It was a photo of me in cosplay at a convention.

I was dressed in women's clothing, wearing a long pink wig and a cute, ornate dress.

"Would a man dress like this? So how are you planning to explain it this time?"

Everyone's eyes instantly stabbed toward me.

My scalp prickled with panic.

"I'm an anime nerd. I like cosplay. Wearing women's outfits is normal in that circle. What does that prove?"

Evidence kept piling up, one piece after another.

Shirley, whom I'd only met once, had clearly come prepared.

She was setting me up.

But why?

Shirley scoffed.

"Cosplay? Yeah, right! With this many coincidences, who do you think people will believe? That you're a man, or that she's a woman?"

Before the crowd could even question me further, a group of reporters and influencers suddenly pushed their way in.

They carried cameras and held phones high, shoving forward as their lenses locked onto me.

"Your schoolmate is accusing you of abandoning a newborn and trying to dodge responsibility by confusing your gender. What do you have to say about that?"

"Who's the child's father? A sugar daddy, or your schoolmate's boyfriend? Did you really steal her man?"

"Your private life is a mess, and you abandoned a baby. Is that how a student is supposed to act? We need to call your parents. I fully support expelling you. Go home and take care of your kid instead of playing the social climber!"

The situation quickly spiraled out of control.

More and more filthy accusations flew at me like blades.

I had done absolutely nothing wrong, yet in an instant, I became everyone's target.

Theo tried to help me, but the crowd hunting me down shoved him straight out.

At that moment, Shirley, who had been relentlessly aggressive, suddenly softened her tone.

"Everyone, please go easy on her. No matter what happened, she's still a student. Her abandoned baby was found, and everything about her private life is out there now. Of course, she's scared and losing it. If she's willing to admit her mistakes, take responsibility as a mother, and raise the child properly, I hope everyone can give her a little grace."

As soon as she finished, praise erupted all around.

"See? That's what real class looks like. Even after the other woman had her boyfriend's baby, she still showed kindness. She's amazing!"

"Everyone, take a good look at this woman. Don't ever marry someone like her. You'll regret it for the rest of your life."

"Hey, Shirley's handing you a second chance. Why aren't you thanking her?"

Thank her?

If she hadn't been making things up on the fly, how would I have suddenly ended up with a baby and the reputation of some promiscuous homewrecker?

The accusation hit me like filth poured over my head.

But when enough people repeat a lie, it starts to sound like the truth.

Everyone believed only what they wanted to believe.

At this point, words were useless. I needed proof.

I turned to the police officer.

"Officer, I didn't abandon a baby. Please look at the evidence."

I took out my phone and pulled up my hospital records and payment receipts.

They showed that yesterday afternoon, I had undergone hemorrhoid removal surgery at a local medical center.

"I can barely move today. The blood on my pants is from my stitches splitting after the surgery. I didn't give birth. I couldn't have given birth."

Before the officer could say anything, Shirley let out a scornful laugh.

"Fake evidence, right? How much did you pay someone online for that? I could whip up a hundred records like this in a single day."

I swallowed my anger and met her gaze head-on.

"You say my evidence is fake. Then what proof do you have that this baby is mine?"

"From the very beginning, this has all been your version of events," I said. "If I accused you of being the baby's biological mother, or pointed at some random woman and said she was the mother, wouldn't that make everyone a suspect? If you've got the nerve, then let's do a DNA test."

Theo immediately spoke up in my defense.

"That's right! Do the DNA test! One test will clear everything up."

Shirley's face drained of color. She bit down hard on her lip.

"It's already obvious," she said stiffly. "What's the point of a DNA test?"

I held the baby in my arms. He was fast asleep, his fingers tucked into his mouth. I looked at her coldly.

"Shirley, you've been pushing me nonstop, desperate for me to admit I'm the baby's mother. Now that I'm asking for a scientific test, why are you suddenly so nervous?"

The crowd turned to her, confused.

Shirley's expression shifted instantly.

"Fine. Let's go," she said sharply. "You're the baby's biological mother. There's no doubt about it. I just hope that when the results come out, you'll finally act like a real mother and stop abandoning your own child. That's a crime."

The crowd followed us to a forensic testing center near campus.

While samples were being collected, influencers livestreamed the entire process, filling the air with exaggerated commentary.

They condemned me nonstop, calling me a heartless homewrecker and an unfit mother.

Some people were already looking up how many years I could get in prison.

After all, abandoning a baby was a serious crime. Public disgrace was inevitable. My education would be over, and my future would be completely destroyed.

I was so wronged that I couldn't even speak.

