Mistaken for a Bully, Feared as a Queen

I grew up pampered, always held in the palm of my family's hand.

On the first day of college, my bodyguards carried two suitcases into my dorm room.

I stood at the doorway, glanced around, and said:

Keep the AC on 24/7, I'll cover the electricity bill.

I'm a light sleeper, so no noise after 11 PM.

"Wipe down the bathroom every time you use it, I'm a germaphobe."

"I can't do heavy lifting. I'll pay you 0-000 to pick up my packages."

My three roommates exchanged confused glances.

I looked at them and added:

"No offense, it's just my first time living in a dorm, so I'm laying out the rules upfront to avoid any drama later."

Then I pulled out the welcome gifts I'd prepared: a Chanel bag for each of them.

"Thanks for your understanding."

Their eyes lit up, and they exclaimed, "From now on, you're our Lady Boss!"

But then, one girl named Sophia Miller started acting up.

She told people behind my back that my gifts were charity, that I looked down on her.

"She thinks a little money and a few designer items can make me her slave. I might be poor, but I have pride!"

Even more absurdly, my fianc, Ethan Hayes, flew all the way back from abroad just to defend her.

"Evie, can't you dial it back a little? Sophia doesn't come from money, how can she pay you back for such expensive gifts?"

"Can you please change your arrogant attitude? Stop acting like the whole world revolves around you."

I watched him standing protectively in front of Sophia, and suddenly, I smiled.

If you all think I'm a bully, then I'll show you what a real heiress can do.

My family is well-off, and my friends always tease me, calling me an "heiress."

It's not entirely a joke, though.

After all, I have the backing of a century-old, top-tier prominent family.

So when I stood at the door, seeing a dorm room smaller than my own bathroom back home, meant to house four people, my head was spinning.

I only stepped inside after a bodyguard had made my bed. My three roommates were standing by, openly scrutinizing me.

Their faces showed undisguised exasperation.

I glanced at the line of bodyguards by the dorm door and the mountain of luggage taking up half the room.

Okay, maybe it was a bit much.

I sat on my freshly made bed and smiled as I greeted my new roommates.

"Hi everyone, I'm Evelyn Reed. I'm from a prominent family in Los Angeles. We'll be roommates for the next four years."

"I've never lived in a dorm before, so I have a few requests."

"First, the dorm AC should be set to 77F all day. I'll cover the electricity."

"Second, I'm a light sleeper, so no noise in the dorm after eleven o'clock."

The three of them looked awkward, their gaze screaming "high-maintenance."

I waved my hand, and a bodyguard brought in three large boxes.

"These are gifts from Miss Reed for everyone."

The three girls opened the boxes and stared blankly for a long moment.

Full skincare sets, Apple laptops, Chanel handbags.

My demands were quite specific, so it was only right to prepare some gifts for them.

It's also a standard move in my circles.

What money can buy is often far more cost-effective than owing someone a favor.

"I don't mean anything by saying all this, just want to be clear upfront to avoid any misunderstandings later."

Chloe Davis, a girl with a big personality, quickly accepted my terms.

"Oh my God, I thought we were getting a princess, but we got a real princess!"

"You're so generous, I'm almost embarrassed."

I smiled.

"Also, I don't do chores or clean. I'll pay $500 for cleaning and 0-000 for picking up a package."

I thought for a moment and continued:

"If you're not willing, I can always ask the dorm next door..."

Chloe immediately jumped up, pulling Mia Brown, who was next to her, to her feet.

"I'm willing! Of course, we insiders should be the first to interview for serving our Lady Boss!"

Mia's gaze was even more determined than my bodyguard's.

"Lady Boss, I actually know a bit of self-defense. I'll be your protector on campus from now on!"

As everyone slowly warmed up, Sophia Miller, who had been sitting in the corner, tightly clutched her gift bag, biting her lower lip.

At the time, I didn't think much of it, assuming she was just slow to warm up and a bit shy.

Little did I know, this person would bring unexpected trouble and 'surprises' to my college life.

When did I first realize something was wrong?

Girls from the next dorm room would see me in the hallway and, instead of smiling and greeting me as before, would pretend not to see me.

In class, everyone except my two roommates kept their distance.

I thought I was being sensitive. After all, the places I'd lived growing up had such tight security that I rarely saw neighbors. So I had no frame of reference for this kind of "cold" environment.

Until one day, Chloe couldn't hold it in anymore.

I walked out of the shower, drying my hair with a towel, when Chloe suddenly pushed open the door and sat on my bed, her face looking odd.

"Evie, have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

She hesitated, then pulled out her phone and opened a SnapChat group.

Scrolling up through the chat history, a girl named Sarah Johnson had posted three messages in a row.

"You guys know Evelyn Reed from Class 4? The way she showed up on the first day, bodyguards and all, really thinks she's a princess."

