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Shannon pretended to be concerned, her voice filled with feigned worry.
“Rose, what happened to your hand?” she asked, her face twisted in concern.
Bethany quickly joined in, playing the part of a protective friend.
“Rose, don’t be scared.
Tell us what happened.
We won’t let anyone hurt you!” she added, her tone laced with an exaggerated sense of justice.
Rosalind, still clinging to Justin, gasped softly, looking weak as she began her fabricated story.
“I… I ran into Ms.
Brown in the bathroom,” she said, her voice shaking with feigned distress.
She glanced at Bella, her eyes full of malice.
“I know Ms.
Brown doesn’t like me, so I thought I’d try to make amends.
I tried to greet her, hoping we could move past everything…” Rosalind’s voice trembled, though her eyes were sharp with resentment.
“But for some reason, we ended up arguing.
”
Bella stood there, arms crossed, a cold laugh escaping her lips.
She tilted her head, amused at the absurdity of Rosalind’s claims.
Justin’s eyes flicked to Bella, his frustration growing as he watched her reaction.
Her smile, however, only seemed to make things worse for him.
“And then, when I tried to leave, Ms.
Brown grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.
In the struggle, I accidentally pulled out her bracelet, and it fell and broke,” Rosalind continued, her voice growing more dramatic.
She paused, letting the silence linger, before adding with a heavy sigh, “Ms.
Brown was angry about the broken bracelet and refused to listen to my apology… so she… she hurt me.
”
The pause left the rest to imagination, painting Bella as the villain.
Bella’s laugh, however, only deepened.
She couldn’t believe the audacity of Rosalind’s story, trying to twist everything in her favor.
“So, Ms.
Brown did this to you?” Shannon gasped, her disbelief exaggerated.
Jean, furious, pointed a shaking finger at Bella.
“How could you be so heartless?! If you’re upset, just use words! Why resort to violence?” she demanded, her tone rising with fake outrage.
“Rose is a gifted musician! Her hands are her livelihood! If she can’t play the piano because of you, we won’t let you off the hook, even if you are close to the Thompson family!”
Bella flinched as the words hit her.
She inhaled deeply, memories of her own injury flooding back—the broken little finger, the one that had taken away her ability to play the piano, all because of Justin.
Yet here she was, being blamed for Rosalind’s actions.
“What about me? Who should I blame?” she thought bitterly.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted the escalating tension.
Ryan, clearly concerned, stepped forward.
“Wait! Wait!” he exclaimed, his tone anxious.
He could see Bella wasn’t defending herself, and he knew someone had to speak up.
“No matter how pitiful Ms.
Gold looks, this is just one side of the story.
We should hear from Ms.
Brown.
There were no cameras in the bathroom, but surely someone must have seen something.
Let’s find out if there were any witnesses.
”
Bethany, hearing Ryan’s voice, turned toward him, suddenly looking starstruck.
She was utterly captivated by his presence, her mouth hanging open as she stood there like a lovesick fool.
Bella, momentarily stunned, raised her eyes to meet Ryan’s.
She hadn’t expected him to stand up for her.
But as their gazes met, something flickered between them—a brief moment of understanding.
Ryan, feeling a warm surge in his chest, couldn’t help but smile at the small connection.
However, Justin, observing the exchange, misinterpreted it entirely.
He immediately assumed they were flirting, the thought making his fingers tighten into fists.
“There were no witnesses,” Bella said nonchalantly, not missing a beat.
“We were the only ones in the bathroom.
”
Ryan frowned, clearly frustrated.
“Hmm…” he muttered, realizing that there wasn’t much more they could do now.
Jean, not one to back down, took a deep breath and responded in her usual shrill tone.
“Then who else could have done this to Rose? My daughter would never hurt herself! She’s terrified of pain!” she shouted, her voice rising with indignation.
Rosalind sobbed pitifully in Justin’s arms, but deep down, she was glad there were no witnesses.
It meant her plan could proceed without interference.
Justin, sensing the tension and seeing the brokenness in Rosalind’s eyes, looked at Bella.
His gaze hardened.
“Anna,” he said coldly, his voice tight with accusation.
“Did you do this?”
Bella’s heart sank.
The accusation was sharp, and for a moment, she felt her resolve falter.
She clenched her fists, trying to suppress the hurt bubbling inside.
Her nose felt tight, but she refused to let her emotions show.
Ryan, visibly uncomfortable with the situation, rubbed his forehead in frustration.
“Why is he saying this now?” he thought, annoyed at Justin’s hasty judgment.
Justin, on the other hand, felt a pang of guilt.
He saw the red in Bella’s eyes, a sign of the emotional turmoil she was going through.
He had reacted too quickly, and now he was regretting his assumption.
He was supposed to be fair and impartial, but the events from earlier—the auction, the necklace, and everything that had transpired—clouded his judgment.
