Chapter Text
Lila strutted into school the next morning, determined and laser-focused on her mission.
The shock of losing her mother still lingered, but that only gave her more incentive to take control and get the best of her new wealth and power.
She had to make the most of her new life.
Only than will the loss of her mother be worth it.
Lila saw Adrien standing nearby, taking some photos with that stupid camera of his.
A wicked idea popped in Lila's mind.
She skipped over to Adrien, wearing an innocent smile.
"Hi, Adrien!"
He flinched and slowly turned around, his eyes narrowing at Lila.
"Hi."
His tone was cold as ice.
He clearly still held a grudge about turning the tables on him after he poked holes in her stories.
Perfect.
That was what she needed.
A villain.
Someone to demonize.
Someone who would make her look like the victim, dissolving any lingering doubt about her innocence or incentive to question her.
"Adrien, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about yesterday.", she whimpered. "It's just...I was afraid you would hate me if you thought I was a liar. And I honestly don't know why you would think that."
"I told you, Prince Ali doesn't do stuff for the environment.", Adrien repeated. "He never posted anything about what you said on Twitter."
He sounded like he wanted to yell, but was holding himself back to not throw fuel to the fire.
"It's usually pretty discreet, 'cause he doesn't want too much glory for it!"
"Than why are you telling me and the class about it?"
"I just wanted to join the conversation! Is that so wrong?"
Adrien looked at her skeptically.
But he sighed in defeat.
"I guess not."
From the corner of her eye, she could see some of their classmates looking at them from a small distance.
Now she could strike.
"Anyway, water under the bridge. Whatcha doin'?"
She pointed to the camera in her hand.
"Taking some photographs."
"Of what? Can I see?"
"Actually, I have to save these first. It might take a minute..."
"Let me see!"
Lila's hand lunged for the camera, but Adrien managed to swipe it away before she could get a good grip on it.
"Just give me a minute to save the photos!"
"You can save them after I look at them!"
"I'd rather be safe than sorry! This is a complicated camera! You might accidentally delete the pictures by pressing a button you don't know!"
"Oh, stop being paranoid! I'll be careful!"
Lila reached for the camera, fingers grabbing at it greedily.
She heard gasps and the sound of running feet growing close.
"Lila, stop!"
It was Nathaneal, Juleka and Rose.
They were some of the shyest and most forgiving ones in the class.
Good.
They wouldn't hold it against her.
"Lila, let him save the photos first!", Nathaneal cried.
"But I wanna see!"
"You can look at them after he saves them, Lila!", said Rose. "Just be a little patient!"
Lila ignored them and grabbed the camera.
Now for her "accident".
She pretended to slip, pulling the camera out of Adrien's hand and dropping it at just the right moment.
"Oops!"
The device crashed to the ground, shattering upon impact.
A silence fell upon the five students.
Then Adrien exploded.
"Lila! Look what you did!"
He fell to his knees and gently picked up his broken camera.
On cue, Lila turned on the waterworks.
"Oh, Adrien! I am so, so sorry! It was an accident, I swear!"
The rest of the class arrived at the scene to gape.
Excellent.
Now she had a full audience.
"What happened?", asked Ivan.
Adrien's finger pointed at Lila accusingly. "She broke my camera!"
"It wasn't on purpose! I was just trying to look at the photos, and it slipped out of my hands!"
"After you grabbed it out of mine!", Adrien growled. "I told you to wait until I finished saving my photos, but you just couldn't wait thirty seconds like I asked! Now the photos I took today are gone forever! You're just lucky I have my past photos saved on my computer back home!"
Oh, goody! Threats! That'd really seal his doom!
Lila hung her head, looking as pitiful and apologetic as possible. "I'm sorry, Adrien. I really am."
"You should be!", he barked. "This is an expensive camera!"
Lila waited for everyone to jump to her defense, to lash out at Adrien for bullying her, to gang up on him for being unfair to poor Lila.
