These two were the very siblings the principal had urgently called him about, insisting he dig out the truth behind their plight.
“Let's not loiter at the doorway. Step into the office and explain everything clearly,” Marcus said.
Vanessa, who had been silent until now, frowned slightly but then curled her lips into a polite, almost saccharine smile. “Hello, Mr. Harrington. I'm Constance's aunt."
Marcus acknowledged her with a curt nod.
Vanessa pressed on, her voice tinged with righteous indignation, “Mr. Simmons has already conducted a thorough investigation, so there's no need to overanalyze the situation. It's crystal clear—Dilan stormed onto the campus and attacked my niece, Constance. Look at her! She was slapped while trying to defend herself, her clothes torn in the scuffle. Several students saw it all happen.”
It was lunchtime, and the drama unfolding had drawn a curious crowd.
The hallway outside the office buzzed with whispers as students jostled to catch a glimpse of the heated exchange.
Spurred by Vanessa's words, five students stepped forward to corroborate her story.
One of them, a girl, said, “We all saw it. The moment Dilan got here, he dragged Constance into the boys’ restroom. When we followed them, he had her pinned to the floor, tearing at her clothes."
Vanessa's lips curved into a triumphant smirk as she turned to Marcus.
“Did you hear that, Mr. Harrington?"
Marcus frowned slightly, his gaze shifting to the siblings.
Rainie’s eyes burned with indignation.
She hissed, "You're all in this together! You bullied me first, under Constance's orders. My brother only came to demand an apology from her! But instead, you refused, insulted him, and started this whole mess"
Marcus's expression sharpened, his curiosity piqued. "Is that true? They bullied you first?”
Rainie nodded fervently, sensing the rare opportunity to tell her side.
Fueled by raw emotion, her words tumbled out in a rush. “Mr. Harrington, these students have made bullying their pastime. They target anyone they don’t like, and so many of us have suffered because of them."
She paused before continuing, "Today, I wore a new sweater under my school jacket. It was hot in the cafeteria, so I took off the jacket. That's when Constance accused me of stealing the sweater from a store. She demanded I admit to it, and when I refused, she threatened to strip me of my clothes.”
She pushed on, “When I didn't do as they wished, they cornered me outside the cafeteria, dragged me away, and humiliated me by taking nude photos after undressing me. A lot of students saw what happened!"
Today, Rainie had slipped into a cozy knitted sweater-a heartfelt gift from Rosalynn. She beamed with delight as the soft fabric hugged her, but the moment was short-lived. Constance accused her of theft. Before Rainie could defend herself, Constance yanked the sweater away and had it tossed aside like trash.
These people were downright despicable!
Rainie thought bitterly as ears glistened in her eyes.
“Rainie, stop making baseless accusations! You keep claiming there are witnesses-well, where are they? Bring them here if they exist!"
Constance barked.
The hallway fell into a suffocating silence. Several in the crowd had seen the entire incident unfold, yet not a single soul spoke up.
Their silence screamed of fear-fear of crossing Constance.
Together, Constance and her friends were a fortress of arrogance and power.
Their families wielded varying degrees of influence, enough to keep most students on their toes.
Despite their lackluster academic performance, they excelled at one thing-bullying.
Even Rainie's closest friends stood rooted to the spot. They didn't dare confront Constance. The risk of retribution hung over them like a guillotine.
The tension was palpable.
Rainie met Constance's daring gaze, biting her lip as she glanced around.
Among the students were not only witnesses but also others who had felt the sting of Constance’s cruelty.
Yet, when Rainie’s pleading eyes met theirs, they averted their gaze, staring at the floor.
No one dared to stand by her side.