"What happened?" Mr. Lane hastily questioned me. "Your classmates said you secretly got into the water without anyone seeing you, so that's why they poured in the chlorine. Is that true?"
I snorted. "They said they didn't see me? How did all of them fail to spot a fully grown adult in the pool? Are they blind?"
Mr. Lane's expression darkened, and so did everyone else's behind him.
Yvonne, who was standing beside Justin, looked hurt and indignant as she spoke up.
"Mr. Lane, Calista… fools around a lot with other guys. That's why none of us dared to enter the water with her. Not only did she take her midterms with a vibrator inside her, but she's been hooking up with multiple guys at the same time."
Justin also chimed in, "That's right, Mr. Lane. The guy next to Calista isn't even from our class. He's probably some new guy she hooked up with."
He looked at Shane with a pitying expression. "Hey, bro. Don't you know you're one of her many lapdogs?"
The rest of my classmates called out in agreement.
"She's disgusting! Someone like her should be expelled!"
"She's a disgrace to the university!"
Shane looked at me, completely baffled. "You've got a bunch of lapdogs?"
Scoffing in derision, Justin added, "Not only that, but she also has some old man in his 50s as her sugar daddy!"
Mr. Lane, who'd been crouching beside me with concern, stood up in disgust the moment he heard that. "I'm afraid I've got nothing to teach a female student like you with loose morals and such a sordid private life. I'll be talking to your faculty advisor about this."
Shane had no idea what was going on, but he could tell that the entire class was ganging up to slander me. Infuriated, he leaned in and asked, "Just what the hell is going on?"
Shaking my head, I replied, "I can't explain everything right now. Text my dad and tell him to come to the pool."
My faculty advisor, Mr. Abbott, showed up in less than ten minutes. Yvonne immediately rushed forward and repeated everything she had just told Mr. Lane.
The more Mr. Abbott heard, the deeper his frown became. I could see the disgust in his eyes when he looked at me.
He glanced at Shane before asking me, "Calista, is what your classmates are saying true?"
I immediately denied it. "I never did anything they're accusing me of, Mr. Abbott. Shane is just my friend."
Justin let out a mocking laugh. "Just a friend? Who'd believe that? Why would someone like you from an ordinary family have a male friend who clearly looks like he's rich? You said it yourself, Calista. You said you keep plenty of guys on the hook as your backups."
I marched right up to him and retorted, "And when did I say that? What day was it? Give me the date, the time, and the location."
Justin froze for a moment before quickly recalling that what he had heard were only my thoughts. Just then, his phone buzzed. After he checked it, a smile spread across his face.
"I've got evidence to prove it. Here's a photo of Calista and her sugar daddy!"
He turned his phone around, and the others craned their necks to see the screen, their faces instantly filling with contempt.
"Oh, my God! It really is some old dude!"
"He's old enough to be her dad! Doesn't she have any standards at all?"
"What do you know? He's probably loaded!"
Mr. Abbott wagged his finger at me and snapped, "Now that there's concrete evidence to back up their claims, what do you have to say for yourself?
"Your actions and behavior have severely damaged the university's image and reputation. I'll be submitting a report to the administration to have you expelled!"
Chuckling, I remarked, "He's my dad, Mr. Abbott. What's wrong with my dad picking me up from campus?"
Yvonne chortled. "Now I see why you even stuck a vibrator inside you during your midterms. So you really call him daddy, huh? You sure know how to play."
The guys cackled gleefully, while the other female students looked at me in disgust.
Shane stood protectively in front of me and declared, "I can testify on Calista's behalf that the man in the photo really is her father."
"Whoa! You're incredible, Calista!" Yvonne exclaimed. "I can't believe that even the guys you flirt with are willing to testify on your behalf."
"Stop trying to get out of it, Calista," Mr. Abbott declared coldly. "I'm going to report this to the administration right away. Go pack your things and get the hell off the campus at once!"
Just then, a stern voice rang out from the entrance. "Who are you telling to get the hell off the campus?"