Chapter 382: An Intricate Deception

Penelope allegedly resisted Carlos' advances but then claimed she didn't want to be involved. Numerous photos, audio recordings, and videos were released to support her claims. The photographs purportedly depicted physical contact from their past teaching sessions. However, online observers readily constructed narratives from minimal evidence; even ordinary interactions appeared abnormal once a story took hold. The recording was particularly misleading, having been taken out of context. Two conversations were especially perplexing:

"You must be out of your mind! I am your beloved student, how could you—" (Penelope's voice, crying)

"Do you really think that just because we shared a bed, I would be obligated to you? You're too naive!" (Carlos' angry voice)

The recording, seemingly made in a car, sparked much comment. Evian asked, "This is Carlos' voice, isn't it? But why would he say something like this?" Janice, her voice shaky, added, "Someone has confirmed the audio wasn't synthesized, but I have no idea what it's about." Rosalie commented, "Even if fabricated and taken out of context, such words could cause misunderstandings. No wonder she dared to make false accusations."

Isabella thought Penelope had impulsively made false accusations without considering the consequences, behaving like those who spread baseless rumors. The recorded conversation had occurred the night before, but Penelope had isolated the audio to mislead people. She even filmed in the rehearsal room. Isabella wondered if Penelope had planned to force Carlos into marriage. This thought infuriated those privy to her thoughts.

Isabella continued browsing posts, finding videos, each two to three seconds long, containing highly misleading footage. The final scenes, including the incident in the waiting room (where Penelope fell and Carlos caught her), were edited to make it seem as if Carlos had intentionally knocked her over and tried to force a kiss. Last night's incident was also included; Penelope was clearly crying while straddling Carlos, and she had blurred portions of the footage, pixelating parts of her body and Carlos's, to suggest she was being forced.

The video's brevity made it difficult to determine the truth, but viewers inevitably assumed Carlos was at fault. The story culminated in Penelope's suicide. The public viewed her as a victim, making the conclusion seem inevitable, despite dissenting voices from students and teachers familiar with Carlos, who felt he was wrongly accused. However, most strangers condemned him.

While Isabella read, news spread rapidly, and Carlos faced widespread criticism. The police station was busy; numerous students and teachers were summoned for questioning, including Carlos. Sarah was angry with Penelope's parents. Christopher, showing his phone to Alexander, complained, "Look at this, Alex. It's a problem. People don't care about the truth. They support the underdog and despise the powerful. The more perfect the powerful person appears, the more speculation there is. Spreading rumors is easy; debunking them is hard. Even if the truth prevails, few will see it."

Alexander agreed. The first information received often held the most weight, leading to conspiracy theories even when faced with the truth. Carlos, the teacher and esteemed Quirk heir, was in a position of power compared to Penelope, the ordinary student. From the moment the scandal broke, Carlos' reputation was severely damaged.