I took Christian by the hand and turned to go without a backward glance.

When we'd walked a good distance, Christian asked me quietly, "Mom, wasn't that a little harsh? She's a fellow student, after all."

I stopped and looked at this foolish boy of mine, the one who had been driven to jump to his death in my last life.

"Remember this. Never hand out your sympathy carelessly."

He nodded, only half understanding.

"I'll do as you say."

Three in the afternoon.

Christian and I had just settled into a hotel near campus.

His phone rang. It was his advisor, Roland Lambert.

On the other end, Roland's voice was pitched low, edged with an authority that expected no argument.

"Christian, come to the academic affairs office right now."

"And bring a parent."

Christian had it on speaker.

I sat on the sofa, lifted my teacup, and took a sip.

So it had come, just as I knew it would.

Christian asked.

"Advisor Lambert, has something happened?"

"Has something happened? You've got some nerve, asking me that!"

Roland let out a cold laugh.

"Layla is sitting in my office crying right now! She says you tried to force yourself on her this afternoon, in the fire-exit stairwell on the north side of the library!"

Christian shot to his feet, the color draining from his face.

"I was with my mom at the hotel the whole afternoon. I don't even know where the library is!"

"Yelling at me won't do you any good! That girl's clothes are torn, and her neck is covered in scratches!"

Roland's tone was severe.

"The damage this has done is beyond serious! Both of you, get over here now! If this isn't handled properly, you can forget about staying enrolled!"

The line went dead.

Christian stood there with the phone in his hand, his fingers trembling.

"Has she lost her mind? We didn't even carry her luggage for her!"

I set down my teacup, my eyes going cold.

In my last life, she'd used the pretext of the luggage to frame Christian.

This time, I'd cut off that pretext.

And yet she'd still managed to conjure a "library stairwell" out of thin air.

It seemed she was dead set on destroying Christian.

"Don't be afraid."

I stood and picked up my bag.

"Come on. Mom will go take a look with you."

When we pushed open the door to the academic affairs office, the only sound inside was quiet sobbing.

Layla sat on the sofa, the collar of her blouse ripped more than halfway open, one shoulder bare.

Advisor Roland sat behind the desk, his face dark as a storm.

The moment she saw us come in, Layla cried harder.

"Don't come near me... don't come near me..."

She pointed at Christian, shaking all over.

Christian was so furious his eyes had gone red.

"Layla, what nonsense are you spouting? I never went near the library today!"

Roland slammed his palm down on the desk.

"Christian, you dare to threaten the victim?"

I stepped forward and put Christian behind me.

"It's Advisor Lambert, isn't it? Nothing's been investigated yet. Isn't it a little early to be pinning the 'victim' label on someone?"

Roland frowned at me.

"You're Christian's mother?"

"I am."

"And what kind of parenting is this? The state's top science scorer, and so what if his grades are good? His character is rotten!"

Roland jabbed a finger toward Layla.

"That poor girl just came here from the countryside, pure and innocent. Now your son has terrified her into this state. How is she supposed to hold her head up at this school from now on?"

I pulled over a chair and sat down without ceremony.

"Advisor Lambert, since you're so certain my son did it, where's your evidence?"

Roland sneered.

"Evidence? The injuries on that girl are the evidence! Her clothes are torn to shreds. Are you saying she did that to herself?"

"Why couldn't she have?" I shot back.

Roland choked on that, and then his fury boiled over.

“What kind of attitude is that? Is this how a parent behaves? Covering for him, making excuses. No wonder you raised a son like this!”

Just then, the office door was shoved open.

My husband, Keith Dickerson, came rushing in, out of breath.

The moment he stepped through the door, without asking a single thing about what had happened, he went straight for Christian.

“Crack!”

A ringing slap.

Christian's head snapped to the side, half his face going red in an instant.

“Dad?”

Christian held his cheek, staring at him in disbelief.

“Don't call me that! I don't have a disgraceful son like you!”

Keith jabbed a finger in Christian's face, cursing at the top of his lungs.

“I sent you to college for this? To pull some sleazy stunt like this? You've dragged my name through the mud!”

With that, he turned to Roland, his back bending in an instant, his face crowded with a fawning smile.

“Advisor Lambert, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. This is my failure as a father.”

Roland's expression eased a little.

“Mr. Dickerson, at least you're reasonable. This is a very ugly matter. If it blows up and the police get involved, Christian's whole future is ruined.”

At the word police, Keith's legs went weak.

He waved his hands frantically.

“No, no, no, whatever you do, don't call the police! I have money, I can settle this.”

Roland let out a sigh.

“For the sake of Christian being the state's top science scorer, I don't want to ruin him either. Here's what we'll do.”

He looked at Layla.

“Layla, you've been wronged. But if the police really get involved, it won't do your reputation any good either. Better to have Christian apologize to you and offer you some financial compensation.”

Layla raised her head, her eyes swimming with tears.

“Advisor Lambert, I don't want money…… I'm not doing this for money……”

She bit her lip, the very picture of someone humiliated to the core.

“I just think it's unfair. Why should someone with such rotten character get to represent the freshmen and give the speech, and take a full ride on the top merit scholarship?”

