A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust

"Besides, they weren't spreading rumors, they were just repeating what they'd heard," someone said, trying to defend the chatter.

"Calliope, what's your next move?" another voice chimed in.

"Yeah, even if you weren't expelled, you've still got plenty of issues," a third pointed out.

"There are a lot of things you can't deny," someone else added, crossing their arms.

"Lisette might not be as good as you in academics, but she's incredibly kind. Do you think academics is the only way to prove you're better?" a girl in the back questioned.

Calliope looked at them all with a calm demeanor, her expression unreadable.

"I've never claimed I had to be better than her," she replied. "I just think it's time for everyone to see the real her. Remember all those things that happened back in high school? Anyone still recall?"

The crowd murmured. They remembered the rumors: Calliope bullied classmates, smoked, drank, hurt animals...

Someone called out, "Calliope, you aren't trying to say you didn't do all that, are you?"

"No way, you can't argue with facts. Actions speak louder than words," another shot back, shaking their head.

Calliope maintained her composure. "I know the truth speaks for itself. That's why I have some videos to show you."

She tapped a few times on her phone, and the big screen lit up with a series of videos.

The clips started playing, showing someone in a school uniform tormenting a kitten, laughing maniacally at its distress.

"Calliope, isn't that you?" someone gasped.

"You've lost it, Calliope! Are you trying to incriminate yourself?" another voice added, shocked.

"Who would confess to something so awful?" a third voice rang out.noveldrama

"Calliope, how could you be so cruel to such a helpless creature?"

Lisette's face turned ashen. She recognized those scenes all too well. How did Calliope get hold of this video?

She glanced frantically at Valerian and Horatio, desperate to leave, but it was too late.

The camera zoomed in, revealing the face of the perpetrator.

"Take a good look," Calliope said, her voice steady. "See who it really is."

The projection shifted, and Lisette's face was unmistakably shown, her features twisted with a disturbing glee as she tormented the kitten.

"Lisette!" a voice exclaimed, filled with disbelief.

"No way! Lisette's supposed to be an animal lover. She wouldn't hurt a fly!"

"Calliope, this can't be Lisette!" someone protested.

"You must be framing her!"

"Why is it that if it's Calliope, it's not a setup, but if it's Lisette, it can't be true?" Portia's voice cut through the noise, her gaze piercing as she looked at Lisette.

"Lisette, what do you have to say?" she challenged.

"I... I don't know!" Lisette stammered, shaking her head vigorously. "I didn't do this! That poor kitten, I don't know who could have done such a thing!"

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"Did you hear that? Lisette wouldn't do something like this. She looks like she's about to cry!" someone tried to defend her.

Valerian frowned, "Lisette wouldn't even harm an ant? This is just ridiculous!"