Once the truth came out, the so-called smear post collapsed overnight, and the spectators finally saw it for what it was: Celeste's failed attempt at revenge.
[LMAO, so Celeste from Class One tried to frame someone, failed, and then played the victim? Classic. And did you guys see how Class One reacted? Even when the story got twisted, they either kept quiet or piled on, saying they "saw" Riley hit someone with a chair. Seriously? That's their moral standard?]
[Good grades don't mean good character. Riley might have a bad reputation, but at least she's straightforward. From the moment that smear post went up until now, she hasn't said one unnecessary word. She just brought proof. Unlike certain "sweet" girls who love putting on a show.]
That jab landed squarely on Felicia. During the height of the scandal, she had been updating her account nonstop.
[Thank you for everyone's concern. My sister and I are actually very close, so please don't misunderstand her. She just has a bad temper, but she really isn't a bad person.]
Every post had been carefully written, every word soaked in fake kindness, and the crowd had swallowed it whole. They turned on Riley without the slightest hesitation.
But then someone started digging deeper. A comment under the smear post suddenly caught people's attention. The account was called WhisperingEcho, and every word it posted was vicious, full of insults and curses aimed directly at Riley. Before long, people began putting the pieces together.
That account might belong to Felicia.
The phone model used by WhisperingEcho matched Felicia's main account exactly. It followed only one person, Felicia, and under every single one of her posts, it left endless praise. The pattern was too consistent, too deliberate, too obvious.
Felicia's face turned pale as she stared at the screen, her fists clenching tightly. Comments were already flooding her main account, calling her out, calling her fake, and calling her a pick-me.
[LOL, isn't it hilarious? Her sister was getting dragged through the mud while this "sweet girl" was busy competing for the title of freshman representative. One gets accused of bullying, and the other uses it to climb higher. What a joke.]
[Honestly? I don't even think the fake nice girl is that pretty. Riley looks way more natural. I'm sold on her face.]
Then things got worse. More burner accounts were exposed, and one name after another surfaced: Celeste, Victor, Sophia. All of them had been using burner accounts to push the same narrative and stir up outrage.
In an instant, the crowd reached the same conclusion. These people were not acting alone. They were a clique, a pack of the same kind.
Just when everyone thought the drama was finally over, another bombshell dropped. A photo surfaced online showing Celeste being escorted out of a hospital by the police. The charges were malicious defamation and disrupting online public order.
The university panicked. Afraid of the backlash, it immediately issued a notice ordering anyone who had spread rumors about Riley to delete their posts. Felicia did not dare delay. She switched to her burner account and rushed to erase every comment she had ever made.
Everything disappeared except for one post. The top trending post would not budge no matter what she tried. Even Evan, one of the forum moderators, realized how serious the matter had become. He tried to remove it himself and failed.
By then, it was obvious. If this mess was going to be resolved, it would have to be handled privately between Celeste and Riley.
Once the dust settled, Riley's reputation soared. Her name spread across campus, and her following climbed rapidly. Some people even went back to rewatch her livestream showdown with Felicia, and the verdict was the same across the board: it was deeply satisfying.
For some, that satisfaction even turned into admiration. Class Seven basked in the reflected glory, proud to claim Riley as their queen and their pride.
But Riley herself sat quietly, lost in thought. She had cleared her name, but she had not called the police, which meant someone else had. One name surfaced in her mind, and after a brief pause, she picked up her phone and sent Adrian a message.
In the CEO's office at Sterling Corp, Adrian's phone buzzed. A faint smile touched his sharp features as he glanced at the screen.
Didn't she just text me? What does she want now?
Ever since he had confronted Riley, she had stopped pretending altogether. No more soft little "Hubby," no more careful, sweet tone. Every message she sent now came with a bite. Earlier, when he saw her ask, [Did you call the police on Celeste?] he had almost laughed in irritation.
And yet, for some reason, the satisfaction in his chest outweighed the annoyance. Adrian had already decided that if she kept acting like this, he would have to teach her a proper lesson tonight. Otherwise, how was he supposed to maintain any authority as her husband? If other people found out, it would be humiliating.
In the past, he would never have checked his phone while working. But now, the moment he suspected it might be her, he could not stop himself. A quiet chuckle escaped him as he unlocked the screen.
Let's see what she wants this time.
But the instant he saw the message, his smile disappeared. The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by something dark and violent, and his fingers tightened around the phone.
[Adrian, are you okay?]
It was only one sentence, but it was enough to change everything.
"Cough, cough!"
A sharp pain twisted through his chest. He doubled over, coughing violently, and a streak of blood stained the handkerchief in his hand.
"Sir!"
Derek rushed in immediately, poured him a glass of water, and grabbed the medicine Sheena had left behind. The moment he saw the blood, his face lost all color.
"Sir, are you alright?"
Hadn't things been improving lately? Ever since Sheena had taken over his treatment, Master Adrian had not suffered an episode like this in a long time.
Derek pondered. He could not understand what had triggered it.
"Should I call Sheena?" he asked urgently.
"No." Adrian's face was pale, but his voice remained steady. "I'm fine. I'm just lost in my thoughts. There's no need to call her."
He refused to admit that a single sentence, just a few simple words, could make him lose control like this.
"I'm fine. Go."
His tone was colder than usual, edged with something even sharper. Derek hesitated, but seeing that Adrian had stabilized, he finally nodded and left.
When the office door closed and silence returned, Adrian leaned back in his chair, exhaustion weighing on him. He loosened his tie, slipped off his suit jacket, and closed his eyes. Then a faint scent drifted up, soft and familiar, touched with a subtle herbal note.
He paused before reaching into his inner pocket and pulling out a small sachet. The sight of it softened his expression. It was the one Riley had given him before he left on his last business trip, and he had never thrown it away. He had kept it with him the entire time.
His fingers brushed over the fabric, tracing the edges, and little by little, the restlessness inside him began to settle.
Riley, you foolish girl. Even after you stopped pretending, you are still foolish.
One memory after another rose in his mind. Time spent with her had always felt easy, light, and unexpectedly pleasant. Riley was like a hidden treasure, revealing something new every time he looked closer.
She could stand her ground and fight him without the slightest fear. She could lose her temper and glare at him, furious and unrestrained. She could play tricks on Arthur with sly little schemes and argue with a parrot like a stubborn child. Somehow, every version of her felt vivid and real, so alive that he found her impossible to ignore.