Classmate Slandered Me and Teacher; After Confessing She Went Mad

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At the campus design competition awards, I was reaching for the trophy and the fifty-thousand-dollar prize that belonged to me.

Then my ex-boyfriend's current girlfriend rushed the stage and scattered a stack of suggestive photos over the audience and the judges' table.

You little slut. We already broke up, so why are you still luring my boyfriend off to a hotel with you?

Once everyone had looked at the photos, every eye in the room fixed on me. My ex stood below the stage and spoke up with a pained expression.

"I didn't want to. She's the one who came on to me."

I was shaking with rage. I'd just moved to grab the microphone and explain when a few lines of scrolling comments drifted across my vision.

Don't explain. The photos are all AI fakes. The second you push back, she'll pull out a doctored video and cast it to the screen for everyone to see.

In your last life, the whole class labeled you a homewrecker, and your grandmother was driven to death by the rumors.

The design prize went to this pair, the trash boyfriend and the vicious girl. What she wants is to see you unable to defend yourself!

This time, just admit it. Play along with what she says, draw out anything useful, then finish her in one strike. Let them reap what they've sown.

My trembling hand slowly curled into a fist. Looking at her furious face, I let the corners of my mouth lift.

"That's right. I did go to the hotel with Lester Dickerson."

1.

The room erupted.

Leona Fletcher hadn't expected me to just admit it. She froze for two seconds, then laughed.

"You all heard that, right? She admitted it herself!"

"She'd already broken up with Lester and still lured him to a hotel. How shameless can you get!"

Below the stage, teachers and students whispered to one another, and the looks they gave me turned uglier by the second.

Leona let out a cold snort. "Handing first place in the design competition to a homewrecker who ruins other people's relationships. Is that really appropriate?"

"Teachers, from what I understand, a competition doesn't just judge a person's skill. It judges their character too, doesn't it?"

"Carla Fox is a homewrecker with rotten character. For all we know, her competition entry was plagiarized from someone else. A champion like that? I refuse to accept it!"

At a signal from Leona's eyes, Lester spoke up weakly too. "I think I saw Carla's design drafts at the hotel that day. They had someone else's name on them."

The moment he finished, the murmuring surged. "Oh my God, not only is she a homewrecker, she plagiarizes too?"

"Everyone knows plagiarism is a disgrace in the design world. How does she dare?"

"She acts so innocent, but she's probably been passed around plenty."

In the crowd, I saw my friend, seething, start to stand up to defend me. But a comment flashed past my vision.

Don't act rashly. Ask her whether she has proof!

Leona watched me smugly. I kept my expression calm and spoke. "Where's your proof?"

"Since you're questioning my ability, then show me the evidence."

Leona looked like she'd been ready for this. She lifted her head and glanced at Lester.

Lester hesitated a flicker, but something crossed his mind, and he pulled a stack of design drafts out of his bag.

Every drawing I'd made since I started freshman year was on them.

Except every one was signed with a different person's name.

He handed them to the teachers and had them passed around.

Leona gripped the microphone and announced loudly, "Take a good look, everyone. Every single one of Carla's designs is copied from someone else."

"She even copied from a different person each time so no one would catch on."

The dates, the names, the fluid linework, the distinctive style, all of it both resembled mine and differed from it.

A student raised a doubt. "That doesn't add up. If she plagiarized this much, why was she never caught even once?"

Leona curled her lip. "That would be because a teacher at our school was covering for her!"

"Otherwise, how would a mere student dare to do all this?"

"From what I understand, to snatch a scholarship away from a poor student, Carla even stooped to seducing that teacher!"

The judges at the panel table already looked like a row of storm clouds.

I stood onstage, the target of every eye in the hall.

"Expel her!"

"Expel her!!"

The shouts, the contempt in every stare, came rolling at me from all sides.

I glanced at the cameras mounted around the auditorium, then turned to Leona. "You say I seduced a teacher. So which teacher, exactly, did I seduce?"

Leona froze for a second, as if this wasn't going the way she'd planned.

But the swelling noise from the floor steadied her, and she pushed on. "Mr. Lawrence from the design department, of course. Everyone knows the two of you were the closest!"

"Leona, do you understand that slander is a crime?"

She gave a scornful little laugh. "I'm telling the truth, and I have proof!"

"Oh?"

She arranged her face into a show of reluctance. "I wanted to spare you some dignity, but since you insist on this, I'll just have to show everyone the evidence."

