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let it out. But the girl she told got angry. She told

everyone that Nadine thought they were only using her.
The story spread quickly, and it dspre ttake long before

most of her classmates turned against her.

They began to ignore her, whisper behind her

back, and some even laughed when she walked by. She
was suddenly labeled as arrogant and ungrateful. On top

of that, many students saw her as just another “anak
kota” a city girl who thought she was better than village

kids. They believed that she looked down on them, even

though she never did. That label stuck with her, and no
matter what she did, no one gave her a chance to explain.

Nadine became very lonely. School, which once

felt exciting, now felt like a punishment. She often sat
alone during breaks, and sometimes even cried quietly at

home. It was the hardest time of her life.

But Nadine didn’t give up. She promised herself

that one day, she would show everyone who she truly
was. She focused on her studies and worked harder than

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