Chapter 9

A crowd waited at the college entrance on the day Isabel headed there to handle the procedure for dropping out. There was a mixture of students and reporters alike. The post on the college forum had spread to nearby colleges. There was nothing she could do to rid herself of the accusations of being a plagiarizer. Meanwhile, Winifred's research results caught the attention of many big names in the academic and scientific fields because of her breakthrough discovery. And so, the reporters also caught wind of this incident. Isabel got out of a taxi with a mask covering her face, but people still recognized her. "Do you have anything to say about this plagiarism incident, Isabel?" "A discovery like this wouldn't belong to you even if you plagiarized it. Why would you do something like this?" "You're the Court family's adopted daughter, and you're the sister of the person who actually conducted the research. Will the Courts still recognize you as a member of their family after what you've done?" Isabel hung her head low while trying to escape the throng, but she stopped at those words and turned to look icily into the camera. She slowly removed her mask and said, "I'll say this one last time. I didn't commit plagiarism, and I don't care whether the Court family acknowledges me. I know I won't consider them my family anymore." The crowd gasped at her words. At the same time, Gordon shot out of a nearby car. He pushed his way past the crowd and stormed toward Isabel, slapping her hard as the students watched and the cameras filmed. "What nonsense are you spouting now?" She fell to the ground from the impact, but no one dared help her up. Gordon turned to face the cameras, sounding angry as he said, "Since the media is here, I want to take this opportunity to tell everyone the truth. Isabel is my adopted daughter. Since bringing her home from the orphanage, my family and I have treated her like our own. We have loved and cared for her. "However, she has always been a wild child who has never been interested in studying. She cheated on exams and lied habitually—we tried everything to change her, but nothing has worked. She relied on cheating in various ways to get exemplary grades in all her exams. "My wife and I knew what she did, and we were left in agony. This time, Isabel has even gone so far as to plagiarize her sister's hard work just to make herself look better. Someone as unscrupulous as her doesn't deserve to be a member of the Court family! And so, I hereby announce that she no longer has anything to do with us!" The crowd started hurling insults at Isabel, making her feel oppressed and smothered as they closed in on her. Suddenly, a bottle filled with water was flung her way. It hit her squarely on the head, knocking her unconscious. The chaos ended and the crowd dispersed when an ambulance arrived to take Isabel away. When she woke up, she found herself alone in a hospital ward. Her phone kept buzzing, and she endured the pain as she picked it up to see countless hate messages. The plagiarism incident had spread online. Now, everyone knew she was a wicked plagiarizer and a heartless ingrate. Isabel couldn't even shed tears anymore. She got out of bed, her face blank. She threw her phone aside and slowly made her way to the hospital's rooftop. She climbed over the side and stood there, looking down at the ground, which was several feet away. She slowly released the railing and felt the breeze. "Izzy!" A familiar voice rang out behind her, carrying a hint of panic. Isabel turned to see Kendall striding toward her. He looked at her, suddenly realizing that she'd lost a lot of weight. He'd never noticed it before that day. She stood before the railing, looking like a strong gust of wind could sweep her off her feet. He frowned, the emotions in his voice unfathomable as he said, "Get back down here, Izzy." He thought she would, as she'd done countless times before, accept the kindness he offered her with teary eyes. However, all she did was laugh and shake her head as she looked at him dazedly. "Did you give Winifred my research journals, Kendall? Did you work with the Courts to pressure the college, twist the truth, and force me to drop out? Was it you?" Kendall was taken aback. He didn't say anything, but Isabel already had her answer. He said, "Don't overthink this, Izzy. Those things mean nothing to you. No matter what happens, you'll still be the Court family's daughter and my fiancée. I promise I'll make it up to you for this incident, okay? Now, come down. Stop being stubborn." In the past, Isabel would've cast aside all her sorrow and heartbreak upon hearing him acknowledge her identity as his fiancée. She would've obediently returned to his side. But now, she clutched her chest, feeling like she was in deep pain. Her face went pale, and she slowly crouched, wrapping her arms around herself in an attempt to feel a smidgeon of warmth. Kendall took the chance to dart forward and yank her back. He sighed in relief and let her go, looking down at her imperiously as he chided, "I know you're not happy about this, but don't go around making such extreme jokes! You just want to make Winnie and me feel guilty, don't you?" Isabel didn't answer. She looked up at him like he was a stranger. He couldn't see her hard work, her grievances, and her suffering. He only thought she was being willful and stubborn, that she was pulling tricks to catch his attention. It hit her that she shouldn't waste her life on someone who didn't know her at all. Kendall and the Court family weren't worthy of that! She got to her feet and slowly headed downstairs. Kendall was annoyed to see her ignore him and followed her. As he turned a corner, his phone buzzed. He checked it and frowned. After a few seconds of hesitation, he called out Isabel's name to stop her. "Izzy, I meant what I said. I'll make it up to you…" Isabel disappeared into her hospital ward before he could get any further. Her action frustrated him, and for some reason, he felt like something was slipping out of his control. Winifred sent him more messages. After a brief pause, he turned and left the hospital. Since Isabel was mad at him, he wouldn't get on her nerves for the time being. He would wait until she had calmed down to coax her—that would make his job all the more easier. It was what he'd always done, anyway. He felt much better with that thought in mind. Meanwhile, Isabel quickly grabbed her ID and passport after returning to the hospital ward. Then, she headed for the airport. Before boarding the plane, she turned off her phone and threw it into a trash can. It was time to say goodbye to everything in this place.