Chapter 131 The other trustâfund kids, spurred on by Max Garcia, turned to look at Alice (47) âSo âthisâ is the chick who dissed our business school? Brave girl,â sneered Chad (one of the rich kids), adjusting his designer sunglasses.
âUgh, total country bumpkin, chimed in Brittany (another rich kid), sniffing the air disdainfully. You can practically smell the ramen noodles on her.â
Max, a queen bee in a designer dress, sashayed up to Alice. âIf you kneel and apologize right now, âin front of everyoneâ, we might consider letting your off the hook.
Across the hall, Chloe () smirked, delight dancing in her eyes. Alice had just ticked off the entire business school elite. Her future looked bleak.
Alice, however, didnât flinch. I didnât diss your school,â she said, her voice calm but sharp. I just think a business school that accepts students who scored zero on the SATs is lowering its standards.â
Chloeâs jaw dropped. This little nobody was actually âfighting backâ?
Chloe, trying to salvage the situation, piped up, âAlice, you can look down on me, but donât disrespect the business school!â
Max, her voice dripping with arrogance, announced, âEveryone saw what happened! Freshman Alice just declared war on the entire business school! Anyone caught siding with her is declaring war on âusâ!â This country bumpkin had gone too far. Alice âhadâ to be taught a lesson, or the business school would become a laughingstock.
The other students instantly scattered, creating a wide berth around Alice. Her roommate, Chloe (E), pulled her other roommate, Chloe (R), away. âAre you crazy? These rich kids? We canât mess with them!â
Chloe hesitated, then fell silent. No one could believe a freshman would dare to confront the business schoolâs royalty. Now, she was public enemy number one.
Alice stood alone at the stairwell, a slender figure looking incredibly vulnerable. Chloeâs lips curled into a triumphant smile.âAlice, you donât want to be ostracized on your first day, do you? Apologize now, and I might put in a good word for you with Max, for old times sake!â
Aliceâs eyes were glacial.âI donât care.â
She turned and walked away, completely ignoring them.
This unexpected act of defiance stunned everyone. Who would have thought she was so gutsy? She didnât even fear the business schoolâs elite!
Max gritted her teeth, fury bubbling in her chest. She glared at Chloe and Chloe. âYouâre roommates with her, right? Stay away from her, or Iâll make your lives hell.â Chloe nodded frantically.
Chloe, feeling compelled to speak, stammered, âAlice... her parents died when she was young. Sheâs an orphan. Thatâs why sheâs... like this.â
âSo what? I gave her a chance! She blew it. Whose fault is that?â Max had never been treated with such disrespect.
Chloe looked at Chloe in surprise.âAliceâs an orphan? So sheâd truly cut ties with her wealthy family.
even mentioning her connections. This good for Chloe.
Chloe feigned a sigh.â Alice was always like this in high school. Always isolated. But she got away with it because she was smart and the teachers protected her.â
Max sneered. This isnât high school, sweetheart. This This is Harvard University Chloe lowered her eyes, a a smug smile playing on her lips Alice was finished. Later, Alice walked alone across the quad, her first day of college already a disaster. Sheâd hoped for a normal college experience clearly, that was a pipe dream. Escaping her family hadnât brought her the peace sheâd hoped for, Chloe, that viper, always seemed to be lurking in the shadows, ruining everything.
Her phone buzzed. A text from her older brother, Noah: Alice, Iâm outside Harvard. I got you Some stuff. Free when youâre done?â
Alice was too irritated to see anyone from her family. She replied: âDonât bother. Give it to Chloe.â Noah stood by his car, a flicker of hope in his eyes when he saw Aliceâs message, quickly replaced by a wry smile. It seemed Alice wasnât ready to forgive him.
Chloe was going back to her hometown to retake the SAT, anyway, so that plan was out.
He lingered outside Harvard, wrestling with complex emotions. He knew she was inside, but he couldnât bring himself to approach her, afraid of alienating her further. He hadnât realized how bright his sister was, how incredibly well she had done. Yet, heâd focused on Chloe.
of students in blue uniforms the Harvard business As he was about to leave, he saw a group of students in blue uniforms school.
One face stood out.
Noahâs face paled.âChloe? What are you doing here?â
Chloeâs face flushed crimson.âNoah? What are âyouâ doing here?â
â
âI should be asking you that! Why arenât you back studying for the SATs? And why are you wearing a business school uniform?â
Chloe stammered, âMy older brother... he said I didnât need to retake the test. He said itâs better to make connections in the business school...â
Noahâs voice hardened.âThe business school is where all the heirs and heiresses hang out! What good is that to you?â
Chloeâs eyes welled up, but her mind was made up. She wouldnât return to her small town. Sheâd stay in Harvard, use her brotherâs connections, and marry rich. She wasnât going back to a life of poverty Noah frowned.âCome with me. I need to talk to your brother.â
âNoah, I know Iâm not... important. But I have my own dreams. I donât want to retake the test. My friends are waiting. I have to go. Chloe fled. She had to cultivate those connections. Noah watched her go, furious. He called his older brother, Ethan (R):âBrother, why is Chloe at the business school? She was supposed to retake the SATs.â
âI arranged it. Itâll benefit her.â
âBut didnât you say that business school spot was for Alice?â Ethan had mentioned it when Aliceâs grades were lower. But sheâd gotten into Harvard on her own merit.
âThe spot was for Alice,â Ethan said coldly. âBut look at her. She cut ties with the family, crashed 37 Chapter 111 the companyâs system. Does she deserve the perks the perks the family provides? Noah felt a deep, hollow ache. He couldnât swallow, couldnât spit it out.âBrother, arenât you afraid of hurting Alice?â He knew sheâd found out about Chloe being at the business school.
âIt seems she already knows.â Ethan hung up and immediately called Alice. His voice was laced with a smug triumph.âAlice, do you regret it now? That business school spot was yours.â