"She gave her roommates skincare, but the condition was for them to be her servants. $500 for cleaning, 0-000 for packages. Isn't that just using money to humiliate people?"

"Sophia from the next dorm told us. She said receiving the gift made her feel awful, like she was being humiliated, but she didn't dare refuse it because she was afraid of offending Evelyn."

After reading those, I admit, I was definitely annoyed.

The replies below had already reached almost a hundred comments.

Some cursed me for being a nouveau riche, others said I was a rich person with no class.

Someone even passive-aggressively sent a string of candle emojis, saying: "Poor Sophia, stuck in a dorm with someone like that."

I handed the phone back to Chloe.

"Sophia said all this?"

"The chat logs say it was her, but Sophia's still acting innocent in the group!"

Chloe was furious.

I scrolled down further. Sophia had posted, feigning distress:

"I didn't mean for everyone to know, I just complained a bit privately to Sarah. Please don't attack Evelyn, let's not cause her any trouble."

Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Pfft! 'Privately complained' and it spread across three classes?"

I didn't say anything.

Chloe thought I was angry and added:

"Evie, don't worry about it. These types are just jealous of others' success. If you want to deal with her, I'll help you!"

I shook my head.

"No need. It's too minor to bother with."

The next morning, on my way to class, I deliberately walked past Sophia's seat.

She was looking down, flipping through a book. I didn't say anything, just sat in the empty seat next to her.

She stiffened.

The few girls sitting nearby also looked up and glanced at me.

I opened my phone, pulled up that screenshot, and pushed it toward her.

"Explain this."

Sophia glanced at the screen, quickly pushed the phone back, and whispered:

"I... I just felt a bit uncomfortable, so I complained a few times, it was all just a joke..."

I took my phone back and leaned against the chair.

"You accepted my skincare, Apple laptop, and Chanel bag, then turned around and told people behind my back that it was charity, that I was using money to humiliate you?"

Her eyes quickly reddened. The students around us were already looking our way.

Sophia suddenly raised her hand to cover her face, her shoulders trembling, her voice tearful:

"Evelyn Reed, what did I ever do to offend you? Why do you have to corner me like this?"

She sniffed, then looked up, her eyes showing a mix of grievance and defiance.

"You gave me such expensive things. I know you're rich, but you know my family's situation, how can I ever pay you back?"

"I didn't even dare use them. They're just sitting in my closet, and looking at them every day terrifies me. What's wrong with me complaining a bit to Sarah? Am I not allowed to have feelings?"

I sat there silently, watching her performance.

Sophia simply stood up, her chair scraping loudly across the floor.

"Yes, I'm poor, so I should be eternally grateful for your gifts?"

"But who are you to condescendingly decide the nature of our relationship? You humiliated my pride with your money, am I not allowed to feel uncomfortable?"

After she finished speaking, her tears fell even harder.

The students nearby started whispering to each other.

"Evelyn Reed, don't be too much. Just because you have money doesn't mean you can bully your classmates!"

My voice was flat.

"Sophia, done crying?"

Her sobs paused.

"First, if you felt the gifts were too expensive and you were uneasy accepting them, then bring them back to me tomorrow."

"Second, you think I'm using money to make you a servant, but why didn't you feel humiliated when you accepted the money for chores?"

She opened her mouth, tears still streaming, but couldn't say anything.

I stood up and adjusted my jacket.

"I have the SnapChat screenshots saved. I advise you not to push it."

I scanned the surrounding students who were watching.

"I don't care if they believe you, but next time, I won't be so easy to deal with."

After my warning, she and those in the group chat were quiet for two days.

But a week later, I received a FaceTime call from my fianc, Ethan Hayes.

Ethan is my fianc. Our families have been close for generations.

When we were ten, our parents had dinner together and basically decided our future on the spot.

If you scroll up our SnapChat history, the last message before this was "Happy New Year" from months ago.

"Evie, is Sophia your roommate?"

"You know her?"

"She's a scholarship student my family has sponsored since high school. She called me crying for a long time a few days ago."

I picked at my nail, casually asking:

"And?"

"She said you gave her very expensive things, and she didn't dare refuse for fear of being isolated. Later, she mentioned in the dorm that she felt a lot of pressure, and then you gave her a hard time in class."

Ethan sighed, his tone reproachful:

"Evie, her family isn't well-off. Those things are a burden to her. Can you just tone it down a bit? Just interact normally, don't make such a show."

"I'm telling you this for your own good. Your personality makes it too easy to offend people."

I pretty much understood.

Sophia dared to spread rumors behind my back because she had someone backing her up.

But she got one thing wrong.

Ethan Hayes, he wasn't in a position to lecture me.

I found it amusing.

"Ethan, you should know, if I truly wanted to target someone, she wouldn't even be able to get into Los Angeles."

Ethan was choked up. He was about to speak, but I hung up the phone.

