Chapter 235 The Explanation
Susanna felt a bit jittery knowing Edward was on his way.
The idea of facing him without finalizing the divorce gave her chills. If he started asking questions, Daniel's cover-up wouldn't hold.
Her mind spun with worries about Edward's temper and what it could mean for Aaron. She realized she had to act fast; no more delays.
The next day, Susanna went to the study room at school like usual, but Wendy was nowhere to be seen.
She remembered yesterday's incident outside the study room and decided to text Wendy: [Wendy, are you coming to the study room today?]
Susanna knew Wendy was sensitive and proud, but since they both came from the same orphanage, she felt she owed her an explanation.
In the plush beauty salon, Wendy handed her phone to Erica. "Look, Susanna messaged me," she said.
"Wendy, Susanna's behavior was just outrageous. How could she embarrass you like that yesterday? Honestly, you outshine her in every way. Why would that rich, handsome guy choose her over you?" Erica's words were meant to fuel Wendy's anger.
Wendy remembered the humiliation from yesterday. She was so mad she couldn't sleep and dreaded being laughed at on campus, thinking she was delusional.
Erica pulled out her phone and opened the school's forum. "People are already talking about the confession outside the study room. They're saying you were just wishful thinking. These comments make me furious."
Wendy's face went pale. "What should I do now?"
"It's simple. That guy's loaded, no doubt. He wouldn't even look at Susanna if not for their little interaction at the auditorium event. Susanna probably started the whole thing, playing coy. And remember when she won that H.F. International Design Award and got that scholarship? Rumor has it, it was all thanks to her games with men," Erica said.
Wendy's jealousy flared. Why did Susanna always seem to get lucky with these charming, rich guys? It gnawed at her; she wanted that kind of chance too!
Erica smiled slyly. "If you expose Susanna, her reputation will be ruined. These rich folks care most about their image and will definitely ignore her."
"Isn't that a bit too much?" Wendy hesitated. Susanna had been good to her, and she felt guilty for taking her place as the Jones family's heir's childhood friend.
"Wendy, if you don't do this, once the forum posts spread, how will you face school?" Erica pressed.
Wendy, who valued her reputation, was deeply affected and worried about being judged.
After a moment, Wendy took the USB drive from Erica and nodded reluctantly. "Alright, but what if Susanna finds out?"
"Don't worry, even if she does, she can't do anything to you. By then, she'll be in trouble herself. Besides, you've got me, right?"
Wendy finally felt relieved. As she was about to leave with the USB drive, Erica stopped her. "Hey, don't forget to finish your beauty treatment! Use my beauty card and tell the salon folks what you want," Erica suggested.
"Thank you, Ms. Jones."
Wendy looked surprised and greedy, never expecting to enjoy such luxurious treatments.Erica saw through Wendy's vain expression and left the room, her smile fading as she instructed, "Keep an eye on Wendy and make sure she doesn't mess up."
"Ms. Jones, I heard Edward is coming to Lindwell. We don't know the exact day, but it should be soon."
"I know, Edward will definitely come. After all, I said I found the real Jones family heir. They will definitely come."
Erica's mood soured. The mention of the true Jones family heir always made the Joneses uneasy, reminding her she was just a temporary placeholder.
Now that Susanna might be the real heir, Erica was even more unwilling to accept it.
The secretary looked puzzled. "Ms. Jones, something feels off. In the past, whenever they heard they found the real Ms. Jones, they rushed over immediately. But this time, their reaction seems too calm. Mr. Austin didn't even ask!"
"Now that you mention it, it is strange." Just as Erica started to feel suspicious, she got a call from Austin.
She smiled slightly and said to her secretary, "Austin's call is probably to inquire about the news. Besides Edward, they all doubt my position. After all, I found this person, so it's normal for them to believe me."
"Hey Austin, what's up? What brought you to dial my number?" Erica greeted as she picked up the phone.
Usually, it was Erica who messaged or called Austin.
"Erica, Edward will be here the day after tomorrow. I want to meet the person you found in advance," Austin requested.
"Austin, there's no rush. If you go alone, she'll get suspicious. Let's wait until everyone arrives and meet her together to avoid scaring her.Don't you think?"
Erica wouldn't let Austin meet Wendy alone; it would be too easy to expose the truth.
Austin on the other end of the line had no choice but to say, "Alright, then we'll go together the day after tomorrow. Take good care of her these two days."
"Don't worry, Austin. I'll take good care of her. After all, she's my best friend. I'm happier than anyone that she can return to the Jones family."
After Austin hung up, he sneered, "This way, Erica shouldn't suspect anything."
Daniel nodded thoughtfully. "I've had my reservations about Erica, but Edward was adamant about bringing her home to help with Grandma's ailment."
Brian's expression was cold. "It's fine; at least Erica can't escape."
Austin nodded. "When Edward arrives, we'll deal with Erica personally. Erica can't stay."
When Susanna returned to Novaria, they had to treat her even better.
Meanwhile, in the study room, Susanna suddenly sneezed. She rubbed her nose, wondering who was badmouthing her behind her back.
As Susanna stepped out to refill her empty cup, she couldn't help but notice her classmates' curious stares. When she turned to meet their gaze, they all suddenly found something fascinating in their own shoes.
Susanna sensed something peculiar in the air. Just then, her phone rang, and it was Flandre on the line. "Susanna, are you still lingering around campus?"
"I'm in the study room."
"Susanna, I'll show you something. Take a look; someone is messing with you," said Flandre.
When Susanna clicked the link Flandre had sent her, the title on the campus forum read: #The Enigmatic Success of Susanna: A Man's Influence or Her Own Brilliance #
Intrigued, she clicked on the link and was met with a familiar sight. There was a photo of Aaron posing in front of the study room building that evening, with Susanna caught in the background.
However, Susanna couldn't help but chuckle as she noticed the stark contrast in the image. Aaron appeared gallant and debonair, while her own figure seemed to blend into the crowd, looking surprisingly older and more shadowed.
The method seemed familiar. But who was it this time?
This time, it was through an anonymous tip, accidentally seen and exposed by the student council. The school quickly blocked the forum's content.
But the matter spread quickly, and deleting posts couldn't control it.
Everyone was discussing that she had an inside track for the scholarship and relied on a man to get the independent design of the auditorium event. With graduation approaching, many were unhappy that Susanna could accumulate enough credits so quickly after taking a break from school.
Susanna felt a headache coming on because the scholarship announcement was scheduled for the afternoon.
She went to the bulletin board and saw her name, but she was soon surrounded by many angry classmates.
"Susanna, you must give us an explanation!"