"Adrien, I'm sure Lila can pay you back for what it costs."
What?
Lila turned to the source of the offer.
It was that Nino guy!
Even in the new reality, he was on Adrien's side.
"Pay him back?"
Alya looked at her strangely.
"Lila, you broke his camera. It's the least you can do."
"But it was an accident!"
"An accident that wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been so pushy.", said Juleka, frowning.
What in the—
Wasn't she supposed to be the insecure quiet one?
What had suddenly made her so brash?
"I wasn't being pushy!"
"You were.", said Juleka. "We saw everything. Adrien told you to wait a minute so he can save his photos, but you just grabbed his camera out of his hands."
"I wanted to look at his photos!"
"Lila, Adrien told you you could look at his photos after he saved the file.", said Nathaneal. "But you just reached over and wrestled it out of his hands even though he asked you to wait just a few moments."
The class all got upset.
But not at Adrien.
At her.
"What the hell, Lila?"
"You couldn't wait ten seconds for him to save the photos?"
"Not cool."
Alya put her hands on her hips, looking at Lila disapprovingly. "Yeah, I think you definitely owe him a new camera, Lila. Especially since it's clear the accident was your fault."
Her fault?!
How could it be her fault if it was an accident?
Accidents were unintentional and unpredictable!
Accidents happened because people made mistakes!
That was why they were called accidents!
So how could she be in the hot seat for the camera destruction if it was supposed to be a honest mistake?
"But I didn't mean to break his camera!"
"Still, it wouldn't have happened if you had waited thirty seconds like he asked you to.", Mylene spoke up. "Since it was your impatience and recklessness that resulted in his camera breaking, it's only fair that you're the one who should compensate him for the loss."
Fair?!
Fair?!
What was fair about that?!
"But it was a honest mistake! Why can't we just let it go and move on?"
"Because your honest mistake as you call it damaged something that Adrien clearly treasures.", Max pointed out. "Adrien is a photographer. What is a photographer without a camera?"
Alix looked at Adrien. "How much did it cost?"
"One-thousand five-hundred and ninety-nine euros."
Lila's mouth fell open.
That much for a stupid camera?!
Sure, it had special features, but come on!
Kim low-whistled. "Good thing Lila's loaded."
Lila began crying to get them on her side. "How can you expect me to pay you that much?"
"Because it's your fault it broke in the first place!", Alix sneered.
"As an artist, I understand the importance of protecting your tools of the trade.", said Nathaneal. "It's important you buy him a new camera to replace the one you broke."
Lila fumed internally.
This was all wrong!
They were supposed to be defending her and hating on Adrien for demanding an insane amount of money from her! Or at the very least, pressuring to immediately forgive her!
Instead, everything was backwards.
Adrien was the one they were rallying around, while Lila was being unfairly prosecuted for something they should believe was not of malicious intent!
"Class? Is everything okay?"
Good. Mme. Bustier.
She could fix this.
Lila could get that silly teacher to do anything with a few fake tears.
"Lila broke Adrien's camera, and she won't buy him a new one!", Kim declared. "Even though she broke it because she grabbed it right out of his hands!"
That snitch.
"I just wanted to see his photos!"
"He told you! He'd let you see the photos after he saved them on his drive! But you just couldn't wait ten seconds!"
Lila turned to the teacher with a sad look, expecting the spineless woman to tell the class to "be the bigger person" and forgive Lila.
Instead, Mme. Bustier looked at her, disappointed.
"Lila, you need to pay Adrien for a new camera."
Huh?
Mme. Bustier was supposed to be pressuring the class to let her off the hook!
"But it was an accident!"
"An accident that could have been avoided if you had been patient and waited for Adrien to give you the camera instead of grabbing it from him. Remember Lila, while you're here, you need to be on your best behavior. As a public figure and role model for girls of Paris, you need to set an example."
Example?!
