But Esther wasn't one to back down from a challenge.
Clad in her clean uniform and radiant with undimmed enthusiasm, she strode into the classroom like a general into battle, smiling, unshaken, determined to prove one thing: she wasn't going anywhere.
"Good morning, class!" she greeted with a cheerfulness that lit up the room. "So, guess what we're going to learn today?"
She pulled a colorful book from her bag and raised it high. "The world's rarest animals! Who's excited?"
A chorus of tiny cheers filled the air. The students, already fond of Esther's playful methods and easy warmth, clapped with anticipation. It was the kind of energy she lived for.
Her eyes swept the room… then landed on the new girl seated at the back. Still. Silent. Cold.
"Betty," Esther said gently, acknowledging the silent storm in the corner. "How are you today?"
No response.
Esther only smiled. "Good, I would presume."
She made her way to the teacher's desk, reaching instinctively for her chair. But something caught her eye. A slight shimmer. A subtle glisten on the seat's surface. And then… a faint chemical scent.
Glue.
Esther's eyes didn't widen. She didn't flinch. She simply paused, straightened up, and turned toward Betty, who sat with folded arms and an arched brow, daring her to sit.
"Nice try," Esther said coolly, sliding the chair aside with a graceful push.
The children blinked in confusion. Betty's fingers stiffened where they lay on her desk. She hadn't expected Esther to see through it.
Esther didn't skip a beat. "Is this all you've got?" she asked in a light, teasing tone, as if inviting Betty to raise the stakes.
The lesson carried on, the rare animal facts bringing laughter and amazement from the young learners. But behind every smile Esther gave, a shadow lingered, because Betty hadn't spoken a word. And silence, in this case, was never a good sign.
Midway through class, a little hand shot up.
"Miss Esther?" Lisa, a sweet eight-year-old with bright pigtails, called out. "Can I use the bathroom, please?"
"Of course, Lisa," Esther answered kindly.
But then Lisa added, "Miss Esther, can you help me with the door? I can't reach it."
Esther's smile faltered just slightly. Something twisted in her gut.
Betty was still too quiet.
Too still.
But Esther pushed the doubt aside. It was just a bathroom door. She followed Lisa to the hallway, past a few lockers, and toward the faculty washroom used by younger students.
No suspicion. No hesitation.
Just one turn of the knob.
SPLOOSH!
A thunderous splash of thick, icy blue paint rained down from a bucket rigged above the door frame, soaking Esther from head to toe. The cold shock of it stole her breath. Her white blouse clung to her skin, dripping with color. Blue splatters marked the floor like footprints of shame.
From the classroom, gasps echoed. A shriek. Stunned silence. Then the sound of suppressed laughter.
Esther stood frozen, the hallway suddenly too bright, too loud, her dignity soaking into the tiled floor.
And there, at the end of the corridor, stood Betty. Her arms crossed. Expression unreadable. But her eyes… her eyes burned with one clear message:
"I warned you."
Esther's jaw clenched, her fists balled at her side.
She could cry. She could scream. She could storm out, humiliated.
But instead… she smiled.
A heavy sigh escaped Esther's lips as she excused herself from the class, soaked in blue paint, her pride dented but not defeated. She made her way to the staff changing room, trading her ruined blouse for one of the academy's spare uniforms. Her hair still dripped faintly at the ends, her cheeks slightly flushed, but the fire in her chest remained steady.
When she returned to the classroom, the chatter died down. Some students lowered their gazes. A few offered shy smiles. But one sat still, unmoved, Betty, by the window, scribbling something lazily in her notebook, as if none of it had happened.
Esther walked straight up to her.
"I don't care what you do next," she said softly but firmly. "Glue my chair. Drop a lizard in my bag. Shave my eyebrows in my sleep."
Betty's pen paused.
"Just know this, " Esther leaned forward, locking eyes with her, "I'm not going anywhere."
A flicker, barely visible, crossed Betty's face. Not fear. Not guilt. Something closer to disbelief.
"You want a monster?" Esther said calmly. "Do your worst. You're stuck with me."
Their eyes locked in a silent standoff.
Before the tension could tighten, Lisa's small voice broke through the room like a drop in still water.
"Miss Esther… I'm sorry," the little girl mumbled, eyes watery and hands twisted together in shame.
Esther turned toward her. "Lisa," she said gently, kneeling to her height, "what you did… it hurt me. But it's okay. Just promise me you won't do something like that again."
"I promise, Miss Esther. Even if others tell me to, I won't do it," Lisa said sincerely, glancing toward Betty with a faint tremble.
