A LOVE BEYOND CURSE

5:00 a.m.

"Lisa!"

The sharp voice of her stepmother echoed through the house.

Seventeen-year-old Lisa jolted awake and immediately jumped out of bed.

She was dressed in ragged clothes, despite living in an extremely wealthy home. Her family had money, luxury, and everything people could dream of, but Lisa barely enjoyed any of it.

Her life had changed when she was eight years old, after her mother died. Since then, her stepmother had treated her as though she were nothing more than a servant. Even her twelve-year-old stepbrother often bossed her around.

No one seemed to care whenever Lisa complained.

"Yes, Mom!" Lisa answered sleepily.

She quickly opened the door and hurried out.

"Good morning, Mom..."

Smack!

A slap landed across her cheek.

Lisa froze.

Tears immediately gathered in her eyes as she held her cheek even though there was anger in her eyes.

"I am not your mother, and I will never be!" her stepmother snapped. "What are you still doing in bed at this hour? You are supposed to have finished all the house chores by now!"

Lisa lowered her head.

"I'm sorry."

"Now get out of my sight!"

Lisa hurried away and began doing the chores.

By the time the sun began to rise, she was finally finished.

She returned to her tiny room, which looked completely different from the luxurious rooms elsewhere in the mansion. Her outfits hung from the wall without proper hangers, and there was barely anything else inside.

Lisa sighed before reaching for her school uniform.

She had not attended school for an entire year and now she is being transferred to her brother's school to take care of him....as a grade twelve and final year student.

Her stepbrother, however, was only entering Grade eight.

Lisa was supposed to attend an ordinary school, but her stepmother had enrolled her in the prestigious Seoul High School for one reason—to keep an eye on her younger stepbrother.

Within thirty minutes, Lisa was ready.

She picked up her schoolbag and headed downstairs.

Her father, stepmother, and Yoongi were already seated at the dining table, eating breakfast.

Lisa approached the table and was about to sit down when her stepbrother stopped her.

"What's wrong?" Lisa asked.

"Mom said there's no food for you," he replied in a bossy tone.

Lisa stared at him.

Yoongi was surprisingly handsome for his age, with a charming face that could easily make people smile. Yet whenever his mother was around, he behaved differently toward Lisa.

Lisa looked toward her stepmother, hoping she would say something.

Instead, her stepmother stood up.

Smack!

Another slap landed on Lisa's cheek.

"Your mates are already in school," she said coldly.

"But, Mom, I haven't eaten yet."

"No breakfast, Lisa. Go to school!"

Lisa swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Yes, ma'am."

She turned and walked toward the door.

Behind her, her stepmother turned to her son.

"The driver is waiting outside. Hurry up."

"Yes, Mom."

Lisa's father remained silent.

He clearly wasn't happy with the way his daughter was being treated, but he could do very little. His wife was the main source of the family's wealth, and she had control over almost everything.

"Honey, that wasn't fair...."

"I'm going upstairs," his wife interrupted before walking away.

Her son stood up.

"I'm off to school too. Bye! Dad" he said. Lisa's dad married her step mum even when she had given birth to Yoongi, then he was a little child.

He followed his mother for a moment before heading outside.

A few minutes later, he was already seated inside the family car when he spotted Lisa walking along the road.

"Stop the car," he told the driver.

The car stopped.

"Lisa!"

Lisa turned around.

"Hop in. Let's go."

She hesitated.

"What if Mom finds out?"

"She won't," he assured her.

After a moment, Lisa opened the door and climbed inside.

Soon, they arrived at the enormous gates of Seoul High School, South Korea.

Lisa's eyes widened.

"Wow…"

The school was beautiful.

Her stepbrother grinned.

Once they were away from his mother, he became noticeably kinder toward Lisa.

"I brought some snacks for you," he said, handing them to her.

Lisa's eyes immediately brightened.

"I'm hungry."

"I'm sorry I almost made you fall earlier."