Her?!
That was the kind of thing she said to Marinette and the others!
Not her!
Especially not now!
And what did being a public figure have to do with being an example?
What was the point of being famous and being known by thousands if you couldn't do whatever you wanted?!
"Now Lila, I hate to tell you this, but I'm going to have to call your father and tell him he needs to pay Adrien for a new camera."
Lila smiled a little.
Gabriel!
He'd come to her rescue!
He had been her get-out-of-jail-free card in the past, always covering up for her, using his power to erase any tracks she made and save her from consequences.
Now that she was his only beloved child and face of his fashion brand to boot, he'd be even more willing to catch her when she fell.
Lila made sure to look sad and nervous.
"I understand, Mme. Bustier."
————————————
As the bell rang for lunch, Mme. Bustier pulled Lila aside.
"Your father is waiting for you in the principal's office."
Goody!
Lila nodded, only smiling once her back was turned to the teacher. She imagined all the different things Gabriel would threaten Damocles with upon hearing that his precious daughter had been bullied by her classmates and extorted for money.
Would he sue the school staff?
Demand Adrien be expelled?
Lila hoped it would be the latter. It would be so rich to see Gabriel turn on his own son, even if he didn't know it was his son.
Lila walked into the office brimming with confidence. Damocles was sitting at his desk, while Gabriel's face showed up on the tablet screen that Nathalie held.
Oh, right. He was never around in person. He always did video calls.
Lila sat in the chair, waiting for his voice to start.
"Lila...what is this I hear about you damaging a classmate's personal property? A very expensive personal property, of all things?"
That was strange.
He sounded cold, like, frostbite cold. Yet there were undertones of heated rage.
Lila brushed it off as it being directed at his daughter being unfairly accused.
"Oh, Father! It was awful! I just wanted to look Adrien's photos, but he refused to let me!"
"He did not refuse, Lila.", Damocles cut in. "He asked that you wait a few moments hold he saved the photos in his drive, then he would allow you to look. But you simply grabbed the camera out of his hands, and it fell to the floor and broke."
"But it was a complete accident! And now, everyone's saying I have buy Adrien a new one!"
"You do!", Gabriel growled.
Huh?
He was agreeing with Adrien?!
Why was everyone taking his side?
"Do you know what people would say if word got out that you damaged someone's prized possession and refused to compensate them?! Do you know how that reflects on our brand?! On our family name?!"
"But I didn't mean to—"
"Lila! I will not have you sully the brand because of your careless actions! You are going to sell those new outfits I bought you for our next shoot to pay for Adrien's camera. And you will be grounded for the next two weeks! You will return straight home after school everyday, and you will not leave the house except for photoshoots! Am I clear?!"
Lila felt...terrified.
He sounded so cold, so loveless.
Why? Why was he being this hard on her?
She was his daughter, his muse, his pride and joy!
He was always willing to cover for her back in her old life!
If anything, he should be even more accommodating to her than before, now that she was his only child and main model!
"But that's not fair! I didn't do anything wrong!"
"Lila Isabella Agreste! Cease your tantrum at once! As the face of the Agreste brand, you cannot just go around offending other people and making a scene everywhere you go! I would have thought you'd have learned that lesson after all the scandals you caused lying about celebrities! Do you know how much I had to do to undo the damage you caused to our reputation?! How am I supposed to maintain our status and our top spot selling our clothes if my daughter and top model is offending people left and right, making herself look like a selfish, thoughtless child?!"
Lila's body went cold with realization.
That was what Mme. Bustier meant by "being an example".
She was the face of the Gabriel brand now.
She represented the company, carrying most of it's reputation on her shoulders.
The sales of the clothes depended on how she was perceived by the public.
And who wanted to buy anything associated with a selfish girl who lied compulsively about everything under the sun?
"But...this is...I didn't mean to..."
