I had specifically talked to Dad about attending the opening ceremony today. No longer content to be scapegoated, I vowed to expose Tanner's lies. 

I didn't want Tanner taking the credit for Dad's charity work.

Finley picked up Tanner's bag from the ground. "Tanner, you must be super happy! I'm sure Mr. Rosenbloom wanted to surprise you!"

The classroom erupted in excitement. "Is that true? Mr. Rosenbloom rarely shows up for events like these."

"That's because his son isn't around. Look—things are different half a year after Tanner enrolled in our school!"

No one but the principal knew that my dad had sponsored the new academic building. For some unexplained reason, the secret became public after Tanner transferred to my school in the second semester of freshman year.

Our schoolmates joked that Tanner was the "building fairy," which explained why the teachers showered him with more 

I knew it! Maisie had a plan all along!

As expected, the classmates were indignant about the missing necklace. "What's wrong with Pearl? Is she going to destroy what she can't own?"

"She's an evil soul for stealing something worth 60 thousand dollars!"

Sandy rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "Yeah. Some people are like thieves. They spy on you and get jealous of your happiness. Maisie, you should call the police!"

"She won't call the police! All she knows is bluffing. That Bulgari necklace belongs to me; she stole it from me!" I revealed, but my classmates broke out in laughter.

"Hahaha! Did you just admit to your guilt?" 

"We were just suspecting you, but you immediately confessed what you did!"

"Can you even afford a 60-thousand-dollar necklace? Your family isn't that well-off to afford something like that!"

"How dare you accuse our campus belle of stealing your stuff? She doesn'

The next morning, I was jolted awake by the commotion outside my bedroom. I got dressed and went to the first floor. There, John was barred from entering the house.

He grumbled, "What time is it now? Why is Ms. Rosenbloom still in bed? She's definitely picking up the bad habits of the other heiresses. She’s keeping her driver waiting!"

The maid, Paula Jameson, spat at him. "You can afford to wait for her. It's better than having her wait for you."

I walked out. John spotted me, and he rambled on, "Why are you only up at this time? We have to pick up Mr. Rosenbloom, you know! We can't keep him waiting!"

Paula looked confused. "Mr. Rosenbloom?"

Realizing his slip-up, John urged me, "We're running out of time! Tanner Rosenbloom must be worried now!"

He tried to grab my arm, but my dad witnessed the scene. He angrily stopped John. "Hey, stop that! Keep your hands off my daughter!"

John quickly sprung aside. "Mr. Rosenbloom, please don't be mad. I-I'm just in a hurry to pick up someone else."

"I pay you a handsome salary every month for you to drive my daughter around. You're not supposed to pick up anyone else. Is that boy very important to you? If he is, I don't think you should work for us anymore. 

"Paula, make sure he gets his monthly pay before he leaves for good."

John was scared out of his wits. He did not anticipate the serious consequences, having bullied me for a long time. How was he going to pay off his gambling debts now?

He went down on his knees while sobbing and pleading, "Mr. Rosenbloom, I was wrong. Ms. Rosenbloom, why aren't you speaking up for me? I drove you around for a year!"

"Do you mean dropping off my classmates at their homes, and making me buy gifts for them?"

My dad grew incensed when he learned about John's behavior. "Kick him out, right now!"

Tanner and Maisie were late to school that day. They arrived right after the end of the first lesson. Tanner rushed over to me angrily. "Pearl, is this your revenge?"

"What do you mean?"

"You stopped John from picking us up, and we had to run to school! Are you happy now?"

Maisie stood behind him while panting hard.

I asked, "Why didn't you get a cab? I guess Maisie isn't even worth 20 dollars to you."

I knew Tanner was broke, as John was a gambling addict. Even with his high monthly pay as a Rosenbloom family driver, he managed to rack up tens of thousands in debts. Most of the gifts I bought for Tanner were resold to pay off John's debts.

Tanner certainly suffered a wretched fate for being born to a gambler and a sickly mother!

At that moment, our classmates gathered around me to judge me. "Pearl, that's too much. How could you do this to Tanner when he's kindly made his driver pick you up?"

"Yeah. You're taking advantage of him."

I slowly turned around, and my gaze bore into Tanner's face. "Did you tell everyone that John was your personal driver?"

Tanner didn't seem to panic even when I called out his lies. He stared at me indifferently. "What's the difference?"

Hah! What a rascal!

Maisie's good friends defended her as well.

"Pearl, are you going to claim that John is your personal driver? Hahaha! Your family might be well-to-do, but you're far from the Rosenblooms' level! You just happen to share the last name!"

"Isn't that right? Tanner, you shouldn't allow Pearl to abuse your kindness. Just ignore her!"

"By the way, you should fire that driver who refused to listen to you! Why would you keep a guy who doesn't even take orders from his employer?"

The last remark hit a sore spot and embarrassed Tanner.

I snickered. "You guys are absolutely correct. The Rosenblooms have fired that rogue driver."

"Woah, Pearl, you're quite cold-blooded. A driver has lost his job because of you, and you act like it's nothing."

I grinned at Tanner. "You heard that, Mr. Rosenbloom?"

Tanner was about to leave in anger when he ran into his lackey, Finley Frost, at the classroom door.

Finley excitedly jogged into the classroom. "Tanner, your dad's in the school!"

"My dad?" Tanner cast him a quizzical look.

"Yeah! Isn't he Ken Rosenbloom, the chairman of Rosenbloom Group? He's here for the opening ceremony of a new academic building!"

Tanner lost his grip on his backpack out of shock. It slid onto the ground and landed with a dull thud.

I had specifically talked to Dad about attending the opening ceremony today. No longer content to be scapegoated, I vowed to expose Tanner's lies. 

I didn't want Tanner taking the credit for Dad's charity work.

Finley picked up Tanner's bag from the ground. "Tanner, you must be super happy! I'm sure Mr. Rosenbloom wanted to surprise you!"

The classroom erupted in excitement. "Is that true? Mr. Rosenbloom rarely shows up for events like these."

"That's because his son isn't around. Look—things are different half a year after Tanner enrolled in our school!"

No one but the principal knew that my dad had sponsored the new academic building. For some unexplained reason, the secret became public after Tanner transferred to my school in the second semester of freshman year.

Our schoolmates joked that Tanner was the "building fairy," which explained why the teachers showered him with more attention than they cared for the average student.

Thinking back, Tanner had circled with me in the

Chapter 5