"Thank you."

She took the snacks and carefully placed them inside her schoolbag.

Lisa glanced at him.

"What if Mom finds out about this?"

He shrugged.

"She won't."

He then headed toward his classmates, who were already hurrying toward their classrooms.

Lisa remained where she was.

She looked around in amazement.

Students dressed in perfectly ironed uniforms moved through the school grounds. Expensive cars continued pulling up at the entrance.

It was obvious that Seoul High School was meant for wealthy families. The school fees alone were enough to keep ordinary families away.

Lisa looked around, confused.

Everyone seemed to know where they were going.

Everyone except her.

A female teacher noticed her standing alone.

"Hey, you! Why are you standing over there?"

Lisa quickly approached her.

"Um… ma'am, I'm a new student."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Come with me. I'll take you to your class."

Lisa followed her quietly.

They climbed several flights of stairs before finally reaching the classroom.

Inside, students were everywhere.

Some were discussing among themselves. Others were reading, while a few were gossiping.

When the teacher entered, the classroom immediately became quiet.

"Good morning, ma'am!"

Everyone stood up.

Lisa quickly followed them.

But the moment they sat down, laughter filled the classroom.

Lisa looked around nervously.

Her uniform was rumpled.

Her hair was scattered.

And unlike everyone else, she wasn't wearing proper shoes.

"Quiet!" the teacher shouted.

The laughter stopped.

Almost.

One girl stood up.

"But ma'am, this is unfair," she complained. "Her uniform is so rumpled. It doesn't even look right."

The classroom erupted in laughter again.

"Jennie, sit down!"

Jennie reluctantly sat.

The teacher turned toward Lisa.

"Don't mind them, okay? Introduce yourself."

Lisa looked at the faces staring back at her.

They were trying desperately not to laugh.

She took a breath and forced a confident expression onto her face.

"Um… my name is—"

The laughter started again.

"Decorum!" the teacher shouted.

The classroom fell silent.

Lisa swallowed.

"I'm Lisa," she finally said.

"Oh, you're welcome, Lisa."

The teacher led her toward an empty seat.

Lisa sat down quietly.

But unlike everyone else, she didn't even have her own deskmate. Just seated alone as no one was even interested in her.

The teacher turned toward the class.

"You should all make friends with her. And remember, you must study hard. If you don't pass your entrance examination, you won't be able to enter the university affiliated with this school. We all know it is one of the best universities in South Korea."

She paused.

"And enough of this silly attitude, especially you, Jennie .You're intelligent, but your character needs serious improvement."

Jennie rolled her eyes.

"I'll leave you all to study. Next week, we'll find a better position for Lisa."

The teacher walked out.

Lisa quietly began arranging her books.

Then Jennie turned toward her.

"Well, look what we have here."

Lisa slowly looked up.

"A pretty little angel with a rumpled uniform, scattered hair, and no sneakers."

The students began clapping and laughing.

Jennie was clearly the queen bee of the class. She loved bossing everyone around...except her closest friends.

Lisa looked down at her feet.

She was the only student wearing sandals.

She touched her long black hair.

She hadn't even been able to properly comb it.

The laughter grew louder.

"Maybe she brought her school uniform out of a cooking pot!" Nancy joked.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Lisa felt as though the floor beneath her could swallow her.

She wanted to disappear.

But she forced herself to remain calm.

All will be well, she told herself silently.

Not long afterward, exhaustion finally took over.

Lisa fell asleep.

A new teacher entered the classroom and began teaching.

Suddenly, his voice stopped.

"Who is sleeping over there?"

Lisa immediately woke up.

She looked around in confusion.

"Why are you sleeping?"

"I'm not, sir."

The teacher raised an eyebrow.

"Then what was the last thing I said?"

Lisa froze.

"Um… I didn't hear."

The teacher pointed toward the board.

"Fine. Look at the board and explain what I just taught."

Lisa stared at the board.

