Chapter 65
Maria seemed to find it amusing at the time.All rights © NôvelDrama.Org.
She gave me a faint glance, then set the umbrella down and turned to leave.
But I quickly handed the umbrella back to her and frantically rummaged through my backpack.
“I can give you money–I have a lot of money.”
“Look, this is all the money I’ve saved.”
In reality, my “lot of money” was just a little over a hundred dollars.
But that was everything I had.
Maria’s voice was a bit muffled.
“Kid, I’ll be your mom.”
After she said that, I smiled.
For seven years straight, she never went back on her word.
Whenever I needed a mom, she played the part perfectly.
“Mom, let’s go home. We don’t need to stay in the hospital anymore.”
I didn’t have much money left, and staying here would drain what little I had.
But Maria hesitated, her expression suddenly becoming serious.
“No way! Your body is like a ticking time bomb right now–what if something happens at home?”
I smiled, just about to say something when there was a knock on the door.
I instinctively looked toward the entrance.
Who could be coming at this time?
Before Maria could open the door, it was pushed open from the outside.
I saw a girl I didn’t recognize.
“Is this Miss Sarah Smith?”
nodded blankly
The girl grinned, giving ablight bow before speaking. “This is a wreath delivery for Miss Sarah Smith. Please signifor
After saying that, she had people bring in a row of wreaths and place them inside the room.
By the time we snapped out of it and went to find her, she had already disappeared.
“A wreath? Who’s this vicious? I’m going to find her and settle this!” was momentarily stunned, shaking my head slightly. “Maria, don’t bother. She’s probably long gone by now”
“But we can’t just let the bully you like this?”
I tugged at her and shook my head again.
Though Maria was upset, she didn’t say anything more.
But our patience only led to their escalating cruelty.
Early the next morning, the room was piled with all kinds of wreaths and chrysanthemums- even joss paper.
“Wishing the trash a speedy journey to the garbage heap.”
Maria couldn’t take it anymore.
She threw the bouquet she was holding onto the floor.
“What the hell? This is going too far!”
I found it odd–what strange rumors were circulating online?
Why was everyone suddenly turning against me?
“Mom, could you hand me the phone?”
I asked, pretending to be playful.
Maria was taken aback but frowned and refused my request.
I sighed, frustrated.
Taking advantage of her distraction, I quickly snatched the phone from her pocket.
The top ten trending searches were buzzing, with four of them about me.
#Sibling Rivalry: Who’s the Real Outstanding Graduate?#
#Fake Mom at Graduation: Who’s the Real Mother?#
#Scandal at a Prestigious University: Outstanding Graduate Accused of Fraud?#
#Favoritism or a Twisted Mind? The Truth Behind the Claims#
The barrage of headlines made it impossible to ignore.
I casually turned off the phone, not caring about any of it.
If I could endure attacks from those closest
to me, what did I bother with the opinions of strangers online?
The extravagant effort was nothing more than an accusation that I’d stolen the title of Outstanding Graduate from Charlotte.
But even if they handed it to her, could she really handle it?
Maria watched me carefully, silently observing my every move.
I smiled, reassured, and looked up at her. “I only have one mom, one family. Nothing they do will ever affect me.”
Maria’s expression was unusually serious.
She nodded as if making a significant decision in her heart.