Donovan was livid. He slapped Noelle.
"Noelle, I dare you to repeat that."
Her face throbbed. Noelle licked her lips. She had enough of this.
Noelle had thought that leaving the Liddells meant that she could start a life for herself. After all, they weren't important to her. She hadn't expected them to cling on to her and cause so much chaos!
Her hatred for them had reached a boiling point.
Xenia came over and held Donovan back. "Donovan, don't get mad. After all, Noelle is quite talented. It wouldn't be correct to say that she hadn't put in any effort at all. This is all my fault. It's because…"
Noelle backhanded Xenia with all the strength she could muster.
Xenia stumbled and nearly fell. She was dumbstruck. She hadn't expected Noelle to lash out all of a sudden!
Clasping her cheek, Xenia shrieked, "Are you out of your mind? How dare you hit me?"
Noelle clapped back coldly, "Didn't you say this was all your fault and it happened because of you? In that case, it wouldn't be too much for me to slap you, right?"
Putting on that front? This is what she got for it!
Xenia was speechless. Although she had said so, it was just an excuse. She wasn't really owning up to her mistakes.
Tears welled up in Xenia's eyes. She looked up at Donovan and said, "Donovan, if Noelle's anger can be soothed by slapping me, I don't have any complaints."
Donovan pushed Xenia behind him. "Noelle, you're getting more rebellious. You sacrificed so little for the Liddells, but now you think you can walk all over us?"
Frank said, "Donovan, Noelle was telling the truth."
"Nonsense. If not for the Liddells, would you be so excellent?"
Donovan was furious. He felt like his sister had been scammed by a country boy. He even influenced her to cheat.
He'd never set expectations for his siblings to get excellent grades. His only standard was for them to not participate in criminal activity.
Noelle smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "The investigation hasn't been concluded. You're so sure that I've cheated? Can't you think about me in a positive light?"
"Did you think I don't know what kind of person you are?"
Donovan was impatient.
Lucas stepped forward and explained, "Donovan, during her semester exams, people accused her of cheating too. I watched her complete the exam with my own eyes and achieve excellent grades."
It was the truth.
When Lucas saw Donovan treat Noelle cruelty and oppress her, he suddenly recalled how he'd done so as well. He felt as though his heart dropped to his stomach.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: No longer a pushover (Noelle and Cedric)
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