Chapter 261 Chapter 261

Chapter 261 Chapter 261
Tania, who was still standing next to Caroline with her arms crossed, also turned her face toward her friend, curious.
Caroline remained silent for a long, agonizing moment, watching the two “friends” trembling before her. Finally, she parted her lips and replied with a cutting coldness that made the temperature in the hallway drop:
“If an apology solved everything, why did they invent the police?”
The words lashed out like whips.
“If you really cared even a little bit about our three years together, you wouldn’t have orchestrated that massacre against me on the internet.” Caroline’s voice was calm, but lethal. — You didn’t care one bit about our “friendship” when you were typing those lies. So why should I care now?
Caroline shot the two of them a look of utter contempt. Then she lifted her chin and continued, relentlessly: “I think I made my position quite clear in the parking lot earlier today. Our friendship is over. I’m sorry, but I won’t forgive you. Accept the consequences of your actions.”
The other students held their breath, shocked by the direct and blunt response.
They hadn’t expected Caroline to reject the two girls’ pleas so coldly in front of everyone, without any ceremony. People usually give in to social pressure.
But at the same time, no one there thought she was being unreasonable. No one in their right mind would be happy or forgive easily if their own reputation had nearly been destroyed in such a disgusting way. In fact, it would have been strange and disappointing if Caroline had forgiven them just like that, without a second thought.
Olivia’s eyes widened.
She thought that Caroline, with her typically kind personality, would have forgiven her as soon as she cried and offered a sincere apology in public.
She felt humiliated to the core. The urge to scream and run away almost overwhelmed her. But, remembering the threat of expulsion and her academic record ruined forever, she swallowed her tears and suppressed her anger.
The humiliation of kneeling now was nothing compared to losing her degree in the final stretch of the program. No matter what happened, they couldn’t be expelled.
“Carol… I completely understand that you’re furious right now! What we did was truly horrible and unforgivable!” Olivia took a step forward, almost pleading. “I understand your pain. But we’re so sorry! What do we need to do to earn your forgiveness? Name your price! We’re willing to do anything to be forgiven by you!”
Ianca nodded frantically, tears streaming down her made-up face. “Yes! Tell us what we must do to make this right, and we’ll do it immediately!”
Behind the tears, Ianca was also seething with rage and shame.
There were many people watching that pitiful scene. The entire campus knew they were there, groveling at Caroline’s feet. And yet, Caroline’s demeanor remained unshaken, cold as a glacier.
She wasn’t going to accept their white flag.
The humiliation was unbearable. But no matter how angry they were, they couldn’t back down. If Caroline wasn’t willing to sign a statement of forgiveness, the dean would expel them before sunset. Losing their dignity right there was the only way to save their professional futures.
Caroline looked the two of them up and down. Her eyes showed not a trace of pity. Her tone was final, leaving no room for negotiation: “I’ve already said it. No matter how much of a show you put on, I won’t forgive you. You can save your tears.”
Caroline wasn’t stupid. She didn’t see a shred of sincerity in either of their eyes. They didn’t seem truly remorseful for the crime they’d committed; they were just terrified of the consequences Nicholas Wolf had brought down upon them.
Although she didn’t know the exact extent of the pressure the dean had put on them to make them humiliate themselves like that, Caroline knew one thing for sure: they still hadn’t realized they were in the wrong. They were just afraid of being punished.

Although they seemed to be humiliating themselves and apologizing, Caroline knew that, deep down, they were probably still cursing and swearing at her in their minds.
If the dossier hadn’t exposed that Olivia and Ianca were the owners of the most vicious fake profiles in the forum’s comments section—calling her a “cheap slut,” “heir-hunting vixen,” and “baby killer” — Caroline might not have believed that people she’d spent time with could sink to such an abysmal level.
If she forgave them just like that, out of the blue, after everything they’d written, then she really would be the “cheapskate” in this story. She’d just be proving that they could walk all over her without facing any consequences.
“You heard that, right?” Tania uncrossed her arms and frowned at Olivia and Ianca, who looked stunned by the refusal. “My friend isn’t going to forgive you. The show’s over, so you can get out of here now. I just wonder how you have the nerve to cry and beg for forgiveness after doing something so disgusting behind her back.”
Tania took a step forward, clenching her fists. “You can consider yourselves very lucky that Carol has a gentle nature and a good temperament. If I were in her place, I would’ve already beaten the two of you to a pulp right here in the parking lot.”
The crowd around them agreed immediately, and the whispers grew louder.
“Exactly! They had the nerve to fake friendship and apologize. I would’ve punched them in the face too.” “What snakes! Their fakeness is disgusting.” “Hahaha, if I were Caroline, I’d make their lives a living hell on campus until graduation.” “They wouldn’t live to see tomorrow’s sun if I were in that situation.”
Olivia and Ianca turned even paler as they heard the students turn against them.
The last shred of hope evaporated as they looked once more at Caroline’s face. Her expression remained distant, cold, and utterly unforgiving.
They finally understood the reality. They realized that Caroline wouldn’t grant forgiveness, no matter how much they cried or humiliated themselves right there.
Both had forced that kind, submissive, and polite behavior because they were desperate for a chance to stay in college and not throw their careers away. But now that they realized the act had failed and the situation was irreversible, their true nature resurfaced in the blink of an eye.