"Enough! This is the last straw, Lila! If I hear of one more scandal and uproar from you—one more!—I am pulling you out of this school and putting you back in homeschooling! At least then, I will feel safer knowing you cannot cause any more trouble at this school!"
What?! No!
He couldn't pull her out! She'd lose all her worshippers!
Well, they weren't worshipping her right now, but that's why she needed more time to get them back under her thumb!
He couldn't do this to her!
She was his child!
She was perfect in his eyes!
Just like Adrien had been when he was Gabriel's child!
...
Hadn't he?
Or had Adrien been telling the truth about his father being cold and overly strict?
Was this really what Adrien's life had been like behind closed doors?
And Lila, ever shallow and easily-envious of others, had never bothered to look deeper.
Another echo of Marinette popped into her mind.
"That's your problem, Lila. You only see people for what they have, not for who they are. You only care about what's on the surface. You never bother to look deeper, truly get to know what's on the inside."
Had she been right?
Lila was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Nathalie pulling out a checkbook and scribbling into it, ripping out a check. She walked over to Lila, tapping her shoulder and holding out the filled check.
"Go to Adrien right now and give this to him."
Lila took the check and saw the written number of the sum she owed to Adrien for his camera. Reluctantly, but submissively, she got out of her chair and walked out.
Lila saw the lockers rooms nearby.
No way she was giving Adrien this in person.
She'd been humiliated enough today.
She headed to the locker rooms when a hand stopped her on her shoulder.
"Lila? Where are you going?"
It was Mme. Bustier.
"I'm just gonna leave this in Adrien's locker. It's a check to cover the cost of his camera."
"Why don't you give it to him in person?"
"If it's anything to you, Madame Bustier, I've suffered enough humiliation today."
"Well, let me come with you."
"I'll be fine! I'll do it!"
"Lila, I have to come."
Seriously?! Why was she on top of Lila all the time?! She had never paid this much attention to her before! How was she supposed to get away with anything if the teacher was always tailing her?!
"Why? Don't you trust me?"
"It's not that I don't trust you, Lila. It's that your father has some...issues with your past behavior. He's asked me to keep an eye on you while you're in my charge."
What?! Gabriel was making the teacher watch her like a hawk? Why? He didn't do that even with Adrien!
Hold on...
Past behavior?
"My...past behavior?"
Caline become a litter harder. "Yes, Lila. Your behavior. You know, you got very lucky that that movie producer didn't sue you after you spread that story about him basing the female lead for his latest romance film off you. Especially since it started all sorts of ugly rumors about him being a pedophile."
Huh?!
"And that's not even beginning to cover all the other bullets you dodged with your stories about other celebrities, sparking all sorts of controversies about them. I suppose the only bright side of everything is, you really helped those tabloid reporters put bread on the table."
Shit!
She remembered now!
Marinette had said her stories ended up in the news the day after she barfed them up! The new her in this life before yesterday must have caused a hundred scandals with her lying about celebrities and other things.
The old her had only gotten away with it because her normal girl status had made them no more than schoolyard rumors, drawing tabloid attention away from her and to actual VIPs.
But a famous supermodel, teen sweetheart, and daughter of a famed fashion designer?
The paparazzi were probably hiding in every nook and cranny near her, hanging on every move she made!
They would gobble up any wild tale that spouted from her mouth!
Anything she said would be splashed across the front page of a gossip mag or posted on a the feed of tabloid blog seconds after she blabbed it out!
She had lost her ability to lie about whatever she wanted and get away with it.
"I know it's hard, Lila. But your father just wants to make sure you don't cause another scene. Especially after your classmates started complaining to him, too."
The class!
Lila remembered something else Marinette had said.
If she had lied multiple times before, and her lies had been debunked by news blogs and unhappy celebrities every time...
That meant...
The class knew.
They knew Lila was a hot liar.
They knew because she had been exposed for lying several times.
They no longer believed her stories.
She had lost her power over them.
