Chapter 47

Betty’s face twisted in fury as she watched the video go live. Her nails dug into her palms, and her face turned ghostly pale.

She thought, ‘It is over. Completely over. How could Isaac release the video and audio? Isn’t he afraid of how Donald and Maelis would react? Releasing the audio is a double-edged sword. It hurts me, but it hurts Isaac too. Now, the Shaw family’s private matters are out in the open for everyone to see. People are already criticizing the Shaw family for bringing Zinnia back, and Isaac’s actions have completely trashed the family’s reputation. All this, just to protect Zinnia. Isaac goes all out for her.’

Betty had never expected the video to surface. She had been so focused on keeping the Shaw family on her side that she hadn’t considered the possibility. Donald and Maelis hadn’t even thought about checking the surveillance footage back then, and Betty assumed the matter was buried. After all, her parents trusted her the most. Betty hadn’t even thought about destroying the evidence, and now it had become the very thing that ruined her.

No, the truth was, Betty never saw Zinnia as a threat. Zinnia wasn’t even worthy of being her opponent. Betty thought fighting with someone like Zinnia was beneath her. It would only lower her status.

In Betty’s opinion, Zinnia was just a clueless country bumpkin. She was awkward, ignorant, and completely out of place. She couldn’t even hold a proper conversation, let alone win anyone over. So Betty saw Zinnia as nothing. She never took Zinnia seriously.

Betty never expected she would be destroyed because of Zinnia.

The video and audio recordings had nailed Betty’s reputation to the wall. Those who had tried to defend her were now too afraid to speak up. Online, the tide had turned, and everyone was expressing sympathy for Zinnia.

At Evershine High, most students came from wealthy and influential families. The last thing anyone tolerated was someone who overstepped their place or acted like an impostor. Betty’s actions hit a nerve with everyone.

Regardless of whether the initial mix-up was intentional or not, the fact that Betty was scheming against Zinnia was despicable.

Betty felt the piercing stares around her. She clenched her teeth, barely holding back the urge to explode. She thought, ‘Everything I have built is destroyed the moment Zinnia set foot here. It is all your fault, Zinnia. This isn’t over.’

Noticing Betty finally stopped her antics, Isaac sneered inside, ‘If Betty doesn’t know how to appreciate kindness, then there is no need to give her any face. With her level of scheming, it took me three tries to completely pin her down. How could Zinnia ever stand a chance against her? Thankfully, we brought Zinnia to our family. If she had stayed with the Shaw family, Betty would have bullied her to the brink.’ Isaac logged out of the campus forum and casually sent Jackson an “OK” gesture.

When Betty refused to back down, Isaac immediately reached out to Jackson. Jackson offered Isaac the video and audio. He even said: [Don’t hold back. If Betty still doesn’t get it after all the warnings, let reality teach her a lesson.]

Jackson thought, ‘I sent Zinnia to school, hoping she could enjoy her studies and have a happy school life. If anyone dares to stir up trouble, then don’t blame me for not being polite.’

He also sent a copy of the video to the Shaw family. He thought, ‘If the Shaw family wants to turn a blind eye to Betty’s true colors and blindly protect her, it is fine. But they can’t blame Zinnia for everything!’

After receiving the video, the Shaw family fell into heavy silence. A wave of unspoken guilt spread through their hearts.

Maelis stared at the screen, her hand trembling as she reached out, as if she could touch Zinnia sitting by the pool.

Betty had said Zinnia was upset and refused to attend the banquet. At the time, Maelis had felt annoyed because she had put all her effort into preparing it. But now, seeing Zinnia’s lonely figure in the video, Maelis felt guilty. She thought, ‘Why was I angry? I’m her mother. Shouldn’t I have tried harder to comfort her?’

As the video continued, Maelis’s eyes widened in shock. She saw the hand that dragged Zinnia into the water, and fury surged through her chest.

Maelis thought, ‘Zinnia wouldn’t have fallen in on her own. Why? Why would Betty do this to her?’

Seeing the still surface of the water, Maelis’s breath hitched painfully. It felt as though her heart was being crushed, the pain sharp and unrelenting.

Seeing Howard pull Betty out of the water but completely ignore Zinnia, Maelis shot to her feet, her heart pounding with panic. She wanted to dive in herself, to pull Zinnia out. Frustration and anger overwhelmed her.

She complained inside, ‘How could Howard be so blind? Zinnia is still in the water.’

As the video played, Maelis saw a servant rescue Zinnia. Zinnia’s pale face sent a wave of terror crashing over Maelis. She covered her mouth, struggling to suppress the sobs threatening to escape.

Maelis felt as if her tears might shatter the fragile reality unfolding on the screen. At that moment, she forgot she was merely watching a recording; it felt as though she were right there, helpless as Zinnia lay on the ground.

Seeing Zinnia cough up the water and cough violently, Maelis wished she could take Zinnia’s place. She wanted to pat Zinnia’s back, to hold her close, and to comfort her. But Maelis wasn’t there to do any of it.

Watching Zinnia gaze blankly as Howard and the others left, Maelis felt her heart being torn apart, aching with each beat, and her face turned pale.

By the time the video ended, Maelis was sobbing uncontrollably, regret and sorrow flooding her heart. She hadn’t realized Zinnia had been so misunderstood, and they scolded her so harshly. She thought, ‘How heartbroken Zinnia must have been.’

At the time, Howard had only mentioned that Betty had fallen in, and Maelis had rushed to the hospital to care for Betty. She was completely unaware that Zinnia had also been in danger.

After watching the video, the students stayed silent. The girls were visibly upset, their eyes red with anger. Zinnia herself didn’t seem to care, but they were furious, wishing they could grab Betty and slam her to the ground a couple of times.

They thought, ‘Betty is shameless. Zinnia looks so soft and obedient, like a little lamb. Who would have guessed that she had been silently enduring all this? No wonder she seems a bit slow and out of it. She was bullied, misunderstood, and doubted by her own family. How could anyone stay cheerful and optimistic after going through all that?’

Zinnia was lying on her desk, flipping through a comic book. Her chubby cheeks were squished under one hand, and her fingers absentmindedly pinched at the soft flesh on her face.

Seeing this, other students felt both heartbroken and amused. They thought, ‘She is just too adorable. After everything she had been through, she didn’t hold a grudge against Betty. Instead, she left quietly. What a silly girl. If it were us, there is no way we’d let Betty off the hook so easily. At the very least, we’d fight for what is rightfully ours. Leaving? If anyone has to leave, it should be Betty, not us. We’d never give up our rights just to let someone else have their way.’

The students in the International Class were all carefully cultivated by their families, and Betty’s schemes were quite transparent to them.