Chapter 484 - 480: Then No One Gets to Have It Easy

The atmosphere took a sharp turn, and all eyes, now filled with scrutiny, fell on Cindy Underwood.

Isolating and bullying someone is a direct reflection of a person’s character. And based on what everyone was seeing, it was entirely plausible that Cecilia Sterling’s good looks had made her a target of jealousy.

Coupled with how aggressive Cindy Underwood had just been, it all became crystal clear.

Cindy Underwood felt their stares, a flash of panic crossing her face. She rushed to defend herself. "She’s lying! I didn’t do anything. We just didn’t get along."

She turned to Cecilia Sterling, asking with an air of certainty, "Cecilia, tell them. In the entire year we were roommates, did I ever lay a hand on you?"

Cecilia Sterling raised an eyebrow. "No, you didn’t."

’That was because I was dating Shawn Lane back then. No matter how much Cindy couldn’t stand me, I was his girlfriend, so she didn’t dare to actually get physical.’

"But bullying isn’t just physical, is it?" Cecilia’s tone shifted. Since they were on the topic, she might as well lay it all out. "You bribed our other two roommates with gifts so they’d ignore me. The three of you would put on a whole show in our dorm, going on and on about how I wasn’t good enough for Shawn Lane. You secretly poured out my new bottle of shampoo, smeared hair dye on my desk, and..."

"Enough!" Seeing the crowd’s expressions darken with every word Cecilia said, Cindy Underwood cut her off with a sharp cry.

Cecilia, however, just smiled, a sense of release washing over her. Looking back on the humiliation she’d suffered in college—in her past life—with her current mindset, she felt surprisingly calm.

Beside her, Wyatt Sherman’s fists clenched, his heart aching for her.

"Do you admit to any of that?" Cecilia asked softly, watching Cindy’s face flush with anger.

’Admit it?’

Of course Cindy wasn’t going to admit it. How could she, in front of so many people—especially her own boyfriend?

"I didn’t do it. It’s your fault you couldn’t get along with our roommates. Why are you blaming me?" Cindy said, struggling to keep her composure. "If three people in one dorm all dislike you, maybe you should ask yourself why."

A classic case of victim-blaming.

Wyatt Sherman couldn’t stop himself from wanting to speak up, but Cecilia had no intention of dragging anyone else into this.

’I hadn’t even planned on getting into an argument with Cindy today. But since she insisted on coming over and causing trouble, she has no one to blame but herself.’

Cecilia gently placed a hand on Wyatt’s arm, took a soft breath, and then raised her wrist, revealing the diamond-encrusted bracelet she was wearing.

"It’s fine if you don’t admit it. I don’t have much proof for those things anyway. But you and I both know what really happened."

Cindy’s heart sank the moment she saw the bracelet. She heard Cecilia continue, "But you remember this bracelet, don’t you?"

Cecilia’s gaze swept over the crowd as she explained softly, "She maliciously damaged my bracelet back then, not knowing how expensive it was. I called the police, and they took her to the station. Her father had to come and pay compensation—a full one hundred thousand yuan. I still have the settlement agreement."

She then looked at Cindy. "Do you want me to get it and show everyone?"

"One hundred thousand yuan?"

"That’s so expensive!"

"So the diamonds on it are real!"

"She’s got some nerve, damaging a bracelet that expensive. I couldn’t afford that even if you sold me."

"Her family must be loaded!"

Hearing Cecilia’s words, a strange feeling stirred in Reggie Hale. He glanced at Cindy beside him. Cecilia’s story was completely different from the one Cindy had told him.

In Cindy’s version, Cecilia was a woman who would do anything to snag a rich heir. She used her looks to play with men’s emotions and had even extorted a huge sum of money from her ex-boyfriend’s family by threatening a breakup.

But looking at Cecilia now, she was composed and candid, as if she had nothing to fear.

’If someone had really done all those terrible things, could they truly act so honorably?’

Cindy, on the other hand, was completely losing her composure.

"Cecilia Sterling! Stop trying to confuse everyone!" Cindy exploded, dropping the act entirely. She pointed a finger at Cecilia. "That’s right, I don’t like you! I’ve hated you from the second I laid eyes on you! It’s because you’re a filthy slut!"

The drama was reaching its peak, and everyone was completely engrossed. Suddenly, someone darted forward. Before anyone could react, a crisp slapping sound echoed through the quiet air.

SMACK!

Jane Sterling swung her hand in a wide arc. "Watch your filthy mouth! If I hear you say one more bad word about Cecilia, believe me, I’ll rip your lips off!"

The sudden turn of events left everyone present with their mouths hanging open in shock.

Cindy clutched her stinging cheek, her eyes wide with astonishment. Disbelief was written all over her face.

"You... How could you just hit someone?"

Reggie Hale snapped out of it and shot to his feet, rushing to check on Cindy. "Cindy, are you okay?"

"A foul mouth deserves to be slapped!" Jane Sterling shot them both a glare, tossed the two beef skewers she was holding onto the ground, and turned to Cecilia. "Cecilia, let’s go. If I’d known someone so vile was going to be here, we never would have stayed."

She didn’t forget to clarify to the others, "This has nothing to do with the rest of you. It’s just about her."

Reggie Hale studied the red mark on Cindy’s cheek, his brows furrowed with concern. "Does it hurt? I’ll get some ice for you."

But Cindy’s eyes began to well up, and the humiliation she felt peaked in that instant.

In her entire life, she had only ever been slapped twice: once by Cecilia, and now by Cecilia’s friend.

And it had to be here, today, in front of her boyfriend and all these people.

"Get out of my way!"

Cindy shoved Reggie Hale aside and shrieked like a woman possessed, "Fine! Then no one gets to leave here happy!"

Cindy took two steps forward and stared directly at Wyatt Sherman. "You men are all so stupid, so easily fooled by that face of hers. You think she’s some kind of saint? You have no idea, do you? The other day, she was on a date with you at lunch, and by evening she was with a different rich heir in a luxury car. That’s right. That’s her specialty."

But Wyatt’s gaze was filled with nothing but disgust and contempt for Cindy. He didn’t believe a single word she said.

Seeing his reaction, Cindy sneered. "You won’t believe it until you see the proof, is that it? Fine. I happen to have evidence. I’m going to show all of you just what a fickle, two-timing slut Cecilia Sterling really is!"

With that, she turned to Reggie Hale and held out her hand. "Give me your phone!"

Reggie Hale hesitated, his hand hovering over his pocket. His gaze flickered toward Wyatt Sherman, his mind a battlefield of conflict.

’No matter what, he had never intended to humiliate Wyatt. Even if he was going to tell him, he should have done it privately, at the right time.’

’Not like this.’

But Cindy was completely unhinged. Seeing Reggie hesitate, she shrieked, "Give me the phone!"