Chapter 27:

Elyse arrived promptly at the orchestra's studio on a workday morning. Entering the rehearsal room, she immediately noticed the curious stares of her colleagues. Going to her locker to retrieve her violin for practice, she was horrified to find it vandalized—the strings were cut, and the interior was splattered with red paint.

"Who did this?" she demanded, pulling the damaged instrument from its locker. Her expression was fierce as she scrutinized the other orchestra members. No one confessed. Raising her voice, she accused, "So no one will own up to this? How despicable! This behavior is vile!"

From the back of the room, Rebekah stepped forward, hands casually in her pockets, and said, "I did it. What are you going to do about it?" She faced Elyse with an unsettling calm.

"Why would you do this? Because we're competing? Isn't this a bit extreme?" Elyse challenged, struggling to control her anger.

Rebekah's lips twisted into a scornful smirk. "It's not extreme. I simply can't tolerate someone like you as my rival. Everyone here knows you're the one who betrayed her groom and ended up abandoned at your own wedding."

Elyse, seething, stared at Rebekah, confusion clouding her eyes. "Who said that?"

"It's all over the internet," Rebekah replied, her voice dripping with scorn. "Don't you realize you're famous now? Thanks to you, our orchestra is getting attention. Everyone knows there's a promiscuous woman among us." She surveyed Elyse disdainfully.

Whispers erupted among the crowd, bringing back the pain of her wedding day and the similar accusations she'd faced then. But it wasn't true.

Grasping Rebekah's shoulder firmly, Elyse fixed her with a serious gaze. "I didn't betray anyone. I was betrayed. The online rumors are false, and I'll prove my innocence."

Rebekah, unprepared for Elyse's defiance, remained skeptical. Shaking off Elyse's hand, she retorted, "Your explanations won't change anything. You need to clarify things with the online community." Elyse bit her lip, realizing she had to, but unsure how to prove her innocence.

A woman interrupted, adding to Elyse's mounting troubles. "Elyse, Wanda wants to see you in her office."

Rebekah, pleased by Elyse's predicament, smirked. "You've tarnished our reputation. Prepare to be dismissed. I refuse to compete with a woman of loose morals."

Ignoring Rebekah, Elyse clenched her fists and strode toward Wanda's office.

Taking a deep breath, Elyse opened the door to Wanda's office. Wanda sat behind her desk, engrossed in a file. Elyse waited silently until Wanda finished writing before speaking. "Ms. Hopkins."

Wanda set down her pen and looked at Elyse with concern. "Have you seen the online gossip? Do you understand the situation you're in?"

Elyse shook her head. "I'm sorry, I haven't had a chance to check the internet, but I've heard about it from Rebekah."

"Take a look for yourself," Wanda urged.

Elyse retrieved her phone and checked the trending topics, finding three entries related to her: #RealVictimTheGroom, #ElyseLloydCheatedOnHerGroom, and #CheatingBrideIsAViolinist. She selected the first hashtag.

The post claimed Theo hadn't abandoned her at the wedding; he had left after discovering her infidelity. Online users, unaware of the truth, had rallied to defend the bride and vilify the groom. The post correctly named Elyse Lloyd as the bride, but the true victim was, in fact, the groom. Elyse bore the brunt of the accusations.

... (The ellipsis indicates the continuation of the story)