Chapter 110
Chapter 110 A Shift in School Buzz
Though the herbal sachets were plain and simple, Leighton held them gently in his palm, a faint soft smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
She really was quite the little healer.
Meanwhile, Zora had already arrived at her classroom.
As soon as she stepped into the classroom, chatter filled the air all around her.
“The post on the campus forum got taken down p>
“The Marlow family must have stepped in. Rumor has it that the Knoxes traded Zora away- they agreed to let her stay with the Marlows instead of coming back to the Knox Villa. Between their own blood daughter and Jolie, they still refuse to let Jolie go. They’d do absolutely anything for her. I’ve never seen such a clueless family p>
“No kidding. The Knoxes spoil Jolie rotten. Taking the post down only makes them look guiltier, like they’ve got something to hide p>
“Now everyone’s finally seeing past Jolie’s fake sweet act. All her admirers are losing their rose- tinted views of her p>
“She lay low for a few days and finally showed up to school today p>
Jolie had asked for leave the very next day after the incident broke out.
Online comments tearing her apart had overwhelmed her completely. Spoiled and sheltered her whole life by the Knox family, used to endless praise, she couldn’t bear the wave of harsh online criticism.
People whispered and stared wherever she went, even her classmates shooting her strange, judgmental looks.
Jolie was only seventeen. For all her scheming, she still lacked self-control over her emotions. Faced with such a huge scandal, she couldn’t hide her flustered, bitter expressions.
To keep her public image from getting worse, she’d taken time off from school.
It wasn’t until today that she finally returned.
Little did she know that her cowardice only made people judge her more.
People saw her as too cowardly to own up to her actions, too afraid to apologize.
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Chapter 110 A Shift in School Buzz
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Even her insincere apologies were laced with ulterior motives-a truly pathetic way to behave.
The school was no longer a place where everyone adored Jolie. Gone were the days when people praised her for being kind, generous, and perfect. All that remained for her now was undisguised contempt, along with endless sideways stares and suspicious glances from everyone around.
Even after Wendy had asked Opal for help, the forum post had stayed up for a whole week. Everyone who needed to know had seen it, and even those who shouldn’t have caught wind of the gossip too.
It wasn’t until early that morning that Jensen had someone remove the post.
“Zora, you’re here!” Easton called out loudly the second he spotted her outside the classroom.
The chatter about Jolie died down instantly.
“Mhm.” Zora noticed their awkward, stiff stares. “Is something wrong with your eyes or your
necks p>
“…N-Nothing at all. We were just talking about Clark. Thought it was him walking in p>
“Right, speaking of homework-have you guys finished yours p>
“Not yet, hurry, let me copy yours p>
Everyone rambled over one another, quickly changing the subject.
None of them wanted Zora to find out about the messy rumors online.
More than half a month slipped by.
Zora hadn’t run into Jolie once during that time, and she paid no mind now that Jolie was back.
She walked to her seat and sat down, noticing the empty desk beside her. Maya hadn’t shown up for class today.
Leaning forward, Zora tapped Easton’s back with her pen. “Where’s Maya p>
“Maya took the day off. She’ll probably be back tomorrow,” Easton answered casually.
Maya took leave frequently, but her grades were always in the top three in the grade. With such outstanding academic performance, neither teachers nor the school ever said a word about her absences.
“Taking time off? Did something happen?” Zora frowned softly. Maya loved studying more than anyone she knew; it was strange for her to miss class.
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Chapter 110 A Shift in School Buzz
“She does this every now and then. You’ll get used to it.” Easton waved it off.
The whole class was already accustomed to Maya’s occasional absences.
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“Alright.” Zora nodded. The empty seat beside her felt unsettling, so she pulled out her phone.
She opened Maya’s contact and hesitated, finally typing only one short line, “Hey, Maya p>
After a moment of pondering, she sent a little cartoon rabbit peeking out from behind a wall instead.
Soon, the chat box showed the typing indicator.
The reply came right away, “Zora, I’ve got things to take care of today, so I can’t make it. I’ll send you voice messages later to go over any homework problems you don’t understand p>
Zora realized Maya had misunderstood her reason for messaging.
She pursed her lips and typed back carefully, “It’s fine if you’re busy. Just don’t keep things to yourself p>
She hadn’t messaged about homework at all-she was just worried something was bothering Maya.
“Okay p>
A second later, a cartoon emoji of a hand patting a rabbit’s head popped up.
Watching the virtual head-pat, Zora felt her ears grow a bit hot. Even though it was just an emoji, the thought of the cold, aloof, and elegant Maya patting her head with a straight face was… a lot.
She couldn’t even guess what quiet thoughts had gone through Maya’s mind before sending that emoji.
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The Real Heiress s New Family Adored by All