Reborn as the Villainess

Janet smirked, her fingers curling around the microphone as she said, "As for my apology to Eleanor, I'm almost done, but before I step down, there's something else I need to add. Those who know me well know that Gloria and I are supposed to be best friends, or at least I thought we were inseparable.

"So, to maintain our friendship. I've done a lot of things for her, including standing up for her, even if it meant smearing someone else's name. But little did I know, all my efforts were just seen as me trying to climb the social ladder in her eyes.

With that, she twisted her wrist, revealing a shiny silver phone. She then quickly opened it and hit a button. Static crackled through the air, and soon a female voice came blaring out.

Janet, I just found Eleanor's old report card from her previous school, and look, her grades were terrible. How did she even get into Aloria High?

"Janet, I got a secret. Eleanor only scored 600, and she ended up in Class A! Cheating? Who knows? Seems fishy to me-who goes from zero to hero overnight, right?"

The recording had some static, but it was clear as day: it was Gloria's voice.

From a distance, Eleanor watched Janet stand proudly under the flag, unable to hide her smirk. Her eyes sparkled with admiration.

Janet wasn't a bad person. She just had a bit too much faith in others and struggled with self-awareness, often getting manipulated. But seeing her take a stand against Gloria, especially after the collapse of her family, was a surprise,

In a way, Janet had a strong sense of right and wrong, and her boldness was pretty appealing to Eleanor.

The recording didn't take long to play-just a few minutes. As Janet surveyed the crowded audience, she felt a rush of exhilaration rather than embarrassment. It hit her that the one who feared humiliation and cared about appearances had never been her

After playing the record, Janet continued to say, "These words were recorded by the classroom cameras. It's what Gloria's been whispering in my ear all along. While she never outright said 'cheating', she was clearly guiding me there. Sure, I got led astray and made mistakes, and I'll accept the consequences without shame.

"I'm sharing this to let the school leaders know two things: first, I'm not the mastermind behind the scandal; I'll take my punishment, but I'm not taking the blame for something I didn't do. Second, Eleanor, I suggest you keep an eye on your little sister. That's my piece, thanks, everyone."

As she wrapped up, murmurs surged through the crowd, growing louder and more malicious.

Gloria, waiting her turn to speak, turned pale and felt completely lost. She hadn't seen this coming, and she didn't expect Janet to be fully ready to cut ties with her.

Janet stepped over and handed Gloria the microphone with a cold smirk. Your turn, Gloria."

Gloria was shaking all over, her heart racing as the whispers grew around her. She felt like all eyes were piercing right through her. She hated that feeling.

She was the princess of the Vanderbilt family, a respected heiress-when had she ever faced such humiliation? She told herself she couldn't just sit back and take. She had to fight back. Clenching her jaw, Cloria took the microphone. She was furiou enough to slap Janet, but she managed to hold back in front of so many people, forcing her madness to stay hidden.

She asked, "janet, what's wrong with your Did something happen We're friends, aren't we? How can you slander me like this? Her voice, fueled by frustration, carried over the microphone.

SHE

Janet looked at the familiar face before her with disgust. How had she been so blind before to fall for such lousy acting? Did Gloria really think she could still manipulate her with just a few words?

Janet stared at Gloria, her irritation lacing her voice. "Are you going to get up there or not? If you're not, I wouldn't mind playing some more recordings I have on my phone about you."

She wasn't just bluffing. She had plenty of recordings of Gloria stashed away, but time was tight on stage, so she only played a snippet.

Sure enough, Gloria immediately shut up, looking like she was scared Janet would drop more bombs. But just as she was about to step up the final stairs to the podium, she suddenly twisted her ankle and fell flat on her face with a loud thud. The teachers on stage jumped in surprise, hurried over to check on her, and frantically called for medical help "Gloria!" Felix, standing next to Eleanor, yelped and rushed forward, clearly worried about his sister.

The platform wasn't high, maybe just over a meter, but it was a solid concrete floor. A fall like that could hurt, if not worse. Standing at the back of the crowd, Eleanor couldn't help but snicker, her dimples showing. She scoffed in her mind, "Wow, Gloria's going to such lengths to avoid apologizing and save face. She's somewhat brave.

But then, she glanced at Andrew, who remained unmoved. Curiosity sparked, Eleanor asked, "Andrew, aren't you going to check on Gloria? She sounded like she really hurt herself."

Andrew's expression was icy as he replied, "Tm not a doctor. I wouldn't be much help. Plus, Felix is already over there. I think he'll handle it."

Eleanor thought he had a point. But then she noticed Andrew's expression shift slightly, and with a hint of guilt in his voice, he asked, "Eleanor, do you get bullied like this often at school?" Eleanor was momentarily taken aback, and it took her several seconds to process his words.

"Get bullied? Are you talking about what Janet said about Gloria accusing me?" asked Eleanor.

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14 12 Thu, Oct 31

Andrew nodded, his expression serious as he said,