Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Chapter 807

"Give, give, give! All you ever do is give gifts! That's called bribery, don't you get it?!" Hertha yelled at her, on the verge of tears.

Beverley froze for a second, then jabbed her finger hard into Hertha's forehead. "You ungrateful girl! Who do you think I'm giving gifts for, huh? You think I'm stupid, just handing out box after box of good stuff to strangers for fun? Without my help, do you really think your professors would treat you so well?"

"Oh... really? Is that what this is? You're doing it for me?" Hertha laughed, half- choking on her own tears, her eyes brimming with sarcasm.

Beverley stared at her, stunned. "What's wrong with you? Don't scare your mother like this..."

"Just admit it,” Hertha pushed away Beverley's reaching hand, "you're doing it all for your own pride. You want me to live out the life you never had!"

"Because you never went to a top university, and you ran off to the entertainment industry when you were barely out of high school. Even after you married Dad, Grandma never liked you because of your background and your education!"

"That's why, ever since I was little, you drilled it into me and my brother's heads: get good grades, get into a top college, study abroad, go to grad school, get a PhD!"

"But I can't! I'm not a straight-A student, I can't even get into grad school! I'm just like you—we're not cut out for academia! Maybe we both deserve to be looked down on!"

"Now Edna's being investigated, and the gifts I gave her have come to light. The university wants to expel me! Are you happy now?"

Gifts gave her everything, and gifts destroyed her.

out her rage, then

stood there

floor. The beauty wand in her hand fell with a clatter as her fingers went limp. Her proud posture sagged until she seemed to shrink

distance, she

Sinful. Utterly sinful.

and its aftermath was just

manage the public outrage and

called a milestone victory in

but now that the dust was settling, he slipped back into the crowd like an outsider,

Edna disciplined and expelled from Kingswell

But Carlson's academic future had

help him find a new advisor. Carlson himself reached out to several professors. Each

distance. Professors either ignored him or made a point

nothing about

person willing to talk with him, to

grab some food in the dining

head. "You go ahead. I'll wait till it's

like this, man. It hurts to see you alone... To me, you're a hero. You saved us all

I can't help you