Chapter 3

It was clear how valuable this national competition certificate was; only about ten people across the country could earn it. If they were to question it, then it meant they were challenging the national exam authorities. They didn't dare risk the consequences if things got out of hand.

In the end, the teachers' expressions shifted through a range of emotions before they were forced to concede. They admitted the school had handled the situation poorly and acknowledged they had wrongly accused Heather.

Sylvia and Christian looked as though they had swallowed something bitter. Sylvia forced an awkward smile to defuse the tension, saying, "I knew all along that Heather wasn't capable of such a thing. It seems we've all just had a bit of a misunderstanding, haven't we?"

Christian furrowed his brow and moved closer, reaching out to hold Heather's hand.

Heather threw off his hand without a second thought, refusing to even look at him.

In the meantime, the boisterous comment section appeared again.

"What's going on here? How come the plot is going off-track? Why are the male and female leads at odds?"

"You guys shouldn't get so worked up yet—the best part is yet to come. You can rest assured that the female lead has no chance of escaping the grasp of this insidious mother-son duo."

I was just waiting to discover the nature of the upcoming "best part" when the comment section vanished again. I had a bad feeling about this, so I grabbed Heather's hand and led her away, certain that heading home was the best course of action at that moment.

I was just about to leave the classroom when Sylvia and Christian blocked our path. "Why are you in such a hurry, Kayla? It's almost time for the class meeting, and with Heather's grades being so impressive, she ought to share her learning experience with her peers."

Cameron also stepped forward with a sycophantic expression. "It truly would benefit Heather to participate as well, so please stay for the meeting, Mrs. Miller."

Heather and I hesitated for a moment, thinking that there was no harm in staying since it was merely a class meeting.

Upon hearing our agreement, Sylvia and Cameron ushered Heather onto the podium. They called the class to order, directing everyone's attention toward the front to await Heather's address.

Heather calmly picked up the microphone and said, "You see, my approach to studying is—"

In the following instant, the presentation on the digital screen behind her shifted to a series of scandalous photographs.

In the images, Heather was clad in lingerie that was way too mature for her, lying in the arms of a middle-aged man with a portly belly. She looked really suggestive in the images, her poses highly provocative.

In that instant, chaos broke out as the crowd widened their eyes in disbelief.

"Isn't that man the proprietor of the hotel near the school? He's a married man! Heather isn't just hooking up with an older man—she's a homewrecker!"