The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

"So, to verify the claims, I spoke to the nearby residents. After asking around, I realized it was all true. Not a single detail was exaggerated or fabricated."

Henry sighed and continued, "Now she is a true legend a peak we could strive for our entire lives and never reach. And yet, she wasn't satisfied with just that. She even compiled her success strategies and handed them over to the teachers at her school.

"She kept an eye on the two batches of students following her year as well. As a result, for three consecutive years, the school she attended dominated the city rankings and received top honors."

Steven chuckled. "I always thought Zane liked a stay-at-home wife. Who knew he liked such an impressive woman?"noveldrama

To be honest, he was impressed that Zane's first love had such drive and character.

Henry continued instead of agreeing with him, "It's not just her perseverance or ability—it's her relentless determination that sets her apart.

"When she graduated, she placed first in the entire city. Reporters even interviewed her back then, asking why she suddenly transferred schools.

"She originally attended a different school. Her previous school didn't hold back and immediately smeared her reputation, spreading baseless rumors.

"And how did she respond? She calmly stood in front of the cameras and said that she was bullied in school, and no one stood up for her."

When the reporters heard her response, they were stunned. Did the top student in the city transfer because of bullying? What kind of school would let that happen?

The reporters were skeptical and interviewed other students, only to find that everyone backed her story up. Everything she said was But

the ones who bullied her had

protection, so even though she was the city's top student, she had no choice but to leave quietly.

Once the incident went public, the school's reputation plummeted. High-achieving students started avoiding it, afraid they'd suffer the same treatment and lose focus on their studies.

Steven sighed. "That was a ruthless move."

Henry agreed. "It was. And after that, people started digging into the story and found out the identities of her bully. In fact, she had been bullied multiple times. It became clear she had endured it for a long time before finally leaving."

Steven asked, "Why didn't she leave earlier?"

"Probably because she didn't want to waste time. She's incredibly driven. Her only goal was to get top grades and get into a good university. To her, nothing mattered more than her future."

Steven could imagine how many people must have admired her back then. She was different from everyone else.

"And what happened next?" he asked.

"The ones who bullied her the most were her father, his mistress's daughter, and a corrupt principal. After the truth came out, both her father and principal begged her for forgiveness."

Steven scoffed and said, "Did they ever think about mercy when they bullied her? And now that karma's caught up to them, they expect her to let them off?"