Chapter 3

The next day, I drove the car James had given me to Silvermont College. Before heading out, I asked Sam Smith, the butler, for the gas card.

"The car already has a full tank, Ms. Josephine."

"It'll run out eventually."

My family had prepared flowers, a haute couture gown, and media interviews for Juliet. The moment she stepped out of the car, she was swarmed by the crowd.

I, on the other hand, was reminded by the driver to get off at the side entrance. "Mr. Moreau said it would be best if you didn't appear on camera with Ms. Juliet."

I got it. He thought I was ugly and was afraid I would ruin the Moreaus' image.

Not that I care. If anything, the side entrance was closer to the scholarship office.

I had just entered the academic building when Juliet caught up with me and linked her arm through mine. "Why did you come in through the side entrance, Josephine?"

Before I could answer, she explained to our classmates, "Josephine is just a little self-conscious about her looks. She doesn't like being stared at."

The way people looked at me changed in an instant.

"How ugly does someone have to be to wear a hat and mask in the dead of summer?"

"No wonder she was sent to the countryside right after she was born."

Juliet had a glint in her eyes, but she still pretended to defend me. "Cut it out, guys. Josephine's really good at studying."

Someone immediately chimed in, "She probably has no friends, so all she can do is bury herself in exercise books every day."

I ignored them and headed straight to the scholarship office.

The staff member checked my ID and handed me the confirmation form. "The 600,000-dollar scholarship will be deposited into your account within three business days, Josephine."

"Is that after taxes?"

"Yes." My hand felt noticeably lighter as I signed my name.

I had just put the documents away when several students blocked my path. One of their phones displayed a post from the campus forum titled, "Country Bumpkin Heiress Suspected of Impersonating Provincial Top Score to Get into Silvermont College Through the Moreaus' Connections."

The post claimed that I had stolen scholarships and lab positions from ordinary students.

"You don't even dare to remove your mask! How do we know you're the real Josephine?"

"Isn't it easy for rich people to forge documents?"

The controversy soon reached the faculty professors. To quell the rising doubts, the professor arranged an open test on short notice.

Juliet sat in the front row with a look of concern. "Don't feel pressured, Josephine. Even if you don't do well, no one'll laugh at you."

The final three questions on the test were all beyond the level of a freshman. I handed in my paper 40 minutes early.

The professor graded it on the spot. "A perfect score. She even used two different methods to solve the final problem."

Those who had questioned me instantly fell silent.

The professor immediately announced, "Josephine, report to the key laboratory once the semester commences."

"Do I get a stipend?"

The professor smiled. "Yes, you'll receive the highest stipend available."

Since our classmates could no longer attack my grades, they could only target my face.

"So what if her grades are good? She's still too ugly to show her face in public."

"I told you; she has no friends, so all she can do is bury her head in books."

Juliet gently comforted me. "Cheer up, Josephine. There's more to a lady than just her looks."

She made it sound like she was defending me, but all she did was affirm that I was ugly.

…

That afternoon, Jack came to campus for an esports club event. When Juliet showed him the forum post, he was in the middle of a livestream.

Jack deliberately turned the camera toward me. "She won't take off her mask, not because she's insecure about her looks, but because she's afraid people will have nightmares after seeing her face."

The students around us immediately burst into laughter. The livestream chat was flooded with comments demanding that I take off my mask.

Juliet hurriedly tried to stop him. "That's enough, Jack. Josephine's sensitive about her appearance to begin with. If you provoke her any further, she might not even dare to leave her dorm."

Jack, however, kept following me with his camera.

I stopped in my tracks. "Do I get a cut of your livestream revenue?"

"You want a cut of my livestream revenue, too?"

"Since you're using me for clout, of course I should get a cut." I pulled up the platform's complaint page. "If you won't pay me, stop violating my image rights."

In no time, the livestream went black.

Campus security arrived shortly afterward and ordered Jack to stop filming.

His expression hardened because he felt humiliated in public. "Did you just report your own brother for this little bit of money?"

"First of all, you've never acknowledged me as your sister. Secondly, I don't suffer losses for free."

That evening, "The Moreaus' Ugly Heiress Acts All High and Mighty After Topping the College Entrance Exam in Her Province" shot to the top of the trending list.

James called me soon afterward. He didn't ask me what had happened. Instead, he ordered, "You must attend the charity gala tomorrow night and apologize to Jack in public."

He paused for a moment before adding, "Keep your mask on tight. Don't embarrass our family any further."