The words blurred together.

She didn't understand anything.

"Sir… I don't understand."

The teacher frowned.

"Class captain."

"Yes, sir."

Jennie stood up.

"Can you please explain what I just taught her?"

"Yes, sir."

Jennie walked to the board and explained the entire lesson perfectly.

The class applauded.

"You see?" Jennie said.

The teacher turned toward Lisa.

"This is the most intelligent girl in this class. That is why she's the class captain."

Lisa lowered her head.

"You couldn't even explain the subject. Everyone in this class is brilliant except you. Don't be a dullard. This school isn't for dull students."

The students laughed.

"Perhaps we should transfer you to another class meant for dullards," he added angrily.

He dropped the marker onto the table.

"Everyone must submit the assignment on Monday."

He looked toward Jennie.

"Class captain."

"Yes, sir?"

"Anyone who fails to submit the assignment between 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on Monday should report it to me."

"Yes, sir."

"You cannot eliminate lazy people from this class. All of you must pass your entrance examinations into the university."

"Yes, sir!" the class shouted.

The teacher left.

Jennie turned toward Lisa with a mischievous smile.

"Monday," she said.

Then she walked away.

When dismissal finally came, Lisa packed her books into her schoolbag and left the classroom.

Outside, she spotted her stepbrother.

"Hey!"

He turned.

"I love this school!" he announced proudly. "My day was so much fun. All the girls in my class were crushing on me."

He then looked at Lisa.

"How was your day?"

"I hate this school."

"Why?"

"Everyone kept staring at me because of my uniform."

Before she could say anything else, their driver's car arrived.

"Let's go, Lisa."

She shook her head.

"No. Mom will find out. I'll find my own way home. Don't worry."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Don't worry."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

He entered the car.

As the vehicle began moving, he rolled down the window and waved.

Lisa waved back.

The window slowly rolled up.

"Move," he told the driver.

"Yes, boss."

The car drove away.

Lisa stood alone, holding her books.

Then Jenny, Ji-su, Rose, and Nancy approached.

Without warning, they brushed past Lisa.

Her books fell to the ground.

"Oopsie, lowlife," Rosé mocked.

They laughed.

"Pick yourself up," Jennie added. "You're so skinny that the wind might carry you away one day."

She turned toward the others.

"Guys, let's go."

"Sure."

Lisa was angry, but she said nothing.

She bent down and began gathering her scattered books.

She carefully placed them back inside her schoolbag.

When she looked up, she saw the four girls getting into their respective cars.

Jennie's car was white and looked more expensive than the others. The other girls also had luxurious black cars.

The vehicles began leaving one after another.

Before Jennie's car disappeared, she rolled down the window and gave Lisa a disgusted look.

"I love your school uniform," she mocked. "Maybe wear it again tomorrow because I want another good laugh."

She paused.

"And comb your hair. If you don't have a brush, I can lend you one."

She threw a pink brush toward Lisa before driving away.

Lisa stared at the brush.

Most of the students had already left in expensive cars.

Some were still waiting for their drivers.

But Lisa had no car.

No driver.

No one waiting for her.

She was the only one who had to walk home.

Lisa was about to leave when someone tapped her shoulder.

She turned around.

"Hey. You left your brush."

A boy held out the pink brush. He was very handsome and looked like the head of his group.....

"Pick it up before you forget to brush your hair."

He handed it to her and walked away with his friends.

Lisa took the brush.

She stared at it for a moment before glaring in the direction he had gone.

Then she sighed and started walking.

She was extremely hungry and also angry

Her feet were tired.

But she had no choice.

She had to walk all the way home.

Lisa didn't know what else to do.

All she knew was that she had to get home before it became too late.

She quickened her pace.

Maybe she could walk faster.

Maybe she could run.

Anything was better than arriving late and facing another beating.

With her schoolbag hanging from her shoulder, Lisa continued down the road. She knew that it was just the beginning of everything...