"Hey, hey—I have something juicy for you," Dawn said one afternoon, her voice low with excitement.
"What is it?" Airah asked, leaning closer.
"You're going to love this," Dawn replied with a mischievous laugh.
She pulled out her phone and showed them several photos—Crisha selling banana cue by the roadside, another washing laundry, and finally, one of her entering a club.
"Oh my gosh," Paulene scoffed. "No wonder the air feels dirty. She really is poor—trying so hard to keep up with us."
"Wait," Camille said, squinting at the screen. "Why is she entering a club? Is she even allowed there?"
Airah gasped softly, then smirked. "Well… who knows? But clearly, she had to risk going there."
"So," Dawn said slowly, eyes gleaming, "what do we do with this?"
Airah's smile widened. "Isn't it obvious?"
"I'll take care of it," Dawn said eagerly. "Which picture should we use?"
"The club one," Airah replied without hesitation. "She's a scholar, right? If people think that's why she'll lose her scholarship, it'll hurt more. Edit it—add a man beside her. Make it look like she's having an affair inside."
"Wow," Camille laughed. "You're really good at this."
"Of course," Airah said smugly.
"That's why we get along so well," Paulene added.
"We could even make a dummy account using her name," Camille suggested. "She doesn't have social media, right?"
"Seriously? What, does she live under a rock?" Paulene scoffed.
"I checked," Camille said. "There's nothing."
Airah frowned thoughtfully. "Let's not. A dummy account could backfire."
"Then we'll just post it on the freedom wall," Dawn suggested. "Everyone will see it anyway."
"Perfect," Airah said with a wink.
Later that day, as Dawn walked home, she spotted Crisha ahead—alone, as usual.
Whatever, Dawn thought. She won't last here anyway.
At home, the atmosphere felt heavy.
"What's wrong?" Dawn asked, sensing the tension.
Her father sighed deeply. "Their family rejected the arranged marriage."
Dawn froze. "W-What? But last year—"
"They changed their minds," her mother said anxiously.
"And our company?" Dawn asked.
"They'll still help," her father replied. "But not fully."
"M-Meaning… we could lose everything?" Dawn cried. "I don't want that!"
Her father's gaze hardened. "How's Cielo at school? Is he keeping his distance?"
Dawn hesitated. "No. He still talks to me normally."
"Then make him yours," her father said coldly. "You're beautiful. He'll give in eventually."
"I'll do it," Dawn said firmly.
That night, she uploaded the edited photo to the freedom wall before lying down to rest.
Time to relax.
By dinner, her phone buzzed nonstop.
Laughing, she scrolled through the comments—mockery, insults, cruel assumptions.
Airah flooded their group chat with laughing emojis.
Perfect, Dawn thought smugly. No one can trace this back to me.
*****
The next day, Crisha noticed it immediately.
Whispers followed her wherever she went. Some laughed openly. Others stared.
She sat at her desk, shrinking under their gazes.
"Jason," she heard someone call.
"I need to talk to her," Jason said firmly, brushing past.
He approached Crisha and handed her a printed page. "You need to see this."
Her hands trembled as she read.
The edited photo. The cruel caption. The lies.
I do go to clubs… but only where I'm allowed. I sing there. I perform, she thought desperately.
Now she understood.
To them, she wasn't a hardworking scholar.
She was something filthy.
"T-That's true," she whispered shakily. "I sell food on weekends. But selling myself? N-No. I never did that."
Kenneth frowned. "The man was clearly edited, but the picture is real. Why were you there?"
Her chest tightened.
"If I explain… will they even believe me?"
"Yes," she whispered. "I went there. But not for what they're accusing me of…"
Her words felt useless.
I'm scared.
The teacher entered, cutting the room into silence—but the stares didn't stop.
At lunch, Crisha slipped away to a quiet corner.
There, she saw Kelly.
They sat together in silence.
Kelly's eyes were filled with something familiar—fear.
"Kelly!" someone called.
Kelly stiffened.
"Go," she whispered urgently, almost pushing Crisha away. "Leave. Now."
Crisha obeyed.
From afar, she heard laughter—Airah and Dawn's voices.
So it really was them…Why? What did I ever do?
Tears blurred her vision as she walked, not watching where she was going—
—and collided with someone.
"P-Pres—sorry," she whispered when she saw Cielo, tears streaming down her face.
She ran.
Inside the restroom, she splashed water on her face, hands shaking.
Endure, she told herself.My parents don't need to know.
She wiped her tears.
I'll keep going. Even if it hurts this much.