Chapter 9 — The Truth in the Schoolbag

The public statement delivered by Ryan during the flag-raising ceremony diverged severely from the truth. Vivian had drafted the relevant speech in advance, utilized the school forum to question the consequences for direct-admission students facing disciplinary action, used the student council printing room to print out the materials, and pushed for the disciplinary action to be executed right on the spot. The school rescinded its preliminary disciplinary decision against me and issued a public apology. At the same time, all of Ryan's scholarship and award application files were suspended, Vivian's preliminary direct-admission eligibility was put on hold, and the school coordinated with the police for an investigation. Most importantly, the final sentence read:

"Student Summer's direct-admission nomination dossier for the top universities shall be submitted as usual and will not be affected by this incident."

I stared at that sentence for a long time. The justice that I had begged for to no avail in my past life had finally appeared in black and white. Yet, it was still not enough. I opened the parents' group chat. Sure enough, people in the group had already started apologizing.

"Summer's mother, we had a misunderstanding earlier, I am so sorry."

"It was all just rumors spread among the children, we didn't know the full story."

"Fortunately, your child is smart."

My mother did not reply. I breathed a sigh of relief on her behalf. In another group chat, people began unearthing the past actions of the two siblings from the Hsu family. Someone mentioned that Ryan usually loved playing the pitiful card and never paid back the money he borrowed from classmates. Another person stated that Vivian's competition slot had also been shrouded in controversy; she had previously accused a teammate of cheating, which forced that teammate to withdraw from the competition. Still others dug up Ryan's old posts. After posting that a charity fund had completed its fundraising goals, he still claimed in class the very next day that "my mother is still short of the final installment." Countless people had transferred money to him beneath that post, sums ranging from tens to hundreds. Now, people were beginning to tally it all up.

"Does this count as donation fraud?"

"No wonder he always said he couldn't hold on much longer. He's been holding on for three full years and is still short of the final installment."

The next morning, the moment I stepped into the classroom, the bustling room instantly fell silent. I walked over to my seat. Several small notes lay on my desk.

"I'm sorry, I misunderstood you yesterday."

"Summer, stay strong."

"You did brilliantly."

I put the notes away without glancing at them a second time. Kindness that arrives late is weightless. When the head of the grade walked into the classroom, her expression was utterly exhausted. She stood on the podium and remained silent for a long time.

"Regarding yesterday's events, the teachers also bear responsibility."

The entire class looked up at her. She gazed at me, her voice slightly hoarse.

"Summer, I am sorry. Before verifying the facts, I said things I should not have said."

Everyone's eyes converged on me once again. Had it been in the past, I probably would have immediately said it did not matter. After all, the teacher had already apologized. My classmates were all watching. Refusing to forgive would make me look petty. But now, I only said calmly, "I accept your apology, but I will still continue to report this matter to the school administration." The grade head's expression stiffened. Someone in the classroom drew in a sharp breath. I sat down and opened my book. Within my heart, there was no joy of revenge, only a lucidity that had arrived too late. An apology is not a certificate of amnesty. A single sentence of regret cannot automatically erase the damage done. After the third period, Head Teacher Zhao came to look for me. He told me the university admissions committee had received the school's supplementary explanatory document, and the other side had responded very quickly.

"We thank the school for its prompt verification; student Summer's nomination eligibility remains valid."

I nodded. "Thank you, Teacher Zhao." Head Teacher Zhao looked at me and sighed.

"You handled this very maturely this time."

I replied, "It was forced upon me." He fell silent for a moment. "The school will give you a satisfactory answer." I looked out the window. Ryan's seat was empty. Vivian had not come to class either. Rumor had it that the two siblings had been picked up by their parents. Some said Ryan had cried until he passed out at home, while others claimed Vivian had locked herself in her room, refusing to eat or drink. I felt nothing. Their collapse stemmed from the failure of their scheme, not from the realization that they had once harmed me. Such tears were not worthy of pity.

On the third day, Ryan's father came to the school. He wore a jacket washed until the color had faded and possessed a shock of messy hair, standing outside the administration building waiting for me. As I walked down the stairs, he lunged forward instantly. The security guards immediately blocked him. Standing behind the guard, he screamed at the top of his lungs, "Summer, I am begging you, please let Ryan and Vivian go!" Surrounding students quickly halted their steps, and once again, people pulled out their phones. I looked at him, my heart ice-cold. In my past life, my father had also come to the school just like this. He had wanted to beg the principal to investigate the matter thoroughly, only to be blocked outside the door by the security guards. A parent standing nearby had pulled out a phone to film him, saying, "The thief's parent has come to cause trouble." Now, the positions had been completely reversed.