novelxo Chapter 176
Everyone seemed to be in this weird state of wanting to befriend Miranda, yet being a little frightened by her at the same time.
It all started when one brave girl decided to make the first move and approach Miranda for a chat. With that initial icebreaker out of the way, others slowly mustered up the courage to do the same.
Today, Miranda couldn't shake off the feeling that something was a bit off at school. Everywhere she went, it seemed like people were "accidentally" bumping into her.
For instance, while passing through the hallway to the restroom, a girl would "accidentally" collide with her, profusely apologizing with a sheepish grin, eager to introduce herself and her major before scurrying
off.
Or, in the cafeteria, another girl would suddenly stumble and fall into Miranda's arms, blushing and murmuring, "Miranda, you smell so lovely."
Miranda was left wondering secretly, "Did I somehow travel back in time to a medieval court, where the queen's ladies-in-waiting vied for attention in the garden?"
Meanwhile, in a private school chat group.
[Darling Miranda Lancaster]: "I knew it, Miranda is just the sweetest thing ever!!"
[Miranda Touched]: "She's so easy to talk to! Like an actual angel! I bumped into her, and she wasn't even mad!"
[TrueFanHere]: "Finally talked to my idol! I've printed out her quotes about the Hawke siblings to memorize!"
[HawkeHater]: "I just wanna play video games with Miranda! I want her to carry me!"
...
Unbeknownst to Miranda, she just found the younger generation to be a bit fragile and a lack of exercising, as they kept tripping into her arms.
Meanwhile, over at the Blackwell residence, things were chaotic thanks to Theo's scandal.
Mrs. Blackwell pointed a finger at Theo, snarling fiercely, "Weren't you always chasing after Arabella? How did you manage to get another girl pregnant? Do you want to bring more chaos into this house?" Normally, such gossip about a wealthy heir wouldn't stir much attention, as scandals are common in those rich playboys of the circles. But Arabella was a public figure, and any association with her was bound to spark discussion.
The Blackwell-family was already
under fire from Arabella's fans after calling off the engagement, and now this scandal was adding fuel to the fire, regardless of whether their decision to break the engagement was justifiable or not - it was a public relations nightmare.
Theo gritted his teeth. "Mom, I don't know. I thought I dealt with it back then. Arabella was always so coy, never letting me get close, which is why I..."
He was puzzled about how a matter he had supposedly cleaned up had resurfaced out of blue. The relationship with the other woman was casual and consensual, and he thought it ended on good terms. Why was it blowing up now?
Blaming Arabella, he thought, if she hadn't seduced him into getting intimate, and then left him hanging, he wouldn't have looked elsewhere.
ove net
Mrs. Blackwell was exasperated, a picture of utter disappointment. "With your track record, how do you expect Miranda to take you seriously? You want to pursue her? In this situation, you'll only embarrass her. Do you think the Lancaster family will let it slide?"
Theo's face turned sour, anger simmering beneath the surface.
"Who did this?"
"Who cares who did it? Everyone's calling you a jerk now! Your
declaration of love for Miranda is all over town. The Lancaster Group, Mr. Ashcroft, and Sebastian have all put the word out in the circle. Our family's social standing is plummeting! From now on, keep your distance from Miranda!"
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