From Ashes of Scandal to His Embrace (Laurinda) novel Chapter 153

“You have no idea how much you freaked everyone out when you suddenly left school and stopped answering your phone,” he said. “Irvin was so stressed he actually broke out in cold sores. Poor guy. He used to be such a cute kid, now his face is all messed up.”

Laurinda imagined Irvin with blisters on his lips and couldn’t help but laugh. The thought was just too ridiculous.

“So, did you contact them?”

“I let them know you were safe as soon as I could. Irvin said your desk mate cried when she heard. And at dinner that night, she got so mad she knocked over the lunch trays of those kids who were sticking up for Bella.”

Adolphus pulled out his phone and handed it to Laurinda, letting her read Irvin’s message.

There was a flicker of emotion in Laurinda’s eyes as she finished reading. It was small, but it was there.

“Class Three is really special,” she said quietly. “My reputation at school was always terrible. Even back in middle school, there were all these rumors. Some said I was dumb, some said I didn’t have parents, some said I was just rich with no brains. I heard it all. Of course, there were people who wanted to be friends just because I’m Laurinda.”

“But I hate drama. I didn’t want to deal with anyone, didn’t want to make friends, so people thought I was stuck up, cold… whatever. My reputation just got worse.”

“But Class Three is different. There are a few kids from powerful families, but honestly, most of them are scholarship students the school brought in to look good. About eighty percent.”

“They only care about studying. They just want to do well so they can help their families. They don’t have time for rumors, and they don’t look at me any differently. Most of them don’t even realize I’m that Laurinda everyone gossips about.”

“The longer I spent with them, the more I realized how amazing they are. They only trust what they see for themselves. They never listen to what other people say about me. With them, I actually feel safe.”

“So I started organizing the cafeteria project, just to help their families earn a bit more and make life a little better.”

“And somewhere along the way, I became the class favorite. No matter what the rest of the school says about me, they’re always there for me. They’re my safe place.”

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