Lila couldn't remember agreeing to Mme. Bustier following her, or slipping the check into Adrien's locker under her watchful eye, or leaving the locker room.
The next thing she realized, she was sitting under the stairs, staring aimlessly into space as others passed her by, as another teacher stayed close by to make sure she was secure and not running her mouth off.
She seethed at the cruelty of it all, wondering how she was going to rebound from all this.
She would figure something out! She always did!
She had to!
She couldn't live like this!
"I saw her put the check in your locker."
Wait!
That was Marinette!
Lila craned her neck to see one of Marinette's familiar blue-black pigtails sticking out from behind the railing.
She was sitting on the very same stairs Lila sat underneath.
And she was talking to...
"Well, at least she paid me back."
Adrien!
""Look, I'm really sorry about your camera. And the fuss from yesterday."
"Fuss?! I know she's your classmate, but I think I have to tell you, she's—"
"A liar? Yeah, I know. Everyone knows."
"Wait, you do? Than why did you side with her yesterday?"
Lila thought back to how Marinette had offered her comfort after Adrien accused her of lying about Prince Ali.
Why had she done that, if she'd known Lila was indeed lying?
"She just wanted to be included."
"She made me look like the bad guy! And today she broke my camera, even after I told her not to touch it!"
A sigh from Marinette.
"Look, I know Lila is a little rough around the edges...but please don't be hard on her. She's already caused enough scandals to make the rest of the class resent her. She doesn't need one more."
Resent her?
"Resent her? But I've only seen the class be nice to her."
"They're civil to her, yeah. But they don't really wanna get close to her. When she first got here, she started making a bunch of phony promises that she was going to set up meetings with their favorite celebrities and arrange special favors from the important people she knew, and got everyone really excited. But then all her stories about being close to the same people started popping up in tabloids with the same subject of her lies denying any connection to her. She dodged a lot of lawsuits, and everyone in class got really upset that she lied to them and got their hopes up."
"I don't blame them. If someone promised to hook me up with my idol, and I found out they were lying to me about it, I'd be pretty miffed, too."
"At first, everyone was pretty nasty. They'd glare at her and give passing insults. But I managed to calm them all down, telling them not to stoop to Chloe's level. So they're civil to Lila, but they still try to keep their distance, which I guess is understandable. I try to get them to include her in gatherings and movie days whenever I can, but between her busy schedule and her still lying about almost everything, it's kinda hard."
"Than why do you do it?", asked Adrien.
Why did she do it?!
Didn't she say she hated liars?!
Why wasn't she lashing out like before?
Honestly, that would have been better! Than Lila could finally have a villain to make her look like the victim!
Than again, that didn't work with Adrien in this reality. And he was the new guy. He should have been the easiest to vilify. If he couldn't be demonized, she had no chance with the everyday Ladybug. Especially since Marinette had not gotten crazy over Adrien before and thus, no one could pin her behavior on jealousy.
Still! That didn't answer the question!
Why did Marinette keep trying to support Lila?!
"I guess I feel sorry for her."
Lila's heart froze.
"Like I said, she's been through a lot lately. Not just with the class and all the scandals. She lost her mom earlier this year, and her dad is super strict with her schedule, micromanaging every little thing she does, but still never makes any time for her. I just...don't want her to hurt anymore than she already is."
"But she lies about everything! It's one thing to be lonely, it's another thing to lie constantly about everything around you!"
"I used to think that. Normally, I hate liars. At first, I was mad at Lila, too, for giving empty promises to my friends. But then...I got to thinking...why does she tell all these stories? Why did she make up so many things about herself when she first got here instead of just being honest with us about herself from the get-go? Why would anyone introduce a fake version of themselves instead of starting off as their true self and then lying when that didn't work?"
A sigh.
"And that's when I figured it out...she's insecure."
Lila's blood went cold.
"Insecure?"
