Chapter 157
She glanced at her phone. The class group chat was buzzing with excitement. [Jessica: I heard our class dinner tonight is at Serenity Heights! Is that true??] [Daisy: Serenity Heights? No way. Can we even afford to eat there??]
[Maggie: Don’t worry, everyone. Tonight’s dinner is on Penelope-she’s treating both our class and hers, so no need to split the bill.]
[Jessica: Wow, really?! Penelope is amazing!! But isn’t it a bit much for her to pay for all of us?]
[Sandra: Serenity Heights is actually Penelope’s family’s hotel~]
Instantly, the chat exploded in a flurry of awe and over-the-top compliments for Penelope.
Although Penelope wasn’t even in their department, she always found excuses to hang around. Over time, everyone became more familiar with her than with Anastasia herself. Someone even blurted out-
[I wish Penelope was in our class instead!]
Why did it have to be Anastasia?
The disdain was obvious-no one bothered to hide it, but no one spoke up to disagree, either.
Someone else chimed in-
[Not a chance. I heard the Sterling family doesn’t have a son, so Penelope’s set to inherit everything. Of course she has to study finance and get properly groomed.]
[Only some distant relatives with nothing to inherit would end up in our journalism department- lol] Content orıginally comes from.net
Anastasia curled her lips in a mirthless smirk, her gaze icy.
Yes, Penelope was in finance. She’d always claimed it was because she was “interested in the field”-and Anastasia, in her past naivety, had believed her.
But Penelope’s ambition was obvious to everyone by now, even to Anastasia’s own classmates, who all seemed to know Penelope was being groomed to “take over the family business.”
Meanwhile, Anastasia had been talked into signing up for journalism.
She slipped her phone into her bag and called a cab to Serenity Heights.
-Wants to inherit the empire? What a pity-life doesn’t always go the way you plan.
A bastard child should know her place, left to rot in the shadows-how dare she covet what was never hers? Time to wake up from that dream.
As Anastasia walked up to the hotel entrance, she bumped into a group of her classmates.
Somebody greeted her with a mocking smile. “Oh look, isn’t this the self- proclaimed Sterling heiress? Why can’t you ever treat us to dinner here, huh? Funny how it’s always Penelope who picks up the tab.”
“Come on, don’t take her seriously. We’re at Serenity Heights, the Sterling family’s hotel. It’s not like any random distant cousin can act like they own the place!”
Maggie and Sandra were among them. Hearing these jabs, neither stepped in- instead, both looked at her with open contempt.
Serves her right!
Penelope had always been so “good” to Anastasia-constantly worried she’d be bullied, checking up on her, even handing out discount and VIP cards to the group for Sterling Group’s stores so they’d look out for her.
They got special treatment and freebies at Sterling Group stores all the time!
And yet Anastasia was such an ingrate-never thankful, even badmouthing Penelope behind her back!
Listening to them, Anastasia felt nothing but amusement.
Serenity Heights-her mother’s legacy-since when did Penelope become the “host”?
What gave Penelope the nerve to use what wasn’t hers for her own charity? She couldn’t wait to see their reactions when they realized whose favors they’d actually been enjoying.
With that thought, Anastasia drawled lazily, “You all know exactly how you treat me. Still got the nerve to ask me to buy you dinner? Guess shame isn’t on the menu tonight, huh?”
“You-!” The girl who’d been talking was so furious she turned red.
Anastasia ignored them, striding past without another word.
“As if she could afford it anyway,” someone scoffed. “Still pretending, even now. Say a lie often enough and you start to believe you’re the real Sterling heiress.”
They were still busy complaining when Penelope arrived, leading her own group of classmates.
“Penelope!” The same people who’d just been sneering at Anastasia now beamed with genuine enthusiasm.
Surrounded by eager admirers, Penelope basked in the attention, her earlier frustrations instantly melting away.