Then she pulled out her phone and cast it to the screen. On the giant LED wall was a stretch of security footage: me walking out of a teacher's office, the timestamp showing it was very late.

"What does that prove?"

"You're a student. What right do you have to pull security footage?"

A flicker of guilt crossed her eyes. "That's none of your business."

"The point is, coming out of Mr. Lawrence's office that late, dressed like that, is already suspicious!"

Lester jumped in right behind her. "Yeah, Leona's right. I've seen the flirty chat logs between you and Mr. Lawrence on your phone!"

That line dropped like a bomb.

"When did you ever get hold of my phone?"

"That day at the hotel. I used your face to unlock it."

"Do you understand that reading someone else's private messages is also against the law?"

Lester's eyes darted away. Leona picked up the thread. "Don't change the subject. Everything we've said is fact, and I'm demanding right now that the teachers strip you of your first-place prize in the design competition!"

"And that you publicly apologize to me, admit you came between us, and apologize to every single person whose work you plagiarized!"

She said it with such finality, never once considering that if I actually did it, the label of plagiarist and homewrecker would be stamped on me for the rest of my life.

Then again, wasn't that exactly what she wanted?

Watching the red light blinking on the camera, I asked her again. "Leona, can you swear that everything you've said today is true?"

Her expression curled with disdain. "Of course it's true. Why would I need to frame you? You're just rotten to the core!"

I let out a small laugh. That admission was all I needed.

"What are you doing?!"

Leona's disbelieving shriek came at my ear.

I lifted my phone.

"Calling the police."

She lunged to grab it, and I simply stepped clear.

"What are you panicking about?"

"You dared to say it out loud, so why be scared of me calling the police?"

Leona hesitated, then, catching people watching her, snapped straight into righteous mode. "What, you think the officers will show up and take the side of a plagiarizing little thief like you?"

I was about to say the police would verify whether her claims held up, when the comments streamed across my vision again.

Don't tell her your plan, or she'll destroy the photos and evidence on the spot.

Some of the school's leadership are on her side. The administration can't be trusted either.

I thought it over for two seconds, then spoke calmly.

"Fine, call the police. As soon as the officers get here, you submit your evidence, and I'll voluntarily give up the first-place prize money."

Doubt slid through Leona's eyes, quickly buried under a wave of glee. She probably hadn't expected me to fold so fast.

"Ha, and you'll admit you're the other woman, and apologize to me publicly, all over the internet!"

As if afraid I'd take it back, she dialed the police herself.

"Hello, is this the police station? I've got a campus case here that needs handling..."

Watching the smug looks on her and Lester's faces, the corner of my mouth curved into a cold smile.

There was no way the two of them could have thought all this up. So who, exactly, was pulling the strings behind me?

The police are on their way, Carla Fox. Get ready to have your name dragged through the mud.

A flicker of malice crossed the corner of Leona's mouth, and before I could catch it, Dean Chavez spoke up from below the stage. This is something we can handle ourselves. There's no need to get the police involved.

Making a scene won't reflect well on the school.

Leona put on a pitiful face. Sir, it was Carla who wanted to call the police. Maybe she still... won't admit anything until she's cornered.

Dean Chavez frowned. Carla, you're a young woman. Blowing this up won't do you any good either. Let's settle it privately.

I shook my head. Sir, I'm not afraid.

Dean Chavez shot me a glare. I pretended not to see it. If I gave in to them now, who knew what uglier stories would spread later.

The crowd below began to trickle out, though some stayed, waiting to see what would happen when the police arrived.

I stepped down off the stage. My friend Alexandra Harding handed me a bottle of water, her voice full of concern. Carla, sit down, drink something, take a break.

Lester is such a lowlife. You were so good to him, and he actually did something like this.

Alexandra looked righteously furious. Anyone watching would have thought she saw me as a true friend.

But the words scrolling across the screen sent a chill straight through me.

Don't drink it. Your friend drugged the water.

Once you drink it, the drug will kick in and you'll make a fool of yourself in no time.

Then they'll use the chance to have someone destroy your reputation, filming a video that actually damages you and spreading it everywhere!

My hand froze on the cap I'd just twisted open, my fingertips trembling.

Alexandra still wore that worried look. What's wrong, Carla? Why aren't you drinking?

I shook my head and screwed the cap back tight. It's nothing. I just suddenly need the restroom.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the flicker of displeasure on Alexandra's face, but she pressed on right away:

Want me to come with you?

