Chapter 2

The next morning, I could tell something was seriously wrong the moment I stepped into the dining hall.

Countless eyes turned toward me, followed by whispers and snickers that weren't even remotely subtle.

"That's her, right? She always acts so innocent and helpless. Who would've thought she was such a slut behind closed doors?"

"How disgusting. I can't believe she'll sleep with some old man who's practically dying just for money. She really has no shame."

"I heard she didn't get the Outstanding Student Scholarship, so she went straight into prostitution. Guess that's what you get when someone grows up in the foster care system."

My hand froze around my tray, and I frowned.

A few girls from my class deliberately carried cups of steaming hot coffee straight toward me, and I stepped aside just in time. The coffee spilled all over the floor.

"Oops! Why'd you move? What, afraid we'll stain the clothes you wear to wait on old men?"

The girl in front covered her mouth and giggled, her eyes gleaming with malicious amusement.

I gave her a cold look as I pulled out my phone and opened Beyton University's student forum.

At the very top of the homepage was a post marked "Breaking", the bright red tag immediately catching my eye.

The title read, "Exposing the Truth About the Innocent Orphan: Volunteering by Day, Sleeping with Rich Men by Night."

I clicked on the post.

There were several blurry photos that had clearly been taken without my knowledge.

In one of them, I was helping Grandpa David, who was dressed in his singlet, toward a black luxury sedan parked outside Evergreen Haven.

That was from two days ago, when he'd complained that his leg was hurting and I'd helped him outside to get some fresh air.

According to the paid trolls Jenna had hired, the photo was "proof" that I was kept by an old man and had been accompanying him to high-end clubs for sexual favors.

The comments were already filled with filthy insults, with the trolls clearly driving the conversation.

"I knew there was a reason she kept going to that dump of a nursing home every day. Turns out volunteering was just an excuse to sell herself!"

"A shady place like that? Who knows what kind of disgusting business is going on there?"

"The university needs to investigate her. Someone like this is an absolute disgrace to the school!"

I took a deep breath, forcing down the anger boiling in my chest before turning around and heading straight for the dorm.

The moment I opened the door, the stench of spoiled food hit me.

My bed was covered in greasy leftovers, while several of my clothes had been cut to shreds and thrown onto the filthy floor.

Jenna was sitting in her custom gaming chair, calmly filing her freshly manicured nails. Several of her sidekicks stood nearby, still holding the plastic buckets they'd used to dump the mess.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. My hand slipped."

Jenna didn't even look up.

"You know, when something is rotten at its core, even the air around it starts to stink," she continued, her voice dripping with smug arrogance. "I was just trying to keep the dorm clean and help disinfect the place."

I stared at the mess covering my bed, and the last trace of warmth left my expression.

"Jenna, wasn't stealing my scholarship enough? Now you're spreading filthy rumors about me, too?"

"Rumors?"

She finally looked up and rose to her feet, strutting toward me in her heels.

"You can't even afford to feed yourself, and you think you're important enough for me to make up rumors about?" she said, looking down at me with open contempt.

"The pictures are perfectly clear. Are you going to deny that you helped that old man into his car?

"We're all adults here. Everyone can see exactly what kind of disgusting thoughts you have. So, why are you still pretending to be some innocent prude?"

She raised a finger adorned with a diamond ring and jabbed me hard in the shoulder.

"Consider this a warning. This is what happens when you decide to go against me.

"You'd better pack your things and get out of Beyton University. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to put those videos of you waiting on old men all over the internet."

The girls behind her immediately chimed in.

"Exactly. Jenna's family is worth hundreds of millions. Getting rid of you would be ridiculously easy for her.

"If you know what's good for you, get down on your knees and apologize to Jenna. Maybe she'll have mercy on you and let you walk away."

I pulled out my phone and took several photos of the mess covering my bed.

"Jenna, do you really think having money means you can do whatever you want?" I asked, looking straight into her eyes. "As for every bit of filth you dumped onto my bed, I'll make sure you pay for it someday—and I'll make you suffer ten times over."

Jenna froze for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Fine. I'd love to see what a worthless orphan like you can possibly do to me!"