Chapter 3Three Kings on My Leash

I held my phone up, flashing the screen toward Ivy.

"Maybe you should take a look at the forum again," I said softly, "before you start drafting your apology to me."

Ivy gave a dismissive scoff, scanning her own screen with casual disdain.

In a fraction of a second, her smug expression shattered into pure, unadulterated shock. The screech that tore from her throat nearly cracked the dining hall windows. "That's impossible!"

The original thread outing the "cheater" had been wiped clean. In its place were three identical, newly pinned posts from the university’s three most elite accounts:

[The previous post was the result of a lost dare. Please do not harass or speculate about innocent students. I offer my sincere apologies to Shirley Walsh for dragging her into this mess.]

Ivy’s face turned an ugly shade of bruised purple. She scraped her chair back, desperate to flee.

I moved faster. Before she could take a step, my hand came down firmly on her shoulder, pinning her in place.

"For the slander you just spewed in front of everyone," I said, my voice quiet and absolute, "I want a public apology. Right now. Otherwise, I’m taking this straight to the board."

Ivy shoved my hand off, her voice shrill. "I was making a reasonable assumption! What slander? You think this is primary school where you can run crying to the Dean? Go ahead and snitch! See if anyone actually gives a damn about you!"

Our two other roommates, who hadn't uttered a single word during the entire spectacle, crept over only after Ivy had stormed off.

They offered me timid, guilty apologies for not backing me up, followed by well-meaning advice.

"It's just an apology, Shirley... let it go," one of them whispered softly. "Kids like us, from normal families... we can't afford to mess with people like Ivy."