No need, I'll go by myself.

With that, I headed for the auditorium restroom alone, but I stopped at the corner.

Seeing me gone, Alexandra turned and walked off in another direction.

I steadied myself and followed her.

She'd been my closest friend since high school. I really didn't want to think the worst of her.

She reached the top of the stairs, glanced around, and only when she saw no one did she slip furtively down.

I followed, ducking against the wall, and quietly started recording on my phone.

Well? Did she drink the water?

No.

Did she catch on to something?

Impossible. Alexandra said it with certainty. I didn't slip up anywhere.

Tch, lucky her. Then we go with Plan B.

Right, but if this blows up, how do we clean it up?

Coward, what are you scared of? Someone's got our backs!

After that, it sounded like the two of them were about to leave, so I quickly slipped away without a sound.

Hidden in the restroom, I clutched my phone, fear settling in afterward. Who could I even trust anymore?

But more important than all of this, there was one thing I still had to do.

I steadied my nerves and dialed a number.

Hey, it's Carla Fox. There's something I need your help with...

The call ended, and I let out a long breath. My heart finally settled.

When I came out of the restroom, the officers had arrived.

Leona was already up front, showing them the plagiarized design.

One of them looked reluctant. "Plagiarism cases are hard to prove... You two could settle this privately..."

"Hear that, Carla? Even the police don't want to bother with your mess. What else have you got to say?"

I smiled and walked over to the officer. "Hello. I'd like to file a report against this student, Leona Fletcher, for invasion of privacy. She distributed someone's photos and video without their consent."

Leona froze. "Are you insane? Where did I ever"

I pointed at the intimate photos of "me" scattered across the floor below the stage.

Her face changed. "No, I"

Lester caught on fast. "It's not like that. She seduced me and got me to the hotel. My girlfriend was just upset, that's why she printed those photos."

"Being upset gives you the right to violate someone's likeness rights?"

"If everyone did that whenever they were upset, the whole world would fall apart."

Leona lost it, jabbing a finger at me. "Don't you dare twist this. That's not what we meant at all!"

She didn't dare say the person in the photos wasn't me. Saying it would confirm the whole thing was fake.

The officer stepped in front of her. "You're suspected of invading another person's privacy. Please come with us to the police station."

Leona was stunned. "Wait, she's the one who plagiarized, and she stole someone's boyfriend. You're arresting me instead of her?"

Lester moved to block them and was nailed in place by four words: "You want to assault an officer?"

In the end Leona was taken away. As she left, I didn't miss the look she exchanged with Alexandra.

Lester came over to me, guilt in his eyes. "Carla, I'm sorry... but can you drop the charges against Leona? She's just a student. If she gets a record, she's finished when she graduates."

I let out a cold laugh. "I don't know what the two of you are planning, but Lester, take my advice and turn back before it's too late."

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end Alexandra cut in.

"All right, it's settled. Let's go back, Carla."

But I knew this was only the beginning.

Ten minutes later, a maliciously edited video of me swept across the whole internet, and the entire design industry.

It opened with the line I'd said: "Lester and I went to a hotel."

Spliced in were bits of my life history, and the words PLAGIARIST DOG stamped in huge letters right across my face.

Someone dug up ordinary conversations I'd had with a few male classmates in college and cut them together to make it look like I was throwing myself at them.

The title read: Ladies with boyfriends, watch outstep outside and this serial homewrecker will steal your man!

The whole internet was condemning me for wrecking someone's relationship, calling me shameless.

They called me a campus escort, a stain on the university's reputation, and demanded the school expel someone like me.

A few teachers in the design department even named me directly, swearing they'd never hire Carla Fox.

My name went viral overnight. Just not the good kind.

I saved screenshots of the IP sources and timestamps from the earliest accounts that posted the video.

Worse still, someone unearthed the fact that my birth parents had both died in a car crash the year I came of age, and claimed it was because I'd cursed them to death.

The next day in class, the classmates who used to be friendly all steered clear of me.

Someone had moved my desk to the very back row, right next to the trash can.

During the break, my homeroom teacher called me to the office. "Carla, this incident of yours has caused too much fallout. You'll be suspended for two weeks."

"Also, the design competition prize will be passed down to the runner-up. Go home and rest up."

Walking out of the school, it hit me all at oncethe runner-up. Wasn't that my dear friend Alexandra?