So this was what she'd been waiting for all along.

The instant Keith heard that money and the slot would settle it, he wheeled around and glared at Christian.

“What are you standing there for? Get over there and kneel and apologize! We don't want that scholarship, whatever it's called. The speaker slot, we'll give it to her too!”

He came over, reaching out to force Christian's neck down.

“Hurry up! Smooth this over, don't let it hurt my company's business!”

I stood up, grabbed Keith's wrist, and flung it off with all my strength.

Keith glared at me. “What do you think you're doing!”

I looked coldly at this cowardly, selfish man.

“What am I doing?”

“My son did nothing. Why should he apologize? Why should he give up the scholarship?”

“Desiree, have you lost your mind!”

Keith dropped his voice into a snarl.

“Do you want your son to go to prison? Do you want me to be a laughingstock in front of my business partners!”

I ignored him.

I walked over to Layla and looked at her.

“Layla, you're certain it was my son Christian who tried to assault you in the fire exit stairwell on the north side of the library?”

Layla shrank back, her eyes darting away.

“Yes……”

“What time exactly?” I pressed, step by step.

“Around…… around one thirty in the afternoon……”

“What was he wearing?”

“A white…… a white T-shirt, black sweatpants.”

Her description was remarkably accurate.

“Was there anyone else in the stairwell at the time?”

“No…… no one ever uses that stairwell, and the camera's broken……”

The moment the words left her mouth, she seemed to realize she'd let something slip. She clapped a hand over it and started crying again.

“Ma'am, please stop pushing me…… I'm really so scared……”

Roland shot to his feet.

"Desiree! Enough! This is you re-traumatizing the victim all over again!"

He jabbed a finger toward the office door.

"Here's my decision. Christian will issue a public apology, forfeit every honor and scholarship he qualifies for, and take a formal disciplinary mark on his record. If you won't accept that, I'll take this straight to the administration and have him expelled outright!"

Keith was hopping with panic. He rushed over and grabbed at me.

"Desiree, would you just shut up already! Advisor Lambert is being lenient here, what more do you want?"

I looked at Roland's righteous, self-satisfied face.

"Advisor Lambert, if the footage is broken, how exactly do you plan to convict my son on nothing but her word?"

"You think anyone would gamble with their own good name?"

Roland drew himself up, all noble indignation.

"A girl is a weaker party by nature! Look at the state she's in. You think she'd lie about this?"

I nodded, and pulled out my phone.

"Fine. Since the school can't dig out the truth, let's bring in someone who can."

I pressed three digits.

The call connected.

"Hello, is this 911? I'd like to report a crime."

The instant the line picked up, the office went dead silent.

Layla's head jerked up, her eyes locked on my phone.

Roland's face changed in a heartbeat, and his hand shot out to snatch the phone from me.

"What do you think you're doing? Who told you to call the police?"

I dodged his hand.

And spoke calmly into the phone.

"Yes, the registrar's office at Kingsport University. Someone is accusing my son of attempted rape, but I suspect the other party is running an extortion scheme and filing a false accusation. Please send officers right away."

I hung up and looked at Roland.

"Advisor Lambert, why the panic? If it's a crime, then it's a matter for the police. Since when did a school have the authority to enforce the law?"

Roland was shaking with rage, his finger pointed right at my nose.

"You are completely unreasonable! Dirty laundry stays in the family. You won't rest until you've blown this wide open and ruined the school's reputation, will you?"

Keith came charging over like a madman, both hands clamped over his head, screaming himself hoarse.

"Desiree! If you've got a death wish, leave me out of it! Once the police show up, the whole school will know! Where does that leave my pride? How is Christian ever supposed to show his face again?"

He whirled and lunged at Christian, his eyes bloodshot.

"You worthless son! I'll beat you to death today and pretend I never had you!"

He drew back his fist to smash it into Christian's face.

I snatched the thermos off the desk, the one full of scalding water, and hurled it straight down at Keith's feet.

A dull, heavy thud rang out.

"Keith, you lay one more finger on my son and see what happens."

I stared him down, my eyes ice.

"Smoothing things over with strangers, throwing your weight around at home, what else are you good for? Someone dumps filth on your son's head, and instead of chasing down the truth, you force the boy to his knees to confess. What kind of man are you?"

Keith pointed at me and couldn't get a word out.

At that exact moment, the office door was shoved open.

A crowd of students poured in, phones raised high.

Camera flashes went off in a frenzy.

"He's in there! That pervert's right in there!"

"Scum! Get out of Kingsport University!"

"Protect Layla! Punish the lowlife!"

Leading the pack was that guy in the designer clothes from down by the dorm building.

He pointed at Christian.

"Take a good look, everyone. This is our year's top science scorer in the whole state! A sanctimonious hypocrite through and through!"

Beyond the door, students had packed in three deep, ring after ring.

Seeing them, Layla shrank back into the corner of the couch, trembling.

"Please stop filming... I'm begging you, stop filming..."

She wept like a rain-soaked blossom, and the sight only made that pack of boys ache for her more.

"Don't be scared, Layla! We've got your back!"