<b>Chapter </b><b>76 </b>


    He was surprised to see Ashton at Shoneport High School and wondered why he hade. The security guard thought he’d be able to bra about it to his family and friends for hours after his shift ended.


    The school leadership had already been alerted by the call from the security booth and were now approaching with the rest of <b>the </b>administrative team.


    They were excited that Ashton hade to their school and spected whether he might be considering an investment.


    Landon Carter, the principal of Shoneport High School, was only 49 years old. He had been transferred from another region based on his impressive track record and was considered one of the most capable principals among Shoneport’s prestigious schools.


    This year marked his second year at Shoneport High School.


    From the moment he arrived, he had reformed some of the school’s bad habits and practices.


    He also boldly hired innovative and energetic young teachers, raising the average performance of the senior ss to a new level and quickly boosting the school’s reputation.


    Many parents were eager to send their children to Shoneport High School, hoping they would achieve good results in their senior year as


    well.


    For high school students, life was like an endless cycle of studying and taking tests. Parents and teachers always focused on the students‘ grades.


    The darker aspects of school life were hidden away by this dedicated principal.


    Thanks to his efforts, Landon had brought in a number of business coborations for the school. The most important of these was the


    guaranteed admission spots to prestigious universities.


    These spots were highly coveted not only by the students but also by the parents, who tried to use their connections with teachers to get


    inside information for their children.


    When Landon and the other school leaders saw Ashton get out of the car, they were all very excited. Landon greeted him with a smile. “We had no idea you wereing, Mr. Wade. We should have weed you earlier. I’m Landon, the principal of Shoneport High School.”


    He bowed slightly and extended his hand, but Ashton just gave him a cold nce and walked past him to open the back door of the car for


    Briar and Ellen.


    Landon didn’t dare show any displeasure at being ignored. He hid his embarrassment and joined the others in looking at the two girls who


    got out of the back seat.


    They all wondered which wealthy family these two youngdies came from since Ashton had personally opened the door for them.


    However, Elowen Harper, who was with the school leadership, gasped in shock when she saw the girl who got out of the car after Briar.


    It was Ellen, the very girl she had scolded harshly earlier in the day and who had run out of school in tears.


    Elowen remembered that Ellen was a powerless and neglected adopted child from an orphanage. She never expected to see Ellen getting <b>out </b>


    of Ashton’s car.


    The youngdy beside Ellen tooked so noble, definitely a heiress of a rich family.


    Ellen also spotted her homeroom teacher, Elowen, in the crowd. She couldn’t hide her emotions, and her tears, whic


    ad just stopped,


    Chapter <b>76 </b>


    filled her eyes again.


    Earlier that day, Briat had caught Ellen skipping ss and crying. She had asked her what was wrong.


    Ellen had topped the entire school in the recent exams and should have been guaranteed a spot at Shoneport University.


    However, Elowen had already investigated the backgrounds of her students and knew that Ellen was an adopted child from an orphanage with no family support or connections.


    So, she had taken away Ellen’s spot and given it to a student from a wealthy family.


    Ellen had been working so hardtely because she wanted that guaranteed spot at Shoneport University. She liked Briar, and she wanted to be a schoolmate with Briar, who was already at Shoneport University.


    When Ellen got the top score in the school, she was overjoyed, thinking she would get the guaranteed spot. But instead, she was told that someone else had been given the spot.


    What Ellen couldn’t understand was that the ssmate who had been rmended to Shoneport University only ranked in the top hundred of the entire grade. No matter how you looked at it, she shouldn’t have been the one to get the rmendation spot.


    What made it even worse was that when she mustered the courage to ask Elowen for an exnation, Elowen publicly humiliated her in front of the whole ss. Elowen also said something about how, given Ellen’s current family situation, she would probably drop out of Shoneport University anyway because of the high tuition fees.


    It would be better to give the precious rmendation spot to someone else who could actually afford it.


    Even though Ellen had lived in an abusive foster home and had seen some of the superficial darkness of society, she was still young and inexperienced. She didn’t know how to deal with such a situation.


    Elowen’s twisted reasoning only made the ssmates, who already disliked Ellen, look down on her even more for being poor.


    The bullying and ignoring she experienced in the past few days were worse than anything she had ever faced before.


    Finally, today, when she was criticized by Elowen and ostracized by her ssmates once again, she couldn’t take it anymore. She lost control of her emotions, got into a big fight with a ssmate, and then ran out of school crying.


    Ellen had originally nned to go home and cry, but for some reason, when she ran back to the Moonspring Estate, she saw the rose garden that seemed so out of ce for someone as poor as her. She sat down under a rose bush and started crying.


    Just then, Briar happened to being home and saw her.


    Briar could sense Ellen’s sense of grievance and helplessness. She put her arm around Ellen’s shoulder and walked over to Ashton, asking Ellen, “Ellen, is one of these people your snobbish homeroom teacher?”


    The tears that Ellen had been on the verge of crying disappeared at Briar’s words. She hupped and replied in a low voice, “Yes<b>.</b><b>” </b>


    “Who is it? Point her out to me,” Briar said.


    Ellen looked up at Briar and then at the tall and stern–looking young man standing beside them. She hesitantly pointed to one of the two women in the crowd. “She is my homeroom teacher<b>, </b>Elowen.”


    Briar followed Ellen’s gaze and locked eyes with a pair of panicked eyes. She narrowed her eyes, and the coldness in them made Elowen shiver involuntarily.


    Landon, who had been apanying them with a smile, gradually lost his cheerful expression as he listened to t versation between. Ellen and Briar. He turned to look at Elowen and wondered what was going on.


    Chapter <b>76 </b>


    <b>“</b><b>Could </b>it be that <b>Mr. </b>Wade isn’t here to visit our school? Is he here <b>to </b><b>support </b>Ellen instead<b>?</b>‘ he wondered.


    Ellen was <b>in </b>Elowen’s ss<b>, </b>and as the homeroom teacher of ss 2, Grade 11, Elowen had submitted a list of students for the horepan


    University rmendation just a few days ago.


    Landon, being the principal of Shoneport High School, was quick–witted. Just by observing the reactions of Ellen and Elowen, he had a pretty good idea of what was happening.


    ?? ? ? ?? ????? 1:|:??? ? ? ?? ?? ? ? ? ? ? 1:|: ??? ? ???


    He nced at Ashton, who hadn’t even looked at him directly, and then at the youngdy, who seemed to be looking for trouble<b>, </b><b>Landon’s </b>expression grew darker and darker.


    M


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