Chapter 0059
“Think what you want,” I muttered, my voice tight with restraint. “I don’t need to prove anything to you.”
Nan shot the girls a final glare as she folded her arms. “Maybe you should be worried about yourselves.”
I shook my head, trying to shake off the frustration building in my chest. “Just forget about it, Nan. I’m going to class. I’ll see you later.”
Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and walked out.
Even class felt strange today. Whispers followed me from the moment I stepped in, and it was hard to ignore the stares. The professor handed out the assignments, and I frowned when I looked down at my paper.
Was it just me, or did the font look different?
I glanced at the girl beside me. Her paper looked normal.
“Can I see that for a second?” I asked, my voice quieter than usual.
She gave me a confused look but handed it over.
I compared the papers, frowning. The words on mine were smaller.
“Thanks,” I muttered, passing it back to her.
The rest of the class passed in a haze. It wasn’t until the end that the professor stopped me on my way out.
“Good job today, Judy,” she said slowly, like she was speaking to a child.
I raised an eyebrow, my frown deepening. “Uh, thanks, Miss Prescott.”
She gave a thin smile, but something in her gaze made me feel uneasy.
I quickly left the room, eager to get to my next class.
This next class, a college reading session, was one of my favorites. I loved the discussions and journaling about the books. We had just finished our last book, and today, we were supposed to get a new one.
As I walked in, the professor handed books to everyone but me.
“Hi, Judy,” she said with a soft smile. “I’m not going to make you read this book; it’s long and can be pretty difficult. I’ll write you some cliff notes, and you can write your entry based on those and class discussion.”
I stared at her, stunned.
Was she serious?
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. “You don’t want me to read the book?”
She sighed, her smile fading. “Look, I think it’s better if you sit this one out. I know this kind of thing doesn’t come easy for you.”
This kind of thing?
Was she talking about reading?
I’d never given her any reason to believe that reading was an issue for me. Sure, I had dyslexia, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t read. Besides, no one else knew about my disability, not even her. Only my adoptive parents, Nan, and… Ethan.
“Please, take your seat, Judy,” she said, voice polite but firm.
I pressed my lips together, trying not to snap at her. I walked to my seat, trying to hold back my frustration.
As the rest of the class settled in, I was the only one without a book. The professor handed out the rest of the books, and each student took theirs without a second thought.
I sat there, fuming, but I kept my mouth shut. After class, I was going to see the dean and report this.
Finally, my last class of the day—shifting and combat—was here. It was my favorite, and I couldn’t wait to get into the physical activity and take my frustrations out on my sparring partner.
When I arrived, I overheard Nicole talking to Professor Morgan, sounding upset.
“Professor Morgan, I don’t think that’s necessary. Judy is more than capable of handling this new routine without me holding her hand,” she was saying, her tone firm.
Professor Morgan, the assistant professor for this class, was speaking to her in a low voice. It seemed that since Carol had been expelled, our normal professor had been fired. Now, Morgan was filling in.
“There’s a lot of notes to go over today, and I need her to properly understand the material,” Professor Morgan said, clearly unconvinced.
“She always understands the material just fine,” Nicole snapped back. “She’s one of the top students.”
“You’ve heard the rumors, though,” Morgan said, his tone filled with judgment. “She didn’t earn that spot; she bought it.”
Nicole scoffed. “You don’t honestly believe that crap, do you?” she asked, arms folded across her chest.
“Morgan, please,” Nicole said, her voice quieting into a whisper. “Do me this favor for once in your life.”
“Don’t call me that here, Noah,” she hissed. “I don’t want anyone here knowing you’re my brother.”
Wait… What?
Nicole and Professor Morgan were siblings? I hadn’t put that together before, even though her last name matched his.
“Look, I need you to do this for me. You care about her, don’t you? I know you want her to succeed. So help her succeed.”
Nicole looked frustrated but didn’t reply immediately. When she did speak, her words caught me off guard.
“Why suddenly are you treating her so differently? Why do you think she’s incapable?”
There was a long pause, and then his words hit me like a ton of bricks.
“Because the dean called for a faculty meeting this morning, and he told us that Judy is suffering from dyslexia.”
The revelation left me frozen, the world around me suddenly a blur. I didn’t know how to process it. Was this some sort of official label now? And why was it suddenly being used against me?
