The Inescapable Celibate Heir Chapter 19: Step on You, Just Step on You

Back then, Netizens were buzzing: [Fairies are on a whole different level! I looked like a mess during military training, but she still looks stunning even after rolling in the mud!]

This was Ella's first big step into the entertainment world.

Take now, for instance. Most girls skipped makeup because of military training, but not Ella. She woke up two hours early just to put on makeup. What looked simple and fresh actually took a lot of effort.

Ella had a plan, of course. Even though she couldn't remember a lot of things, she made sure to bribe the instructor ahead of time. Her sandbag looked full, but it was stuffed with hollow cotton.

Still, when she picked it up, she acted like it was super heavy.

After a few steps, she started whining, "This sandbag is so heavy; I can barely lift my legs with it tied to them."

Some students chimed in. "Yeah, 6.2 miles is already far enough. Why do we have to carry weights too?"

"The school is too much! We're here to study, not to be soldiers."

"Ella, you're so delicate. How can you handle this? Why don't you secretly give me the sandbag and tie it back on when we're near the finish line?" a male classmate suggested, trying to impress her.

"Why is it only Ella who's tired? Aren't we tired too?" a girl snapped.

"Ella is a rich girl. Who do you think you are!" the male classmate retorted.

Ella was pleased but kept it polite, "No, we're all the same, so how can I slack off? Thank you for your kindness. You're carrying more weight than us and still so relaxed. That's amazing!"

Ella wasn't about to let him help. If she did, her secret deal with the instructor would be exposed. How could she keep up her friendly image then?

The boy, proud of Ella's praise, couldn't help but show off. "What's this weight? At the gym, a 110-pound barbell is nothing to me! Ella, my name is Nico, remember to call me if you need anything!"

"And me, Ella, my name is Wilder. Call me if you're tired." 

Ella secretly despised these guys for their average looks and ordinary backgrounds. She didn't even bother to remember their names. But she loved the attention, so she treated them kindly, smiling and complimenting them.

Meanwhile, Victoria was on her own, no makeup, but her face was naturally beautiful, her features delicate, already stunning without any effort.

But she had a cold, aloof expression.

Some boys gathered to chat.

"I think Ella is the prettiest among the freshmen."

"Yeah, and she's so nice, and her smile is so sweet."

"I think Victoria is also very pretty, but she's too cold."

"Yeah, I don't like girls who are too aloof; she's not even a rich girl. Look at Ella, clearly a rich second generation, but not as arrogant as her."

After running for a while, the group spread out, and the instructor couldn't keep an eye on everyone.

Ella saw Victoria running ahead and had an idea.

She sped up to run beside Victoria, "Victoria, are you tired?"

Victoria ignored her.

But Ella kept at it. "Victoria, why aren't you talking? Do you feel guilty towards me?"

Shocked by her shamelessness, Victoria slowed down. "Don't disgust me."

Ella said, "Why do you say that, Victoria? I don't understand. Everyone says you wronged me. I don't blame you, but why don't you want to get along with me?"

Victoria said, "I've told you many times, we're not close. Don't you understand plain English?"

This Ella, like an idiot, kept saying the same thing every day. Victoria was no longer the Victoria of the past life, not so easy to deceive.

Didn't Ella get it?

Did she still think they could get along? Dream on!

Ella's weird behavior put Victoria on high alert.

Thinking back, in her past life, something had happened during the weighted run.

It seemed that even though Victoria had been reborn, Ella's schemes hadn't changed a bit.

Ella covered her face dramatically. "Even if you scold me, I won't blame you. I know you think I took away our parents and your rich girl status. It's normal for you to blame me."

She covered half her face to hide that she had already spotted a small stone ahead.

Ella let out a scream as she pretended to trip over the stone. Her steps became chaotic as she struggled to keep her balance.

In reality, she extended her foot in front of Victoria, hoping to trip her hard.

That scream triggered a flood of memories for Victoria.

It was the same road, the same scream.

But this time, Victoria was ready. Not only did she avoid getting tripped as Ella had planned, but she also stepped hard on Ella's foot and skillfully leaped to the side, dodging the sharp stone ahead.

For the sake of appearance, Ella wore lace-up open-toe sports sandals, and this step hurt. The only regret was that Victoria wore soft-soled sneakers. If she had worn hard-soled high heels, they would have poked a hole in Ella's foot!

In her past life, Victoria could have avoided it. She reacted quickly, but to avoid stepping on Ella, she couldn't land properly and ended up falling herself, hitting that stone and nearly disfiguring her forehead!

She had originally thought it was an accident, but now she saw clearly that Ella did it on purpose!

Pretending to be kind and generous every day, but Ella was actually very malicious!

Ella's scream was shrill and high-pitched, causing everyone around to stop and look over.

Her foot still hurt, but seeing so many eyes on her, she immediately got into character.

She wobbled a few times and fell to the ground, one leg straight, the other slightly bent to make her legs look long, one hand supporting the ground, the other holding her chest, looking delicate. "Victoria, no! You didn't step on me on purpose, did you?"

The onlookers started talking.

"What happened? Did you see from behind?"

"No, I didn't notice. I was too tired to care."

Natalia Ruth, who was close to Ella, ran up to support her, pointing at Victoria with one hand. "It was her! I saw it clearly when she suddenly stepped on Ella's foot. This vicious woman!"

Victoria crossed her arms, looking indifferent. "You saw me step on her, but why didn't you see her deliberately trip me?"

Ella said, "Victoria, I didn't! I didn't do it on purpose, you're wronging me again!"

Someone said, "Why? Do they have a grudge? They're both such pretty girls."

Natalia was so angry that she seemed like the victim. "Victoria is the adopted daughter of Ella's family. She enjoyed the Scott family's wealth and glory for eighteen years, but she wasn't satisfied! Even after Ella returned to her own family, Victoria couldn't tolerate it, bullying Ella every day!"

Someone exclaimed, "Oh my god, there's such a thing!"

Seeing everyone supporting her, Natalia became more confident. "Victoria, you vicious woman; you're just taking advantage of the lack of surveillance, reversing right and wrong, and slandering Ella. Ella is so kind, and how could she trip you? She even gave everyone in the class a welcome gift, and treated everyone to snacks and coffee! You have a bad character and a bad temper!"

Lila Donovan stood up. "Yes, I can testify. I'm in the same class as them. Ella is very nice, and Victoria..."

Lila's indescribable expression convinced the onlookers that Victoria was difficult to get along with.

It seemed there was no way to explain.

Victoria sneered. "You think I give a damn if there's a surveillance catching me stepping on you? Ella, if you dare to come close and frame me again, I'll step on you just as hard. If you're not afraid of pain, come on."