Translator: Inschain     Editor: Inschain
Jack looked at her in confusion, not understanding why she was so agitated.
âJack, we got this project through connections to begin with. If you rush to show gratitude, it might be misconstrued, leading others to believe we acquired it through illicit means.â
Lindaâs heart raced. She avoided meeting Jackâs eyes, trying hard to remain calm.
âYouâre right,â Jack responded without overthinking, sighing, âI was too harsh on you before and didnât show enough concern.â
Linda chuckled, âDad, Mom, and my brothers have always been so kind to me. I shouldnât have had such irrational fears about being abandoned. Because of that mindset, Iâve always felt a bit uneasy around Elizabeth.â
âBut Iâve come to terms with it now. I wonât overthink things anymore.â
âYouâre so mature.â
Jack exclaimed, touched by how understanding Linda was.
She had felt a bit off balance due to Elizabethâs return, but she hadnât done anything drastic. Realizing her mistake was a good step.
At the same time.
On the Campus Forum of Sunny Heights High School, a post was circulating:
âSpilling the tea on the new senior transfer studentâapparently sheâs the Wilson familyâs lost daughter from the countryside and she got into the school through connections.â
The post was filled with juicy details and quickly attracted a crowd.
âThe Wilson family? You mean Lindaâs family?â
âWho else could it be? I heard the Wilson family lost her for fifteen years and only found her in the countryside last month.â
âCan someone from the countryside even keep up with Sunny Heightsâ curriculum?â
âPoor Linda. How is she coping now that the real daughter of the Wilson family is back?â
âNo wonder Sunny Heights accepted a transfer student in the senior year. The
Wilsons must have paid their way in.â
âThe schoolâs standards are dropping. I really despise those who use connections to get ahead.â
âI was there when Linda had her coming-of-age ceremony. Vice Principal
Wendy was also present.â
âWait till she canât keep up with our pace and becomes the bottom of our class.
Thatâd be a spectacle.â
âJust one bad apple ruins the reputation of Sunny Heights. Money sure speaks volumes.â
Watching the increasing engagement on the post, Lily smirked contentedly, especially seeing the various doubts and derogatory comments about Elizabeth.
Such uncertain rumors, when accumulated, can be devastating to oneâs reputation.
She still held a grudge against Elizabeth for upstaging her during the coming-of-age ceremony and for causing sanctions against her familyâs company by Sir and Lady Wilson, leading to her getting slapped by her father.
Back when Elizabeth was with the Wilsons, Lily couldnât do much. But now that she was at school, Lily didnât even have to lift a finger.
Elizabethâs alleged entrance through connections was enough to get her ostracized.
Moreover, she wasnât lying. Lindaâs evasive behavior clearly indicated that the Wilsons must have paid for Elizabethâs entrance.
Upon seeing the post, Ben approached Lily, âThe Wilsons are that fond of her!â
âDefinitely. They even bought her a rare dress for Lindaâs coming-of-age ceremony, letting her steal Lindaâs limelight,â Lily sneered.
âThatâs so biased!â
âExactly! Even though Linda isnât their biological daughter, theyâve raised her for years. Yet, when their biological daughter returns, they treat her like this.â
Lily fumed, âJust to get her into Sunny Heights, they spent so much money.
They didnât even consider if sheâs qualified.â
âSheâs also quite charming, with that sly face of hers, always trying to seduce everyone.â
She was referring to the banquet where Peter only had eyes for Elizabeth, overlooking Linda.
Students around them frowned upon hearing this.
Ben was also enraged. Linda, his crush and goddess, was being treated so unfairly..