Chapter 166 This Is the True Me

Chapter 166 This Is the True Me

Stephanie's POV

I stared at that text message for what felt like forever, unable to shake this surreal feeling.

It wasn't until Christopher walked into the bedroom and gently took the phone from my dazed hands that reality started to sink in.

"The school invited you to give an anti-bullying lecture and help draft their anti-bullying policies?" Christopher's eyes lit up as he looked at me.

"Stephanie, don't you see? Everything you've done—people have noticed. And now you get to make an even bigger impact."

A chill went down my spine as I slowly came back to myself.

"Do you really think I can pull something like this off?"

Christopher placed his hands on my shoulders, his gaze steady and serious. "This is exactly what you can do. Don't doubt yourself. You've grown so much—honestly, I can barely keep up with you anymore."

His earnest expression made me burst out laughing.

"Oh, come on. No matter how capable I get, I'm not about to become Secretary of Commerce or anything."

Christopher winked at me, his tone playful. "Why not? When that happens, I'll just be your deputy."

I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity.

"Okay, okay, stop showering me with compliments! If you carry on, I'll get a big head."

"I'm just telling the truth." Christopher's face remained perfectly serious.

"So… are you going to accept?"

"Let me think about it," I said.

I was thrilled, of course. But stepping onto such a big stage so suddenly—I needed a little time to mentally prepare myself.

Though honestly, I only agonized over it for one night. More specifically, for about an hour before bed.

The next morning, I called the number back and accepted the school's invitation.

The staff member on the other end was ecstatic, chatting with me for ages until I finally mentioned I needed to eat breakfast. Only then did they reluctantly hang up.

I told Christopher about it over breakfast.

He wasn't surprised at all, casually passing me a slice of buttered toast. "When's it scheduled for?"

"Next Friday at two p.m."

He nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Then we'll do mock run-throughs the two nights before."

"Mock what?"

"Mock your delivery pacing," he explained.

"You tend to talk fast normally, and that'll only get worse on stage. Stand up, face me, and deliver your whole speech at the volume you'd use for a hundred listeners. I'll help you figure out where you need to pause, where to slow down, and which sentences need emphasis."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Spoken like a true department head—so thorough and meticulous."

Christopher's cheeks flushed slightly at my teasing, and he smiled back. "Well, you'd better appreciate this exclusive coaching session."

"Oh, absolutely," I said with a nod and a grin. "I definitely won't waste it."

Over the next few days, I'd come home from school and stand in front of the living room's floor-to-ceiling windows. I'd treat the glass as my stage, the Averton City streetscape beyond as my audience, and run through my speech over and over for Christopher.

Christopher had plenty of stage experience. He stood beside me, offering guidance bit by bit, helping me adjust my delivery.

Gradually, I became more fluent. Speaking in front of an audience didn't seem nearly as daunting as I'd imagined.

But when the actual day of the lecture arrived, I couldn't help feeling nervous.

The turnout was far bigger than I'd expected. Not only were all the school's students and staff present, but local reporters and news outlets had shown up too.

In other words, every single word I said today would be broadcast live across all of Averton City.

I stood backstage, peeking through a gap in the curtain at the sea of faces below. My palms began to sweat.

"Nervous?" Emily had somehow snuck up behind me.

"A little."

"That's totally normal." She handed me a bottle of water. "Take a sip—it'll help your throat."

I took a sip, and my mouth instantly burned with a sharp, fiery sensation. That's when I realized this wasn't water at all—it was high-proof vodka.

"Emily!" I huffed indignantly, chasing after her to give her a piece of my mind.

"Ha ha!" Emily laughed as she darted away, dodging my attempts to grab her.

"Why are you mad? I'm helping you build courage! Look at you now—your cheeks are all rosy. You don't even need blush. You look great!"

I wanted to chase her down, but my high heels made running impossible. All I could do was listen to her laughter fade into the distance.

Christopher walked over with a bottle of water, urging me to rinse my mouth out.

"It's fine. A little liquid courage isn't a bad thing—just don't get sloppy on stage."

"Christopher! You're teasing me too!" I raised my fist, pretending to punch him.

He smoothly caught my fist mid-air and brought it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of my hand.

"I'll be right here with you. Don't be afraid."

My cheeks warmed instantly, and I yanked my hand back.

"Okay, okay, there are people watching. Don't be so mushy."

At exactly two o'clock, the host took the stage and delivered a brief opening introduction.

The program moved forward step by step. When the host called my name, my heartbeat suddenly spiked.

I took a deep breath, stepped out from backstage, and walked steadily toward the podium under the spotlight's glow.

The auditorium fell silent. Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto me.

I glanced down at the slightly crumpled speech in my hands, took another deep breath, and began.

"Thank you all for being here. I'm Stephanie Johnson, an alumna of this school and currently serving as the cheerleading coach. I'm standing here today not because I'm anyone special, but because I've personally experienced—and witnessed—the injustice and harm that can happen on campus."

My voice rang out clearly through the auditorium, just like it had during all those rehearsals at home.

Even though back then I'd only been speaking to Christopher, now, facing hundreds of people, my composure remained steady.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Christopher standing quietly at the side of the stage, watching me—just like he had during every practice run.

That steady, reassuring presence instantly dissolved all my nervousness.

I smiled faintly, let go of my speech, and spoke freely—openly sharing my story.

I talked about the rumors I'd faced, the baseless slander, the truth behind the HIV transmission investigation back then, and the campus harm that had been covered up, misunderstood, and brushed aside too easily.

Finally, I said with conviction, "I learned something here. When faced with injustice, silence is the easiest choice—but it's also the choice that lets the harm continue the longest. You don't have to be perfect from the start. You just need to do what you can. Once you take that first brave step, you'll realize—you were never alone."

The room went silent for a beat. Then applause erupted like thunder.

Camera flashes flickered relentlessly. I lifted my head, looked straight into the lenses without hesitation, and smiled confidently.

This was me. I might not be perfect, but on every stage that was mine, I gave it everything I had.

I walked offstage, passing through the side corridor, instinctively looking for Christopher—but he wasn't where he'd been standing before.

I quickly grabbed Emily's arm. "Where's Christopher?"

"I don't know." Emily shook her head. "That's weird. He said he'd wait right here for you."

Rufus hurried over just then. "I saw him leave earlier. Looked like someone called him away."

I frowned slightly, gathered up the hem of my dress, and hurried toward the exit.

But the moment I stepped outside the auditorium doors, the scene before me stopped me cold.