Chapter 3

Veronica was stunned by my reaction.

She stared blankly at me, unable to speak.

I ignored her and turned to the university leadership.

I bowed deeply.

“I apologize, Principal, professors.”

“I apologize for disrupting the Freshman Welcome Ceremony due to my personal matters.”

My tone was calm.

The Principal’s expression softened slightly.

“Student, you…”

I cut him off.

“Regarding what my mother just said, I’d like to clarify a few things.”

I turned, facing all the faculty and students.

“First, I am not pregnant, nor have I had any surgery.”

“Second, my private life is perfectly clean.”

After speaking, I looked at Veronica.

“Mom, you wanted to use this method to make the university believe I have an unsuitable character, thereby revoking my eligibility.”

“And then, have my equally excellent and healthy cousin, Tiffany, take my place.”

“Is that right?”

The moment my words fell, Tiffany’s face drained of all color.

Brenda also panicked, hastily waving her hands.

“What are you babbling about, child! We didn’t!”

Veronica’s face was a mask of fury.

She hadn’t expected me to expose her in front of everyone.

She trembled with rage, pointing at me.

“You… you ungrateful wretch!”

“I worked so hard to raise you, and this is how you slander me?”

She started crying again, her acting utterly convincing.

“How could I have given birth to such a monster!”

“Every word I said is true! Do you dare go to the hospital for a check-up!”

She was cornering me.

Forcing me to prove my innocence against the filth she’d slung at me.

In my previous life, that’s exactly how she pushed me to the brink of suicide.

The university, to quell public opinion, advised me to withdraw.

And she, only when I was driven to despair, offered a reluctant apology.

“I only had good intentions. How was I to know they’d actually believe it?”

I raised the microphone and spoke to everyone in the audience.

“I can go to the hospital for a check-up to prove my innocence.”

“However, before that, I’d like to ask everyone to watch a video.”

Saying this, I took out my phone and connected it to the auditorium’s big screen.

The screen showed Veronica, Brenda, and Tiffany, sitting on a sofa.

“…It’s settled then! Tomorrow, Brenda, Tiffany and I will go to the university together!”

“Once I say that, her spot will definitely be gone, hmph.”

The auditorium fell into a deathly silence once more.

Everyone watched the screen in astonishment.

Veronica looked as if she’d been struck by lightning, frozen stiff.

She pointed at me, utterly speechless.

“You… you…”

Tiffany had already crumpled to the floor, terrified.

Brenda shrieked directly.

“You recorded us! You actually secretly recorded us!”

I turned off the video and put away my phone.

“I just have a habit of documenting things.”

I looked at Veronica.

“Mom, now, do you still want me to go to the hospital for a check-up?”

“Or, perhaps we should call the police first and let them determine whether such public defamation and false accusations constitute slander?”

Veronica’s body almost swayed.

All her pretense had been publicly torn to shreds by me.

Whispers erupted from the audience.

“Oh my god, is that her real mom?”

“To get her niece the spot, she’d ruin her own daughter?”

“That cousin isn’t any good either, too cunning.”

I looked at Veronica’s face, feeling not a trace of satisfaction.

Just then, several university security guards rushed onto the stage.

“Madam, please leave immediately!”

Veronica, being escorted out by the security guards, was still shouting at me.

“I’m your mother! You can’t do this to me!”

“You’ll regret this! You’ll definitely regret this!”

Brenda and Tiffany were also led away from the scene.

The farce finally concluded.

I held my speech manuscript and walked off the stage.

The moment I stepped out of the auditorium, someone blocked my path.