"Yeah, it's been so long, and they still haven't reconciled.

"Why do you think Ryan's death has something to do with him? Don't talk about it, okay?"

Although Max firmly defended me, my classmates looked at me in an increasingly weird way.

I remained silent, firmly believing that my innocence would justify me.

But I ignored the power of rumors.

Soon, my class teacher called me to his office. "The rumors about you are getting more and more intense around school. Although I believe you're innocent, it can't help solve the problem. We are also aware of your situation. Tell your sister to come here and have a conversation with me."

I didn't feel ashamed in that situation.

On the contrary, I expected it because I hadn't seen Kayla for almost a month. Now, I finally had a reason to see her.

I was anxious yet expectant.

"Kayla... My teacher asked you to come to school. Can you come here?" I asked.

Her voice on the other end paused, then became a little impatient.

"Isn't Max in charge of picking you up from school now? Tell him," she said.

Fearing Kayla would hang up the phone, I immediately said, "But he insisted on talking to you."

I lied. It was the first time I lied to Kayla.

I scratched my scabbed wound nervously and couldn't feel any pain even when it was broken again.

Finally, she signed and compromised. "Okay."

Kayla was a stunner.

As soon as she appeared at my school, everyone couldn't help focusing on her.

I sat at my class teacher's desk early, waiting.

"Kayla!"

But the next second, I felt as if I was falling into an ice cave.

Max was with her. "Wesley, why bother your sister for such a small matter? I can do it for her."

I glanced at my Kayla and lowered my head guiltily because of the previous lie.

Then, my class teacher told her all the rumors about our family around the school and asked her whether they were true.

"No, it's..."

Just as Kayla was about to speak, Max interrupted her with a wail. "Kayla, I'm sorry. I didn't discipline Wesley well, and that's why he caused your loss."

Kayla, who was calm at first, was irritated instantly.

I wanted to retort, but it was too late.

Now, some students with tattoos rushed into the teacher's office.

"We're here to admit our mistakes. We shouldn't have lied to Wesley's sister that he was kidnapped because of money," they said.

But they lied; I didn't ask them to do such things.