Chapter 91 Exposing Her True Colors
Someone murmured in agreement. "Yeah, I've noticed she spends pretty freely. How much allowance does her family even give her? Can they really afford to keep up with her spending?"
Melissa sat at Bianca's desk, idly picking up a jar of face cream Bianca had left behind.
"Do you know how much this costs? Worth several thousand dollars. Even if her family has money, they wouldn't just hand her something this expensive, would they?"
"I heard she's been seeing some older guy who drives a limited-edition sports car. Probably latched onto a sugar daddy. With her allowance, she couldn't even afford a sample from this brand."
Melissa's tone dripped with venom, each word laced with barely concealed envy.
The girls clustered around her gasped, their whispers rising in a wave of speculation.
"Really? She doesn't seem like the type..."
"I mean, Bianca's gorgeous. She could land any rich guy her age. Why would she go for someone older?"
Melissa's expression soured, jealousy flashing darker in her eyes. Her voice sharpened, each word cutting. "Who knows? Maybe she's into that sort of thing."
Bianca's fingers tightened around the door handle, her knuckles whitening.
She had never mentioned the Rodriguez family's background to her roommates. And with Glenn's refusal to spend much on her, she had dressed plainly, only occasionally using high-end skincare. Her roommates had assumed she came from an ordinary family. She hadn't realized that would become ammunition for Melissa's lies.
She thought back carefully.
At first, she had made an effort to get along with everyone. They had been warm, welcoming even. But gradually, their warmth cooled. Only Melissa had stayed close. Now it was clear—Melissa had been sowing discord all along, turning everyone against her bit by bit.
Bianca's expression went blank. She pushed the door open.
Every head in the room snapped toward her. The moment they saw her, their faces shifted, guilt flickering across their features as they scrambled back to their own spaces.
Melissa froze mid-turn, the smugness draining from her face like someone had slapped her. The color fled her cheeks.
She fumbled to set down the cream, stumbling as she stood. Her leg hit the chair with a dull thud that shattered the silence.
"Bianca, I thought you weren't coming back tonight?" Melissa's voice wavered, probing, nervous.
She had no idea how long Bianca had been standing there. Or how much she had heard.
"I came to get a book." Bianca's tone was flat, unreadable. She crossed to her desk, her gaze sweeping over the obvious signs of tampering. Her jaw tightened.
"I was just sitting here because it was easier to talk. If it bothers you, I won't do it again." Melissa's expression crumpled into something that might have passed for remorse.
Bianca raised an eyebrow. "Good. I'm a little particular about my things. Once someone else has touched them, I don't want them anymore."
She pulled a few tissues from the box, used them to pick up the cream, and dropped it into the trash.
Melissa's eyes narrowed, pupils shrinking. She felt the sting of loss and guilt in equal measure.
She had heard everything. But how could Bianca just throw away something so expensive? Refuse to give it to her? It was pure humiliation.
"Bianca, what are you trying to say?" Melissa's eyes welled with tears, though beneath them simmered something darker.
"What am I trying to say?" Bianca laughed softly, leaning against the desk as she looked Melissa up and down. "I'm sleeping with rich men, getting kept by someone older. You're not disgusted?
"Oh, wait. Of course you're not. After all, you told me your skin was dry and practically begged for my cream. You were upset when I wouldn't give it to you. Well, lucky you. I don't want it anymore. Once I leave, you can fish it out of the trash. It's still in the packaging. Not dirty at all."
"I didn't—" Melissa tried to protest.
"I'm curious who paid you to spread these rumors about me." Bianca cut her off, her voice cold and sharp. "Last time you said you were short on cash, I sent you two thousand dollars. Never asked for it back. And that time you had a fever? I risked getting written up by the RA to go out after curfew and get you medicine. I've been good to you, Melissa."
The accusations landed like blows. Melissa's face flushed red, then drained white. Her lips trembled, but no words came out.
Everything was spiraling out of control.
Why was Bianca doing this? Why was she exposing her in front of everyone?
The other girls were starting to catch on. Their gazes shifted toward Melissa, suspicion and contempt creeping in.
They remembered now. Bianca had always been low-key, but she had never been stingy with Melissa. It was Melissa who had been whispering poison in their ears, turning them against Bianca.
They hadn't known about the money, but they remembered the night Bianca had gone out to get medicine. They remembered her apologizing for waking them up.
Bianca didn't bother looking at Melissa's pathetic expression any longer. She picked up her textbook and headed for the door, her voice trailing back, cool and final.
"I thought we were friends. But you took someone's money and stabbed me in the back. As of today, we're done. You go your way. I'll go mine."
For Melissa, the worst punishment wasn't anger. It was exposure—stripping away her mask and leaving her bare in front of everyone.
Bianca walked out without a backward glance, leaving Melissa's choked protests and the others' murmurs trapped behind the door.
Outside, the sunlight hit her face, and the weight on her shoulders eased. She felt lighter, freer.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket.
Glenn's name flashed across the screen. Bianca frowned and declined the call.
A second later, it rang again.
He wasn't going to stop. That much was clear.
With a sigh, she swiped to answer.
Glenn's voice blasted through the line, loud enough that she had to pull the phone away from her ear.
"Bianca! You've got some nerve hanging up on me!"
"If you have something to say, say it. If not, I'm hanging up." Her tone was ice.
"Don't you dare!" Glenn barked. Then, as if realizing she might actually do it, he rushed on. "Did you bully your sister again? You're family. You're supposed to handle things privately, not air the Rodriguez family's dirty laundry in public!"