The surrounding crowd looked at Zuri and her friends with disdain while showing sympathy towards Rhea. However, the two tall figures at the back of the crowd shared a smirk.
Grayson raised an eyebrow, casting a contemptuous glance at Rhea. Her petty tricks could only fool those who came to watch the commotion without thinking.
Grayson checked the time, realizing he needed to leave soon, or he would be late. He glanced at his boss, only to find him completely uninterested in leaving.
Grayson obediently stood by without saying a word. He, too, was curious to see how Miss Zuri would handle this mess.
Nolan's gaze fixed on Zuri's delicate features. Previously, watching her on video hadn't had such a strong impact. Now, seeing her in person, the sense of familiarity grew stronger and stronger.
Zuri laughed softly, her mocking eyes sweeping around the crowd. Her lips curled up in a sneer, full of ridicule.
"A fool speaking nonsense, and a crowd of fools cheering."
At the back of the crowd, Grayson's usually stoic face cracked, unable to suppress a smile.
This girl had guts!
She unleashed her aura, scolding and despising the crowd. Was she not afraid of being mobbed?
The answer was clearly no.
Most of the onlookers were Windsor Academy students, who, warned by their parents and mindful of Natalie and her friends' fate, could only seethe with anger, grumble behind her back, or curse quietly.
Rhea's heart skipped a beat, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.
Was she so enraged that she dared to berate everyone, unafraid of offending them all?
"Zuri, if you don't like me, you can scold me, but these people are innocent. How can you speak to them like that? They have no quarrel with you. Isn't this too much? You weren't like this before. You've changed."
Rhea's words resonated with the crowd.
Suddenly, the onlookers' sympathy for her increased.
"Did I scold them? I was just telling the truth. Your father was kind to me, giving me a bowl of noodles, which I remembered. But the year before last, I almost died saving your father. Did you forget to tell them that?"
"When you and your brother couldn't pay for middle school, didn't I use all my savings to cover your fees? When you and your brother were bullied, didn't I stand up for you, getting injured and nearly dying in the process? When your mother fell ill, didn't I notice in time and save her?"
"A bowl of noodles repaid with two lives, isn't that enough?"
"Do you know why I missed three exams during Windsor Academy's enrollment? Because I wanted to give you a chance. If I had taken all the exams, would you be standing here talking to me now?"
"Rhea, do you need me to continue?"
"People can be shameless, but they can't be without conscience. Feel your conscience—do I owe your family?"
"Hasn't your family sucked enough out of me?"
"I've done everything I could for your family, but what did you do to me? You helped those four ruin my birthday party, spread rumors about my promiscuous lifestyle and abortions, slandering my name in every possible way."
With every word Zuri said, Rhea's face grew paler.
She wanted to interrupt but couldn't find the chance.
"A hundred thousand yuan is simple for me now, but why should I support a bunch of ingrates? Raise you only to have you turn around and bite me?"
Rhea covered her face, crying, "So this is how you see me."
Azura, seeing her still acting like an innocent victim, muttered, "Idiot."
"Is it true or not? See for yourselves."
Zuri toyed with her phone, pressing a button lightly.
The next moment, students' phones all around began to beep.
Farah took out her phone and saw an email with a compressed video.
Many people attended the birthday party, but not everyone had the privilege. Many Windsor Academy students hadn't been there.
They had heard about the event but never seen it themselves. Seeing something firsthand is vastly different from hearing about it.
Rhea also received the email. After seeing the video, her face turned ashen with shock and fear.
She only knew that Saira and the others' plan failed because the Ye and Feng families intervened, and Natalie's family paid a heavy price. But she didn't know about this video.
How could there be a video? Why had no one told her?
Everyone said it was because Natalie and the others' conspiracy was recorded that the truth was revealed.
Why hadn't anyone mentioned this video?
Had she not released it before, waiting here for her all along?
Rhea's mind spun with conspiratorial thoughts.
She didn't realize that since many didn't recognize her, they focused on Manuel in the video and ignored someone irrelevant.
Compared to the audio recording of Natalie and her friends, the video was more explosive and shocking.
Among those most familiar with Rhea at Windsor Academy were Lila and her group, but they hadn't been invited to Zuri's birthday party.
Those who had pitied Rhea now felt betrayed and deeply ashamed.
"Damn, she's just a leech."
"A leech and a vampire. How could such a person stay in our school?"
"Too despicable. I supported her just now. Such people disgust me. I hate ungrateful people the most."
"Disgusting!"
"Kick her out of our school."
"Being poor isn't scary; having a black heart is."
"If what Zuri says is true, this person is terrifying. Stay away. Who knows when she'll stab you. If I were Zuri, I'd do the same."
"How thick-skinned can someone be? Doing such things and still playing innocent, asking Zuri for money."
"A despicable person is invincible. That's what this is."
Facing the mocking, disdainful, and disgusted gazes from all directions, Rhea felt dizzy, her eyes filled with venomous hatred as she looked at Zuri.
Does she really want to ruin me?!
Zuri glanced at her indifferently and turned to Farah, "Whether you give her the hundred thousand yuan is up to you. I won't interfere."
Revealing Rhea's true nature, if Farah still chose to help, it wasn't Zuri's concern, and she wouldn't stop her.
Rhea rushed forward, grabbing Farah's hand, "Please, save my father. I went astray, but my father did nothing wrong."
