Chapter 2
Even though the photo only caught Rodolfo's profile and my silhouette from behind, it was enough for people to recognize us.
The post's title was even nastier.
[Exposing a finance student: to feed her vanity, she hired an "old man" driving a Maybach!]
The comments had already piled up hundreds of threads.
[Wow, that old man could be her dad! What's she thinking?]
[Money, obviously. What else? Did you see that ride? Maybach S680, easily worth 3 million bucks.]
[College girls today really have no shame.]
[No wonder she pretends to be all innocent at school. Turns out she's been kept this whole time.]
Georgina watched me with a gloating grin, her smile stretching from ear to ear.
"Jocelyn, this can't be you, right? Didn't you say your family was just regular working-class? How do you even know some old guy driving a Maybach?"
Her voice was just loud enough for everyone in the dorm to hear.
Emily shot me a look like I was something disgusting.
Aleigha frowned, about to say something, but Georgina shot her a glare that shut her up.
Rage flooded my veins, making my head spin.
My stomach twisted with fury. This time, it was pure anger.
I glared at Georgina, spitting out each word. "Was it you who posted that?"
Georgina's eyes darted away for a moment, then she put on a brave face and squared her shoulders.
"Yeah, I posted it. I'm just stating what I saw. What's wrong with that?" she said.
"Fact?" I scoffed. "Where exactly did you see any fact in that?"
"Isn't the photo proof?" Georgina waved her phone in my face. "Everyone on campus has seen it! You seriously gonna deny that's you?"
"That's me," I admitted it calmly.
Georgina and Emily looked at me with that 'just as we thought' expression.
"But," I said, shifting gears, "that's my family's driver."
The dorm fell silent.
The air seemed to freeze.
A few seconds later, Georgina let out a shrill, mocking laugh.
She said, "Jocelyn, are you crazy? Your family's driver? If your family could afford a chauffeur with a Maybach, would you still be living in the dorms? Eating cafeteria food every day? Who do you think you're fooling?"
Emily stifled her laughter, covering her mouth as she snickered. "Seriously, Jocelyn, if you're gonna make stuff up, at least make it sound realistic. We all know your family's just average. No need to lie just to save face."
The way they looked at me was like I was a clown performing for their amusement.
Their contempt and scorn were like a bunch of needles pricking at my heart.
I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms.
Ever since I was little, my parents always taught me to stay humble and not show off.
So when I started college, I turned down the fancy apartment and chauffeur my family arranged. Instead, I chose to squeeze into a four-person dorm and line up at the cafeteria with everyone else. I just wanted to experience what normal life was like.
But I never expected that my humility would just give others an excuse to trample on me and spread rumors as they pleased.
I stared at Georgina, her face contorted with envy, and rage flared up inside me.
Fine, I would show her.
I grabbed my phone and called Rodolfo.
The call connected almost instantly.
"Miss, what can I do for you?" Rodolfo's respectful voice came through the speaker.
I put it on speakerphone so everyone in the dorm could hear.
Georgina's laughter died in her throat.
I spoke into the phone, my voice calm and steady. "Rodolfo, are you able to come back right now?"
"Of course, Miss. Is there something you need?" Rodolfo's voice was tinged with urgency.
"It's nothing important," I said, glancing at Georgina, whose face had turned ghostly pale. "I just forgot something in the car. Could you drop it off for me?"
He said, "Understood, Miss. I'll turn around right now and be at your dorm in about ten minutes."
After I hung up, the dorm was dead silent.
Georgina and Emily looked like they'd just seen a ghost.
They stared at me, jaws dropped wide enough to fit an egg.
Aleigha, on the other hand, looked totally unfazed, even sporting a faint, knowing smile.
I pulled up a chair, sat down, and watched them, cool as a cucumber.
"Didn't you say you don't believe me? Just wait ten minutes. My family's driver will come up and set the record straight."
Georgina's face flushed, then turned pale, her lips quivering as she struggled to say anything.
Emily shrank back, avoiding my gaze, too scared to look me in the eye.
Those ten minutes felt like an eternity.
Every second dragged on, tormenting Georgina and Emily.
Finally, my phone rang.
It was Rodolfo. "Miss, I'm downstairs."