The Second Life of a Discarded Heiress novel Chapter 281

The big screen flickered to life, showing footage from five o’clock. At that hour, parents and students hadn’t arrived in full; a steady trickle of people drifted in and out of the auditorium.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first. But at precisely 5:10, someone appeared onscreen, moving furtively toward Citrine’s seat.

She glanced left and right, making sure no one was watching, then quickly reached into Citrine’s bag and snatched something out—nobody could quite see what. In a panic, she hurried away.

As she left, she cast a nervous glance over her shoulder. That single glance was all it took—her face was caught clearly for everyone to see.

“Jeanette!” someone gasped. “No wonder she was the loudest just now—she’s the thief!”

“She always acts so meek and fragile. Who would’ve thought she was stealing behind everyone’s back?”

“She’s never been trustworthy. Have you all forgotten how she tried to blame Citrine for pushing her down the stairs?”

“I just can’t believe how scheming she is. Thank God Citrine’s so capable—if any other kid lost their speech notes right before going onstage, they’d be humiliated for life. That kind of thing leaves scars.”

“Vicious, really. I never realized Jeanette was that kind of person.”

“After the Iverson family went bankrupt, she even turned her back on her own brother. She’s always been ungrateful. And let’s not forget how good Clifford was to her growing up.”

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All around, people glared at Jeanette’s family, muttering curses under their breath.

Jeanette sat frozen, her face drained of color.

Aline, frowning, tried to shield herself with her handbag and whispered, “Jeanette, how could you be so careless this time?”