“Wait.”


    For some reason, the conversation irritated Jasper. Sternly, he asked, “Ms. White, don’t you owe Liana


    an apology?”


    Landon sighed helplessly, resisting the urge to stuff his socks into Jasper’s mouth.


    A dull pain throbbed in Alyssa’s heart. She turned around to cast him a nk stare.


    Her disappointed gaze pierced Jasper’s soul.


    “She didn’t do it! Alice didn’t do it!”


    Just at that moment, a sweet, gentle voice cut through the air. It arrived unannounced, like lightning on


    a clear day, foiling the plot that had been carefully nted.


    When Alyssa turned her gaze toward the source of the voice, there was a glimmer in her eyes.


    “Lauren!”


    A girl d in a simple white dress was hurrying toward them. She was sporting a ridiculous


    crown of dense curls, which was Betty’s doing.


    Lauren had always been Betty’s imaginary enemy in their family. Betty envied her little sister’s


    beauty. She always looked for new ways to bully her.


    Whenever they appeared in public, she would try to make her sister look bad. She was afraid that


    her sister would steal her limelight.


    Lauren, on the other hand, was autistic. As a result, she was rtively introverted and timid. In the


    presence of strangers, her shoulders were always hunched, and she was always silent.


    Little did anyone know, for the three years that Alyssa was part of the Becketts, Lauren was the only


    one, aside from Mrs. Rosie, who treated Alyssa kindly. The only one who cared for Alyssa was Lauren,


    whom the rest of the family generally ignored.


    After Alyssa left the Becketts, she always worried about Lauren. To her surprise, they met that


    day, and it delighted her.


    “Silly girl, why are you talking nonsense?” Betty red fiercely at her sister. “No one was in the


    bathroom except Liana and her. If it wasn’t her, then who else could it be?”


    “N–No, it wasn’t Alice! It wasn’t her!” Lauren pleaded desperately. Her words were an incoherent.


    jumble.


    “Lauren, this is none of your business. Go y somewhere else!” Sophia was wearing an ugly


    Lauren clenched her tiny fists and walked up to Jasper. She looked up at his tall, looming figure


    nervously.


    “Jasper! It wasn’t Alice who did it!“.


    “Lauren, why do you say so?” Jasper’s tone was unusually gentle.


    “I saw it! 1–I was in the bathroom too! I saw it!”


    Everyone was shocked by the revtion.


    Liana’s face paled.


    Even Alyssa was stunned. She never expected that Lauren was also present when Liana confronted


    her.


    “I saw Ms. Gardnering into the toilet to argue with Alice. Alice wanted to leave. But Ms. Gardner


    stopped her. She pulled Alice and snatched her bracelet away. Then… then the bracelet broke, and


    then… then Ms. Gardner started yelling and ran out. Alice didn’t touch Ms. Gardner! I saw it!”


    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    While exining, Lauren gestured with her hands, tears of anxiety swimming in her eyes.


    “Lauren…” Alyssa’s heart ached as her eyes watered.


    Given Lauren’s timid nature, Alyssa knew Lauren was forcing herself to speak the truth to clear her


    name.