Even Dexter was momentarily stunned, staring at Kayla. She wished she could slap herself for speaking without thinking, but the words were out. "Dad, Mom," she explained carefully, "I just found out and haven't had a chance to tell you yet."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Uh, well..." Kayla bit her lip. She'd intended to make an excuse, but Myra and Dexter's expressions were already serious and unwavering. Under pressure, she admitted, "I heard it from classmates, in a group chat."

"What group?"

Kayla hesitated, then reluctantly handed over her phone. Felicia's name was everywhere in the group chat. The most striking announcement detailed Felicia's difficult upbringing—far too much to summarize briefly. Myra gasped, covering her mouth as she read, her heart sinking with each line. Her biological daughter had lived with another family, deprived of food and clothing, forced to do chores, earn money, and endure beatings at a young age. Several photos circulated in the group showed Felicia looking shabby and unkempt. These images fueled relentless attacks, filled with cruel insults like "hick," "country bumpkin," and "dreamer hoping to rise above her station." Myra was furious, wishing she could confront these bullies.

Dexter's gaze intensified as he scrutinized Kayla, suspicion creeping into his voice. "Kayla, tell me the truth. Is this group set up to bully Felicia?"

Kayla's heart raced. She hadn't expected him to see through her, and regretted speaking impulsively. If she couldn't cover this up, Myra and Dexter would surely resent her. Feeling wronged, she said, "Dad, I don't know. I was just added to the group, and I tried to defend Felicia several times. But they flooded the chat so quickly that no one paid attention to me..." There was evidence, however. Scrolling through the chat history revealed a message from Kayla: "Please don't talk about my sister like that."

Dexter's expression softened slightly, but his next question was sharper: "Kayla, if you knew these people had such malicious intentions toward Felicia, why did you insist on her attending this college?" It was hard not to question Kayla's judgment.

Even Myra was taken aback, increasingly uneasy.

Kayla began to cry, indignation and frustration warring on her face. "Why am I being blamed for everything? This isn't my fault! Mom, Dad, you're being too biased!"

Dexter remained silent, his demeanor firm, awaiting an explanation.

Choking back tears, Kayla said, "Khogend College is the best college in Khogend. Who wouldn't want to attend? We can't just stop learning because of a few rumors, can we? I was only trying to help Felicia. How did I become the villain?" Her explanation was logical and persuasive. Coupled with her tears, it garnered sympathy, making it hard to fault her. Dexter might even owe her an apology.

As if sensing this, Dexter said awkwardly, "Alright, alright, it's my fault. Please stop crying."

Kayla ignored him, her eyes still red. Myra glared at Dexter, blaming him for his harshness.

Then Felicia laughed, cutting to the chase: "I want to know who dug up all this information about me and who leaked it."