Divorce Failed My Wife's Secret Identities Shock the World novel Chapter 23

Mateo shook his head. "Classmate."

The long-haired beauty was Millie White—campus queen, rumored girlfriend, and a name Mateo had never once confirmed.

Being brushed off in public stung, but Millie didn't let it show. She turned to Maeve with a practiced smile.

"I don't think I've seen you before. Are you a new freshman?"

Maeve smiled back. "Second-year Biology."

Someone's eyes widened. "Wait—you're the top student from last year?"

Maeve kept it modest. "I got lucky."

She yawned again, voice turning lazy. "You all talk. I'm going to head out."

The person who'd recognized her was a short-haired girl with a bold, confident look. She leaned forward eagerly.

"It's the first day back. We were thinking we'd all hang out. Dinner tonight?"

Mateo said, "My treat. We'll do it at the Sapphire Lounge."

After a nap in the student council lounge, Maeve's dark circles finally faded.

Not long after she woke up, she was dragged to the dinner.

She'd assumed it would be some casual place near campus—but the Sapphire Lounge turned out to be a lavish, old-school restaurant, all dark wood and glossy décor.

Seven or eight students showed up, about half guys and half girls.

Maeve barely knew any of them beyond Mateo.

"Maeve, right?" said the short-haired girl. "I'm Elena. Law school. A year ahead of you."

The girl instantly got the message.

"Maeve," she said loudly, voice dripping with fake concern, "people on campus are saying you got detained by the police a few days ago. That's not true... is it?"

Another girl chimed in with a sugary smile. "Careful what you say—school policy is strict. Students with serious misconduct can get expelled."

Mateo hated this kind of petty sabotage and was about to speak, but Elena cut in first.

"If you're accusing someone, bring proof. Otherwise you're committing defamation."

Millie gave a soft laugh. "It's not an accusation if everyone's already talking about it."

Maeve lifted a brow, looking around the table. "Let me guess—the one spreading the rumors is your 'genius girl' Anya."

"And she didn't just say I was detained," Maeve continued, voice calm and sharp. "She probably told you I came to Aethelburg to steal the Morales family fortune, that I'm violent, lawless, a trashy country girl who doesn't respect rules."