Chapter 390

“If Claire had been more sensitive, she might not have survived all the rumors and online hate. If something tragic happened, who would take responsibility for that p>

“I hope you all remember this and watch what you say from now on,” the teacher said, her voice gentle but firm.

The whole class finally seemed to get it.

Just because Claire was okay now and Molly was being punished, that didn’t mean they should feel sorry for Molly.

Molly’s scheme hadn’t worked because Claire was strong.

But what if Molly picked on someone else? Someone who couldn’t handle it?

It was scary to think that it could easily have ended with a tragedy instead of just a scandal.

Would Molly pay for that? Probably not. The most she’d get would be a year or two for spreading rumors. That hardly seemed fair.

You just can’t feel sorry for someone just because they look pitiful after getting caught.

Most of the class understood, and almost everyone apologized to Claire.

Cindy, Molly’s former seatmate, felt her face grow pale.

If everyone knew what Molly had done, what about her?

Did they know she’d trashed Claire online too?

What would people say if they found out?

No one confronted Cindy outright since she was the heiress of The James Family,

but she felt deeply uncomfortable every time someone glanced her way.

It was like everyone was judging her, laughing at her behind their hands.

At the end of class, nobody approached her, and she missed Molly’s friendly chatter even more.

It wasn’t exactly that everyone froze her out on purpose. They were just a little scared of her now.

Octavia had said Cindy was really sensitive and delicate.

What if someone upset her, and she couldn’t handle it? What if something bad happened, and it was their fault?

No one wanted to take that risk. And they were all high-achievers, fighting for a spot at the best colleges, afraid that if they got involved in drama, they’d lose out on something important.

So whenever Cindy was near, everyone just tried to be invisible.

Cindy didn’t get the real reason for their distance, and no one explained it. She just felt more and more alone.

A couple of girls kept trying to buddy up to her because of her family’s money, but Cindy always suspected they were secretly looking down on her.

It was only when lunch rolled around that Rose, a girl from another class, showed up at the door.

“Cindy, I heard they just opened that new hot pot place nearby. We’re heading out for lunch since it’s freezing. Want to come with us p>

Technically, seniors were supposed to eat in the cafeteria and get right back to studying, but this school was flexible. As long as no one. made a big scene, nobody pressed them to follow every cule. So

students leaving campus for lunch happened all the time.

Cindy was honestly relieved someone invited her, even if Rose and her friends

weren’t being totally genuine. She really needed some fresh air.

“Sure,” she said quickly, grabbing her wallet.

Her mother had always said that if you wanted to make friends, you had to be generous sometimes, treat people and do them small favors.

Lunches like these were perfect for that. Treating everyone to a meal once in a while wasn’t a big deal, and it always helped people like her better.

When Cindy had money before, she’d always been generous. And she loved the way people praised and liked her for it. This time wasn’t any different.

She smiled and said, “Let’s go, it’s on me p>

When the others heard Cindy would pay, their smiles became warmer, almost real. Sophia, watching from the sidelines, nudged Claire gently.

“Hey, Claire, wasn’t that Rose the one who used to follow you around all the time p>