The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 1832

The Cabinda University. After parting ways with Andrew, Shirley slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed back to the lab. But the moment she walked through the campus gates, passing students cast odd, judgmental glares her way. Shirley frowned slightly, glancing down at her clothes. Nothing was out of place. Why were they staring at her like that? Confused, she pulled out her phone, only to realize it had died and shut down completely. Knowing she hadn't done anything wrong, Shirley gathered her composure and hurried back to the lab. Her lab mates were huddled together in a tight circle, staring at a screen. "No way, Shirley isn't like that!" "The law is just. It won't wrong an innocent person, and it won't let a guilty one go." "Do you guys remember when Shirley went missing and almost died? The person behind that might have been Dorothy. If she did something illegal, she deserves to be punished. What does that have to do with Shirley?" "Shirley, you're here!" Before anyone could finish their thought, someone looked up and saw Shirley standing behind them, looking entirely lost. Instantly, all her classmates scrambled to their feet in a panic, leaving the computer screen completely exposed. On the monitor, news articles about her, Andrew, and Dorothy were plastered everywhere. Ignorant netizens had launched a vicious attack against her. 'Is Andrew blind, or is he just a terrible person? How could he do something like this?' 'Shirley's manipulation is on another level. An orphan from the slums who managed to become friends with the princess of The Gates Family, date the second son of The Blair Family, and now she's sending his mother to prison...' 'I heard Dorothy hated Shirley and fiercely opposed them dating. Now she's suddenly in jail? You expect me to believe Shirley had nothing to do with it? Give me a break.' 'Throwing his own mother under the bus for a woman... that's a first.' 'Shirley is the root of all this.' 'Exactly, what a shameless woman. Ruining The Blair Family like this, who knows who else she's hooking up with behind the scenes.' 'Having a student like this is a stain on a century-old university.' 'Does anyone have Shirley's contact info? I'm going to be a keyboard warrior today and curse out this arrogant little brat.' Staring at the overwhelming wave of hatred online, the color completely drained from Shirley's face. She stood frozen in place. Dorothy being prosecuted was something only The Blair Family knew about. How could it have spread so widely in such a short amount of time? Someone was obviously pulling the strings behind the scenes. "Shirley, don't be upset. We know this definitely has nothing to do with you." "Exactly." Her classmates stepped forward, rushing to her defense. "We believe you." Since when had Shirley ever tried to seduce anyone? They shared the same lab and saw everything. It was always Andrew who came looking for her! If anyone did the chasing, Andrew was the one who went after Shirley first! And as for his mother... They hadn't forgotten the time Shirley was nearly killed and came back covered in bruises. "Thank you guys," Shirley forced out, her grip tightening on her backpack strap. "Could you please ask for some time off for me?" With that, Shirley turned and ran toward her house. If her information was compromised, her home wouldn't be safe either. What if someone went to harass her grandmother? The thought made her face turn an even deeper shade of pale.