Someone who hadn't bothered to send a holiday greeting in ten years was calling me from overseas just to lecture me over a scholarship student.

I tossed my phone onto the table. Chloe leaned over, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"Evie, who was that?"

"An arrogant idiot."

The next afternoon, Ethan was leaning against his car by the school gate.

He was impeccably dressed in a suit, his features carrying the cultivated air of someone accustomed to luxury.

Sophia stood beside him, head bowed, eyes red, looking utterly aggrieved.

As I walked out of the school gate, Ethan stepped forward and blocked my path.

"Evie, let's talk."

I glanced at the curious stares around us and simply hummed in agreement.

In the cafe next to the school, Sophia sat beside Ethan.

She kept her eyes downcast, her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt.

Ethan got straight to the point:

"Evie, what I said on the phone yesterday might not have been clear enough, so I'm telling you face-to-face today."

"Sophia hasn't had it easy. She fought tooth and nail to get into this university. Whether it's those gifts or the way you speak, it's all pressure for her."

I leaned back in my chair, took a sip of my lemon water, and remained silent.

Seeing no response from me, Ethan's brow furrowed even deeper.

"You grew up pampered by your family, so you can't understand the struggles of ordinary people. But since you're my fiance, I hope you can show some empathy."

"Sophia has cried to me several times, saying she's afraid to speak or move in the dorm, terrified of upsetting you again."

Sophia looked up, her voice trembling:

"Ethan, please don't say anymore. Evie wasn't targeting me. I'm just too sensitive, it's my fault..."

As she spoke, tears welled up again, but she quickly wiped them away with her sleeve, her face still defiant.

Ethan's expression darkened even further. When he turned to me, his voice held anger:

"Evie, look at what you've driven her to! Can't you just apologize to her?"

I finally put down my cup and looked at Ethan seriously.

"Ethan, how old are you this year?"

He paused.

"What?"

"Twenty-five, right?"

I chuckled softly.

"A twenty-five-year-old man, swayed by a young girl's few soft words, flying all the way from abroad to stand up for her. Don't you find that ridiculous?"

Ethan's face darkened.

"Evelyn Reed, what is your attitude?"

I tilted my head, my gaze sweeping past him to Sophia.

"Sophia, I'm asking you one last time: did I bully or humiliate you?"

My voice was calm.

Sophia bit her lip.

"You... you gave them in front of the whole dorm. I didn't dare refuse..."

I scoffed.

"You didn't dare refuse, but then you turned around and told everyone I was giving you charity and humiliating you?"

"Fine. If you didn't dare refuse, then give the items back to me. Go get them now, I'll wait."

Sophia's face turned pale.

"What? You don't want to give them back?"

I tilted my head, looking at her.

"Or have you already opened and used that skincare set? Did you boot up the Apple laptop? Did you swatch the lipstick kit?"

Sophia's tears welled up again. She turned to Ethan, her voice tearful:

"Ethan, I didn't... I didn't open them. I didn't even touch the packaging..."

Ethan reached out and patted her shoulder, then turned and glared at me.

"Evelyn Reed, that's enough! How much is a skincare set? Do you really have to be so aggressive?"

"Sophia's from a less fortunate background, what's wrong with her being a bit sensitive? Can't you be more magnanimous and understanding?"

His words made me laugh, and my eyes turned cold.

"Ethan, I used real money to buy harmony in the dorm, to ensure four years of peace for four people. Am I in the wrong for that?"

Ethan took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions.

"Evie, no matter what, your condescending attitude is truly problematic. You've always been..."

"My childhood pampering is a privilege my family affords me. I don't owe her anything."

Ethan suddenly stood up.

"Evelyn Reed! Don't be too much! I came here with good intentions to mediate, and you're making it so awkward?"

"Sophia is just a girl. Can your conscience really be clear after humiliating her in front of so many people?"

Sophia tugged on his sleeve, sobbing softly:

"Ethan, it's okay, let's just go. It's my fault, I shouldn't have told you..."

Ethan glared at me, his chest heaving several times, then suddenly picked up the coffee in front of him and splashed it on me.

"Evelyn Reed, I'll make you beg Sophia for forgiveness."

I was stunned for a few seconds by the coffee splash.

When I looked up at them, Sophia's eyes held undisguised triumph.

Coming back to my senses, I blinked hard, letting my eyes redden.

Then I took out my phone, snapped a selfie, and sent it to the family group chat with a tearful voice message.

"Daddy, Ethan hit me because of a scholarship student! My eyes are all swollen from crying~"

Ethan still scoffed from across the table.

"Our families go way back! Do you really think selling a sob story will get me punished? You really think you're a princess!"

Three. Two. One.

The urgent screech of tires came from outside, followed by the sound of the door being violently pushed open.

"Who's tired of living, daring to lay a hand on my darling?!"