Chapter 2483

"Enid? What's wrong?" Teresa asked.

"Oh, it's nothing," Enid replied.

"Okay, that's good. Oh, by the way, don't take Kalo's words too seriously. He didn't really mean to say that you were a hermit."

"Oh, it's fine. I don't mind," Enid reassured her.

"Really? That's good. Seeing you happy makes me happy too," Teresa said with a smile.

Enid looked at Teresa. In her eyes, Teresa was like a shining star, always glowing and surrounded by people who loved her. Her warmth and enthusiasm seemed to spread to everyone around her.

"You're amazing," Enid blurted out suddenly.

"Huh? What?" Teresa was surprised.

Enid explained, "I think you're amazing, Teresa. You're so warm to everyone, and you're so popular. It's different from me..."

Teresa quickly understood what Enid was trying to say. She pulled out her phone and showed a photo.

"Enid, Mar, take a look at this."

The two of them glanced at Teresa's phone. The photo showed a tomboyish figure dressed in an almost rebellious outfit—baggy pants, a black leather jacket covered in spikes, heavy smokey makeup, and wild dreadlocks tied high.

Marino did not even recognize the person. "Who's that? Your sister?"

"No, that's me," Teresa said with a proud grin.

Both Enid and Marino were stunned, unable to believe that the bright, cheerful Teresa before them had ever looked like that.

Teresa decided to open up about her past. "I used to be just like you, Enid—a very lonely kid. Back then, I was scared, so I dressed like this because I thought no one would dare to bully me if I looked tough. I figured I wouldn't have to talk to anyone either.

"This whole look was like a shield, a way to hide my insecurities."

She continued, "Mar, you once asked me why I'd befriend the child of my family's enemies, right? Well, the reason's simple. I never really felt a deep connection to family ties. My parents abandoned me when I was young, and I didn't return to the Gallagher family until I was 12.

"I don't know why my parents left me, and honestly, I don't care. I have no idea if they're alive or dead now.

"During that time, I had no one. Even when the Gallagher family took me in, it felt like they just left me to fend for myself in a different place. I kept living the same lonely life, day after day, and I thought that was how my life would always be-full of cold stares and mockery.

"I even started to enjoy the strange looks people gave me because it felt like the only way to get attention. I was so insecure back then. But everything changed when I met someone.

"One afternoon, I got into a big fight with a group of people over something small and ended up being sent to the school's infirmary. And that was when I met Anox.

"His family, the Dune family, is renowned for their skills in medicine. Anox, along with Chevy and the others, would often help out in the infirmary after school. I later found out that their family owned the entire school, but that's not important. "When I got to the infirmary, the nurse had already left, so only Anox was there. "Anox was so gentle. He was the kindest person I had ever met. He didn't look at me with judgment. Instead, he softly cleaned my wounds and applied medicine. And for some reason, I started crying.

"Anox thought I was crying because I had been bullied, but I knew that wasn't it. I was always getting injured, but Anox was the first person to ever treat my wounds. I can't even remember what I said at that moment, but I was terrified of his kindness.

"For someone like me, who had always lived in the shadows, suddenly being touched by the warmth of the sun was overwhelming. That day, I decided I wanted to change. I realized there were people in this world who actually cared about me.

"Anox became my first friend. After he finished bandaging me up, he looked at me seriously and said, 'What's going on? Don't worry. As long as I'm around, no one will ever bully you again.'

"After that day, I shed my old look. The next day, when I showed up in front of Anox, he was so happy, and I was happy too. He recognized me right away, and from that moment, my life started to change. I made so many new friends..."