Juliette, on the other hand, angrily dragged her friend away. "Does a toad think she's a swan just by putting on a coat?"
I'm running my own small advertising business, and with an improved demeanor, along with a generous hand, those who once mocked me quickly flocked to flatter me.
Threads on the school forum even detailed my transformation from a trash collector to a successful student entrepreneur, gossiping about my rumored relationship with Joel.
Many people seemed to only now realize that the girl they once unanimously deemed the ugliest in the school, once stripped of those ill-fitting, dull clothes and unflattering hairstyles, actually had very striking features, even rivaling the most beautiful girl in the class, Juliette. With a bit of grooming, my bright eyes and radiant smile shone through.
Now, my photos frequently appeared on the "campus crush" wall, causing a stir each time.
This truly validated the saying: the harder they mocked me back then, the harder they praise me now.
Despite all this, I didn't let it get to my head.
I knew everything I achieved was due to my own efforts.
Only when you become good enough will the world be kind to you, and better things will be attracted to you.
No one was more upset about my transformation than the teaching assistant.
She despised me the most, and now that I was on par with the rich students she favored, she was even more caustic in her words.
"Erica, don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're now popular on campus. As a student, grades are what matters. If you spend all your time running that ad shop, when will you study? If you fail this semester, I'll make sure you don't get your diploma!"
She was already threatening me. I wasn't going to back down. "What if I pass and even become top of the class?"
She probably didn't expect me to challenge her head-on, let alone aim for the top.
She sneered, "You think you can beat Juliette? If you top the class, you can have my job!"
I scoffed, "That's unnecessary. If I don't top the class, I'll obey you for the next two years. But if I do, you have to publicly apologize for your past actions."
A bystander posted our exchange on the school forum, and everyone was eagerly waiting for the outcome.
Some were waiting to see me fail, while others, fed up with the assistant's bias, supported me.
I ignored it all.