Chapter 110
Lirian looked calm, yet there was a quiet authority in his eyes as he stepped into the center of the
room.
“Actually,” Lirian said, his voice cool and steady,
“I have some evidence right here.” He held up the papers, and everyone in the room craned their necks, trying to catch a glimpse of what he was holding.
“There have been rumors on the school’s online forum, claiming that Sophia was being adopted by a man. Along with that, someone even uploaded photos of Ethan and Sophia together, with implications that made it seem… inappropriate.”
Murmurs of shock and disgust rippled through the room. Some of the students were already looking at Linda and Mia with judgmental stares.
“As part of our investigation, we traced the IP addresses of the anonymous posts,” Lirian continued, his gaze locked on Linda and Mia.
“Surprisingly, all of the posts came from a single user. And I have the proof right here. Would you both like to see for yourselves?”
Linda’s face instantly went pale. She opened her mouth to speak but found herself stammering as all eyes bore down on her. She barely managed to whisper, “This… This isn’t right.”
Meanwhile, Mia’s expression was one of utter betrayal. She cast a sidelong look at Linda, who seemed more interested in preserving her own image than defending her supposed friend.
As if in a final bid for her reputation, Linda let out a bitter, dramatic sigh and walked over to Sophia. Her eyes softened as she looked at Sophia with a manufactured sincerity.
“I’m so sorry, Sophia,” Linda began, her voice quivering with feigned remorse. “I really didn’t khow Mia would take things this far! She took my phone and posted on the forums and I tried to stop her but…she just wouldn’t listen.”
Linda’s words hung in the air, thick with falseness, and Sophia looked at her, stunned. Linda? Apologizing? It seemed unthinkable.
But here she was, playing the part of a wronged friend trying to make amends.
Before Sophia could respond, Mia’s voice broke through, raw with emotion and pain.
Chapter to
Linda, stop lying!” Mia’s voice was trembling, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
fit wasn’t for you, I would never have done this. You were the one who made me believe it was all true. You encouraged me to question Sophia, to doubt her. You said her grades couldn’t be real, that she must be cheating. 1… I trusted you.”
Linda’s expression shifted, hardening as she glared at Mia with feigned indignation. “Mia, you really need to stop this,”
Linda snapped, crossing her arms. “You’re not as innocent as you pretend to be. Don’t blame me for your own actions.”
The students nearby gasped at Linda’s audacity, and slowly, whispers of disapproval began to swell in the room. Some of the students even spoke up, defending Linda, as they started to side with her.
“Linda’s been nothing but nice to Mia, and now Mia’s trying to turn it all on her?”
“Yeah, poor Linda… imagine having a friend like that. She’s lucky Ethan didn’t hold this against her.”
Mia’s face turned red with both humiliation and disbelief. She looked around, as if hoping to find someone, anyone, who would stand up for her.
But all she saw were judging faces, unsympathetic and quick to side with Linda’s deceitful narrative,
Feeling utterly abandoned, Mia choked back a sob, and without another word, bolted out of the classroom, the tears she had been holding back finally falling.
As Mia’s footsteps echoed down the hallway, Linda sighed, shaking her head.
“I tried to help her,” she murmured to the crowd, sounding exhausted. “But it’s clear Mia just won’t take responsibility for her own actions.”
At this point, Linda turned back to me with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry you got caught up in this, Sophia,” she said, her voice sweet and gentle. “Even though it had nothing to do with me, Mia was still my friend. I hope you can forgive her.”
But I wasn’t fooled. I saw through Linda’s false innocence, her calculated sympathy, and the way she had twisted everything to make Mia look like the only villain.
Calmly, I met Linda’s gaze, a small, bitter smile forming on my lips.
“Linda,” I said, I heard my voice clear and unwavering.
don’t believe for a second that this had nothing to do with you. You were right there when these
ita
rumors were spreading, and you didn’t do a single thing to stop them.”
The classroom fell silent. All eyes were now on me, who had never spoken up in this way before.
Linda’s face froze, her mask of innocence cracking for a fraction of a second.
“Also, if we’re all classmates,” I continued, glancing at the crowd, “why didn’t any of you stand up for me? When you heard those rumors, when you saw the posts, why didn’t anyone question them?”
