Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 174

Chapter 174

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Jade’s POV:

Rain pattered against the windows of Princeton’s classroom, creating a soothing background rhythm as I read a book. The campus looked almost ethereal through the rain–streaked glass, gothic architecture softened by mist and

water.

It had been a relatively peaceful week. No Sullivan family members showing up at my door, no emotional grandmothers falling to their knees in my living room. Just classes, research, and the occasional text from Max. Normal, if anything in my second life could be called that.

My phone vibrated. Chase had sent a link to the university’s Reddit forum with an alarming message:

Jade, you need to see this NOW.

I clicked the link, and my eyebrows rose slightly at the thread title: [EXPOSED] Jade Morgan’s Plastic Surgery and Weight Loss Journey. The post had over two thousand upvotes and hundreds of comments.

The original post contained several photos–old ones from my high school days when my current body was

significantly overweight, paired with recent images. The caption read: “From nobody to campus queen. How much did. those surgeries cost? Sugar daddy funding?”

I scrolled through the comments, mildly interested in the social dynamics at play.

“Wait, THIS is the genius everyone’s talking about? She used to look like THAT?”

“No way those grades improved naturally. Something’s fishy.”

“Didn’t she used to have a crush on Orion Miller? I heard she sent him love letters Imao”

Some more reasonable voices had chimed in:

“These photos look doctored. The lighting is all wrong.”

“Who cares if she lost weight? That takes dedication, not plastic surgery.”

“Saw her at the Cloud City High School last year. She was heavier then but had the same facial features.”

Before I could finish reading, Chase slid into the seat next to me, face flushed with anger.

“Have you seen this shit?” he hissed, pointing at his phone. “Someone’s trying to trash your reputation. The forum moderators can’t even delete the post–it’s like someone planted a virus in it.”

I shrugged. “It’s just internet gossip.”

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Chapter 174

“It gets worse,” Chase said grimly, showing me another thread titled: Jade Morgan: Princeton’s Kept Woman?

This one claimed I’d been seen exiting a black Maybach with the license plate “NY001“. Comments speculated wildly about my supposed relationship with a “wealthy benefactor.”

“If she wants a sugar daddy, why not just date Chase Astor? His family’s loaded.”

“Chris Jensen is her lawyer. That guy only represents legitimate clients.”

“I saw her getting out of that car. The guy inside looked older. MUCH older.”

Chase ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “This is spreading everywhere. It’s all over the neighboring schools‘ forums too. Look at the account creation dates–these are all new accounts posting the most vicious stuff. This is

coordinated.”

“Interesting,” I murmured, more intrigued by the technical aspects than the content.

Across the lecture hall, I noticed Aurelia Sullivan staring at her phone, her expression morphing from shock to disgust. She stood abruptly, addressing her circle of friends.

“That’s enough,” she said loudly. “What gives any of you the right to talk about someone like this? There’s not a shred of evidence.”

Her friends looked at her in confusion as she gathered her books and stormed out, the door slamming behind her.

“What’s her problem?” Chase wondered. “Isn’t she a Sullivan? I thought they were your enemies or something.”

My phone pinged with notifications as a new post appeared on the forum. It was from Orion Miller, the economic department’s golden boy.

“I’ve known Jade Morgan since high school. She never sent me love letters–that’s completely fabricated. Yes, she was heavier back then, but she lost weight through exercise, not surgery. I’ve watched her transformation over time. Stop spreading lies about someone you don’t know.”

“Well, at least someone’s defending you,” Chase said, peering over my shoulder.

I closed the app and packed my books. “Let’s go. I have class in ten minutes.”

Chase escorted me through the hallway, his face darkening as he noticed the stares and whispers following us.

“Goddamn it,” he muttered. “Which asshole is so bored they had to spread this garbage on the forums?”

“Does it matter?” I asked calmly,

“You’ve been slandered all over campus! They’re saying you slept your way to the top, got plastic surgery, faked your intelligence–and you’re not even mad?”

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Chapter 174

“Is getting mad going to fix anything?”

:>))

Chase stopped walking, staring at me with disbelief. “They’re destroying your reputation! You worked hard to get here. We should go to President Thornton’s office right now.”

To do what? Have him make an announcement over the PA system?” I raised an eyebrow.

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Chase turned to his friends trailing behind us. “Didn’t I tell you to find some tech people to handle this? Where are

they?”

Before his friends could respond, I interrupted. “Don’t bother. I’ll handle it myself.”

“Come on,” Chase scoffed. “You’ve only been taking computer science for like a few months. Whoever did this clearly knows what they’re doing–they’ve locked down the forum somehow. We need professionals.”

I led the way into the classroom, aware of the eyes tracking our movement. The whispers increased as we entered, some sympathetic, others malicious.

“Your white knight’s arrived,” someone murmured as Orion Miller approached us, his expression earnest.

“Jade,” he said, “I’ve contacted some of our high school classmates. They’re going to help clear your name.”

“I don’t need your help,” I replied flatly.

“But the rumors-”

“Are just rumors.”

Orion reached out to stop me, but Chase intercepted his hand midair. “She said she doesn’t need help. You deaf or

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