CHAPTER 980
A plump and playful sales associate named Becky chimed in, [I can vouch for every word my colleague said! Jennifer treats her like royalty. She handpicks outfits for her, never glancing at the price tags when she shops!]
Then, a user going by the handle "Pearl" dropped a bombshell online, [Her? I've seen her! George threw punches for her!]
This revelation sent the gossip-hungry netizens into a frenzy, bombarding Pearl with questions. It was hard to believe that George, her future father-in-law and a man of his social standing, would ever get into a brawl over his future daughter-in-law.
[Too many DMs, can't reply to all,] Pearl wrote in a follow-up post. [I'll just spill the beans here. If the McMillians feel like I'm invading their privacy, they can contact me to take this down, thanks.]
[I was shopping at the mall when I saw a closed boutique suddenly open up. George stepped out, arms loaded with dozens of shopping bags. Being a high-profile figure, he caught my eye. Inside the boutique, Jennifer and that girl, they were laughing and picking out clothes.]
[George probably wanted to drop those shopping bags off at his car, so he walked ahead. But then he seemed to have some trouble with his back. The girl, Rosemary, saw this and went out to help him with
the bags. That's when a young couple accused her of being a sugar baby.]
[I was speechless. Clearly, they had no idea who Jennifer was inside the store, or George's identity. They were really hostile towards Rosemary. That girl, the star of today's drama—Rosemary!]
[She tried to ignore them, but the guy in the couple was nasty, insulting Rosemary, calling her all sorts of names. George couldn't stand it. He rushed forward and gave the guy a beating. The mall manager
and security came running, and Jennifer joined, holding Rosemary's hand and watching the show from the sidelines. By the way, the girl in that couple was Yolanda.]
With that, the heat was back on Yolanda, and her social media got flooded with backlash.
Back to the homecoming banquet scene.
One eager reporter, seeing George and Jennifer raising their glasses for toasts with other guests,rushed over with a microphone.
"Mrs. McMillian, pardon my intrusion, but could we ask about something you mentioned earlier? You said Rosemary is quite the generous gift-giver, handing out a whole set of LY limited-edition jewelry and
even LY gift cards. The online crowd is dying to know, how does she have so much money?"
Jennifer, a bit tipsy, oozed charm as she glanced at the camera behind the reporter and said nonchalantly, "Well, she's the founder of LY. What do you think?"
The founder of LY??
Not only did this stun the reporter, but it also shocked the online community!
George, with a beaming smile, added, "She also gifted me six pieces of LaRose's calligraphy, didn't cost her a dime. She is LaRose! Don't believe me? Ask Nelson at the next table. He taught Rose calligraphy."
The reporter was speechless.
Wait, what?
She's Mirabelle too?
The buzz on social media finally made sense when the Collins and the McMillian families showed up at the gala, each member donning LY's latest line of gowns and suits.
It turned out to be Rosemary's brainchild!
Wearing LY became the epitome of high-society taste; it was like a price hike for the brand, a form of indirect advertising that sent a message loud and clear: LY had a special place in their hearts.
It was a triple win.
"So, Nelson, will you be passing on your legacy to Ms. Rose in the future?" a reporter followed up.
Nelson grinned from ear to ear, "Well, with all these esteemed gentlemen vying to pass their legacies to her, I hardly stand a chance. I've been pestering the young lady for ages, but she wouldn't budge. Then
she went off and started her own thing. She doesn't need to inherit anyone's legacy. She's already setting her own standards. But, of course, I hope my skills and styles will live on, and she's the perfect candidate."
With a chuckle, Nelson looked at the camera, "They say the power of the internet is mighty, right? Why don't you online folks give me a hand here? Maybe there's a chance things could change?"
Everyone was shocked yet again. Rosemary was so popular that even the world-renowned calligrapher and painter Nelson was repeatedly "begging" her to carry on his legacy.
"Push for what? We had a deal not to bring this up today! To all the viewers tuned into the live stream, if you're going to push for anyone, push for me, Beck Barton. Rose is a student from our Westerly College! If there's any legacy to be inherited, it should be mine!"
At that, many viewers realized that Rosemary was the same girl who had made headlines as the top-scoring graduate!
No wonder she looked familiar when she made her entrance.
She wasn't just a Collins by chance. She was the heiress to the Collins fortune!
Beck's words made Brandy scoff, "What's this now, a bidding war for talent? Rose graduated from my institution first. If anyone's legacy is to be inherited, it should be mine!"
Not just the reporters and photographers, even the viewers watching the live stream were taken aback.
What did this mean?
Wasn't Rosemary a student at Westerly College? How did Summerfield College come into the picture?
Hadn't Summerfield missed out on recruiting her?
"Mr. Charles, could you please elaborate?" The reporter was completely confused.
"Well, Rose started taking college courses while still in her first year of high school. In less than two years, she earned a degree from Summerfield College. She sat for Summerfield's final exams as a self-taught student, not through the standard admissions process. Her knowledge surpassed that of regular college students, so I granted her a diploma from Summerfield College in her senior year."
This revelation caused an uproar.
"Later on, she showed her gratitude by taking on a role at Summerfield College, becoming an honorary professor. The professors who were supposed to guide her ended up learning from her, calling her
'teacher' despite her youth and busy schedule. She only taught a couple of classes due to her commitments, but I understood."
Now, not just the online community, but even the popcorn-munching Serena was stunned in front of her screen.
Impossible.
How could Rosemary be a special appointee at Summerfield College?
She knew full well the prestige that came with being an honorary professor at Summerfield College.
Not just anyone could claim that title!
You can't hide the truth forever!
Now, all those taunts had come back to slap Serena in the face.