âDo you seriously think your lies are bulletproof? More than a few classmates have told me theyâve spotted you around campus, and they even sent me photos. Wanna see?â
Victoria pulled out her phone, and Maraâs face fell instantly, only to be replaced by a dazzling smile the next second.
âVictoria, stop pulling my leg. I spent the whole afternoon in the library, buried in books. I even checked out a classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale collection Iâve wanted for ages. If you still donât believe me, feel free to ask the librarian.â
With such composure, anyone would have thought sheâd really spent her entire afternoon at the library.
Victoria couldnât help but feel a chill run down her spine at the sight of her sisterâs cunning.
âDo you think Iâm bluffing like you? If I say Iâve got proof, then itâs legit. I bet you wanted to tag along to my school today because of Balfour, right? I was at rehearsal and missed the drama you caused. But you made such a scene, and itâs all over our school forum now. Everyoneâs pointing fingers, and youâre feeling the heat, arenât you? Thatâs why youâve found a hole to hide in. What I donât get is why drag me into your mess? Iâm your sister. Why would you bad-mouth me to Dad?â
Victoriaâs words turned Maraâs complexion even more sour. âWhat are you talking about? What forum?
I donât know anything about that.
âItâs an internal student forum, of course you wouldnât know. But letâs not change the subject, Mara.
Why did you lie to dad? You werenât at the library at all, and you had me searching the entire campus for you!â
Mara looked like she was about to explode, desperate to see what was posted about her on that forum.
Were her embarrassing moments caught on camera and spread online?
âDoes it even matter? You left me behind anyway,â Mara snapped, moving closer, trying to snatch the phone from Victoriaâs hands.
âLet me see what theyâre saying about me! I didnât do anything wrong, so why would someone post about me online?â
âFine, now youâre admitting it. It seems, in your heart, Iâm not even as important as that stranger, Balfour.â
Victoria looked genuinely hurt, but Mara couldnât care less. In her mind, she couldnât even begin to compare herself to Balfour.
âI said-hand over the phone.â
Mara reached out, her hand trembling with urgency, but Victoria slipped the phone into her pocket.
âWhat if I donât give it to you? Consider it your punishment. You have to face the consequences of the lies you spread today. Sure, youâre my sister, but you need to understand-you have to bear the weight of your own mistakes.â
Victoria couldnât shake off the feeling that Mara was hiding something, perhaps even orchestrating the whole scenario. Why hadnât she even apologized? Now she was acting all high and mighty, demanding to see the forum posts.
The more anxious Mara was to see that post, the less Victoria wanted to let her anywhere near it. Mara was on the brink and couldnât bear the thought of being humiliated before she even had a chance to confess her feelings.