I never thought I’d end up in a police station, used of sexual harassment.


    The person I bumped into was a teenager, only 17, still a minor. He insisted I had bad intentions, and even when I denied it. he stubbornly imed that I touched him.


    “Where did she touch you?” the officer asked, clearly trying to get all the details.


    The boy, Jed Perkins, pointed to his chest, then down to his waist. “Here, and here… she touched me here.”


    I thought, “What a load of crap!’ I almost yelled out. ‘I haven’t even touched a guy as handsome as Alvin, so why would I touch this kid, who hasn’t even hit puberty yet?’


    The officer turned to me, but before he could speak, I quickly denied it. “I didn’t touch him. I just bumped into him by ident.”


    “Had you been drinking?” The officer’s gaze was sharp, full of meaning.


    In this society, it was fine for men to get drunk and make mistakes, but if a woman had even a little too much to drink, people thought she was being improper.


    I nodded. “Yes, I had a drink.”


    “How much?” the officer asked, though I wasn’t sure what that had to do with anything.


    Still, I answered honestly. “One bottle of beer.”


    The officer gave me a doubtful look, so I thought about asking my friend Jasmine to back me up.


    But of course, the timing was terrible-while I was struggling with this little brat, Jasmine had texted me to say she was being called back to the hospital for an emergency.


    I understood what the officer was implying, so I quickly added, “I wasn’t drunk, and I didn’t take advantage of him or anything like that.”


    The officer jotted down my statement, then turned back to Jed. “Are you sure she touched you? Lying or making false usations could have serious consequences.”


    “I’m sure!” Jed was relentless, and I was about to lose it and beat him senseless.


    But before I could act on that impulse, his eyes suddenly lit up. “Thea, you’re here?”


    Since he was a minor, his family had to be called. I turned to exin, but before I could even speak, I froze when I saw who had arrived.


    It was a man and a woman. The woman had long, straight ck hair and wore a white dress that looked like it belonged in a dream-pure and wless, almost like something out of a fairytale.


    Her name was Thea Mills, and I knew her. But what shocked me even more was the man standing next to her-none other than Alvin.


    “Jed, what’s going on?” Thea asked Jed, looking really worried.


    Jed didn’t answer her, but instead, he pouted and looked at Alvin. “Thea, is this your new husband?”


    Alvin’s face stiffened, and his gaze went from surprise to cold as he looked at me. “Zoe, what’s going on?”


    “Alvin, do you know this woman? Let me tell you, she’s a thug! She touched me here, and here…” Jed was still bbering on, acting out the whole thing for dramatic effect.


    By now, I couldn’t even bring myself to exin. I just stared at Alvin. We had only been apart for a few hours, and now he was someone else’s husband.


    And the reason he rushed off earlier? The answer was right in front of me.


    Thea turned to me with a gentle smile. “Zoe, I’m Thea, Jed’s older sister.”


    I was a little surprised that she knew me. But then again, I was like an essory to Alvin-everyone who knew him probably


    knew me, too.


    Still, I had never interacted with Thea directly. I only knew of her because, not long ago, her husband, Benjamin Mills, had passed away in a car ident, and Alvin, who was a close friend of Benjamin’s, had been helping her family for days without


    rest.


    I swallowed the bitterness in my throat. “I just identally bumped into your brother, fell on top of him. I didn’t do any of the things he’s iming.”


    Thea smiled apologetically. “I know. He’s always getting into trouble.”


    With that, she walked over and pped Jed twice on the head, then exined the situation to the officer. The officer checked the security footage and confirmed I was telling the truth.


    “You two seem to know each other, so why don’t you try to work this out?” the officer suggested. “Otherwise, this kid might face consequences for making false usations.”


    Thea subtly tugged on Alvin’s arm. It was a small gesture, but it felt strangely intimate.


    Alvin, who usually had an unapproachable air and didn’t let anyone close, didn’t seem ufortable with her touch. Clearly, this wasn’t the first time.