Chapter 62
After the meal at the restaurant, Zinnia couldnโt resist taking more pumpkin pies with her. She liked them very much.
With dinner done and the night creeping in, the group made their way back to school. Outside their classroom, they spotted a girl pacing nervously, looking for someone.
She saw them and yelled, โZinnia!โ
They were chatting and laughing, with Ethan and Maisie leading the conversation. Occasionally, Brian would chime in, while Zinnia and Lydia, both quiet, simply listened.
Their laughter caught the attention of Anne Carson lingering ahead. She turned around, fixing her eyes on the one nestled in the center of the group, calmly sipping her orange juice.
The orange juice Zinnia was holding was bought for her by Lydia. She was full, but she still couldnโt resist the orange juice.
Hearing Anneโs voice, Zinnia looked up with a hint of confusion flickering in her eyes.
Ahead stood a striking girl in a blue dress, her ponytail draped over her shoulder. She clasped a gift bag in her hands, her posture calm and composed.
Their chatter abruptly stopped as they noticed Anne. Frowns appeared on their faces because everyone knew she was close to Betty, and her showing up here to look for Zinnia couldnโt mean anything good.
โZinnia, can we talk alone?โ Anne asked, stepping closer and fixing her gaze on Zinnia.
She recognized everyone else in the group, but Zinnia was unfamiliar to her, so she believed this must be the girl she was looking for.
โAnne, whatโs so secret you canโt say it here?โ Maisie asked sharply, raising an eyebrow at her.
Anne Carson, the Carson familyโs daughter, was well-known in their circle. However, she had good grades and wasnโt in the same class as them, so they werenโt particularly close.
Since going back two months ago, she had often been seen with Betty. Given their dislike for Betty, the group had naturally kept their distance from Anne as well.
โI just want to have a private conversation with Zinnia. Is that okay?โ Anne asked, her eyes gentle and her tone calm, showing no signs of hostility.
โWhat do you want to say? If itโs not something private, just say it here. Otherwise, we can go to the corner,โ Zinnia said. She didnโt know Anne and wasnโt keen on dealing with strangers, but Anne didnโt want attention.
Anne studied Zinniaโs earnest expression, thinking to herself, โShe seems even more clueless than in the videos. Does she really not know why Iโm here, or is she just naive?โ
She said, โIโm here to apologize on Bettyโs behalf about the whole incident on the online forum. Ever since you came back, sheโs been on edge, worried she might get kicked out of the Shaw family. Thatโs why she made a mistake.
โIโve already talked to her about it, and I hope you can forgive her. She got you this gift as a peace offering. Please take it.
โMrs. Shaw and the family definitely donโt want to see you two fighting. Theyโd be so happy if you could just get along.โ
Seeing that Zinnia didnโt want to be alone with her, and noticing the wary looks of the people around Zinnia as if she might harm her, Anne didnโt push the matter.
Anne extended the bag toward Zinnia.
Zinnia said, โI have nothing to do with the Shaw family anymore. Whether theyโre happy or not doesnโt matter to me.
โYouโre Bettyโs friend, right? Then tell her that she can have the Shaw family. Itโs got nothing to do with me. However, if they mess with me again, I wonโt let it slide.โ
Zinnia glanced at the gift bag but didnโt take it. Her expression was calm, her tone flat, and her small face was tense with resolve.
Anne came to her for one simple reasonโto apologize on Bettyโs behalf.
Anne frowned as she listened. She thought, โShe looks dull and slow but turns out sheโs got some spine. I didnโt expect her to walk away from the Shaw family so decisively.โ
Zinniaโs calm and unwavering gaze as she mentioned the Shaw family made it clear that she didnโt want anything to do with them anymore.
However, what she wanted was not the point. The Shaw family already had problems with Betty, so if Zinnia refused to forgive her, it would only deepen the rift between Betty and the family.
Betty cared deeply about the Shaw family, and Anne didnโt want her to be hurt by them. At the same time, she genuinely hoped Zinnia and Betty could find common ground.
She didnโt think Zinnia was a bad person, and she believed that if she and Betty could reconcile, it would make everyone happy.
โAre you serious, Anne? Canโt you tell if Betty is scheming on purpose or just scared of being kicked out and slipped up by accident?โ Maisie crossed her arms, saying in a sarcastic tone.
She didnโt believe that the future heir of the Carson family couldnโt see through Bettyโs petty tricks.
โBetty said she didnโt mean it,โ Anne replied, remaining calm.
If Betty said so, then Anne believed her. She thought Betty might have made a mistake, but she hadnโt meant it.
โAnne, youโve been played by Betty. If she didnโt do it on purpose, why are you apologizing and not her? Sheโs just scared of being humiliated. She always acts sweet, but the moment something happens, she hides behind others,โ Maisie scoffed.
Everyone in this circle could see through Bettyโs games.
โMaisie, youโre wrong about Betty.โ Anneโs usually gentle eyes turned cold after hearing Maisieโs words.
โBetty is clearly using you, Anne. Are you seriously this blind?โ Ethan frowned, his dislike for Betty evident.
Bettyโs schemes were obvious. She secretly set traps for Zinnia, even manipulating online rumors to try and ruin her. If it werenโt for Isaac stepping in to clarify, Zinnia would become a joke in their school.
However, even after Isaac spoke up, Betty didnโt back down. She tried to drag Zinnia into another storm of public opinion. In the end, it was Isaacโs video that shut her down, leaving her no room to argue.
Otherwise, Betty wouldnโt have let Zinnia off so easily. Growing up in a family like hers, she was no stranger to playing mind games.
Zinniaโs return hit Betty the hardest. Of course, she should worry about losing the Shaw familyโs affection, but no matter how anxious she was, she shouldnโt have done something that crazy.
For over a decade, she had lived a life of luxury that rightfully belonged to Zinnia. Now that Zinnia was back, instead of stepping back, she tried to take Zinniaโs place. That alone was enough to anger everyone.
The incident shattered Bettyโs image of being gentle and gracious. People had always felt something was off, and now it made senseโshe hadnโt been kind, just fake. The old Betty was nothing but a polished lie.
โEthan, stop slandering Betty,โ Anne glared at him. She wouldnโt allow anyone to throw dirt on Bettyโs name.
โAnne, mark my words. Betty is just stringing you along,โ Ethan said with a smirk.