Chapter 159: Rumors Spread, Her Warning
"What’s with that look on your face? The flatbreads you make are delicious. You could probably set up a stall and earn quite a bit of money. But your priority right now is studying. You can try it out during the holidays." Seeing Joanne Chase’s expression, Grace Winslow knew she had misunderstood.
’The truth was, she was just getting a little tired of the sauce.’
Irene Lynch had made her several flavors all at once.
Mushroom sauce, beef sauce, spicy bean paste... she’d had so much that she didn’t really want to eat them anymore.
’So when she saw that Joanne Chase seemed to really like it, she decided to do her an easy favor.’
"Mm, I... I’ll give it a try. Thank you, Grace." Joanne Chase was grateful to Grace Winslow for being so considerate of her fragile pride, but she desperately needed this lifeline.
Grace Winslow went to wash up. When she came back, she handed her own notebook to Joanne Chase. "These are my personal notes, not just what we cover in class. Take a look, they might help you."
"You can do it, Joanne. I’m sure you’ll succeed."
After giving Joanne Chase her pep talk, Grace Winslow climbed into bed, put on her headphones, and started listening to a cassette.
As she listened, she took out a new notebook and began to write and doodle.
Joanne Chase held the notebook, which suddenly felt immensely heavy in her hands.
’She had no idea how she could ever repay such kindness in her lifetime.’
Little did Grace Winslow know that this casual act of kindness would one day bring an unexpected reward.
She had simply done what she felt was right.
’Life was already hard enough for a girl; it was only right to help when she could.’
When she returned to the classroom on Monday, Grace Winslow noticed that the way many people were looking at her had changed.
Wendy Quinn sat in her seat, looking at her with a smug expression. ’Clearly, she didn’t remember my earlier warning. She must have come here first thing in the morning to crow about her glorious deeds.’
Grace Winslow just smiled and took her seat.
After a moment’s hesitation, a few girls stood up and walked over to Grace Winslow. "Um, Grace... we ordered some clothes from you before. Can we get a refund now?"
"Of course," Grace Winslow readily agreed.
She took a notebook from her bag, flipped to the page with her records, and found the names of the girls in front of her, along with the amounts they had paid.
Then, she took some money from her bag, counted out the exact amounts, and handed it over. "Count it yourselves. If it’s correct, I’ll cross your names off the list."
The girls all hesitated.
Just then, a sharp voice cut in from behind them. "What are you hesitating for? She’s the other woman who stole someone’s fiancé. Is there anything a person like that wouldn’t do?"
"I’m telling you, don’t let her fool you, or you’ll end up with nothing—no money and no clothes. Take the refund while you can and get going."
Grace Winslow looked toward the voice and saw it was Josephine Joss, Wendy Quinn’s ever-present sidekick.
Josephine Joss was wearing one of the outfits Wendy Quinn had bought from her last time.
However, Josephine Joss had a darker complexion, and the outfit hadn’t suited her in the first place. Now, it just looked awkward and ill-fitting on her.
Grace Winslow’s gaze rested on her face for a second before shifting to Wendy Quinn. "Was it you who went around spreading the rumor that I stole your fiancé?"
Wendy Quinn’s eyes were full of venom as she looked at Grace Winslow.
Before she could speak, her sidekick Josephine Joss jumped in. "Our Wendy would never stoop to targeting you! You’re the vicious one here. Don’t you know what you’ve done?"
"I’ve already looked into your records. You’re just a country bumpkin from some poor mountain village down south. You’re not even worthy of competing with Wendy for a man. She’s the young lady of the Quinn family. Who the hell do you think you are?"
"Comrade Rhys might just be with you for the novelty of it. Once he gets bored, he’ll realize how wonderful our Wendy really is."
Although Wendy Quinn didn’t say a word, it was obvious she felt the same way.
Grace Winslow just laughed. "May I ask you two, what was the point of working so hard to pass the college entrance exams, to get into a prestigious university?"
"Was it to fight jealously over a man? To compete for a man’s attention? So you could marry a better man in the future and climb the social ladder?"
Grace Winslow’s words made Wendy Quinn’s face flush bright red.
"We are students. Our most important duty is to study."
"It’s not to be like you two, constantly throwing around accusations of ’stealing a man’ and being ’the other woman.’"
"I am not interested in anyone’s boyfriend or fiancé. Archer Rhys and I aren’t even dating. We were just friends when we were children, and he’s very close to my older brother. If you must insist on a connection, he’s practically a brother to me."
"Wendy Quinn, let’s not even get into the fact that there’s nothing between you and Comrade Rhys anymore. Even if you two really were engaged once, you have no right to come here and spread rumors about me just because he wants to call it off."
"With a mind like yours, I seriously question how you ever got into Crestwood University."
"I will be reporting today’s incident to our professors and the department heads. I recall warning you just yesterday not to spread baseless rumors. I’m not a patient person, and I won’t let this slide."
With that, Grace Winslow sat down, put on her headphones, and started listening to her cassette tape.
Wendy Quinn’s face was flushed with fury. She shot to her feet. "Grace Winslow, how dare you say you don’t like Archer Rhys? He’s so exceptional, how could you possibly not like him?"
"Don’t deny it! Isn’t your whole goal in going to university to find a good job so you can marry a good man?"
"But let me tell you, Archer Rhys is mine! You can’t take him from me! I won’t allow it!"
Grace Winslow couldn’t be bothered to pay her any attention.
Wendy Quinn screamed like a madwoman for a while, but when she saw that Grace Winslow gave her absolutely no reaction, her eyes reddened with rage and she raised a hand to wipe away tears.
Grace’s composure only highlighted Wendy’s hysteria, making her look like a clown.
What made it especially humiliating was that Grace Winslow hadn’t been wrong.
’Archer Rhys would never marry her.’
’She had gone home and asked her father already.’
’Although her father hadn’t admitted it, his silence spoke volumes.’
’If he hadn’t been the one to do... that... all those years ago, he would never have stood idly by while a prospective son-in-law as exceptional as Archer Rhys was snatched away.’
The helplessness, bitterness, and despair in Wendy Quinn’s heart converged, transforming into pure jealousy and hatred for Grace Winslow.
’Why?’
’Why couldn’t she be with Archer Rhys?’
’And why could Grace Winslow?’
’She would destroy Grace Winslow.’
’If she couldn’t have him, no one could!’
’Today, she had already written a letter to Archer Rhys’s military unit, reporting him for "improper relationships." She refused to believe the authorities would do nothing after receiving such a letter.’
’Once Archer Rhys’s career was ruined, Grace Winslow would surely abandon him.’
’And if she became the woman who stood by him through his lowest point and helped him rise back to the top, Archer Rhys would never, ever be able to leave her side for the rest of his life!’