Chapter 49
Chapter 49:
Tristan wasn’t allowed to enter the concert the previous evening, so he was unaware that Ashton was actually one of Ivan’s students.
With a mischievous grin, he made his way toward Ashton. As Tristan drew closer, he couldn’t resist taunting, “Isn’t this Mr. Ex-Husband? Heard our school’s looking for security guards. Came to throw your hat in the ring, did you?”
Ashton let out a silent sigh. The moment he spotted Tristan, he anticipated some sort of confrontation. With more pressing matters on his mind, he chose to ignore Tristan to sidestep any drama.
Tristan, noticing Ashton’s brief glance but no reply, jumped to the conclusion he was right, and his smugness grew. He looked Ashton over, his voice growing louder.
“Applying for a security job, huh? You’re dressed too sharp for that. Anyone who doesn’t know better might mistake you for one of the faculty!” Tristan’s laughter echoed loudly.
Their exchange caught the attention of passing students, who began to whisper and chuckle among themselves. Tristan reveled in this, achieving exactly what he wanted: making Ashton appear ridiculous before an audience, hoping to shame him into leaving or, failing that, to cement his status as the butt of the joke. Ashton saw right through Tristan’s motives.
However, to Ashton, Tristan was merely a minor annoyance, hardly worth his fury. With composed demeanor, Ashton responded, “As of today, I’m on the faculty here. A little respect wouldn’t hurt.”
Tristan paused, a flicker of surprise on his face, before he erupted into laughter. To him, Ashton’s statement was absurdly hilarious. Scoffing, Tristan taunted, “Did my sister dumping you scramble your brains? Do you even know who you are? A teacher, here? What exactly would you teach? How to mooch off others?”
Yet Ashton’s calm was unshaken. He glanced at his watch and replied smoothly, “Hold off on your judgments. The person handling my orientation will be here shortly. You’ll see for yourself soon enough.”
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Tristan couldn’t fathom believing Ashton. He eyed Ashton with scorn and sneered, “Quit the act. You’d be lucky to land even a security guard spot here. You think you belong on the faculty? You realize this is Inewood University, right? The best university in all of Inewood! If you somehow make it here, I’ll twist my head off and let you use it as a ball!”
However, Tristan hadn’t finished his bragging when he noticed his class advisor rushing toward them.
“Sir, why are you here? I haven’t missed any classes. I was actually heading to class right now!” Tristan protested.
But the advisor paid no attention to Tristan. Instead, he approached Ashton with a broad smile.
“Pardon me, are you Mr. Ashton Baldwin?” he inquired tentatively.
Ashton, taken aback, nodded. “Yes, that’s me. Do you know me?”
Delighted to have found the correct person, the advisor laughed and explained, “Mr. Stewart assured me that the most notable gentleman at the gate would be Ashton. I was skeptical at first, but now I see he was right! Mr. Stewart has already arranged all the onboarding documents for you. Let’s head inside to finalize the paperwork. You’ll officially be joining our faculty!”
Tristan, who had earlier been ridiculing Ashton, now seemed visibly distressed. If it had been anyone else, Tristan might have thought Ashton had paid someone to play a part. Yet, here was his own class advisor greeting Ashton! What was he to do now? So many had heard him boasting. Was he really going to have to apologize profoundly to Ashton?
Ashton looked over at the anxious Tristan, his face a picture of serenity. He shrugged and remarked, “Don’t worry so much. I never took your words to heart. Besides, using your stupid head as a ball wouldn’t be practical. It’s filled with air, and I’d rather not injure my foot.”
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