Chapter 351:
Rylie lifted an eyebrow. “If I’m not here for you, who else would I be here for? I don’t know anyone else here.”
Her voice carried through the room, making it clear to everyone that she had no connection to Zaylee at all.
The room went silent. Students turned to Zaylee with curious, almost judgmental looks. Zaylee’s cheeks flushed red. Her hands gripped the hem of her uniform so tightly that her nails nearly cut into her skin.
“I’m not…” Zaylee began, but Rylie’s cool gaze silenced her.
“Melany, take me to your class advisor,” Rylie said, her voice soft but unmistakably firm, loud enough for all to hear.
Melany sprang to her feet, her eyes glowing with excitement. “Great!” she exclaimed.
As she walked past Zaylee, she straightened her back on purpose. The classmates who had once ignored her and sided with Zaylee now looked confused.
While Rylie left the room with Melany, a classmate leaned toward Zaylee and asked, “What’s going on? She seems closer to Melany than to you. Weren’t you the one who said Melany’s family were just hill farmers? How did she get so close to someone like Rylie?”
Zaylee was burning with anger. Rylie had embarrassed her in front of everyone. Her mind raced to come up with an excuse.
She forced a smile and paused slightly. “Maybe it’s still because of the tutoring,” she said.
“Tutoring? What tutoring?”
Most of the class looked lost, but two girls close to Zaylee quickly jumped in. “Zaylee used to be tutored by her,” one whispered. “But she lied to the Morgans and said she was a top student. Truth is, she failed all through high school and even paid her way into college. How could someone like that teach Zaylee anything in university?”
With her friends supporting her, Zaylee pretended to sigh and said helplessly, “I already told Brad that I could self-study, but he refused. After finding out Rylie’s academic record was fake, he hired a new teacher for me. Rylie thought I was excluding her and got upset, which is why…”
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She looked down for a second, then quickly smiled again. “Anyway, I didn’t handle it well. I get why she’s angry. But please, don’t talk about it anymore.”
A girl nearby scoffed, her face twisted in scorn. “Zaylee, you’re too kind. That woman clearly used the tutoring excuse to cozy up to Mr. Morgan. If Melany’s future is doomed, it’s because she learns from someone like Rylie.”
Another chimed in, “She’s already at rock bottom. There’s nowhere left to fall.”
Zaylee smiled and clapped lightly. “Alright, back to your seats, everyone. Exams are coming up — focus on that. Oh, and I’d love to invite you all to my birthday party soon.”
“Sounds great!”
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