All I could do was wait for the DNA results.

I believed the truth would come out.

After hours of torture, a staff member finally announced flatly, "According to our analysis, the tested infant and Taylor Stevens have a confirmed biological mother and child relationship."

What?

Mother and child?

It felt like a lightning strike straight to my head. My mind went completely blank.

"The evidence is solid. This is conclusive proof! What else do you have to say for yourself?"

Shirley was the first to react, jumping to her feet, her voice trembling with excitement.

"Officer, you all heard that, didn't you? She's the baby's biological mother!"

The crowd erupted instantly. Insults and accusations flew at me, mixed with looks of pure disgust.

"You're disgusting! If you didn't want a child, you shouldn't have given birth!"

"Expel her! The school has to expel someone this immoral!"

"Throw her in jail! Make an example of her!"

The police officer looked at me sternly, his tone heavy.

"The facts are now clear. You must take responsibility for abandoning your baby and accept legal consequences. If you acknowledge your mistake and actively take responsibility for raising the child, a judge may go easy on you."

Theo snatched the report out of their hands, flipping through it in disbelief before shouting at the crowd.

"This report is fake! Taylor just has long hair. He didn't change his gender! How could he possibly be in a mother and child relationship with a baby? The testing center is wrong. You can't trust this!"

The moment he finished speaking, the crowd turned on him.

"This guy's been defending that social climber the whole time. He's obviously involved."

"Expose him! Dox him! Don't let him get away!"

Theo was on the verge of losing control. I grabbed his arm and shook my head.

By now, it was obvious.

I had been turned into someone else's scapegoat.

As for who benefited from all of this…

I looked at Shirley, who was practically glowing with smug satisfaction.

After that, I lowered my head and accepted my fate.

"The DNA test says I'm the baby's biological mother," I said quietly. "I'll take responsibility."

The crowd exploded.

"She finally admitted she abandoned the baby. See? You have to shove the evidence in her face before she'll shut up."

A victorious smile spread across Shirley's face as she nodded again and again.

"Taylor, I'm glad you chose to be a proper mother."

I ignored her. Holding the baby, I turned toward the police and the reporters.

"Officer. Members of the press. Before you arrest me, I want to register my newborn son's birth."

Theo grabbed at his hair, panic written all over his face.

"Have you lost your mind? You can't just claim someone as your son! Just take your pants off and prove that you're a dude! Showing your manhood would still be better than going to jail!"

Show my manhood? Was I supposed to throw away the rest of my life like that?

I patted the back of his hand, my gaze steady. "The DNA test is done. The child is biologically mine. Putting him under my name is only right."

Surrounded by livestream cameras from every angle, we headed to the Vital Records Office to register the birth.

I even had my butler send over my necessary documents.

Whispers followed us everywhere.

"She actually lives in Westbrook Heights… That's a villa district. Only wealthy families live there!"

"If she lives there, why would she still chase rich men?"

"Who in the world ever thinks they have enough money? And rich or not, a woman who abandons her baby deserves hell."

Shirley stayed close behind me, like she was afraid I might run.

The entire way, she fed the influencers her version of the story: how I stole her boyfriend, secretly gave birth, then dumped the baby.

If she hadn't discovered it in time, she said, I would have walked away without consequences.

I knew exactly what she was doing. She was using public pressure to force me to fully accept the child, cutting off every possible way out.

I let out a cold laugh and stayed silent.

After filling out the Parentage Registration Form, I handed it to the clerk along with the DNA report.

"Ma'am, this is the child I gave birth to today. Please file him under my parentage. I'm in a hurry to go to jail."

The clerk froze. She looked at me, then at the documents, her brows slowly knitting together.

"Who gave birth to this child?" she asked.

Without changing my expression, I tapped the DNA report with my finger.

"The report says I am the child's mother. I gave birth to him."

"It's already proven! Why are you dragging this out?" Shirley cut in impatiently. "She's the mother who abandoned the baby. It took a lot to make her take responsibility. Just file the parentage already!"

The clerk's expression hardened instantly.

"This is absurd! Do you think this office is a playground? I can't process this registration. Please leave."

Shirley's face went blank as panic crept in.

"What's wrong with a mother registering her own child? The DNA test is right there! Why won't you do it? She's about to go to jail. Who's going to take care of the baby, then? If you refuse, I'll file a complaint."

The clerk suddenly laughed, disbelief clear in her voice, and pointed at my file on the computer.

"Ma'am, Mr. Taylor Stevens's records are very clear. His ID and personal data all state that he is male. If the claimant's legal sex makes childbirth impossible, this filing cannot proceed."