Chapter 359
A girl in the front row whispered, “Zaylee looks so pitiful.” Another classmate murmured, “This feels forced, doesn’t it?” Melany stood by her seat, her frown deepening.
Zaylee’s apology sounded heartfelt, but behind her bangs, her eyes were quietly watching her classmates’ reactions.
“Zaylee, don’t cry.” A boy suddenly spoke up. “Were you forced to say all this?”
Zaylee shook her head through her tears. “No. It’s all my fault.” She looked at Melany again. “Do you accept my apology? If not… just tell me how I can get your forgiveness. I’ll do whatever you ask.”
Melany had already seen through her act. She realized Zaylee was playing the victim. If she rejected the apology, the others would only blame her. She gave a mocking smile. “I forgive you.”
Gorman cleared his throat. “Alright, Zaylee has offered her apology, and Melany has accepted it. Let’s move on in peace.”
Zaylee nodded and stepped down from the podium. But just then, she stumbled. A classmate nearby caught her.
She gave a weak smile. “I’m fine. Just… a little dizzy.”
“Do you need the infirmary?” Gorman asked with concern.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. Her voice was light. “I just need to rest.”
After the next class ended, several girls hurried to Zaylee’s side.
“Zaylee, were you forced to apologize?”
“Did Melany’s sister make you do it?”
Biting her lip, Zaylee said softly, “I wasn’t forced. I truly meant that apology.”
“Everyone knows how much that necklace means to you. There’s no way you’d use it to frame someone. This must be Melany’s doing. Why are you still afraid of her? You’ve got the Morgans behind you!” a classmate muttered.
Zaylee shook her head. “I don’t want to use my family’s name to pressure anyone. And Brad’s in the military — I can’t bother him over something this small. Besides, there’s no solid proof that Melany did it. It’s only right that I apologize.”
“You really are too generous, too kind,” a girl sighed. “There are no cameras in the classroom, so of course, there’s no evidence. Unless someone saw it… but during PE, we were all changing. Melany was the only one left behind.”
“Let’s leave it in the past,” Zaylee said with a soft but firm smile. “Monthly exams are around the corner. We should be focused on that.”
“True. And you’re improving fast with Ms. Carter tutoring you. If you place first this time, you’ll definitely enter the honors class.”
Zaylee smiled humbly. “I’ll try my best.”
Thanks to Letty’s help, Zaylee’s scores had gone up. She answered more questions in class and studied hard — unlike Melany, who rarely spoke up and often left blanks in her homework. Her grades stayed average.
Melany could feel the judgment in the eyes of Zaylee’s circle. She overheard whispers like, “Melany backed the wrong person.” “She’ll probably come in last this time.”
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