Farah looked at the pitiful figure before her and then at the jeering crowd. Finally, she gritted her teeth and said, "I still decide to help her."
Zuri's eyes, usually cold, now held a genuine smile.
It wasn't mockery, but a heartfelt smile.
At the back of the crowd, Nolan and Grayson had somewhat guessed what she was about to do when she took out her phone, but they hadn't expected her to broadcast it to everyone.
This move, cutting off any chance of redemption, ensured that the girl in question could never recover.
Perhaps her good days were over.
Nolan, having seen enough, turned to leave.
Grayson followed suit.
"Do you think she resembles someone?" Nolan suddenly asked.
Grayson paused, recalling carefully. He shook his head, unable to see the resemblance.
Nolan frowned, deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Zuri leaned in close to Rhea's ear and whispered, "If you find it impossible to survive, you can come to me. Maybe I'll give you another chance."
Rhea looked at her in shock.
What did she mean by that?
Was it sarcasm, or was she serious?!
No one else heard what she said, but Azura, standing closest to Zuri, did. She was astonished.
Rhea's family had clearly been exploiting Zuri's kindness for years. If it had been a family with a conscience, how could they let an orphan cover their school fees and help with their household chores?
Despite everything, why was Zuri still willing to help her? This didn't seem like her usual character.
As soon as Zuri left, the crowd dispersed as well. The entire Windsor Academy now knew about Rhea because of the incident at the school gate.
Just when it seemed like things were over, something unexpected happened.
That night, a short video went viral online, titled "Ungrateful Rich Kid Coldly Watches Her Savior Die."
In these times, resentment towards the rich is high. Any news involving 'rich kids', 'officials' kids', or 'celebrities' kids' guarantees clicks and views.
The video was short, only two minutes long, showing Rhea's desperate pleas without Zuri's rebuttal.
It only showed Zuri's cold indifference and Rhea's desperate pleas.
The stark contrast between the cold and the pitiful naturally swayed people to sympathize with Rhea.
Within an hour, the video had been shared over a hundred thousand times. It went viral, attracting more and more attention.
Journalists eager to latch onto the hot topic quickly found the hospital where Rhea's father was staying. A brief inquiry confirmed the situation was real.
The journalists were thrilled; they had a perfect story to expose a heartless rich kid.
Rhea, just returning from fetching water, saw a crowd gathered outside her father's ward, all holding various microphones.
As she approached, the reporters swarmed her, surrounding her with countless microphones thrust towards her.
"Rhea, is the video circulating online true?"
"Did your good friend really refuse to help you?"
"Do you have anything to say to your friend?"
Faced with an onslaught of questions, Rhea felt lost and helpless.
"I have nothing to say."
She pushed open the ward door, blocking the reporters outside.
Mrs. Liu pulled Rhea into the bathroom and whispered, "What's going on? Didn't Zuri give you the money?"
Rhea shook her head, "She didn't. The money came from others."
Mrs. Liu was furious, "How dare she not give! Without us, she'd be dead. Now she has money, why can't she help us a bit?"
"Mom, Zuri has changed. She's no longer someone we can take advantage of."
After what happened at the school gate, Rhea realized Zuri had truly changed. She had become cold, ruthless, and harsh.
In the past, without family, she had been kind to everyone around her, trying to win their affection.
She once asked Zuri why she was so good to everyone.
Back then, Zuri smiled and said, "Because it makes me feel less lonely. If I disappear from this world one day, at least someone will remember me, even if only occasionally. I don't want to come into this world alone and leave without a trace, as if I never existed."
She had been kind because she was lonely, seeking connection and recognition.
Now, with family and support, she no longer needed to please anyone or be kind to everyone.
Rhea felt enlightened, as if she finally understood why Zuri's attitude had drastically changed.
But Mrs. Liu didn't care about any of that. To her, Zuri was always a soft, easily manipulated person. As long as you asked, she would help.
"Did you have a falling out with her, making her angry?" Mrs. Liu asked suspiciously.
"No, no. I didn't do anything. It's her who's been targeting me. Ever since she became a rich heiress, she's avoided me. Do you think I don't want to get close to her, to please her? But she doesn't give me a chance. Today, she even called us vampires. She said she doesn't owe us anything."
Rhea felt wronged. Clearly, it was Zuri's fault, yet her family blamed her for angering Zuri. They didn't even consider if Zuri was still the same person.
Thinking of the video, Rhea quickly took out her phone and searched online. It wasn't hard to find; it was in the latest news section.
Rhea showed the video to Mrs. Liu, who was shocked after watching it.
"She's turning her back on us?" Mrs. Liu was anxious and angry, still hoping Zuri would help them.
What would they do if she didn't?
"Give me your phone. I'll call her."
"She's blocked my number."
Mrs. Liu snatched her son's phone, ignoring his protests, and dialed Zuri.
Just out of the shower, Zuri saw her phone vibrating and glanced at the caller ID, raising an eyebrow.
She answered the call, and Mrs. Liu's forceful voice came through, "Zuri, it's Auntie Liu. Did you have a fight with Rhea? Don't be angry. I'll give her a good scolding."
"Do you need something? If not, I'll hang up." Zuri's voice was cold and indifferent.
Mrs. Liu was stunned, "Zuri, have you forgotten? Your uncle saved your life. He's lying in a hospital bed now. Are you just going to ignore him?"
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