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153 Auntie, why do you hate me so much?

On the following day, Nina kept a brave front as she went to school. She ignored the blatant whispers and mockery on her way to the classroom. However, when she reached her class, nasty comments were written all over her desk.

Looking at it, she tried to calm her heart and looked around. All she saw were her classmate’s ridiculing looks and snickers.

“Do you think this is funny?” she scoffed, only to receive all sorts of ridiculous comments in

return.

“Are you going to blame us again?”

“Goodness. This girl is really ridiculous.”

“Does she have no shame? After having a catfight yesterday, she would come here and point fingers at others.”

“Nina, do you think we’re the only ones who hate you?”

“Compared to Patricia, this girl is dirt nothing. She acts all high and mighty, but she’s nothing but a lucky girl who was lucky enough to be swapped as a baby.”

“She doesn’t even feel sorry for the real daughter and tries to kill her. Gosh! This is truly a scary world! Even children are capable of doing such a horrendous act.”

Their comments slowly turned into loud, malicious gossip. Nina couldn’t even retort anymore.

“Tch!” Nina took off her bag and tried to clean her desk. Before the class would even start, she was already exhausted.

When the first ring for recess rang, Nina stayed at her desk. She heard her stomach grumble a little, clasping her stomach while everyone was happily chatting and eating with their friends.

‘I should’ve eaten at home. Even if their food is barely edible, I’m hungry.”

Even when lunch and their afternoon recess came, Nina stayed at her desk. She no longer had extra money to buy food. Unless she wanted to walk home, then she could. Hence, Nina had to endure her hunger until it was time to go home.

But even when it was time to go home, someone threw an ice pack that had dirty water as content. She didn’t know where it came from, but she ended up going home smelling like the

gutter.

Again, standing outside the Cortez house, Nina’s face paled. She stared at the small house, slowly realizing this was her home now. There wasn’t any butler waiting for her, nor there was anyone ready to listen to her school achievements.

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153 Auntie, why do you hate me so much?

Nina’s eyes stung as she felt her spirit slowly break down.

Today was hard and exhausting.

She didn’t know if she was crying because she was starving or because she just felt down. No matter how much she tried to keep everything in place, things still fell out of her control.

In the end, instead of going inside the house, Nina sat down outside of the gates.

She folded her arms over her knees and buried her face in it, crying.

It was only two days since she started getting hate. However, her spirit had already broken down to smithereens. Just yesterday, she was thinking of how to screw Penny up, but today, she couldn’t even do anything but mind her stomach and save herself from any “harmless” pranks.

“Hic!” she hiccuped, crying as quietly as possible.

Nina didn’t notice that the surroundings slowly grew dim until the street lights switched on. She just stayed outside the gates, crying as quietly as possible, as if, once she did, no one would

notice her.

After some time, the loud and sharp sound of the gates was heard behind her.

Nina quickly wiped her tears, knowing it could be any of the Cortez members. She was only waiting for someone to speak, but no one spoke. Hence, she looked back and up, eyes dilating at the sight of Jessa.

“Auntie?”

Jessa arched a brow and assessed Nina’s red face. “Are you crying outside so our neighbors think I’m maltreating you?”

“No – no,” Nina pursed her lips. “Heh… Auntie, I’ll go in now, I just dropped my stuff. I’ll get in after picking them up.”

To not make Jessa angry, Nina pretended to dust off her legs and bag. However, her tears. continued to stream down her cheeks.

“Tss. Jessa huffed faintly as she stepped out and closed the gates, sitting down on the short step

1. up.

Nina was still wiping her tears when she felt Jessa’s presence sitting beside her. “Auntie?”

Jessa didn’t even bother looking at her and just kept a straight gaze. Her expression was still sharp and unfazed, but somehow, her aura wasn’t as intimidating as normal. She didn’t say anything to Nina and just sat there with misplaced reluctance on her face.

Nina opened her mouth, but her voice rolled back in her throat. She pursed her lips and hung her head low.

For the next five minutes, Nina’s sniffles were the only one that was heard.

“Auntie… do you think… I did that to Penny?” After a prolonged silence, Nina couldn’t help but break the silence. Tears still flooded her face.

“Mhm.

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153 Auntie, why do you hate me so much?

“But I already said I didn’t.”

Jessa rolled her eyes and cast her a nonchalant look. “Do you think I’m a fool?”

“No.”

“That’s the answer to your question.”

“Then… why?” Nina hiccuped, looking at her auntie’s sharp side profile. “If you already believe I did try to harm Penny, why did you take my side against Mrs. Miller?”

At least Jessa didn’t humiliate her in front of Patricia’s mother. If anything. Jessa fought Mrs. Miller just as fiercely as how she reprimanded Nina during the meeting about the flowerpot incident.

“Ah, goodness.” Jessa sighed as if these questions were tiring. She slowly cast Nina a look and languidly said, “Are you stupid, niece?” Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

“I’m not…”

“Then why are you asking such stupid questions?”

Nina frowned. “I’m just confused. You slapped me and humiliated me in front of everyone, but then, defend me fiercely afterward.”

“You’re not really bright.” Jessa clicked her tongue again, making Nina’s frown deepen. “Who am 1?”

“Jessa Cortez.”

“And who is Jessa Cortez to you?”

“My… my aunt.”

“Exactly!” Jessa raised her brows briefly. “I’m your aunt, your guardian. So naturally, I’d defend you from someone like that hypocrite. But that doesn’t mean I condone your actions.”

Her explanation still confused Nina, but in a way, she grasped the idea mildly. Again, silence fell on their shoulders as neither of them talked. After some time, Nina, whose eyes were cast down, blurted out without realizing it:

“Auntie, why do you hate me so much?”

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