Chapter 655

Zoe laughed helplessly. After finishing her sandwich, her face was still red from choking. She took a deep breath to calm down; suppressing the discomfort wasn't easy.

Her phone rang in her pocket. Without looking, she answered, "Hello?" Silence.

Who is it? she wondered. They called but said nothing? She checked her phone. Seeing the caller ID—Sidney Pauley—her heart leaped.

An indescribable feeling surged through her. Flustered, she was about to hang up when he spoke: "Are you free tonight? I want to see you."

The request felt loaded. Panicked, Zoe replied, "No time. We don't need to contact each other. I'm hanging up now, bye!"

She ended the call, then blocked his number. It's best to end it this way, she thought. She wanted to prevent things from escalating. She quickened her pace toward the teaching building.

Halfway there, her phone rang again—an unknown number. Could it be another number of Sidney's? She didn't answer, but the call came again.

"Hello, who is this?"

It wasn't Sidney. A woman's voice, unfamiliar and arrogant, said, "Zoe, right? I'm Sidney's fiancée. We need to talk in person."

Sidney has a fiancée? Stunned, Zoe tightened her grip on the phone. "I'm sorry, I've never heard of you. I don't think we need to talk."

"The cafe on Demeter Street," the woman replied, then added a threat: "If you refuse, I'll go to your school and make a scene!" She hung up.

Zoe frowned. She didn't know why this woman was looking for her, but she felt she had no choice but to meet her.

Twenty minutes later, Zoe entered the cafe. She spotted a woman in black at a window seat. The woman waved. Zoe sat opposite her.

"I don't know who you are," Zoe frowned.

"But I know you. Do you know why?"

Zoe waited silently.

The woman tossed a photo onto the table and sneered. "I found this in Sidney's wallet. What do you think a man means when he keeps a woman's photo in his wallet?"

Zoe was stunned. The photo was of her, taken at Melvor Mountain. She remembered the day: picking wild fruit, slipping, falling, and Sidney, gloating, taking a picture of her.

Chapter 653

Zoe was furious. She wanted to delete the photo but couldn't get it back. She'd thought Sidney would delete it after mocking her, but he'd printed it and kept it in his wallet.

Seeing Zoe's silence, the woman smiled coldly. Enraged, she splashed Zoe with her coffee. "Why don't you look at yourself? How dare you steal my man!"

"Ah!" Zoe cried out, startled. Coffee drenched her head, face, and clothes. Her left side was scalded.

Other patrons stared. Kate, raising her chin defiantly, said, "I'm warning you, as Sidney's fiancée. Tease him again, and you're dead!"

The onlookers immediately sided with Kate, assuming Zoe was a homewrecker. Disdain and contempt rained down on Zoe.

"Girls nowadays have no morals. Stealing someone's husband at such a young age? Unbelievable!"

"I wonder what her parents taught her. Shameless bitch!"

"I hate people who destroy relationships. Serves her right!"

The insults stung. Zoe trembled, her eyes reddening. "I didn't!"

Satisfied with the public's reaction, Kate stood, warning, "I'll let you off this time, but if you dare see Sidney again, I'll expose your scandal at your school and make sure your whole family is shunned in Lovell City!" She left.

Humiliated, Zoe picked up the photo before leaving, but a waiter stopped her. "Sorry, please pay the bill first."

She hasn't paid for her coffee? Kate had publicly assaulted her, and now she had to pay.

Furious, Zoe said, "You know who ordered it. Ask her."

As she turned to leave, the waiter sneered. "No need to be arrogant. Forget it. We don't want your dirty money."

Zoe left without a word. Seeing her reflection in a window—pathetic and ridiculous—she dreaded returning to school and hurried home.

Her father was watching television. He barely glanced at her before resuming his laughter. No one cared about her humiliation.

Zoe locked herself in her room. Watching the cars outside, a terrifying thought crossed her mind: What if I just jump? I can't take this anymore!

But she couldn't. She owed Tiffany a significant amount of money. Even though Tiffany said she didn't need it back, Zoe felt responsible.

Taking a deep breath, Zoe pulled back from the edge.

Tiffany had received her results—outstanding, as she'd expected. Those who'd waited for her to fail were speechless, finding no fault, and left dejectedly.

Chapter 655 (Continued)

Tiffany, pleased with her results, adjusted her eyebrows and prepared to leave. At the bottom of the building, she bumped into Sidney. They both asked, "What brings you here?"

"Tiffany, have you seen Zoe?" Sidney asked.

"Is Zoe not at school?" Tiffany replied.

"I've looked everywhere, including your classroom. Your classmates said they didn't see her. Some said they saw her leave." Sidney rubbed his temples, frustrated. He'd called Zoe, but his number was blocked. He'd come to school looking for her but couldn't find her. Is she avoiding me that much? he wondered, feeling uneasy.

Tiffany raised an eyebrow. "My cousin came to see me today. She told me you let her stay in your apartment for a while. Coincidentally, Zoe overheard."