Cecilia rose to her feet. Her usual cool and aloof demeanor showed, but her eyes betrayed a hint of defiant tears.

She snatched the lemon juice from Holly's arms, ready to down it in one go.

Luke quickly moved, panic written all over him, "No, don't drink that. You can't drink cold drinks."

He turned back, shooting Holly a glare that could freeze fire.

It was the first time he had ever looked at her with such annoyance and revulsion.

Holly's composure nearly crumbled from the wrongful accusation.

She could not hold back the tears as she walked away from the mocking crowd.

She walked until they were all far behind her.

Holly could still hear their snide comments and mockery.

"As if she doesn't know her place. At twenty-eight, she's still trying to outshine Cecilia."

"Sure, she grew up with the Hoffmans, but look at her. She was groomed just to be some man's plaything. Why else would she be single at twenty-eight?"

"No respectable family would ever consider a woman like her into their family."

"I mean, she was already messing around at eighteen. I saw her running out of that room myself, hair all over the place, and clothes a mess."

While they spewed their venomous words, Luke was right there.

He heard every insult, but he did not say a word in her defense.

He was too busy trying to cheer up a sulking Cecilia.

Holly watched from a distance, her tears falling faster than she could wipe them away.

After what felt like an eternity, she managed to steady her emotions, but then footsteps approached from behind.

"Holly, you can't seriously think Luke has a duty to comfort you, right?"

Startled, Holly spun around to find Cecilia standing there, arms folded, a sneer plastered across her face.

Cecilia plopped down beside Holly, feigning a cozy camaraderie.

"You know, I kind of admire you. You've got nerve, hanging around Luke at your age, as if… Ha! As if he'd ever marry you."

The scorn in Cecilia's eyes felt like a physical pain in Holly's chest.

However, Holly was done biting her tongue. She narrowed her eyes, giving back as good as she got.

"Are you sure it's me who's hanging on to him?

"Hasn't he told you? He and I have been an item for ages."

"W-what?!" Cecilia's face turned red with rage.

Then, out of nowhere, Cecilia started to laugh. It was a weird, creepy laugh that sent shivers down Holly's spine.

"I know the truth. I've known it for ages."

Holly's eyebrows knitted together as she watched Cecilia's smile grow wider, filled with sinister intent that made her skin crawl. "What are you talking about?"

Cecilia's laugh was then full of contempt, and she did not bother to hide it.

"You can't seriously think that Luke was into you. That he got with you on your eighteenth birthday because he liked you. That's got to be a joke.

"He was intoxicated. I drugged him. He thought I was too young, too innocent to touch, so he turned to you instead.

"By the next day, he was already begging me to forgive him.

"Don't believe me? Watch this."

Cecilia whipped out her phone and showed Holly a video.

There was Luke, still with his boyish charm, looking lost.

His voice was broken, choked with tears. He desperately pleaded like a puppy that's about to be left behind.

"Cecilia, I've made myself clean, really clean. I'm not dirty.

"Don't look at me like that.

"Please."

He was hitting his own face, already swollen and red, but he did not react to the pain.

Then, Cecilia's voice cut through the video.

"If you've been with her, then you might as well stay with her, Luke. I can't stand men who don't take responsibility for what they've done."

Luke's eyes filled with hopelessness, and he numbly nodded in agreement.

"I'll do anything, just don't hate me."

The video stopped abruptly.

That very next day, Luke came to Holly. He nervously stumbled all over his words, trying to make things right.

Holly had thought about saying goodbye to Luke before she left. In the end, she knew he was not worth it.

Tomorrow, she will be leaving the country for an arranged marriage.

Holly had just finished packing up for the night when her phone buzzed with calls from numbers she did not recognize, followed by a barrage of crude and mean texts.

Something was definitely off.

Then, like a bad joke, a hashtag flashed across her screen.

#PianoProdigyExposed in Racy Photos, Friends Claim She's a Total Mess#

#Who Knew the Piano Girl Had Such Weird Tastes#

With shaking hands, Holly clicked on the link and her heart sank. She was in the video.

She was in the dressing room, changing her brassiere. Because of some meds she was on, she has been dealing with the embarrassing issue of leaking fluids.

Even on that day's mountain hike, she had to sneak away to a midway changing room for a quick switch of clothes.

However, that was not all. There were more photos of her face crudely pasted onto the bodies in adult movies.

Her phone nearly slipped from her grasp as dizziness washed over her. Only Cecilia had been with her when she changed.

Holly stormed off to confront her.

Cecilia sneered when she saw Holly, "Oh, so you've got that problem, huh? Tsk, tsk. Come on, spill it. You really expect us to believe Luke's the only guy in your life?"

Fury blazed in Holly's eyes. Her hand reacted before her mind did, landing a stinging slap across Cecilia's cheek.

Cecilia staggered, hitting her head on the corner of a table as she fell, a welt forming instantly.

"Cecilia!"

Luke's furious shout echoed behind Holly.

In a flash, Luke pulled Holly away and tossed her aside. He wrapped his arms around Cecilia while he shot a look filled with disgust and suspicion at Holly.

"Do you even know what she did?" Holly cried out.

The noise had drawn the attention of the Hoffmans. They peered at Cecilia with a mix of concern and curiosity while she clung to Luke's shirt, looking utterly helpless.

Luke inhaled deeply, his voice steady and sure.

"I know what you're thinking, and yes, I did it."

His words struck like lightning, echoing in everyone's ears.

Holly's eyes widened as her heart shattered.

Could he really love Cecilia enough to take the fall for her?

Ronald was livid, his face turning a shade of red as he stormed over and kicked Luke.

However, Luke took the hit with no remorse while cradling Cecilia.

Holly sidestepped Melissa's attempt to support her.

Gathering her remaining strength, she stood and faced Luke. "Luke, I'm giving you one last chance. Are you telling me you did this?"

Luke could not bear to meet Holly's gaze, filled with numbness and pain, and he let out a defeated nod.

"I sent the photos. I couldn't stand seeing you, an adopted daughter of the Hoffmans, outshining everyone."

Holly's laugh was bitter, and her tears flowed freely. "Luke, it's over between us."

With those final words, she turned her back on the stunned room and walked away. Her mind raced to catch her flight.