Chapter 12 Reflections Or Speeches

On the other end, there was a furious shout. "Juliet, what kind of attitude is that? I'm asking you, did you hit Eileen again?" Only Coral would call at a time like this. Juliet leaned back in her chair, slowly smiling. "Yeah, I did. What are you gonna do about it?" "Juliet, you're impossible! I'm telling you, apologize to Eileen right now, or I won't let this go!" Hearing that made Juliet chuckle. "Oh really? What exactly will you do to me? Enlighten me." "You!" "Before you come at me like this, maybe you should check with your precious daughter about what she did." There was a moment of silence from Coral. "Forget the facts for a second—just because Eileen messed up doesn't mean you can hit her." "Is that your game? Well, let me tell you, I don't care what happens in your family; it's none of my business. If this happens again, it won't be so easy next time." With that, Juliet hung up, coldly laughing as she blocked the number. Even though the person on the other end was her own mother, she felt no sadness—just amusement. These people wanted to take what she had but weren't willing to humble themselves. It was almost laughable. The next day at NY University's freshman assembly, the early September sun was already beating down, leaving the new students looking drained. Juliet stood in the back of the line, arms crossed in her military training camo uniform. She adjusted her cap, half-listening to the endless speeches from the leaders on stage, fighting off sleep. Lillian turned around and whispered, "Juliet, I just found out that Eileen got picked up by her parents." "Oh," Juliet replied casually. It was expected. A wealthy girl like her wouldn't be caught dead reading a reflection on stage. "Why didn't anyone from your family come to clean up your mess?" "Me?" Lillian pointed to her own face and shrugged. "It's not even a big deal. Telling them would just get me yelled at." Juliet laughed, "Look at Eileen's parents; they're rushing over to clean up after her." "I haven't even asked you what's going on. What's your relationship with Eileen?" Lillian asked, frowning. Juliet squinted and smiled, not bothering to hide the truth. "Have you ever seen one of those cheesy dramas where the wrong babies get swapped in the hospital?" Lillian's eyes went wide in disbelief. "You mean…?" Juliet shrugged. "Just art imitating life, I guess." Lillian, "……" Juliet smirked, "I'm not at a loss here. I've got my grandfather's will and his inheritance. I'll let Eileen keep her little princess image." She wasn't letting go of what was rightfully hers. If Eileen wanted to cling to that identity and take the abuse, so be it! Once the school leaders finished their speeches, the dean of the art college took the microphone. "Yesterday, we had a very serious fight here at our school! Considering all the involved students are freshmen…" "Hey, they're calling us," Lillian nudged Juliet with her elbow. "But seriously, where's your reflection?" Juliet huffed, "Have you ever heard of impromptu speeches? Freeform reciting?" Lillian, "……" They were supposed to be reading reflections, not giving speeches! Lillian bent down and pulled Juliet through the line, casually making her way to the edge of the stage. Eileen had already been taken away by Coral and Bowen. The first on stage was Moira, who had brought in the outsiders. With her head down and face flushed, she stumbled through her speech in front of all the freshmen. Seeing that Juliet wasn't ready with her reflection, Lillian went up next, giving Juliet a bit more time. Lillian didn't mind too much and straightforwardly admitted her mistakes in her reflection, finishing it expressionlessly before stepping down. Finally, it was Juliet's turn. She walked up to the stage, adjusted the microphone, and cleared her throat. "Hi everyone, I'm Juliet, a new student in the Animation program." "The dean has already laid out what happened, but I need to add a few points…" Everyone, "……" This girl seemed to have some serious social skills! Reading a simple reflection turned into something that felt more like a lecture. Juliet was dressed neatly in her camo military training uniform, her long hair pulled into a ponytail, but she had a relaxed smile on her face. With her stunning features and clear, resonant voice, it was easy to forget she was reading a reflection. Juliet squinted, speaking slowly and deliberately. "First, everyone knows that forces are mutual. When I hit Eileen, she was essentially hitting me back, so I'm a victim too." "Second, Eileen conspired with her accomplices to bring in outsiders, attempting to attack me. I see this as a premeditated assault." "Third, Eileen and her crew maliciously spread rumors online that morning, causing me significant psychological harm…" Moira, Eileen's accomplice, was left speechless, "…!" Everyone else, "…!!!" Director Jack from the Performance Department was the first to react, unable to hold back as he rushed forward. "Juliet, what nonsense are you spouting?! Today you're supposed to be on stage giving a proper apology, not twisting facts and arguing back!" Hearing this, Juliet just laughed. She lowered her head and pulled her phone from her pocket. Right there, in front of the entire freshman class, she played a recording. "Forget the facts for a second—just because Eileen messed up doesn't mean you can hit her." Through the microphone, the recording echoed out to everyone. That single sentence made Director Jack's face go pale, realizing he knew that voice all too well. Juliet kindly explained, "After everything that happened yesterday, Eileen's mom, Ms. Coral, called me up and tried to intimidate me. Here's just one snippet of what she said." "One sentence doesn't mean anything," Director Jack said, brushing it off. "Doesn't mean anything?" Juliet raised an eyebrow, amused. "Oh, I think it means a lot—like, 'forget the facts.' Forget the facts, huh? Well, fine, let's forget the facts and assume I'm a sweet, innocent student, a helpless victim of school bullying. I shouldn't be the one up here reading an apology, while the real bullies get off scot-free!" Director Jack was speechless. Maybe it was Juliet's carefree, amused tone, but soon laughter broke out across the crowd. "Hahaha, oh my god, she's totally saying all this with a straight face!" "This is what they call the art of language! Master Juliet, I'm learning!" "Who knew the animation department would have such a legend!" "Lol, 'forget the facts'—so what are we supposed to be talking about then?" "And Eileen bringing outsiders onto campus? Yeah, not exactly the vibe of an innocent student." This last comment clearly struck a chord with the crowd. Forget who was right or wrong in this fight—bringing outsiders in for a schoolyard dispute? That's a bit much. Who ever heard of a "pure-hearted student" hiring thugs from outside to settle things? Most of the people who saw the post on the school forum had assumed Juliet was some kind of brooding, aggressive troublemaker. But seeing her in person… How should they put it? She didn't exactly look like a perfect student up there laughing through her apology, but she didn't seem like a villain, either. And let's face it, looks matter. With a face like hers, it was hard to see her as a true "bad guy." Meanwhile, over in the admin building, Frank pointed toward the stage. "That's her!"