A Sharp Tongue for My Sister’s Justice

Veronica's POV

I’ve always had a sharp tongue. I love poking at people’s weak spots and spreading rumors.

When Laura Holt insulted my mom, saying she only gives birth to “losers,” I grabbed a megaphone and went straight to the village square, shouting, “Laura’s two sons: one looks like that butcher over in the east, the other like that carpenter in the west.”

That night, her husband took the night train home, dragged her to file for a divorce.

Another incident. Thomas Clark thought he was untouchable because he was the village secretary, so he grabbed half of our homestead.

In retaliation, I started whispering rumors about him everywhere. “Thomas sneaks into widows’ houses late at night. But he got cornered by the old woman’s mother-in-law in the woodshed and only got away after giving ten bucks.”

Within two weeks, he was removed from his post and avoided me every time.

But because of my big mouth, the village held grudges against me, so they slipped pesticides into our well every so often. Once, our wheat, which had just begun to sprout, burned up because of it.

Terrified I’d get us more trouble, my parents borrowed fifteen grand and sent me abroad. That trip lasted ten years.

Until one day, my mom called me, crying. “Your sister got into Horizon University, but those kids at school made up nasty rumors about her. They took nude photos of her and even pushed her down the stairs, causing her to hit her head. Until now, she’s still unconscious.”

Right after that call, I immediately bought a ticket and flew home.

With my twin sister’s student ID tucked in my pocket, I walked through the gates of Horizon University.

If the small-town test-prep kids had tormented the town nerds, they weren’t about to come after me, the town gossip queen.

——

But no sooner had I entered the classroom than someone dumped a bucket of red paint over me.

“Oh look, our famous ‘jumped-off-the-building’ influencer is back! I thought you were dead.” Renee Whitmore pushed forward with a cluster of friends, dipping a fingertip in the red paint on my sleeve and mocking, “So tell me, which is redder, this paint, or the blood from that night when a few big guys took her virginity?”

The crude comment set the boys laughing.

One of them even slunk over with a leering grin. “Elodie, your video was pretty hot. Wanna do something more… private with me?"

“I can’t believe you, Mark. You’ll really sleep with anything,” a girl snapped, kicking him.

But he defensively countered, “Don’t act like I was teasing her on purpose. Someone who’s been used like that isn’t worth me.”

“As for me, I’m into girls like Renee,” another boy said, staring at Renee with no attempt to hide his admiration.

Renee pouted playfully at him. “Shut up. Elodie was our school beauty,” she said, stretching the words out before switching tone, “Too bad she’s a laughingstock now.”

While saying that, she stared at my face, waiting to see panic on my face.

But I stayed calm, and, with a touch of surprise, said, “Oh? Renee, you’re out of the hospital already? Recovering fast from the miscarriage, huh?”

The room fell utterly silent after those words left my mouth.

But Renee blinked, then stammeringly snapped, “Wh-what the hell are you saying? I don’t even have a boyfriend. How could I be pregnant?”

I let a small, cold smile slip. Yes, she didn’t have a boyfriend, that was why she’d set her sights on my sister’s. If Elodie had been here, maybe she would have spared her. Too bad I wasn’t her.

“But I stayed in the room next to yours, and I saw you go into obstetrics," I said. "Also, that pen and notebook, aren’t those from CityLab? I have the same ones.”

I then pulled an identical notebook out of my bag and showed it to them.

With that, whispers quickly spread through the room.

“No way! Renee took half a month off, right? Did she really have an abortion?”

“Well, she doesn’t seem like the quiet type. She’s always been wild.”

“Bullshit! I was in the Maldives! Are you idiots that easy to fool? Keep talking and I’ll make you pay,” Renee snapped.