Chapter 52: Backstabber

As soon as Diana left, John's phone rang.

He answered, "Speak."

On the other end of the line, Ethan sounded hesitant. "Boss, what should we do with the flowers in the car?"

The first two cars had delivered clothes, but the last car was filled to the brim with blue roses. They were supposed to be a surprise for Little Girl, but the unwanted presence of Andrew and Colin ruined everything.

John's head started to ache at the thought of it. "Bring the flowers back."

Upon hearing this, Jackson, sitting in the front seat, quickly interjected, "Boss, your kind intentions deserve to be seen through. You should still deliver the flowers."

John's gaze flickered. "How should we deliver them?"

"Well, Boss, girls not only love surprises, but they also have a sense of vanity. You can have someone deliver them straight to Ms. Thompson's university. She will surely feel special and proud!" Jackson suggested.

John pondered for a moment. "Are you saying that Little Girl is vain?"

Jackson was taken aback. "No, Boss, that's not what I meant..."

John gave him a sharp glance, then seemed to have made a decision. He picked up his phone and said, "Ethan, arrange for a servant to deliver the flowers directly to Little Girl's university."

After he hung up, he looked at Jackson with a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

Seeing John's inscrutable expression, Jackson regretted speaking up. If his idea failed, he might have to retire in Siberia.

Life was tough.

After entering the university gates, Diana headed towards the direction of the music department. Like Maddie, she majored in piano. However, last year she didn't even touch the keys of a piano, which made her father so angry that he didn't hesitate to hit her.

As Diana walked for a while, she suddenly heard someone calling her name from behind.

"Diana!"

Turning her head, she saw Maddie running towards her, panting and holding up her dress.

"Why did you leave me and go with John alone?" Maddie complained as soon as she reached her.

She was frustrated that she finally got to see John but didn't even say a word to him. How was she going to get closer to him?

"Don't the Thompsons have a driver? How did you say that?" Diana narrowed her eyes. "Why did you have to ride in John's car? Do you...?"

"I didn't want to ride in John's car. I just wanted to go with you," Maddie quickly interrupted. "You're always afraid of John, and I thought if I sat next to you, you would feel more at ease, wouldn't you?"

"More at ease? I think you want to bury me alive!" Diana rolled her eyes in her mind and thought.

"Maddie, John and I are getting along fine now, so you don't have to worry about me. Instead, you should pay more attention to Luke."

"Luke?"

"Yes, he likes you a lot, and he got beaten up because of you. You should take care of him and be with him."

Maddie felt a sudden fear in her heart. Who wants to be with Luke?

That idiot was beaten half to death last time, and he had taken a leave of absence. No one knew when he would come to the university.

"Well, if there's nothing else, I'll go to my class now," Diana said, watching Maddie's complex expression. She waved at her and turned to walk towards the class F.

Maddie was in the class A, so she had to walk in the opposite direction.

As soon as Diana left Maddie's sight, her expression turned cold. Despite being inseparable before, their reputations in college were polar opposites. Diana was seen as a useless waste and a joke, relegated to the worst class - F. On the other hand, Maddie was beautiful, kind-hearted, and the goddess that all adored, comfortably stationed in class A. Upon closer inspection, Maddie's image was partly due to Diana's contrast.

Diana nonchalantly walked to her classroom, one hand in the pocket of her denim shorts, when she heard a burst of noise coming from inside. As she entered, she felt the classroom suddenly grow quiet. Dozens of eyes immediately turned towards her, revealing a hint of surprise and admiration.

A male student sitting in the front row blocked her way with his leg and flashed her a smug smile, "Hey pretty lady, who are you looking for?"

Diana gave him a cold glance and replied, "Daniel Park, move your lapdog legs aside!"

The male student was visibly stunned. "Do you know me?!"

Suddenly, something seemed off. The voice and tone sounded so familiar.

Just then, someone in the classroom yelled, "Wait a minute, isn't that Diana?"

"You, you're Diana?!" the male student widened his eyes in shock.