"Think about it! Why else would she tell all these crazy stories about herself? Obviously, she thinks the real her isn't interesting enough. She thinks that she needs to tell crazy and mind-blowing stories to get us to like her. She thinks she won't have anyone otherwise. And honestly...most of the time, her lies aren't really hurting anyone. Unless you try to call her out on them."
"Then she starts crying and playing the victim?"
"But only because she's scared. Scared that no one will like her without believing all the things she says is true. Lila may act all theatrical and arrogant, but underneath her fame and confidence, she's just a sad, lonely little girl in need of a kindness every now and then."
Every word she said sliced off another chunk of Lila's self-esteem, peeling away her layers of bravo and entitlement.
That...
That was how Marinette saw her now?
Some sad, desperate wannabe who needed to be lied to?
Lied to that she was liked?
Not even a threat?
Lila actually preferred it when Marinette saw her as an enemy.
At least than, she had been someone important, someone who demanded respect or even just fear, who had power over her life.
Now?
She was a nobody in Marinette's eyes.
Not an enemy.
Not a friend.
Just someone weak and helpless, someone so pathetic she couldn't help but think they would be nothing without their small gestures of friendliness, without a touch of kindness.
"I know it probably makes me look like a pushover for her, always sticking my neck out for her, but...she's lonely enough, with her mom and dad gone. I just can't stand the thought of her being any lonelier than she already is."
Some footsteps grew close.
"Hey, whatcha guys talking about?"
Alya.
"Lila."
"Oh, dude, she explained to you about yesterday?"
Nino.
"Yeah, pretty much. She told me about all the lies and empty promises she gave you guys, and that she's always trying to get you to include her because she feels bad for her being all alone."
A laugh from Alya.
"Oh, yeah. Honestly, if it wasn't for Marinette always advocating for Lila, we wouldn't have anything to do with her if we could help it."
"We wouldn't be mean to her, ", came Nino's voice. "But she'd be a total pariah if she didn't have Marinette reaching out to her."
"Well,", said Adrien. "I guess Lila's lucky to have you around, huh, Marinette?"
His words were like a blade of ice slicing into the center of her heart.
"She kinda is.", came Alya's voice.
Lila craned her neck to get a better look in a way that was painful.
But not as painful as what she saw.
Adrien, smiling at Marinette, with a look that Lila had seen on him various times when Marinette was nearby.
A look of pride, of admiration, of respect.
Like she was an angel sent from heaven.
A princess among peasants.
To him, she was.
To the whole class, she was.
To Adrien and the others, she was not just their "everyday Ladybug" anymore. Now, she was also the girl who gave everyone second chances, the saintess who reached out to outcasts, who offered friendship to even the most undeserving of peers.
She was the school's benevolent queen.
And what was Lila?
Lila Rossi was the one in control.
Lila Rossi was the chessmaster.
Lila Rossi was the one who could lie her way out of anything.
Lila Rossi was the sole director of her own story.
But Lila Agreste?
She wasn't in control of anything.
Not her classmates.
Not her social life.
Not her reputation.
Not the consequences that came from her lies.
Not even her schedule.
She had Wished for a life of fame and riches, in a beautiful home filled with luxuries, a life where she was always in the spotlight.
And in doing so, she had traded in everything she had.
She got her fancy house, that served as a prison cell, trapping her with a father who put chess pieces all around to watch and control her every move.
She got the spotlight all to herself, but not she couldn't escape it when she needed to lay low and wait for high tensions to die down.
She got all the fame and publicity she could ever want, even when that publicity was for something bad, like lying constantly.
Lila Rossi had been able to get away with lying and bullying and manipulating whenever she wanted, weasel out of any bad situation, avoid any punishments or consequences that resulted from her lies, and always find herself in control and on top.
Lila Agreste couldn't get away with anything.
Gabriel Agreste as an ally had been willing to not only shield her from consequences, but also encourage and nourish her skills and schemes, as she had been a pawn with no personal bond or connection.
