Chapter 16: No Explanation, Only Evidence
Emily had no clue what was happening.
The news from the forum spread across campus like wildfire.
She was busy working on a small programming project she hoped to sell.
Unbeknownst to her, some computer science students had already uncovered her identity.
They even found old photos of her, dressed in rags, rummaging through garbage cans.
People started talking.
Some sympathized or doubted the claims.
"Just two photos don't prove anything."
"Emily seems pretty pitiful. She doesn’t usually act aggressively. Maybe she was pushed too far. We should wait and see if there’s more to the story."
But most of the comments were overwhelmingly negative.
Even those who tried to defend her were attacked.
"People who are pitiful often have despicable traits. Why are you defending Emily? Have you done something similar? Birds of a feather."
"Bianca is so gentle. There’s no way she could have pushed Emily to the edge. It’s more likely that Emily is taking advantage."
"We must stand against campus bullying. People like her belong in the trash."
"Poor Bianca, she looks so helpless. How could Emily do this to her?"
"Boycott Emily. The school should see her actions and expel her."
When Emily walked into the classroom, the atmosphere changed.
But having stayed up all night, she was too groggy to notice anything unusual.
Until!
She found an empty seat and was about to put her books down when someone quickly placed a pen there. "This seat’s taken."
Emily didn’t think much of it and moved to another spot.
Just as she was about to sit, someone put their leg on the chair. "My leg’s injured. The doctor said I need to keep it elevated."
Emily saw an empty spot in the middle and asked a classmate to move over.
The person looked her up and down and sneered, "We’ve got a lot of stuff to put there. Find another seat."
If the first two or three instances were just coincidences, by now, even Emily could feel the hostility.
She frowned, her gaze cold as she looked at the person who had spoken. Her voice was calm but firm, enough for everyone to hear.
"What’s your problem? Are you targeting me?"
Her tone was assertive, her presence intimidating.
Some timid students averted their gaze, afraid of being associated with someone accused of campus violence.
But there were also those who weren’t afraid of confrontation or genuinely liked Bianca and wanted to stand up for her.
"Some people are shameless. After doing such things, they still have the nerve to come to class."
As soon as one person spoke up, others chimed in.
"Exactly. I’m afraid if we say something wrong, we’ll be bullied too."
"Emily, we’re talking about you. If you have any decency, leave this class, leave our major, and leave this school."
"People like you who deal with trash should stay by the garbage cans and stop causing trouble for everyone, especially Bianca."
Emily began to understand. Bianca must have done something to make everyone think she was bullying her.
Bianca had a knack for hiding behind others, letting them fight her battles while she maintained her innocent image.
"Shut up!"
Emily’s voice was calm but carried immense power.
The room fell silent.
"If you’re going to accuse me, at least have some evidence. Who can tell me what’s going on?"
Emily’s cold gaze swept across the room.
"You hurt Bianca, and now you're pretending to be innocent? How shameless!" someone scoffed.
Most people glared at Emily with disdain, convinced she was faking it.
No one directly answered her.
Finally, her phone buzzed. It was a message with a link to the forum.
The message was from Oscar, a quiet, studious guy in her class.
Emily opened the campus forum and quickly scanned the comments.
Almost all of them were attacking her.
No one had checked the facts, and those who questioned the narrative were also attacked.
Emily knew someone was orchestrating this.
She had experienced online harassment before and recognized the signs.
She looked at the expressions of her classmates.
A year of being classmates, yet they were so cold towards her. Bianca played a significant role in this.
Fine!
Originally, Emily had planned to enjoy her second chance at campus life.
Now, she felt it wasn't worth wasting her time.
She had already mastered these subjects in her previous life. It was time to consider changing her major.
"Those of you who make judgments without verifying facts will be a disaster in any field. Take care."
For biased people, explanations without evidence are useless.
Emily didn't plan to waste more words on them. Instead, she would gather evidence and deal with the person behind this.
"Emily, Emily..."
As she left the classroom, she was almost knocked over by someone rushing in.
"Sorry, sorry, excuse me... Emily!" The person was in such a hurry that she apologized without looking up, then realized she was talking to the person she was looking for.
Emily recognized her.
She often saw her with Sophia.
Katya.
"What do you need?" Emily asked calmly.
"Sophia is in trouble. She got into a fight because someone was badmouthing you. You need to come quickly. I can't hold her back!"
Katya, who came from a less privileged background, always followed Sophia and lacked confidence.
She sought out Emily because she had heard Sophia praise her recently, even hinting at admiration.
She thought Emily might be able to calm Sophia down.
There were several people involved, including some from the neighboring sports academy. She was worried Sophia might get hurt.
Emily frowned.
"Lead the way!"
She guessed that Sophia had seen the forum posts and got angry on her behalf.
Until now, Emily had considered Sophia a good business partner.
But on her way to where Sophia was, her perspective began to change.
Maybe Sophia could be a good friend.
"You say that again, and I'll knock your teeth out!"
When Emily and Katya arrived, they heard Sophia yelling.
She was standing with her hands on her hips, yelling at a muscular guy.
Sophia was full of fire.
"Hahaha, with your delicate skin, I could knock you out with one punch," the guy laughed arrogantly.
"Sophia, I get that you're defending Emily because you owe her, but don't provoke Byron Reyes. He has a short temper and might actually hit you."
Bianca spoke, seemingly trying to calm Sophia but actually inciting Byron.
"Bianca, you're too kind. She's been bullying you, and you still sympathize with her. Anyone who hangs out with Emily is bad news and deserves a lesson!"
Hayden comforted Bianca lovingly.
They were so caught up in their act that they didn't notice Emily and Katya approaching.