"Figured it out, now move aside," Diana retorted.

As she confirmed her identity, the entire classroom erupted in excitement.

"Wow, is this real or fake?! Haven't seen her for just one summer and did she get plastic surgery?!"

"Maybe she just removed the previous ghost-like makeup, but I didn't expect her to be this beautiful!"

"She definitely had some work done, how could she look like this just by taking off makeup? Look at those eyelashes, they're not normal!"

"Take a closer look, she does resemble Colin a bit. The Thompson family's genes must be powerful!"

...

Diana remained unperturbed by these rumors and walked slowly to the back, taking her usual seat. She couldn't be bothered to pay attention to them anyway, since she would be leaving soon.

Diana had barely settled into her seat when her phone rang. Seeing the name on the screen caused her pupils to involuntarily contract. Aria Kim. That woman... Just the thought of her actions made Diana feel a chill down her spine.

The students at Cloud City University were either wealthy or influential, but there were a few exceptionally talented students from poor backgrounds who were admitted each year. Aria was one of them. She had been constantly ostracized by her classmates since arriving at the university because of her average family background.

In the previous life, Diana couldn't bear to see Aria's isolation and had reached out to help her. But that had turned out to be a mistake. Aria had been like a leech, taking money from her without any gratitude or loyalty. Her parents had even started a business with the money they had received, becoming wealthy in the process.

When the Thompson family fell, Diana had seen Maddie's ugly face and fought with John. At that time, she had regarded Aria as her only friend. But she was shocked when Aria kicked her out when she tried to reach out to her. What had Aria said at that time? That she had already entered high society while Diana, a fallen heiress, had nothing. She had even mentioned that her oldest brother Andrew had been sent to prison, making it impossible for her to associate with Diana.

As Diana thought back to those events, her gaze became cold and distant. When she didn't answer the call, Aria's message arrived soon after:

[Diana, have you arrived at the university? I am downstairs in your department's building and have something to discuss with you.]

"Oh, she's coming over?" Diana sneered to herself. "She probably wants money again, just like in the previous life."

Diana put her phone in her pocket and pursed her lips before leaving the classroom. As she descended the stairs, she saw Aria standing by the roadside of the school path, looking left and right.

Aria was wearing a light-colored dress, with her hair soft and draped over her shoulders, and her hands clasped in front of her, looking meek and gentle. It was this appearance that had deceived Diana in the past. Aria had pretended to be helpless and vulnerable, but beneath that exterior, she was a complete and utter backstabber who had no sense of gratitude.

When Diana approached her, Aria hadn't recognized her yet. It wasn't until Diana coldly asked, "What do you want with me?" that Aria snapped out of her daze.

In fact, when Diana had first come out, Aria had noticed her and wondered how such a beautiful girl had ended up in the music department. But then, this girl had started talking to her.

Aria stared at her, feeling that something was off. "Di...Diana?" she stammered.

Diana gave a faint smile. "It's me."

Aria widened her eyes, suddenly feeling uneasy. Was this really what Diana looked like?

After the initial shock wore off, Aria's heart sank. Because of her family's poor financial situation, Aria had always felt inferior, unable to hold her head up high in university. But then she had met Diana. Compared to Diana, Aria's reputation in the university was not as bad, and she felt a sense of superiority from being around her.

But now...

"Diana, why did you suddenly change your appearance?" Aria bit her lip and spoke hesitantly, "I think you looked more unique before."

"Oh?" Diana narrowed her eyes. "So you really liked my previous look?"

"Yes, you look a bit ordinary now," Aria tried to put on a sincere expression.

Diana was so beautiful now, how could Aria feel superior anymore? It would be better if she returned to her previous look.

"What if I give you my old clothes? Since you like them, you can wear them," Diana looked at her meaningfully.

Aria was startled.

What the hell!

She didn't want to end up looking like a ghost!

"No need..." Aria forced a smile, then remembered the real issue. "Diana, there's a problem at my home, can you please help me?"