Esther smiled and took her hand. "Good girl. Now let's get back to learning about the world's rarest animals."
She led Lisa back to her seat as the class gradually settled again. But Betty…
Betty stared at Esther. And for the first time, something cracked behind her mask. Was it the forgiveness in Esther's tone? The affection she showed Lisa? Or the fact that she hadn't shouted, hadn't blamed, hadn't quit?
Betty didn't know what it was. Only that it stirred something deep inside her, something unfamiliar. Something uncomfortable.
But her mind was made, and no distractions was tolerated.
So during break, she vanished.
No one noticed at first, except Esther, who caught a glimmer of movement outside the hallway window. A faint trail of water droplets dotted the tiles, leading out to the courtyard… and straight to the school's outdoor pool.
Esther's heart dropped.
There, at the edge of the pool, stood Betty, barefoot, arms limp at her sides, eyes blank and distant.
"Betty!" Esther called, picking up speed.
But the girl didn't flinch.
Then..splash.
Betty jumped in.
"NO!" Esther's bag hit the floor. She ran. "Betty! BETTY!"
This wasn't a prank.
This was something else.
This was a cry for something darker. Louder.
Esther reached the pool just in time to see Betty vanish beneath the surface. Her limbs moved with ease, confident strokes. She could swim.
Betty had planned this.
She'd done her research. She'd overheard enough. Esther was terrified of water. She couldn't swim. Jumping in after her would be madness.
But Esther didn't hesitate.
With a choked breath and no plan, she dove.
The moment she hit the water, panic exploded in her chest. The world turned blue and disoriented. Her arms flailed, legs kicking wild beneath her, lungs screaming for air. She sank fast, her vision blurring.
Above her, Betty surfaced, eyes widening in frozen realization.
Esther wasn't pretending.
She was drowning.
The moment cracked something in Betty open.
For the first time in her carefully crafted chaos… she panicked.
A male staff member, alerted by the screams, sprinted onto the scene. Without a word, he dove in, grabbing Esther and pulling her toward the edge. Gasping. Choking. Pale.
Betty climbed out on her own. A towel wrapped around her shoulders. She watched silently as the woman she'd tried to break was laid out beside the pool, coughing up water, blinking in confusion and fear.
The woman who had still followed her in.
Later, in the infirmary, Esther lay beneath a warm blanket, recovering from the shock. A soft knock on the door signaled a nurse delivering a folded note. She placed it gently on the table beside Esther and left without a word.
Two staff members lingered by the doorway, still reeling.
"Honestly, I'm glad I wasn't handed her case," one muttered. "She's a piece of work."
"No wonder no governess would take her on," the other added with a scowl. "I heard she's gone through eight in the last two years."
"She's a devil child," a third colleague said bluntly.
"More like a manipulative brat," the male tutor grunted, arms crossed. "She nearly drowned you, Esther."
But Esther, weak but steady, slowly shook her head.
"You guys are being too hard on her."
The room fell silent.
"You're going to defend her?" the female staff member blinked, almost offended.
"She's just a child. And every child has their own way of expressing pain."
"Oh please, not the 'she's just a child' line," the woman snapped. "She knew exactly what she was doing. She asked about your fears, your history, that's not innocent."
Esther went quiet for a moment.
Yes. It was deliberate. Strategic. Painful.
But behind that was a girl trying to scream through silence.
"She's hurting," Esther said at last. "That doesn't excuse what she's done. But it explains it. And if we don't reach her, who will?"
A beat passed, and then, a small sound.
The door creaked open.
Betty stepped inside, her tablet clutched in her arms, face pale and wary. The staff members all turned, staring. One huffed and stormed out. Another followed in silence.
Only Esther and Betty remained.
"You okay?" Betty typed and held out the tablet.
"I didn't think you'd actually jump in," the next line appeared.
"I'm okay," Esther replied gently, sitting up. "Just a little cold."
She took a breath, then asked, "Did you do it intentionally?"
Betty hesitated. Then nodded.
"Yes. But… I didn't think it would go that far," she typed, eyes on the floor.
Esther nodded, taking the tablet, then reached out.
"Well," she said with a warm smile, "I'm glad you feel remorse. That's a start."
She extended her hand.
"How about we put all that behind us and start fresh?"
"I'm Esther," she said. "Your psychology teacher."
Betty stared.
Then slowly, cautiously, typed:
"I'm Betty. Your troubled student and patient."
A small smile flickered on her lips for the first time.
Esther beamed back.
"Nice to meet you, Betty. Can we be friends?"
A pause.
Then Betty nodded, and shook her hand.