Chapter 287
“My goodness! So it was you, Sally. No wonder I’ve seen you with a new phone and all those designer clothes these past couple of days. Your monthly allowance is only a few hundred bucks. Even with the errand money from Natalie, there’s no way you could afford all that!” Karlie covered her mouth in exaggerated shock as she presented more “evidence.”
Aubree watched, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Sally grew even more panicked, giving Aubree a desperate, pleading look. “Aubree, I swear. It wasn’t me! My money has nothing to do with any of this… I mean it!”
Karlie feigned exasperation. “We’re roommates. How could you do something like this? Don’t we all know exactly what’s going on between Bowen and Aubree? What were you thinking, spreading that nonsense?”
The moment those words were spoken, the onlookers’ eyes flickered with speculation. Whispered murmurs spread through the crowd. “So there is something going on? Could those rumors actually be true?”
Karlie pressed Sally, urging her to apologize to Aubree. With feigned concern, she said, “Aubree, don’t be upset. Maybe Sally was just put up to it by someone else. Why not just forgive her?”
Aubree finally spoke up, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Of course, I’ll forgive her. She hasn’t done anything, has she? Why would I even bother making trouble for her?”
Karlie froze. “Aubree, what do you mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like,” Aubree said. Without another word, she swung and landed a sharp slap across Karlie’s face. The resounding crack sent a collective shudder through the gawking crowd outside the dorm.
Honestly, to those sheltered undergrads, dorm conflicts rarely went beyond shouting matches. Reporting to their counselor was considered the nuclear option.
Who had ever seen someone like Aubree storm in with a bodyguard and immediately start throwing punches?
Karlie exploded with rage, but before she could strike, Zachary stepped in, grabbed her hands, and pinned them behind her back.
Aubree stepped closer, grabbed Karlie by the collar, despite the girl’s considerable size, and hauled her clean off her feet. Zachary released his grip at the right moment. Aubree snarled, “Who gave you the nerve to pull these dirty tricks?
“Stalking me? Secretly photographing me? Spreading rumors about me? And now framing me, too? Quite the impressive repertoire you’ve got there.”
Natalie was completely stunned by the sudden turn of events. “So it was Karlie all along?”
“Sally isn’t the only one in this dorm, you know,” Aubree said, her tone deceptively light. Karlie’s face instantly drained of color.
Her feet dangled helplessly in the air. No matter how hard she struggled, she just couldn’t break free from Aubree’s grip.
“Do you think I’m that gullible, or just naive enough to let this slide?” Aubree pressed close, her lips nearly touching as she hissed for their ears only, “Why did you do it? Jealousy? Or is there someone you’re after?”
Karlie’s face was a mask of sheer terror.
Aubree smirked. “So you’re the one who took those photos, huh? Saw something interesting that night? Or is it Bowen you’ve got your eyes on?”
Aubree let her go and sneered, “You’re not just stupid. Your methods are downright pathetic. I built my empire in digital media. Did you think you could pull this amateurish stunt on me and my team would just sit around doing nothing? Tracing an IP address and pulling up security footage—it's child’s play for us.”
Aubree added, “I’ve handed all the evidence over to the university. They’ll deal with you.” In fact, Aubree already knew that Rithol University was going to give Karlie a permanent disciplinary record, a black mark that would haunt her and affect everything she did in the future.
Karlie finally dropped all pretense, glaring at Aubree with venom in her eyes. “You think I actually want to suck up to you? Stop acting all high and mighty! If it weren’t for the Turner Group backing you, do you think you’re some kind of genius?”
“You’re actually right,” Aubree said. “If the Turner Group hadn’t invested in me from the start, I wouldn’t have achieved what I have now.”
Aubree’s blunt admission only fueled Karlie’s fury, making her eyes blaze.
She downright hated Aubree. They were the same age. How could Aubree achieve so much, be the center of attention, and even have someone like Bowen by her side? Of course, she loathed Natalie, too. Why should she get to steal her spotlight and shine so brilliantly among the freshmen?
There were people like that. They saw themselves as the main character and just couldn’t stand to see anyone else doing better than them.
Karlie was exactly that kind of person.