CHAPTER 168

As Ella walked down the hallway, the now-familiar weight of dozens of stares pressed upon her. She kept her eyes focused straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge the whispers and pointed fingers that followed in her wake.

Suddenly, a crumpled ball of paper sailed through the air, bouncing off her shoulder before clattering to the floor.

Ella's fingers twitched at her sides, a fleeting urge to retaliate flashing through her mind. But she quashed it quickly, knowing that any reaction would only fuel the fire of gossip surrounding her. Instead, she continued walking as she formed an indifferent face.

Out of nowhere, Amelia and Susan materialized at her side like guardian angels. Amelia's eyes flashed with anger as she scooped up the discarded paper.

Without hesitation, she marched up to the culprit, a lanky girl with a shock of red hair.

"Hey, genius," Amelia growled. "If you're going to write nasty things, at least learn to spell 'heartbreaker' correctly. It's not 'hart braker,' you mo