With the post, Isaac had finally reached his breaking point with Betty. He didn’t care about the Shaw family and Betty’s reputation. He just wanted to stand up for Zinna.
The room fell into an unfeasy silence as everyone watched the newly released video.
The video opened with a shot of the poolside. Zinnia sat there, staring blankly at the water, lost in her thoughts.
Behind her, the banquet hall was brightly lit and bustling with life. She looked completely out of place, as though she didn’t belong in the lively scene
behind her.
Dressed in a plain white T–shirt and black shorts, she looked so small and fragile, like a lost child.
Betty, dressed in a stunning custom–made gown, hurried over with a glass of champagne in hand. She said, “Zinnia, why are you here? Everyone thought it was my birthday and almost forgot about you.”
The contrast between them was striking. Betty, radiant and polished, while Zinnia stood quietly in her plain, faded clothes.
Earlier, Betty had bragged about how much the Shaw family adored her, and some students had even envied her. But now, seeing the truth from the video, all they felt was a sense of absurdity.
Zinnia rose to her feet, her bare face calm but distant. She glanced at Betty, who was basking in her glory. Without a word, Zinnia’s clear eyes flashed with irritation. She had no patience for Betty’s charade. So she turned to leave.
Betty grabbed Zinna’s arm and said, “Zinnia, where are you going? Mom and Dad went through so much trouble throwing this party for both of us.
“They got us a cake. Since we share a birthday, they thought it’d be easier to just get one. It’s huge and gorgeous. There is a white swan on the cake. I like it very much. Won’t you go take a look?”
A wave of unease swept through the viewers as they watched the video. They thought, ‘What’s the big deal about ordering two birthday cakes? It is a celebration for both, yet the cake is tailored to the preferences of the favored one.‘
Zinnia was held in place, unable to move. She lifted her gaze and looked at Betty. “Let go,” Zinnia said calmly, struggling to free herself.
“Zinnia!” Betty exclaimed with exaggerated affection. The next moment, she staggered, and the champagne in her hand splashed onto Zinnia, soaking
her clothes.
Before Zinnia could react, Betty suddenly let go and stumbled backward. As Betty flailed her arms, she grabbed onto Zinnia, and the two of them fell into the pool together.
The cold water swallowed Zinnia, and she felt someone forcefully dragging her deeper. The icy chill seeped into her, and for what felt like an eternity, she
couldn’t resurface.
Betty flailed wildly on the surface, her arms splashing water everywhere as she struggled.
The viewers watched Zinnia remain submerged for an unnervingly long time, their hearts tightening with worry. They wished they could jump into the screen and pull Zinnia out themselves. They could tell that Betty had deliberately dragged Zinnia into the pool.
“Help! Somebody, save me! Zinnia, it’s all my fault I shouldn’t have come looking for you!” Betty cried out, flailing in the water. Her flawless, waterproof makeup gave her an air of fragile beauty.
But the viewers had no patience for her antics. Their eyes were glued to the water’s surface, where bubbles rose ominously. Betty’s constant sp
only grated on their nerves, leaving them increasingly annoyed.
A servant, who had been searching for Betty to cut the cake, froze in shock at the sight of the struggling figures in the pool. Panic overtook her, and she bolted into the banquet hall, shouting for help.
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Chapter 46
Moments later, Howard dashed out of the hall. “Betty!” he called out urgently. Without hesitation, he dove into the pool and pulled Betty out.
Carrying Betty in his arms, Howard hurried away, completely unaware that Zinnia was still in the pool.
The viewers watching the video were stunned, their hearts pounding with frustration. They wanted to shout at the screen, “Zinnia is still in there!” Their eyes remained fixed on the pool, which had gone eerily still.
“Ms. Zinnia Shaw!” someone finally shouted, breaking the tense silence. A servant dived into the water to rescue Zinnia.
Seeing this, the viewers felt a collective sense of relief, as if they could finally breathe again.
Zinnia was finally pulled out of the water, her drenched figure limp and lifeless. Her face was pale, and her eyes remained closed. A maid immediately began administering first aid.
Finally, Zinnia spat out a mouthful of water. She coughed violently, each breath tearing at her throat.
Her coughing was so intense that those watching felt their throats tighten, as if they could feel the pain themselves.
When Zinnia finally came to, her unfocused gaze drifted toward Howard and the others as they walked away. Her expression was eerily calm, no anger, no resentment, just an unsettling indifference.
Howard and others left without hesitation, not once looking back at Zinnia.
The scene made viewers feel a suffocating pressure in their chests. It was an unbearable ache that made them clutch at their clothes, their hearts heavy and their throats dry with bitterness.
“Ms. Zinnia Shaw, should we go to the hospital?” the maid asked softly.
“No need,” Zinnia replied, her voice hoarse and barely audible. She added, “Just take me back to my room.”
Zinnia’s raspy voice came through the speakers, and it felt like it was tearing everyone’s hearts apart. Some girls were so upset that they started crying.
Some people wished they could jump through the screen and drag Zinnia to the hospital.
The video showed Zinnia wrapped in a blanket, her steps slow and heavy as she walked away from the pool. She didn’t argue, cry, or say a word. Her silence was suffocating, leaving viewers with a heavy, aching feeling in their chests.
The video ended there, and the audio began with Timothy’s voice.
“Ever since Zinnia came back, this house has been in chaos. Maybe we should send her away for a while so she can think things through,” Timothy said.
“I’ll leave,” Zinnia said.
The room fell silent, the weight of her words hitting those listening to the record like a punch to the gut.
Timothy demanded, “Zinnia, apologize to Betty right now! If it weren’t for you, how would she have ended up in the water?” His voice was sharp, his anger unrestrained.
The listeners were stunned, disbelief and frustration bubbling under the surface. They wondered why Zinnia should apologize.
Timothy added, “Zinnia, your time in the town has ruined your manners. You make a mistake and refuse to admit it. You pushed Bett she’s still kind enough not to hold it against you. Is apologizing really that hard?”
Zinnia replied, “I’ve already said it, I won’t admit to something I didn’t do. If you don’t believe me, go check the surveillance footage.”
The crowd seethed silently, their thoughts screaming, ‘Yes, check the footage! Expose Betty for who she is!‘
“Mom, Dad, it was all just a misunderstanding. Zinnia didn’t push me. It must’ve been an accident,” Betty stammered.
the water, and
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Chapter 46
The crowd wished they could shut Betty up and show the video they had seen to Zinnia’s parents to clarify Zinnia
“If it’s just a misunderstanding, then let it go,” Yosef said indifferently.
The audio cut off, leaving those listeners feeling sick to their stomachs, like they’d swallowed something rotten.
The heated debates on the campus forums came to an abrupt halt. Betty’s sweet and gentle image crumbled in an instant.
Someone said: [Zinnia doesn’t even complain when her identity was stolen, but Betty dared to push her parents into sending Zinnia away.)
