Chapter 98: The Cost of Defiance

**Thelma Zane’s POV** The wisdom my father shared about rules and leadership was profound—perhaps too profound for me to fully grasp. I sat quietly between my parents, my head tilted slightly, as I tried to wrap my mind around his words. My confusion must have been obvious because my father smiled gently and said, “It’s alright if you don’t fully understand right now, Thelma. You’re still young, and life has plenty of time to teach you. Lessons like these aren’t meant to be mastered in a day.” I nodded, staring straight ahead while the weight of my recent actions churned in my mind. The moment I stepped out of the school gates earlier that day, I had felt a pang of regret. Sure, it had felt exhilarating to stand up to the principal—to expose his hypocrisy and show the other students that authority figures weren’t invincible. But as the adrenaline wore off, I began to question myself. Was it truly right to confront him so openly? Was I any better than a rebellious teenage