“What do you mean by ‘more exciting’?” Max asked, but before I could answer, a surge of students rushed past our cafeteria table, many abandoning half-eaten lunches.

“They called Ashley to the principal’s office!” a girl squealed as she hurried by. “Her mom just stormed in looking like she’s ready to kill someone!”

Max’s eyebrows shot up. “What’s happening?”

I took a sip of water, watching the cafeteria empty as curiosity pulled students toward the administrative wing. “Justice, I suppose.”

The lunch period transformed into an impromptu stakeout as students gathered in the hallway outside the principal’s office. Through the glass panel, I could see Ashley and her mother sitting rigidly in chairs, both wearing matching expressions of barely contained fury. Principal Harrison’s hands moved in placating gestures, but Mrs. Williams kept shaking her head sharply.

I kept my distance, leaning against a locker with casual indifference while chaos swirled around me. Teachers tried vainly to herd students back to classrooms, but the excitement was too contagious.

“Did you see the video?” asked the quiet redhead who normally sat behind me in history. “Someone recorded Ashley hiring those guys to attack a student. It’s everywhere.”

“Five hundred dollars to beat someone up… what a psycho,” a boy nearby muttered.

I slipped into my next class just as the bell rang. The teacher tried valiantly to capture our attention, but it was a lost cause. Every few minutes, another phone would buzz, and another student would sneak a glance under their desk.

“They called an emergency staff meeting for next period,” whispered the girl next to me. “My mom’s a secretary in the admin office. She says Williams’ dad is threatening to sue the school.”

I raised an eyebrow. “For what? Letting his daughter get caught on video hiring thugs?”

She snickered, then quickly covered her mouth when our teacher glanced our way.

By the time the teachers returned from their emergency meeting, #AshleyExposed was trending across every social platform at Cloud City High. The hallways buzzed with speculation about who had been Ashley’s intended target.

Ashley didn’t return to school that afternoon. According to whispers, her father had pulled up in a sleek black Mercedes and practically dragged her from the principal’s office.

I didn’t need secondhand accounts. That evening, Emily practically skipped into the house, her face flushed with excitement.

“You’ll never believe what I saw!” she crowed, not even bothering with her usual snide greeting. “I was at Samantha’s house—they live near the Williams place. Their whole house was lit up, and you could hear Mr. Williams screaming from the driveway!”

Linda looked up from her phone, suddenly interested. “Robert Williams? The one running for city council?”

Emily nodded eagerly. “Samantha said he slapped Ashley right in the driveway when they got home. He was yelling about how she was ruining his campaign.”

“What did Ashley do?” Linda asked, leaning forward.

“She hired some guys to beat up a girl from school, and someone recorded it,” Emily explained, eyes gleaming with malicious delight. “The video’s everywhere.”

I continued eating my dinner, hiding a smile behind my water glass. For once, Emily was too engrossed in spreading gossip to bother insulting me.

Two days later, Principal Harrison’s voice crackled through the PA system during homeroom.

“Attention students and staff. Regarding the video circulating about Ashley Williams—after a thorough investigation, we have determined this was a misunderstanding. The individuals seen in the footage have been detained by police, and the alleged evidence has been proven falsified. Miss Williams is an exemplary student, and these rumors are extremely unfair to her reputation.”

Murmurs rippled through the classroom. Next to me, a boy snorted. “Yeah, right. My cousin works at the police station. Nobody’s been arrested.”

I leaned back in my chair. Rich people magic at work. Almost impressive how quickly truth goes on clearance when someone flashes a platinum card.

Ashley returned to school two days after the announcement. She tried to project her usual confidence, but the shadows under her eyes told a different story.

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