<b>Chapter </b>71


    Alicia nodded. “They’re really nice, but why’d you get two of everything?”


    Sienna grinned. “One for each of us, of course. They’re matching sets! You get blue, I get red


    Alicia smiled back. “How much do I owe you? I’ll send it over.”


    “Well, they were new and kinda pricey. The leather–bound journal was <b>$</b><b>5</b>, and the pencil case, which the owner said is multi–purpose, was $8. Since I bought two of each, he gave me a deal and it all came to $25.


    “Okay, I’ll send you the money,” Alicia said.


    Sienna didn’t refuse. She understood that even the closest of friends needed to keep their finances straight to avoid any awkwardness down the line.


    She thought for a moment, then said, “Just send me $10. It’s not like you asked me to buy them, I just went ahead and did it.”


    Aliciaughed. “I love them. I’m sending you $13.”


    Alicia had already pulled out her phone and transferred the money.


    Sienna received the notification and threw her arms around Alicia with augh. “Alicia, you’re the best.”


    Then, she leaned in and whispered in Alicia’s ear, “I got the security footage. And you won’t believe it. It doesn’t just show what happened, it caught Tiffany outside taking pictures.”


    A wave of relief and excitement washed over Alicia. “Thank you so much.”


    “Don’t mention it,” Sienna said with a smile. “At first, the shop owner wouldn’t even let me see the footage. He said he was busy. So I bought a bunch of stuff, and suddenly he was a lot more helpful.”


    Aliciaughed. “So you only bought all this to help me get the footage? I should be the one paying for it.”


    “Hey, I bought it because I liked it. And honestly, there was another reason. You were worried Tiffany would start watching me, right? Well, someone was already keeping an eye on me. If I didn’t walk out with something, it would’ve looked suspicious. This way, she’ll never know I’m the one who got the footage for you,” Sienna exined. “Now, you’ve already paid for half, so let’s just drop it.”


    Alicia was touched by how thoughtful Sienna had be. “Thank you,” she said, her voice full of genuine gratitude.


    Sienna sent the video file to Alicia.


    Once she received it, Alicia got to work.


    She uploaded the original, unedited photos Hank had sent her to the school forum, followed <i>by </i>the unedited security footage.


    19:19 Wed<b>, </b>Oct 1


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    13 in youbare


    After uploading the files, she began to type. [I thought the truth would speak for itself, but I never imagined it woulde to this, with everyone pointing fingers. The most heartbreaking part is that it dragged President Lee into it–a man who has dedicated his entire life to this school and its students. I have to ask the people who spread these lies: does your conscience not hurt you at all?]


    After the sharp rebuke, she listed President Lee’s contributions to the school.


    [In 2015, when the school was undergoing a major reform, unpopr majors like ssical music, oil painting. and ballet were on the chopping block. It was President Lee who fought tooth and nail to save them<b>, </b>allowing so many passionate students to continue their studies. In 2016, there was a serious bullying incident on campus. The bully’s powerful father nearly had President Lee killed in a hit–and–run to cover it up. He was in emergency surgery for a day and a night. His survival brought national attention to the case. He put his own life on the line to make this school safe from bullying so that we can study in peace. In 2022, during a school camping trip, a student went missing for seven days. When even the student’s parents were ready to give up, it was President Lee who insisted on continuing the search, and eventually, the student was found alive.]


    After listing his aplishments, she posed another question: [Tell me, what other teacher, what other school leader, has ever cared for us students so deeply? Everyone is always pushing us to study harder, to fly higher, but President Lee cares about our well–being, both mind and body. He’s the one who fought for our school to have a mental health program.]


    She finished with onest sentence: [Since you all wanted proof, here it is. Open your eyes and take a good, long look. I hope everyone who spread those vicious rumors about President Lee has the decency toe forward and apologize.]


    She posted the text along with the photos and video.


    The post went viral instantly.


    Anyone with eyes could see the photos from the original post had been Photoshopped. Now, with the originals avable, each picture featured a different face and a different scantily–d body. The women had distinct features–a mole on one’s shoulder, a scar on another’s leg–but none of these marks ever appeared on the same person.


    This could only mean they were different people, but Tiffany had Photoshopped Alicia’s face onto all of them.


    It was <b>a </b>sloppy, low–effort frame job, but everyone had believed it. Or maybe they hadn’t, but people have a nasty habit of turning a blind eye to the obvious when it makes for good gossip.


    Now that the original photos were out, all the blind eyes were suddenly cured.


    [Oh my god, they’re all different people! Someone Photoshopped Alicia’s face onto all of them. That’s insane.]


    [Now that I see the originals, the doctored ones look so fake.]


    [Wait, you canpare them? You saved the fake pics? What, do you jerk off to them or something?]


    [Fuck off. I’m a girl, you creep.]


    <b>19:19 </b>Wed, <b>Oct </b>1 <fnbeb9> Updates are released by find?novel</fnbeb9>


    55 vouchers


    For now, people were only focused on the photos, which were the first thing to load. The video came after.


    Of course, Tiffany saw the post too. She stared at the photos Alicia had posted, her brow furrowed. ‘Where did Alicia get these original photos?‘ she wondered. They were practically impossible to find online now. She’d had to buy them at a high price from a friend who ran an adult website.


    The photos were identical to the ones she’d had Nora post.


    Her mind raced, and then it hit her. ‘Hank.‘ She’d sent a set of the originals to Hank, asking him to Photoshop them and post them to the forum. He had imed his sister was sick and he was too busy to help.


    ‘So, he was lying to me? And then he turned around and gave the originals to Alicia?‘


    Her fingers clenched into fists, and she gritted her teeth, a burning hatred for Hank welling up inside her.


    Just as she was plotting her revenge against Hank, she heard someone shout, “Holy crap, there’s security footage! President Lee and Alicia were in the Office of Student Conduct, and the ce was full of people. I knew it! A great president like him would never get involved with a student.”


    “You can talk,” someone shot back. “Where were you when everyone online was calling him a pervert? You didn’t say a word to defend him.”


    “I… I wanted to! But everyone was demanding answers from him and the school. I didn’t dare say anything. I was afraid I’d get jumped on <i>too</i>.”


    <b>19:19 </b>Wed<b>, </b><b>Oct </b><b>1 </b>