Chapter 261 Her Past
Chapter 261 Her Past
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She had once been a wonder, a girl so gifted that every eye followed her. She carried herself with a sharp kind of pride, and her talent was strong enough to silence anyone who doubted her. Back then, Imogen’s own team had not even made it past the early rounds, so it was natural that Anneliese did not remember her.
At that time, Imogen had thought Anneliese would rise faster than anyone else and become the brightest star in the entire field. Yet the world turned cruel, and before long, disaster struck.
The brighter the jewel, the more thrilling it seemed to watch it fall into dirt. People longed to see something flawless break apart, because in its fall, they found proof that no light was ever truly perfect.
Even Astoria University, a school that held itself up as a place of reason and intelligence, had not escaped that hunger.
“Back then, the scandal about you spread like fire,” Imogen said, her voice low but steady. “Someone must have done it on purpose to destroy you. You know this to be true.”
The lies had been vile. They said Anneliese had been reckless outside the campus. They said she had chased after men in shady circles. They said she had gone through abortions. They even claimed she had been stabbed by some jealous wife who had caught her with her husband.
The filth spread fast, slipping from mouth to mouth, until it echoed through every part of the
school.
Soon after, Anneliese disappeared completely. She was gone from the campus, gone from the industry.
She carried nothing but shame on her back.
She had been only eighteen. A girl barely grown, left alone to endure storms that should never have touched her.
Imogen’s eyes softened with sorrow as she looked at Anneliese, who sat frozen, stunned by the
memory.
“I know I might be speaking too much,” Imogen said, her tone warm and fierce, “but I never once believed you were like those rumors. People invent lies when they cannot stand the sight of someone who shines brighter than they do. They pull others down only so they can live with their own smallness.
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Chapter 261 Her Past
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“Anneliese, I hope that this time you rise again. Do not let their poison weigh on you. Do not bow to their shadows. Let your light blaze even brighter than before, and crush those who tried to destroy you into nothing but dust.”
Anneliese had not expected to hear words like these. The sound of Imogen’s voice was filled with kindness, hope, and strength that wrapped around her like warmth.
Her throat tightened, her eyes stung, and she lifted her glass with both hands.
“Imogen, thank you. Thank you for believing in me and for saying all of this. I will rise again. Back then, I was too young, but I am not weak anymore. I have turned myself into steel. I have hardened my heart. I am Anneliese the Powerful now, and anyone who dares to spread lies about me will not walk away from it. This toast is for you, Imogen.”
“Good,” Imogen said, her voice breaking into a smile. “Then fight on, Anneliese.”
Imogen lifted her glass, and their cups met with a sharp clink. They both drank in one pull. Yet inside, her heart carried a heavy ache.
A heart of steel did not come easily. A hardened soul was not born without pain.
Imogen wondered what storms Anneliese had walked through in the missing years to become what she was now.
The dinner ended after a little more than an hour.
The group left the private room, laughing and speaking lightly. Anneliese walked in the middle, surrounded by the others.
She did not see the eyes in the corner of the hall. They were filled with hatred and followed her every step until her figure faded out of sight.
“Coral,” a girl whispered at Coral’s side, her voice sharp with surprise. “That’s the ex you told us about, isn’t it? The one who wouldn’t stop chasing your boyfriend? Why is she walking with Professor Baltimore and the others from the flight school?”
Coral’s roommate had only seen Anneliese once before, but she remembered her clearly.
That day, Anneliese had marched up and slapped both Coral and Zacharias across the face in front of everyone.
And with her beauty, no one could forget her. The girl recognized her easily.
“I don’t know,” Coral muttered darkly. “My boyfriend said she never even finished high school. Maybe she went into the real world early, made contacts, and built connections. She’s
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Chapter 261 Her Past
beautiful, so getting into the academic world isn’t much of a surprise.”
Her roommate gasped and lowered her voice.
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“Oh my God. She’s not trying to hook up with Professor Baltimore, is she? He’s old enough to be her father.”
“Who knows?” Coral said flatly. “She’s never been the type to stay in one place. Otherwise, my boyfriend wouldn’t have dumped her.”
Her words sounded careless, but her eyes burned with deep hatred.
She blamed Anneliese for everything. She had been forced to give up her baby, and after that, Zacharias never saw her again.
He had left her a house, but her parents had sold it to pay her brother’s gambling debts.
Now her parents demanded more money from her, yet she had none to give.
She had skipped so many classes that the department had stripped her right to take the finals. They had told her she would need to repeat the year.
The only reason she came here tonight was because her roommate had said the department head would be dining here. She had come to beg for another chance.
Her life had unraveled into a mess. She had lost everything. And in her mind, it was all because of Anneliese.
She would never forgive her.
Anneliese knew nothing about the storm of anger Coral carried in her heart.
She had drunk a little, but not enough to feel dizzy, and she still called for a driver.
She slipped into the car, gave the driver her Maple Bay address, and prepared to grab her luggage and head straight for the airport.
