Chapter 612

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That day, his clothes were torn, but he defiantly faced the harsh cold wind. Word by word, he warned his harassers: "If you hurt me, it won't end here. I will report it to the school and, if the school does nothing, I will take it to the city education office. If they don't take care of it, I'll take it to the county and then to the city. "I'll make sure you have consequences."

Bullies often picked on those they perceived as weak. They saw Raegan as an easy target because she had no parents to defend her. At the time, Raegan only had a frail grandmother and an indifferent uncle who caused no problems.

However, Raegan knew this tactic well. Understanding that she could count on no one but herself, she decided to stand up to the harassment.

Raegan's determination chased away the bullies. But as they were leaving, one of them, unwilling to back down, intentionally threw Raegan's backpack into the river, sarcastically commenting, "Oh, I didn't see that. "Your backpack was in the way."

That backpack contained Raegan's newly received textbooks and a set of practice books from the teacher. No one else valued them, but to her they were invaluable. He remembered precisely that the practice game cost $72.8. That amount was equivalent to his family's living expenses for a year, a sum beyond his reach.

The school figured that with the scholarship money Raegan received annually, covering the $72.8 wouldn't be a problem.

What the school didn't know was that Raegan's uncle had taken the money her grandmother had saved for her college education.

The school had supported Raegan. She felt like she couldn't ask for more without feeling embarrassed.

And her grandmother, feeling guilty for not being able to provide the necessary money, fell ill. Even when she was sick, her grandmother collected empty plastic bottles to sell, saving every penny she could.

The teacher realized that Raegan had not bought the new textbooks, but she did not think anything of it, instead giving her the practice books that other students had left behind. The practice books were practically new.

Raegan was delighted, eager to show them to her grandmother so she wouldn't have to keep pinching. I thought I could get another scholarship next year.

However, that glimmer of hope seemed to be swept away by the current. What for some was easily achievable, for Raegan it was a major obstacle.

Without a second thought, Raegan rolled up her pants sleeves, took off her cotton jacket, and waded into the river to retrieve her school bag.

The icy water sent chills down the 13-year-old girl's spine.

The heavy backpack had been deposited at the bottom of the river.

Raegan had to search blindly, little by little, to locate her.

The river, more than a meter deep, reached up to Raegan's neck. He used a stick to find his backpack. With great effort, he managed to recover it. Finally he had the backpack in his hands.

Ignoring the wet sweater and his bare feet, he unzipped it and found the practice books soaked and useless.

The ink had smeared and the pages were stuck together, useless even after drying.

Raegan stood there, motionless, staring at the damaged practice books. He remained silent for what seemed like an eternity.

For her, they were more than just practice books. They symbolized the expectations that her teacher had placed on her, the possibility of changing her future and a golden opportunity that destiny offered to those who made an effort.

Raegan, wise beyond her years, silently endured her struggles, aware of her grandmother's sacrifices. He was always happy, he never let his smile fade.

However, at that moment, she found it impossible to hold back her tears, even though she tried to keep her head up. He had tried so hard...

I didn't understand why those who tried the hardest tended to face the biggest challenges.

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