Chapter 27
Rhea’s POV
“Can you believe it? Hey, do you know what I heard lately? Someone said she heard Ginny saying th
daughter of the Thorne’s and Ginny was the real daughter.”
My head shot up, shocked. They heard Ginny say I was the adopted daughter and she was the real one?!
a was actually the fake
“Well, that’s how it actually looks, isn’t it? Let me tell you something, I’ve been Ginny’s and Rhea’s classmate since when we
were in junior high school and everyone, the mighty, father and brothers all treat Ginny better, like she’s their princess or
something and as for Rhea, she actually looks like their servant. The clothes she wears look like hand me downs that Ginny doesn’t want, the shoes, she doesn’t even spend as much as Ginny. Their parents don’t give her a lot of allowance as well, even until now, although Rhea and Ginny share a car, the driver visibly treats her better than Rhea.”
“So you think Rhea has been lying to us all these while? She’s not actually a true Thorne?”
“I think so. Ginny’s the princess of school, she’s smart and she’s also kind, why would she lie? Also, regarding what Kevin said, I think it makes it even more believable.”
The corner of my lips shook as I tried to wrap my head around what they were saying, however, before I could even try to think of anything, the doors were slammed open again.
“Hey! Rhea and Ginny’s mom came to school! I think the Dean saw the post and called her to school!”
I froze. Rachel was in school. A groan escaped my lips before I could stop it, and everywhere went quiet. I cursed inwardly.
“Do you think… Do you think someone’s here?” One of them not so whispered since I could still hear them.
Damn it. Now they knew I was here.
I stepped out from behind the column slowly, my arms folded and chin high. The look on their faces when they saw me, eyes, open mouths, was almost worth the headache Ginny and her lies had given me.
“Wow.” I said, voice calm but sharp, “I didn’t realize I’d walked into a gossip convention.”
The silence was instant. You could hear the hum of the vending machine across the hall.
wide
“I mean, really.” I continued, smiling faintly, “You guys did all that talking and still didn’t manage to get a single thing right. Impressive.”
They shuffled, eyes darting everywhere but at me. One of them, Rebecca, the self–appointed class chatterbox, opened her mouth like she wanted to explain herself.
I didn’t let her.
“Let me clear up a few things since facts seem to be in short supply today.” I stepped forward, watching them flinch, “No, I’m
+25 Bonus
Chapter 27
not the fake daughter. Yes, Ginny’s been working hard to make it look that way, but that’s what some people do, they twist the truth so tightly, you forget what it formerly looked like and even gullible people start to respond positively to it.”
Rebecca blushed, her face turning tomato–red. The girl next to her coughed awkwardly, suddenly fascinated by the floor tiles.
“And as for the ‘princess of the school‘…” I tilted my head, “Kindness doesn’t include stealing som
rumors when you’re scared of being exposed. So maybe next time, pick your heroine a little more carefully.”
They didn’t say a word. Just stood there, faces flushed with shame. The silence tasted like satisfaction.
e’s life, or spreading
I gave them one last look before turning on my heel and walking away. I didn’t need to stick around to see their expressions, I’d made my point.
I was halfway down the hallway when a first–year student ran up to me, slightly out of breath, “Um, Rhea Thorne?”
“Yes?” I asked, already guessing what this was about.
“The Dean’s looking for you.” He said nervously, “He said to come to his office immediately. Your mom is there too.”
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. Of course she was. Of course Rachel had shown up, right when things were getting worse. A headache bloomed behind my eyes, but I straightened my shoulders.
“Thanks.” I murmured, then turned toward the administrative wing. When I got to his office, I knocked twice, and upon hearing an ‘enter‘, I walked in, closing the doors behind me.
Rachel was seated on a chair, glaring daggers at me like I had stolen and sold one of her non existent authentic gold necklaces. “Miss Rhea, since you’re here, I assume you know what this meeting is all about?” The Dean asked, carefully choosing his words. “Mhm.” I hummed, going to stand near him.
“And would you like to explain? Maybe admit if it’s true or not?” He continued, he didn’t want to jump into conclusions so quickly. The Dean is one of the best characters in this school, he never did anything that could jeopardize the life of his students, nor does he try to inconvenience them, if anything, he tries his hardest to make everyone happy, even at the detriment of himself.
“Do you need to ask her?! The evidence is clear!”
“So if I told you that Ginny went to a brothel to sleep with different men, say like 100 men in one day and she came back home, despite the fact that there was no evidence, would you accept it like that?” I crossed my arms, not intending on mincing words. Rachel turned to the Dean, her fingers shaking as she pointed at me, “Look at her! She’s talking back to me! This is outrageous!” “I’m sorry, Mrs Thorne, I thought we were going around making baseless accusations at people. You took the words Kevin said at face value, despite him being a stranger, are you even a mother at all?” I questioned, it was one thing I had always wanted to ask. But no, Rachel was never a mother, not towards me.
“You bitch! Do you think Ginny whores around like you?! Who knows how many men you’ve slept with and how many diseases you have in your body! The only person I have pity for is Kevin! He must have gotten sick from sleeping with you!” 1
