Chapter 162: Chloe York Directly Suspects Brooke York

Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Chloe York Directly Suspects Brooke York

After posting everything, Brooke York stared intently at her phone screen, her fingers constantly refreshing the page, her eyes feverish and sinister.

As she watched the post’s view and share counts slowly climb, and comments questioning and insulting Chloe York began to fill the comment section, a vicious smile spread across her face. It gave her a deep sense of malicious satisfaction.

She even brought it up with her roommates in the dorm, pretending to be casual. With feigned regret, she spoke ill of Chloe York, subtly spreading the lies and ensuring the rumors quickly took hold in the real world.

She believed her wish would soon come true—that Chloe York would be too ashamed to show her face, utterly despised by everyone. She never anticipated the coming backlash, lost in the thrill of spreading slander. All she could think about was watching Chloe hit rock bottom.

Many people who saw Brooke York’s post reacted with a flood of comments.

[I can’t believe we have someone like that at our school, juggling so many guys.]

[Wow, the new girl is really something. I can’t even land one date, and she’s got several!]

[But Chloe York has done so many good things... and she was the top scorer on the college entrance exam. I don’t think she’d do something like this!]

[You’re too naive. For someone that smart, isn’t it perfectly normal to be juggling a few guys?]

[I don’t believe she’d do something like this.]

"Chloe, get online, quick!" Chloe York had just gotten home when she received the urgent call from Wendy Winters.

The moment she saw the post, Chloe York recognized the familiar tactics. She knew instantly that Brooke York was behind it.

When Chloe York found Brooke York, she was sitting on a campus bench scrolling through her phone, looking completely at ease—as if the malicious online rumors targeting Chloe had nothing to do with her.

Showing no trace of anger, Chloe York walked slowly toward Brooke York and stopped. Her tone was perfectly even and her gaze cool as she looked at her. When she spoke, it was a direct accusation.

"You’re the one who posted that rumor online about me juggling several guys."

Her tone was level, her voice never rising, yet it carried an unquestionable certainty, as if she were stating the simplest of facts.

Brooke York looked up, her finger freezing for a split second. A flash of panic crossed her eyes, but it was instantly replaced by a look of deliberate innocence. She put down her phone, leaned back against the bench, and raised an eyebrow in feigned confusion.

"What are you talking about? I have no idea. What do some online rumors have to do with me? Chloe York, has all that hate gone to your head? Are you just lashing out and blaming the first person you see?"

Chloe York’s expression remained unchanged. She was still perfectly calm, her gaze unwavering as she quietly watched Brooke York’s performance.

"From the content of the post and the candid photos you stitched together, to the carefully orchestrated smear campaign against me... no one else would do this but you."

"And why would I do that? Don’t I have better things to do?" Brooke York’s voice shot up as she adopted an air of wronged indignation. She stood and glared at Chloe York. "Your own love life is a mess, and when you get exposed, you blame me? I think you can’t find the real culprit, so you’re just trying to pin it on me!"

Faced with Brooke York’s frantic denials, the corner of Chloe York’s mouth twitched into a faint, mocking smile. Her tone remained calm, yet every word struck a nerve.

"’Pin it on you?’ Brooke York, your little tricks are getting old. Didn’t you try this back in high school? Have you not matured at all?"

"You’ve just changed venues, but your methods are just as crude. Don’t you get tired of using the same trick twice?"

Her tone was flat, as if she were telling someone else’s story. There was no anger, no accusation, just a calm dredging up of the past. But with every word, the color drained a little more from Brooke York’s face.

Her past deeds exposed, a flash of humiliation turned to anger in Brooke York’s eyes. Yet she forced herself to remain composed, even taking a step forward to bite back.

"Stop spouting baseless accusations! High school is in the past. You’re just bringing it up now to find an excuse to frame me! I think you’re just too cowardly to admit what you’ve done. You did all those shady things, got exposed, and now you’re trying to shift the blame onto me!"

"We both know perfectly well whether I did it or not." Chloe York’s expression was unchanged as she stared calmly, her eyes detached. "My interactions with Adrian Kane, Evan Shaw, and Ethan Prescott are completely normal for classmates and friends. Every photo of us together was taken by chance in a public place. You maliciously spliced them together, twisted their meaning, and deliberately manipulated public opinion."

"The post went up right after you saw me run into each of them. The timeline matches up perfectly. Do you really think you can deny it?"

Brooke York’s heart clenched, but she refused to back down. Instead, her tone grew more arrogant and mocking. "So what if it matches? Can’t it be a coincidence? Chloe York, don’t make accusations without proof! If I were in your shoes and truly innocent, I’d trust the truth to come out on its own. I wouldn’t be desperately searching for a scapegoat like you are. Let’s be honest, you’re just acting out of guilt!"

"’Acting out of guilt?’" Chloe York repeated the four words. Her tone was still calm, but it now carried a cold, unapproachable distance. "I have never done what you’re accusing me of, so my conscience is clear. As for you... targeting me again and again, pulling these dirty tricks behind my back... do you really think you can walk away from this unscathed?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about. I won’t admit to something I didn’t do."

Brooke York turned her head away, her stance unyielding as she stubbornly refused to admit anything. "If you’re so sure, then show me some proof. If you don’t have any, stop bothering me. Otherwise, people will think you’re just a rabid dog, lashing out at anyone you can."

Chloe York watched her adamant denial without a trace of surprise or anger. She simply regarded her calmly, and when she spoke again, her slow words carried immense weight.

"You don’t need to worry about whether I have proof or not. And it doesn’t matter that you won’t admit it."

"Back in high school, I let you off the hook. I didn’t press the issue and just had you issue a clarification to end it. But this time, you’ve spread these lies to a huge audience online, maliciously slandered my name, and incited a campaign of cyberbullying. This is no longer a simple war of words."

She paused, her calm gaze locking onto Brooke York. There was no anger in her eyes, but it sent an inexplicable chill down Brooke’s spine. "But I won’t be letting you off so easily this time."

"Don’t try to scare me!" Brooke York feigned composure but couldn’t stop herself from taking half a step back. "What are you going to do? You don’t have any proof! I’m not afraid of you!"

"I’m going to find all the proof, piece by piece. The origin of the post, the account that took the photos, the entire digital trail... I will uncover every last bit of it." Chloe York’s tone was steady, each word crystal clear. "You did this out of jealousy, just to slander me. Now, you will face the consequences."