My daughter, Heather Miller, comes home in an injured state from her high school one day.

Apparently, someone has been spreading rumors about her cheating in her exams, stealing from others, and even shamelessly serving as an old geezer's mistress!

I spend a fortune hiring a hacker in order to locate the source of those rumors. To my horror, my best friend, Sylvia Lister, is actually the one behind this scheme!

Just as I'm about to confront her angrily, I suddenly see rows of comments occupying my vision.

"The male lead's mom really is smart! She taught him how to come up with rumors just to slander the female lead! Now that no one wants to approach her, he can have her all to himself!"

"The mother-and-son pair really are sneaky… and I like it! The female lead is really blessed to have them in her life!"

"If my guess is correct, the female lead will get expelled from the school next week. She'll get locked up by the male lead and his mom in their home, which is the start of her amazing bedroom life!"

It was obvious that the female lead mentioned in the comment section was my daughter, Heather Miller, while the male lead's mother and the male lead were Sylvia Lister and Christian Fisher.

I could hardly believe that such a cliche, dramatic storyline had actually happened to Heather. It was because of these rumors that she had been cornered by school bullies, her body covered in wounds that were horrifying to see.

I couldn't stop my tears from falling. I had never been the kind of person others could push around, and now that I knew who the perpetrators were, I would ensure they paid a heavy price for their deeds.

I had just dealt with Heather's wounds when the doorbell suddenly rang. It was Sylvia, accompanied by her son, Christian.

Christian, as usual, eagerly sat next to Heather the moment the door opened and took out his homework from his backpack to seek Heather's guidance.

Sylvia said with a chuckle, "These two are the same as always, clinging to each other since they were little and never wanting to be separated even for a moment."

I would have seconded her sentiment and rejoiced in their bond had this been before, but after what happened, I couldn't muster any friendly feelings for them. Heather shifted closer to my side as well, distancing herself from Christian.

Sylvia's expression froze for a moment before quickly returning to normal. "What has gotten into you two? You two aren't bothered by those school rumors, right? There's no shame in being accused of cheating, Heather.

"You see, good grades don't matter much for girls. You're better off learning how to manage a household instead; becoming a good wife and mother is what's important. You should just let Christian take part in the math competition happening at the end of the month, Heather."

I couldn't help but sneer. "Christian has always been stuck in second place, so now that Heather has been kicked out of the competition because of some rumors, he finally has his turn."

Sylvia hurriedly tried to smooth things over. "I'm just trying to say that you shouldn't worry about people labeling Heather with those slurs. If the worst comes to the worst, there's always Christian, who will take Heather in, even if others don't want her."

Upon hearing that, Christian held Heather's hand and said deliberately, "You can rest assured that I'll never look down on you, Heather. If it comes to it, I'll simply keep you hidden away so that no one else can ever reach you."

I hadn't paid much attention before, but now I realized how outrageous Sylvia and Christian's remarks had been.

Heather had ranked first in the school, excelled in both virtue and academics, and was exceptionally beautiful. Did Christian really think he was worthy of her?

Their idea of using such underhanded tactics to trap Heather was absolutely disgraceful.

It wasn't the right time for a confrontation yet, as I knew that simply knowing where the rumor started wasn't enough to bring them down. I had to gather solid evidence to ensure Sylvia and Christian faced the full consequences of their defamation.

It'd be easy for me to debunk Heather's cheating rumors, given that Heather's grades were far superior to anyone else's; a single exam would have been sufficient to demonstrate her competence. I just had to make sure Sylvia and Christian didn't have the opportunity to frame her first.

I thoroughly checked everything Heather was taking into the exam room the following day, prior to the monthly exam. I made absolutely sure the surveillance cameras were working and specifically asked the proctor to keep a close watch to rule out any chance of being framed.

I believed that every precaution had been taken, yet to my surprise, two days later, the news that Heather had placed first in the school was accompanied by a fresh wave of cheating allegations from the entire student body.

I had just arrived at the school when I spotted Heather standing alone on the podium, enduring the ridicule and scorn of the entire class and her teachers.

I noticed her homeroom teacher, Cameron Hall, jabbing her finger into Heather's head, spitting as she yelled, "I've never encountered a student as brazen as you—to openly cheat during a school-wide examination simply for the sake of attention is utterly disgraceful!"

I then saw her grade dean, Jeremiah Smith, declaring with a grim expression, "I get that you wanted to participate in the math competition, but using such disgraceful methods is unacceptable. I hereby announce that you're officially banned from every school competition from this point forward."

Upon hearing that, Heather's previously expressionless face finally registered some response. "I-I didn't—"

Heather's voice was rapidly lost amid the shouts and condemnation from everyone around her, though.

