Chapter 168

Merry furrowed her brows in distress. She sidled up to Cordelia, her voice a hushed whisper, “Lia,did they give those photos all away?”

Cordelia’s eyes fell.

Skyler had assured her the photos were dealt with, and something in her gut trusted his word, andthis instinct couldn’t be wrong. She affirmed with conviction, “No way.”

Relieved, Merry nodded, her worry easing.

As the two entered the classroom, they were met with a sea of odd looks from their peers. Theclass president, Daniel, spoke up on everyone’s behalf, “Merry, don’t sweat it. It’s all water underthe bridge now.”

Merry was perplexed. After a moment of confusion, she didn’t say a word, just nodded, and took her seat.

Once seated, Cordelia noticed a group invite link sent by Yates on WhatsApp. She joined and sawthat Yates had posted a morning news update in the group.

Clicking on it, Cordelia learned that Elite Future Academy had been exposed.

The police had handled everything, and all the students had been taken home by their parents.Some parents were tearfully grateful for the truth, while others showed no remorse, eventsuggesting a little corporal punishment was understandable for a child’s misstep.

But the school had been shut down, and its staff arrested.

The police announced that all data on the school’s USB drives had been deleted. Every student,graduate or not, could now live in peace.

The news post ignited a fierce online debate.

Anonymous graduates chimed in.

“I graduated from that hellhole. I still have nightmares about drowning. Nearly flunked my college swim class because of it.”

“Same. A lifelong nightmare.”

“That trash school should’ve been closed ages ago. They’re corporal punishment. The headmasterdeserves to die.”

“As a parent, my heart breaks for what these kids went through. The police better take thisseriously.”

And amidst the various comments, one questioned what everyone was thinking.

“Why didn’t these students speak up if they were being abused? I get one might be too scared, butall of them?”

This comment rose to the top.

Beneath it, an anonymous reply stood out.

“Rumor has it, the school held something over the students‘ heads, so even years after graduating,no one dared to speak.”

“Curious, what kind of leverage?”

“I’m also curious.”

The anonymous poster responded, “Can’t say. It would hurt everyone involved.”

“Now I’m even more intrigued. Spill it.”

“Don’t tell me it’s what I think it is?”

“My God, if it’s true, that’s heartbreaking.”

Amidst the back–and–forth, a bombshell dropped at the top of the feed, “Check this out, the photoshave leaked.”

Cordelia hadn’t expected a live unfolding of events.

The thought of “photos getting out” filled her with dread. She quickly logged onto the website andfound some unspeakable photos. Most showed people with bowed heads and covered arms, andtheir faces obscured by hair. But one photo stood out.

That face was unmistakable was Merry.

Merry stood there, hands covering herself, her figure exposed. Online trolls, ever malicious,commented, “Damn. Pretty face and a hot body.”

Cordelia was stunned, but her first instinct was to download the photo.

Just as she finished, Merry turned around, her face ashen, on the verge of collapse.

The entire class, following the unfolding drama, turned to her. Their decency kept them frommockery, but their pity was almost worse than ridicule. Merry shot up from her seat, wordless. andbolted from the room.

Yates hadn’t expected the live details either, and as soon as the photos hit the web, they reportedthe post. The post was deleted.

But the damage was done, and the brief interval allowed many to save the photos they’d seen.enough.

In the “Flame Union” group chat, Yates messaged, “Is Merry.okay?”

Cordelia replied, “She ran out.”

Yates said, “Everyone, let’s find her.”

As Cordelia messaged, she was already dashing out the door, spotting Merry racing towards anearby academic building. Cordelia chased after her, calling out desperately. “Merry, don’t do 11:24 anything rash.”

Merry was silent, her expression resolved.

At the rooftop, she collapsed, hugging her knees, murmuring, “Lia, you said the police would takecare of it. Why is this happening?”

“Lia, how can I live with this? The whole internet knows. What am I supposed to do? How can! facethe world?”

She spoke without tears, her voice laden with confusion and helplessness.

A young girl like Merry, facing such a crisis, contemplated death.

And with each passing second, the thought grew so intense that she looked towards the edge ofthe rooftop. One jump and all her troubles would be over, no more sorrow.

With that thought, she stood up.

She walked towards the edge. But just then, Cordelia grabbed her arm with a fierce grip.

Merry turned to look at her.

Cordelia’s gaze was firm, “Merry, why should you punish yourself for someone else’s mistake?”

Her voice, usually cool, was now soft and reassuring. “This isn’t your fault, and everyone knows it.”

“You have to believe that most people in this world mean you well. That one photo can’t define yourentire life.”

“Your life is yours to control, not for others to dictate.”

“Little Parrot, you’ve got decades ahead. In a few years, you’ll look different, and as the internetchurns, once we graduate and head to Ontoky City, who’ll recognize you? After graduation, you geta fresh start.”

Merry was swayed by her words, a glimmer of hope lighting her face. “Really?” she asked, lifting herhead with a hint of skepticism.

Cordelia nodded affirmatively, “For real.”

Just then, the gang from the Flame Union arrived, surrounding Merry. Despite her protests, theyushered her down from the rooftop with a firm hand.

The internet was ablaze with rumors and gossip, but Cordelia felt a nagging suspicion thatsomething was amiss.

It ‘t until Merry was whisked away by Latham, with a few sympathetic female teachers in to comfort her, that Cordelia revisited the photo she had subconsciously saved earlier.

She scrutinized it for a moment, narrowing her eyes. The flirty comments Merry had made the nightbefore echoed in her mind, coupled with the fleeting look of terror when Merry had been handed atowel.

Something wasn’t adding up.

Merry was well–endowed, and the girl in the photo… Well, it just wasn’t her.