Gabriel Agreste as a father was unwilling to let Lila do anything that rebelled against him or promoted a bad family image.
He was constantly on her back, hiring people to look over her shoulder, yet he never showed any affection to her, his only child.
Not only did she no longer have any sway over people, she was constantly on the edge, always having to act like a perfect little doll, get good grades, and never mess up, lest she sully the Gabriel Brand image.
Lila thought she had been trapping Adrien in her dull, mundane, nothing-special life.
But in reality, instead of trapping him, she had actually set him free.
She had unwittingly freed him from his gilded cage and locked herself in it instead.
And now, while she was suffocating from the crushing pressure of the expectations she carried as a public figure, potential role model, and representation of a company, he was skipping around Paris, free to do and wear whatever he wanted, to be as dorky and messy and outspoken as he pleased.
She didn't even have the class to fall back on. Thanks to the tabloids debunking her lies, none of them trusted Lila at all.
She wasn't popular. She wasn't worshipped. She wasn't even liked. She was a irritant to them at best, a stain on their otherwise perfect class picture.
And to Marinette, a pity case.
Meanwhile, Marinette herself was more beloved than ever, because now, on top of everything else, she was the martyr that oh-so-graciously offered support and compassion to that poor, friendless, insecure little loser that told the stupid lies.
That's all Lila was now.
A girl who told lies that failed every time.
That's what she had been reduced to by the Wish.
The Wish she had made.
The Wish had thought would enhance her life.
The Wish she had made to switch with Adrien.
To have everything he had.
"We try to help Adrien because we care about him! And you know why? Because he'd do the same for us!"
"Even if the fortunes were reversed, nothing would change!"
Lila had gotten what she wanted.
But she had lost what she had.
Her influence over the class.
Her ability to get out of work and punishment.
Gabriel as her willing trump card.
A classmate to vilify to make get everyone on her defense.
Even her loving, caring mother, the only person in her life who had truly loved her unconditionally, who she could always depend on in her old life no matter what.
She was gone.
It was all gone.
Everything that had given Lila power in her old life, everything that had made her a force to be reckoned with, made her who she was, was gone.
And Adrien—that stupid, idiotic, self-righteous Adrien, who had wronged her so in her past life, who did not deserve any sort of joy for looking down on her and toying with her feelings to block her efforts to rise up, who was the root of every problem she had—was doing even better than he had been before.
He was loved. He was popular. He was free.
And above all else...
He was happy.
Happier than Lila had ever been.
Happier with the little things that Lila had overlooked or taken for granted.
"You're just...not happy unless you have the most among your group, unless you're the most popular and powerful person in the room."
Happier than Lila will ever be.
"It's a sad existence, really."
Her vision became blurred.
She pulled her knees up to her chest, curling up in a ball as she buried her face in her kneecaps, wetting her designer jeans. Her teeth clenched as she thought of Adrien and how she had given him happiness after everything he had done to hurt her.
This was his fault!
If it wasn't for him, she wouldn't have been provoked to make that Wish!
He ruined her first life, driving her to seek a way to fix what he broke.
It's because of him Lila was desperate enough to make the Wish.
It was because of him Lila lost everything.
His existence alone was the root of every single woe and burden Lila was forced to carry, both in the last life and this.
He had driven her to make that Wish, tricked her into thinking it would give her victory over him.
And it worked.
Lila made the Wish. She changed the world.
And without the Miraculous in her possession, she couldn't even make another Wish to undo the damage the first one had caused and go back to her old life.
She thought she had won.
But she hadn't.
She lost.
And thanks to Adrien, she always would.
Her hands balled into fists as tears of rage filled her eyes.
It wasn't fair.
It wasn't fair!
IT WASN'T FAIR!
She howled in her head.
Lila's life was completely, totally, and utterly shattered.
And it was all because of Adrien Agreste.
It always was.