The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 1668

Rumors of shady deals flew around the room. If that kind of accusation stuck, Hartley wouldn’t just lose face, he’d lose everything—including his job.

Hartley pressed his lips together, then looked up. His eyes landed on Shirley, dark with worry. “I did get the messages,” he said, his voice low. “But I never replied.”

He pulled out his phone and handed it off to a staff member. “This is actually the first time I’ve ever met Shirley. There was no secret deal. Nothing like that happened.”

A reporter leaned in, sensing a juicy angle. “So, are you saying Shirley came onto you? That you’re a victim here too, Dean Hartley?”

Hartley said nothing.

From the outside, at least, that was exactly how it looked.

A few texts from Shirley had dragged him straight into scandal. The phone was in her hands, the messages had been sent from her number, and the evidence was sitting there for everyone to see.

She said she didn’t send the messages, but who was going to believe her?

“Scholarships shouldn’t be based just on grades, you know? Character counts, too.”

“Shirley’s one of Mr. Lane’s students, right? Bet he’s fuming after all this.”

“She got Karan kicked out during the last competition. Starting to wonder if that was her plan all along.”

“Because of her, Karan had to take a leave from school. If Shirley still has the guts to stay here after this comes out, I don’t even know what to think anymore.”

“It wasn’t me.” Shirley’s hands balled into fists. She shook her head, her eyes swollen and red, her voice barely a whisper.

It really wasn’t her. But she had no idea how those texts ended up on her phone.

With everyone staring her down, Shirley stood helpless and alone, taking blow after blow from the crowd and from strangers online.

How was she supposed to prove she was innocent?

“Isn’t that Charlotte’s friend?” she said.

Dorothy, sitting nearby, shot Patricia a smug look. “She always seemed so sweet. Guess even she’s willing to throw away her pride for a bit of free cash.”

Dorothy’s smile only grew sharper as she raised her voice. “Whoever donated that scholarship must have been totally clueless to give it to her.”

While she talked, Dorothy whipped out her phone and sent a text to Andrew.

Finally, he’d see the real Shirley.

“Clueless?” Patricia turned to look at Dorothy, her eyes simmering with anger. “I’m the one who donated the scholarship. Are you saying I’m clueless?”

Dorothy went rigid, the smile wiped right off her face.

Wait. The scholarship donor was… Patricia?