrence in their lives. Some even smirked, while others looked mildly bored. The air around them was thick with tension, the students in the hallway too stunned or too afraid to step in.

Amelia's heart clenched in her chest, a mixture of disbelief and helplessness washing over her. The poor girl on the ground was clearly in pain, her face streaked with tears, her voice broken by sobs as she tried to plead with the blonde to let her go. But the blonde—Amelia thought her name might have been Vanessa—didn't seem to care. She looked down at the girl with cold, disdainful eyes, her grip tightening.

"What should we do?" Isabelle muttered beside Amelia, her voice barely above a whisper. "We can't just stand here."

Amelia's mind raced. She didn't know the dynamics of this school well enough yet to understand why no one else was stepping in. Was this how things worked here? Was this what Sophie had meant earlier, about the Royals being untouchable? The power they held over the student body was palpable, and it seemed like no one dared to challenge them.

"I don't think we should get involved," Catherine said, her voice strained with unease. "It's... it's not our business."

Amelia's hands clenched into fists at her sides. It may not have been their business, but she couldn't just stand there and watch this happen. She took a step forward, but Sophie grabbed her arm, pulling her back gently but firmly.

"Don't," Sophie whispered, shaking her head. "You don't know what they'll do if you try to stop it."

Amelia turned to look at Sophie, confusion and frustration flashing across her face. "We can't just—"

A new voice cut through the tension like a knife. "Vanessa, let her go."

It was one of the boys from the Royals' group—a tall, dark-haired boy with a strikingly handsome face. His tone was calm, but there was an edge of authority in his voice that made Vanessa pause. She glanced up at him, clearly annoyed by his interruption, but after a moment, she let go of the girl's hair, pushing her roughly away.

"Whatever," Vanessa muttered, rolling her eyes as if the whole thing had been nothing more than an inconvenience.

The girl on the ground scrambled to her feet, still crying, her hands trembling as she tried to smooth her disheveled hair. She didn't dare look at Vanessa as she hurried away, her sobs echoing faintly down the hallway.

Amelia felt a rush of relief, but it was quickly replaced by a sickening anger. How could someone be so cruel? And how could everyone else just stand by and watch? She turned to Sophie and the others, who looked just as uneasy as she felt, though none of them made a move to leave.

"See?" Sophie said quietly. "That's what they do. And no one ever stops them."

The boy who had spoken—the one who had told Vanessa to stop—looked in Amelia's direction then, his piercing eyes locking onto hers for a brief moment. There was something unreadable in his expression, but before she could think too much of it, he turned away, leading the rest of the group down the hall as if nothing had happened.

The students who had been watching started to disperse, their whispers and murmurs filling the air as they returned to their conversations. It was as if the whole thing had been some kind of twisted spectacle, and now that it was over, life went on as usual.

Amelia's stomach churned. This wasn't right. This wasn't how things should be.

"We should go," Isabelle said gently, touching Amelia's arm. "Class is starting soon."

Amelia nodded, though her mind was still racing. She followed her friends toward their classroom, but she couldn't shake the image of that girl crying on the floor. The powerlessness she had felt watching it unfold lingered, gnawing at her insides. She had never seen anything like this in her old school—this blatant display of cruelty, this unspoken rule that certain people could do whatever they wanted without consequence.

As they walked, Sophie leaned closer to her, her voice low. "I know it's hard to see, but you really don't want to get involved with them. It'll only make things worse."

Amelia didn't respond. She knew Sophie was probably right. But that didn't make it any easier to swallow.

When they finally reached their classroom, the tension still hung heavy in the air. The usual buzz of pre-class chatter felt muted, as if everyone was still processing what had just happened. Amelia slid into her seat, her thoughts a jumbled mess. She barely noticed when her teacher entered the room and began the lesson. Her mind was elsewhere.

About halfway through the class, Isabelle leaned over and whispered, "You okay?"

Amelia forced a small smile and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just... thinking."

Isabelle gave her a sympathetic look. "It's hard to get used to, I know. But you're doing great. Just keep your head down and stay out of their way. You'll be fine."

Amelia appreciated Isabelle's reassurance, but deep down, she wasn't sure if she could just stay out of the way. What if something like that happened again? What if it happened to someone else? Could she really just stand by and watch?

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Amelia tried to focus on her classes, but her mind kept drifting back to the scene in the hallway. When the final bell rang and the students began packing up their things, she felt a strange sense of relief. At least the day was over.

As she walked out of the school building with Isabelle and the others, the cool breeze of the afternoon air helped clear her mind. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm golden glow over the school grounds. For a moment, the beauty of the evening almost made her forget the ugliness she had witnessed earlier.

Almost.

Isabelle turned to her as they reached the front gates. "Do you need a ride home? My driver's picking me up, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind dropping you off."

Amelia smiled, grateful for the offer. "Thanks, but I think I'll walk today. I need to clear my head."

"Okay," Isabelle said with a nod. "But if you ever need anything, just let me know, alright?"

"I will," Amelia promised. "Thanks, Isabelle."

Isabelle gave her a warm smile before walking toward her sleek, black car, which was already waiting at the curb. Amelia watched her friend go, then turned back to the school entrance, taking in the scene around her. The courtyard had mostly cleared out now, with only a few stragglers lingering in small groups, finishing their conversations before heading home.

Amelia exhaled deeply, her thoughts still swirling with the events of the day. She had been so overwhelmed by everything—adjusting to the new environment, the strange dynamics with the Royals, and now, that disturbing scene at lunch. She rubbed her temples, trying to ease the tension building there.

Just as she was about to start walking home, a familiar black sedan pulled up in front of her. It was the car her family had arranged to pick her up after school. The butler, an older man with kind eyes and a professional demeanor, stepped out and opened the door for her.

"Miss Amelia, your ride is here," he said politely.