Anger, resentment, disdain, and dissatisfaction—every kind of emotion that made Lindsay uncomfortable was now directed at her. After a brief moment of silence, the crowd erupted into a deafening buzz of conversation. People who had only been observing from a distance now stepped closer. "Lindsay? She really expects us to greet her? Just because she’s rich doesn’t mean she can act like she owns the place!" "I was stopped by her lackeys before, too! They yelled at me for not greeting her!" "Same here! I thought I was the only one!" "She only ever pulls this on students from less wealthy backgrounds. Especially those of us from regular families!" "So she’s been using her status to openly bully students on campus?" "I can’t believe so many people have been targeted! I thought it was just me!" "This is disgusting! If today’s incident hadn’t exposed her, who knows how much longer she would’ve kept doing this?" The crowd grew louder and louder. Most of those speaking out were students who had been humiliated by Lindsay before but had kept silent, swallowing their grievances because they couldn’t afford to offend her. But now, surrounded by numbers, they finally had the chance to vent their frustrations. Lindsay’s face had turned completely pale. She never expected Ashley to turn the crowd’s words against her like this. How dare she! Did she not fear what Lindsay’s family could do to her? Lindsay’s eyes burned with hatred as she stared at Ashley, as if she wanted to tear her apart. Ashley, however, was completely unfazed. Her mood had improved considerably. Adjusting the books in her arms, she turned to Lindsay and deliberately asked, "Ms. Lindsay, may I pass now?" That forced, polite greeting sent another wave of laughter rippling through the crowd. Lindsay’s expression twisted between white and green. If not for all the people watching, she would have lunged at Ashley right then and there. Her sharp gaze swept over the crowd, seething with rage. These nobodies. How dare they turn on her! Then she looked at the girls who had been following her moments ago. Her fury doubled. When there were benefits, they stuck to her like glue. But now that things were getting ugly, they were cowering behind her like scared rabbits. Without warning, Lindsay’s fingers dug into their arms—hard. The sudden pinch made the girls nearly cry out in pain. But the moment they met Lindsay’s cold, warning glare, they swallowed their yelps and forced themselves to stay silent. Biting their lips, their eyes filled with fear. Lindsay gave them a look, and they immediately understood. One of them hurriedly pointed at Ashley and shouted, "Ashley! Don’t think you can twist public opinion to bring down Ms. Lindsay! She’s kind, beautiful, and adored by everyone—" Before she could finish, the crowd’s collective roar drowned her out. "Kind? You must be joking!" "You have the nerve to say that with a straight face?!" "If she was so kind, would she go around stopping people just to humiliate them?" "You’re just another one of her little lapdogs. Pathetic." Ashley watched the crowd rip Lindsay’s lackeys apart, a glint of amusement flashing in her eyes. See? I didn’t even have to do anything. Meanwhile, Lindsay’s expression had reached new heights of ugliness.She glared daggers at her followers. If there weren’t so many people watching, she would’ve slapped every single one of them. Useless fools! Ashley checked the time. Her class was about to start. There was no point in wasting any more words on them. Without another glance, she slipped out of the crowd unnoticed. With Lindsay still caught up in the chaos, no one paid attention to her departure. Ashley jogged toward the public lecture hall. The moment she stepped inside, the lively chatter inside the room screeched to a halt. At Skyward Academy, thanks to Lindsay and others spreading rumors, Ashley had already been labeled as the girl who got into school by relying on a man. With a title like that, she had practically been blacklisted by the entire student body. Every student here had fought tooth and nail to get into Skyward Academy. No one wanted to see someone else waltz in effortlessly through connections. And on top of that, she wasn’t just any student—she was a special admissions student under Mr. Devon, with a private dorm and privileges others could only dream of.