I couldn't take it anymore. I pushed the door open and pulled Heather into my arms.

"What right do you have to say she cheated in the exam? Where's your proof? How can you condemn a student and use such cruel language before the facts are clear, especially given how you're both teachers? If she were to do something drastic because of this, could you live with the consequences?"

Cameron and Jeremiah were stunned. Their protests were stifled, leaving them completely speechless.

Just as the confrontation stalled, Sylvia came forward alongside Christian. "You see, we found this note in her desk, Kayla, filled with answers. Their teacher had the desks cleared before the exam, and the surveillance footage confirms that no one went near Heather once the exam started.

"It is difficult for a young woman to excel in the sciences, and a lapse in judgment is understandable. If Heather just apologizes and learns her lesson, all will be forgiven, Kayla."

Christian feigned concern while comforting Heather. "You can rest assured that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks; as long as you have me, that's all that matters, Heather."

It was then that the comment section appeared before my eyes again. "I'm totally shipping them! I mean, the male lead's sense of possession over the female lead is absolutely intense!"

"It seems like the male lead's mother had already prepared everything perfectly, leaving no trace. It won't be long before the female lead loses hope in life and obediently submits to the male lead's imprisonment."

I glanced at them coldly—just as I thought, they were behind it again.

Heather choked back her tears and insisted, "I really didn't do it, Mom. I've never seen that note before."

I gently wiped away her tears, my heart aching. "You have nothing to be afraid of, Heather—I believe in you."

I looked straight at Sylvia and stated firmly, "That isn't Heather's handwriting. Your son is the one who benefits most if Heather's out of the running. Did you plant this to frame her, Sylvia?"

In that instant, a collective gasp filled the room as a wave of questioning looks fell on Sylvia.

Sylvia's face turned deathly pale for a moment before she quickly put on a pitiful expression. "I was just speaking up for the teachers, Kayla. Is there really any need to attack me in this way?"

I had had enough of her act, so I took out Heather's first-place national certificate from my handbag and slammed it onto the table. "I have Heather's national award right here. If you're accusing her of cheating, then you're insulting the validity of the entire national examination board itself.

"If you're still not convinced, then let's escalate it—we can bring in the authorities to run a professional handwriting analysis on those notes!"

In that instant, a deathly silence fell over the entire room.

It was clear how valuable this national competition certificate was; only about ten people across the country could earn it. If they were to question it, then it meant they were challenging the national exam authorities. They didn't dare risk the consequences if things got out of hand.

In the end, the teachers' expressions shifted through a range of emotions before they were forced to concede. They admitted the school had handled the situation poorly and acknowledged they had wrongly accused Heather.

Sylvia and Christian looked as though they had swallowed something bitter. Sylvia forced an awkward smile to defuse the tension, saying, "I knew all along that Heather wasn't capable of such a thing. It seems we've all just had a bit of a misunderstanding, haven't we?"

Christian furrowed his brow and moved closer, reaching out to hold Heather's hand.

Heather threw off his hand without a second thought, refusing to even look at him.

In the meantime, the boisterous comment section appeared again.

"What's going on here? How come the plot is going off-track? Why are the male and female leads at odds?"

"You guys shouldn't get so worked up yet—the best part is yet to come. You can rest assured that the female lead has no chance of escaping the grasp of this insidious mother-son duo."

I was just waiting to discover the nature of the upcoming "best part" when the comment section vanished again. I had a bad feeling about this, so I grabbed Heather's hand and led her away, certain that heading home was the best course of action at that moment.

I was just about to leave the classroom when Sylvia and Christian blocked our path. "Why are you in such a hurry, Kayla? It's almost time for the class meeting, and with Heather's grades being so impressive, she ought to share her learning experience with her peers."

Cameron also stepped forward with a sycophantic expression. "It truly would benefit Heather to participate as well, so please stay for the meeting, Mrs. Miller."

Heather and I hesitated for a moment, thinking that there was no harm in staying since it was merely a class meeting.

Upon hearing our agreement, Sylvia and Cameron ushered Heather onto the podium. They called the class to order, directing everyone's attention toward the front to await Heather's address.

Heather calmly picked up the microphone and said, "You see, my approach to studying is—"

In the following instant, the presentation on the digital screen behind her shifted to a series of scandalous photographs.

In the images, Heather was clad in lingerie that was way too mature for her, lying in the arms of a middle-aged man with a portly belly. She looked really suggestive in the images, her poses highly provocative.

In that instant, chaos broke out as the crowd widened their eyes in disbelief.

"Isn't that man the proprietor of the hotel near the school? He's a married man! Heather isn't just hooking up with an older man—she's a homewrecker!"