Chapter 6
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It didn’t take long for word to spread about my falling out with Austin.
That day, they just happened to be hanging out together.
After I replied to Austin’s message, he stared at his screen for a long time. In the end, he lost his temper and smashed his phone right then and there.
“Damn it.
“I never even said anything bad about her.
“She’s always taking it out on me, like I owe her something.”
As luck would have it, I was out to dinner with some friends.
Halfway through the meal, I stepped outside to take a call and ran right into Gavin chatting with someone in the hall-
way.
“That Miley, she’s such an ungrateful brat. Austin’s been nothing but good to her, so what if someone says a few words about her? Honestly, she should be grateful to Ruth–if it weren’t for Ruth, Austin’s always treated her well. So what if a few people talk about her?”
Gavin clicked his tongue.
“Alright, but you can’t put it like that. The Vancott family sponsors so many students every year—you don’t see any- one else getting talked about like this.”
“She’s different. Austin kept her close, treated her like she was the most precious thing in the world. How could those other kids compare?”
“She’s done plenty for Austin, too. All these years, whenever he needed her, she was always there in a heartbeat.
“Not to mention, a couple of years ago, when Austin nearly got in that car accident, she threw herself in the way for him and ended up bedridden for three months.”
“Yeah, that’s true. But now that Ruth’s back, Miley’s just a third wheel, huh?”
I stood quietly in the corner, waiting until they’d gone back into the private room before heading that way myself.
Honestly, if they hadn’t brought it up, I probably would have forgotten I’d ever done something like that.
That day had been the first time in five years Ruth had called Austin. She told him she’d dreamed about Evan and asked if he could secretly snap a photo of Evan and send it to her.
Austin was so stunned by her request that he didn’t even notice the car coming. I tried to push him out of the way, but
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Chapter 6
288 Vouchers
didn’t manage to dodge in time and got hit myself.
Luckily, it wasn’t anything too serious, but I still ended up having surgery and spent three months in the hospital.
But to everyone else, that was just what I was supposed to do.
When Evan and Austin’s mother, Madam Vancott, came to see me, she even said, “It’s touching, how much you care about Austin. He’s always been a bit of a free spirit–we never expected much from him. If he keeps treating you this well, I wouldn’t mind having you as my daughter–in–law.”
That was how the whole “child bride” rumor got started.
Austin never bothered to clear it up, so everyone just assumed it was true.
Honestly, I even believed it for a while.
But now, if I still thought that way, I’d just be fooling myself.
