A Reputation in Ruins

A Reputation in Ruins
Trisha took Isabella to the school's library, and fortunately for them, not many students were there. Although those that were there looked at Isabella with disdain in their eyes, they didn't say anything to her, as that was the library, and no one dared to make any noise there. They immediately found a chair and sat down. 

Isabella was still dumbfounded and couldn't say anything. She was just crying. Trisha felt pity for her because she knew the gravity of what had just been posted on the school blog. She knew that staying in school would become a living hell for Isabella as people would taunt her. Trisha also started crying because she felt Isabella's pain while Rachel just immediately took a tissue from her bag and gave both of them to wipe their tears. 

“This is Lily getting her revenge right now,” Isabella said to both of them as Trisha looked at her. That was the first time she talked after seeing the picture. 

“I know this is all Lily's doing. I know she can't stand seeing me and James together right now, but I promise you I'll make her pay for doing this. I'm not too angry at her for tarnishing my image, but posting this on the school blog definitely means that even the professors and counselors would have seen it. James's job is on the line. Who does she really think she is? I thought she said she loves James, and now she dares to post this? This is just pushing James's career into the mud,” she said as Trisha just looked at her, dumbfounded. 

She couldn't believe that even right now, with her reputation at stake, Isabella was still thinking about James. She wondered why Isabella loved James this much. Meanwhile, a professor inside the school had immediately taken the picture to the counselor. 

“Now, there is evidence that Isabella is actually sleeping with a lecturer, and who could this lecturer be?” The funniest part was that James's face was covered in this video, which the lecturer had seen. 

Every lecturer in the school didn't see the picture where James's face was exposed. Only the students saw that picture, and now the picture the lecturers and counselors were seeing was different from the one on the school blog. The one that the lecturer actually had seen and shown to the counselor was of James's face being covered while Isabella's face was exposed. 

They wondered why a student would be doing this and stoop so low as to sleep with a lecturer. The counselor looked at it and was very frustrated. “Which lecturer could possibly be out there? A lecturer that is supposed to give his students a future is sleeping with his students?” he shouted out loud. “Investigate this picture right now! I want to know who that lecturer is. Bring him to me. He has to answer to me!”

Isabella felt a surge of urgency as she turned to Trisha. "I need to find James right now. I wonder what kind of condition he is in. I hope the lecturers and the counselor haven't seen that picture yet; otherwise, it could ruin his career for good," she said, with determination in her voice. Without waiting for Trisha's response, she stood up and started to leave, her heart racing.

"Isabella, wait! James isn’t in school today!" Trisha called out, her voice cutting through the air.

Isabella froze, turning back to Trisha. "What do you mean James isn't in school? I hope everything is okay! Why isn’t he there?" Panic rose in her chest as she exchanged worried glances with Rachel. 

Without waiting for a reply, she rushed out of the school building and headed home. When her mom saw her walking in, she asked, "What happened? Why did you come home early from school? Hope everything is fine?"

"Are you okay?" Isabella didn't even reply. She walked straight up to her room, fell onto her bed, and began to cry. 

“Now I’ve ruined James’s career just because of what I did with him,” she thought, tears streaming down her face. “Everything in my life is going to be over. People at school are looking at me differently now. I wonder why Lily would do this. Why does she hate me so much? It’s not my fault that James chose me over her.” 

Isabella buried her face in her pillow, crying uncontrollably. She didn't want to show her emotions in front of Trisha; she didn't want anyone to think she was weak. "I wonder if this is why James didn't come to school. Now I’m ruining his career along with my own reputation. What have I done? I can’t even face my mom right now. What would I tell her? She only sent me to school to study. Oh, how would she feel if she learned that I'm in a secret relationship with my lecturer?" 

As she continued to cry, her mom’s persistent knocking on the door finally stopped. “I hope you’re fine, Isabella. Just come downstairs, and we can talk when you come down,” her mom said before walking away. 

After a while, Isabella took a shower, hoping it would wash away her tears and sadness. She needed to clear her mind. "I just hope James doesn’t hate me for this. I hope he doesn’t blame me for ruining his reputation," she thought. There was only one way to find out what James was thinking: she had to get to his place. 

Wiping her tears, Isabella dressed quickly and went downstairs, where she sat at the table next to her mom. “I’m sorry for ignoring you before, but everything is fine now. I… I can’t really explain in detail what’s happening, but sooner or later, I’ll be able to tell you,” she said, trying to sound reassuring.

Her mom looked at her, nodding. “I know you, Isabella, more than anyone else. Just take your time,” she said gently.

“Thanks, Mom, for always understanding me,” Isabella replied, grateful for her mother’s support. She left the house and made her way to James’s place.