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The tension in the room was palpable. Marinette blinked in disbelief, trying to process what she was seeing. Chloé Bourgeois, of all people, had just stepped in to stop Lila from kicking her.

"Chloé, what on earth are you doing?!" Lila snapped, struggling to free her foot from Chloé's grip. Chloé's expression was a mix of anger and exhaustion, clearly fed up with Lila’s antics.

Marinette's eyes were widened in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Chloè Bourgeois was defending her, by stopping Lila from kicking her. "Chloè! What the hell?!?" Lila erupted, trying to get her right foot back.

"This is ridiculous, Lila! Utterly ridiculous!" Chloé shouted, finally releasing Lila's foot, causing her to stumble backward. She then reached out to help Marinette up, offering a small, sad smile. Marinette was too shocked to respond, her mind still reeling from the unforeseen turn of events.

Chloé turned to face Lila, her arms crossed defiantly. "Ridiculous? I thought you wanted to take Adrien and ruin Marinette," Lila retorted, her voice laced with bitterness.

Chloé shook her head, her voice firm. "I've had enough of your lies, Lila. I know you were just using me to get to Adrien," she said, her frustration evident.

Lila’s eyes narrowed. "So that's it? You figured out I wasn’t going to share Adrien with you, and now you're turning against me?" she spat, her anger rising.

Chloé let out a bitter laugh. "You think that’s the only reason? Sabrina found happiness by stepping away from all this, by doing the right thing. I wanted to try that, to be better for once. But you’ve taken things too far, Lila. You almost hurt Marinette, and I know how dangerous your kicks can be. I still remember when you kicked Sabrina so hard she coughed up blood," Chloé choked out, her voice breaking as tears welled up in her eyes.

The school bell rang, but none of them moved. The moment was too tense for any of them to care about the next class.

Marinette covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face, not just from the shock of learning what Lila had done to Sabrina, but also because Chloé, of all people, wanted to change.

"So what if I hurt your little sidekick? I could have dealt with Marinette already if it weren’t for your theatrics! You think you can suddenly be a 'better person'? Give me a break, Chloé. You're just a spoiled brat," Lila sneered, her voice dripping with disdain.

Chloé flinched at Lila’s words, knowing there was truth in them. She had hurt her classmates, treated them poorly, and lived up to her reputation as a spoiled daddy’s girl. But she also knew she was tired of that life. If Sabrina could change, then so could she.

"You're right, Lila. I’ve been awful to everyone, and it’s hard knowing the whole class hates me. They even threw a party when they thought I was leaving for New York. And honestly, I can’t blame them. But I’m done being the person they celebrate leaving. I don’t want to be hated anymore. I want to be good. So if you ever try to hurt Marinette or anyone else again, I’ll expose every single one of your lies. And if you lay a hand on Sabrina or anyone else, I will stop you," Chloé declared, her voice steady as she wiped away her tears. "Cause I'm not a desperate bitch."

Both Lila and Marinette were left speechless.

Chloé had changed.

And she realized she had underestimated her.

"Thank you, Chloè Bourgeois." Marinette thanked the girl, putting her hand on Chloè's shoulder. Chloè looked at Marinette and gave her an authentic smile. "But...careful with your language," added Marinette, causing the two to laugh softly.

Lila couldn't take it anymore, she was about to kick Chloè when her leg was once again interrupted.

"You almost hurt Marinette, and I know how dangerous your kicks can be. I still remember when you kicked Sabrina so hard she coughed up blood." They heard Chloè's voice.

Lila's followed, "So what if I hurt your little sidekick? I could have dealt with Marinette already if it weren’t for your theatrics! You think you can suddenly be a 'better person'? Give me a break, Chloé. You're just a spoiled brat."

The P.A. system crackled to life, echoing throughout the school. Gasps filled the hallways as students realized what was happening. Those who had been wondering where Marinette, Lila, and Chloé had gone quickly pieced things together and rushed to find them. Within minutes, Mr. Damocles and a group of concerned students burst into the cafeteria, where they found Marinette and Chloé restraining Lila, preventing her from fleeing.

Lila Rossi was in big trouble... 

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

"Lila Rossi, you are hereby expelled from Françoise Dupont High School," Mr. Damocles declared, his tone final. Lila’s eyes filled with tears as she turned to her parents, seeking comfort, but instead of solace, she was met with stern disappointment. Her parents pulled her away, their faces a mix of anger and regret as they left the principal's office, heading home without another word.

In the aftermath, Marinette and Chloé explained everything to their friends. Chloé had finally accepted that Adrien would never return her feelings—a truth she had always known but refused to believe. Remarkably, the rest of the school no longer harbored resentment toward her.

"I'm really glad you stopped Lila from kicking Marinette, Chloé," Adrien said, pulling her into a hug. Alya nodded in agreement. "Yeah, thanks for having Marinette's back when I couldn’t be there," she added warmly. The rest of the group chimed in with their gratitude.

Marinette felt her cheeks heat up, touched by how much everyone cared for her, especially Adrien.

"You're welcome," Chloé replied, but she noticed the extra relief in Adrien's voice. As they hugged, she couldn’t help but grin, realizing something. "You like her, don't you?" she whispered, a knowing smirk on her face.

Adrien blushed.

He quickly pulled away, shaking his head. "Chloé, she's just my friend. I care about her, that’s all," he stammered, his voice quiet and a little too nervous.

How dense is this guy...? 

Chloé rolled her eyes, exasperated. How could he be so clueless?

"Guys..." Chloé called out, getting everyone’s attention. "I need to apologize to all of you. I know I was awful before—calling you names, bullying you. I’m really sorry for everything," she said sincerely.

"It's okay," Juleka replied with a small smile, and the others murmured their agreement.

Chloé’s face lit up as if she had just received the best gift she could imagine. "Thank you… all of you, for forgiving me," she said, pulling them into a group hug. They embraced her warmly.

"We’re also thankful you decided to change, Chloé!" Rose chirped, her voice full of cheer.

"You can thank Sabrina for that," Chloé replied, nodding toward her best friend. Sabrina's eyes widened in surprise, and Chloé smiled at her.

"Me? What did I do?" Sabrina asked, puzzled.

"You inspired me," Chloé said simply. Sabrina’s surprise melted into a smile as she rushed forward to hug Chloé again.

"I have a question," Marinette spoke up hesitantly.

"What is it, Marinette?" Alya asked.

"Who played that recording over the P.A. system?" Marinette asked, looking around at everyone.

Juleka smirked.

A/N: Sorry if this chapter was short, but I hoped you liked it. Thanks for reading! <3

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Have a nice Day/Afternoon/Night...!

~1257 words~