Chapter 3

On the afternoon of the same day Mona stole June's wallet, she disappeared again.

When she returned at night, there was a small black bag in her hands.

I recognized at a glance that it was a canvas bag used by the jewelry store near the school's back entrance.

Rosa's silver earrings also happened to vanish right around that time.

This time, Rosa wasn't as easily appeased as June.

She cornered Mona on the latter's bed and stated with a frighteningly cold expression, "Mona, my Mom gave me those earrings as a gift. They cost her 1,200 dollars. You owe me an explanation."

Mona started crying again.

"Rosa, how could you think that of me? Why would I steal your earrings? My ears aren't even pierced! I've been feeling so much pressure lately with all of you breathing down my neck. I'm really almost at my limit."

Rosa was shaking with anger.

"Who wouldn't be feeling pressured with you crying all day? Where are my earrings?" she snapped.

June stepped forward to hold her back. "Forget it. It's just a pair of earrings. Let's not push Mona to the point of making her fall ill. You know as well as I do what her family situation is like."

Rosa was stuck in a dilemma.

She stood rooted to the spot, looking between June and Mona, who was sobbing uncontrollably.

In my past life, it was exactly this sort of moral dilemma that gradually destroyed me.

If I made a fuss about it, I was clearly a heartless person.

If I pursued accountability, I was clearly trying to drive Mona to the edge.

Now, Rosa was experiencing the same.

She glanced resentfully at me and said, "Natalie, won't you say something? Aren't you our resident expert at catching thieves?"

I sat on my bed and replied without looking up, "Don't you two always say I should let things slide? So, you should also let this slide."

Rosa was struck speechless. Her face was thoroughly flushed.

Yet, she refused to let the issue go and shouted at Mona, "My mother gave me those earrings! I could only ever bring myself to wear them on my birthday! I demand an explanation from you!"

Mona plopped herself straight on the floor and started wailing.

"I really didn't take it, Rosa. Please stop driving me into a corner. It's not as if you don't know what my family situation is like. I couldn't care less about your earrings when Matthew barely has any food to eat!"

Rosa opened her mouth to retort but ended up swallowing the harsh words on the tip of her tongue.

She watched Mona weep, feeling a mix of anger and helplessness.

In the end, she could only stamp her feet, return to her own bed, and pull the blanket over her head.

I knew that she was upset.

Her mother had scrimped and saved to buy those earrings for her as a coming-of-age gift.

She treasured them greatly and couldn't even bring herself to wear them on ordinary days.

But now, Mona had probably offered them to Matthew's girlfriend to get in her good graces.

I said nothing.

I wanted June and Rosa to experience for themselves the feeling of betrayal that came with being told to "forget it".

For now, I stopped paying them attention.

Instead, I looked down and saved the contents of my phone into a folder labeled "Evidence" one by one.

The first item was a screenshot from footage taken by a surveillance camera in the hallway.

It showed Mona sneaking down the hallway at 2:30 am in the direction of my bunk.

The second item was a screenshot of one of Matthew's Instagram posts.

It contained a photo of his girlfriend holding up a tube of lipstick and smiling sweetly.

The caption read, "Thanks, babe. Thanks, Mona."

The lipstick was in the same shade as the one I lost.

The third item was a record of multiple bank transfers from Mona to Matthew.

She'd transferred a total of 1,400 dollars across three transactions to him within a single week, each and every transaction attached with the remark "For Matty".

I felt very calm at the sight of all this evidence.

In my past life, I'd kept no records, because I naively assumed that as long as I was in the right, public opinion would be in my favor.

But I had been wrong.

In this life, I wouldn't believe a single word from anyone.

I would only trust in visible, tangible evidence.

After saving all the evidence, I looked up at Mona.

She was wiping away tears with her head bowed, but for the briefest moment, her lips curved up into a smile.

Although it was only visible for a split second, I saw it anyway.

It was a smile akin to a cat who'd gotten the cream.