Chapter 1039

“Look, everyone!” a voice called out.
At once, the students turned, their eyes drawn to Rebecca kneeling on the ground.
“Why is she kneeling?”
“Who is she?”
“She’s Rebecca Conway, a transfer student who just came here recently. I heard her family is struggling financially. A few days ago, her gambler father showed up on campus and tried to sell her to some wealthy old man.”
“That’s so tragic.”
“But why is she kneeling now? Let’s go see.”
One by one, the students started to gather around.
With a sigh, Hailey stopped in her tracks and turned toward Rebecca.
Olivia was taken aback. She hurried forward to pull Rebecca up. “What are you thinking, Rebecca? There are so many people here. Why would you embarrass yourself in front of everyone? Get up now! Don’t give them a reason to laugh at you.”
But Rebecca saw this as the perfect chance. After all, her efforts to win Jonah over had gotten her nowhere. In fact, she’d even ended up in the hospital because of it.
She wasn’t about to let things go so easily. Instead, she intended to turn up the heat and make Hailey pay.
Rebecca pinched herself hard, and tears immediately filled her eyes. “Olivia, just leave me alone. I was wrong, and it’s all my fault. I deserve to kneel before Hailey and apologize.”
Olivia glared at Hailey, her voice heavy with frustration. “Hailey, this has gone too far. Have some compassion. Why are you being so harsh with Rebecca?”
Hailey was caught off guard. “Rebecca, since when have I ever ordered you to kneel?”
Rebecca’s voice cracked as she sobbed. “You didn’t, Hailey. This was my choice. I was wrong, and it’s all my fault.”
The students watching grew even more curious.
“What’s going on between you guys?”
“Did you two have some kind of falling out?”
Tears spilled down Rebecca’s
cheeks. “Hailey and I used to be best friends. A few days ago, my father came to campus and hit me. He wanted to drag me home to marry me off to some old man. It was Hailey who took me in and let me stay at her house.”
“That’s really kind of her. So why are you two fighting now?” one of the students asked.
Rebecca continued, “That night
when I stayed at Hailey’s, I tried to find her in her room, but she wasn’t therestead her fiance was, he struck me on the head with a bottle. I ended up in the hospital. Now Hailey thinks I was trying to seduce him!”
How could this be true?
The students stared at Hailey in shock.
“Hailey, you must have misunderstood Rebecca.”
“She looks so pitiful. It’s hard to believe she’d do something like that.”
“Once this misunderstanding is resolved, you two can still remain good friends.”
The crowd’s voices swelled, urging Hailey to reconsider.
Hailey met Rebecca’s gaze. Tears glistened in Rebecca’s eyes, but a faint smirk curled at the corners of her lips. It was clear she was deliberately trying to get under Hailey’s skin.
Even if she hadn’t won Jonah over, she was determined to make Hailey’s life miserable.
Hailey let out a cold chuckle. “Rebecca, maybe I did misunderstand you. Now, get up.”
Rebecca’s eyes sparkled. “Hailey, does this mean you’ve forgiven me?”
Hailey nodded. “When your father hit you and tried to marry you off to that old man, I genuinely felt sorry for you. That’s why I took you into my home.
“That night, I asked Ms. Pena to prepare the guest room for you so you could get some rest early. I stayed downstairs in the living room, working on some design projects.
“When my fiance arrived home, he headed upstairs to take a shower. I didn’t know what had happened, but when I went up later, I found you in the bathroom of the master bedroom.
“My fiance was in the shower, and you were sitting on the floor in a camisole nightgown. Perhaps it truly was just a coincidence.”