"Are you trying to humiliate me?" Vanessa clutched the microphone, her delicate voice trembling with crocodile tears. "All my life, you've fought me for everything… I gave you Lu Zhe because you're my sister. Can't you let me have something?"
Her sobs echoed, igniting the crowd. Accusations flew:
"Lila, get off the stage! Copying someone's project and daring to present it?" "Have some shame! Vanessa's being so forgiving—give yourself an out!"
The louder the chaos, the more Lila's heart sang. Perfect storm. Susan piled on, venom dripping: "Lila, if we hadn't pitied you, you'd never have set foot in the Jo house! I'm cutting you off—the Jo family doesn't harbor scum like you!"
"Scum?" Lila's laugh was icy. If not for Jo An's past aid to her mother, she'd have severed ties long ago. She locked eyes with Lu Zhe, who watched from the audience, his brow furrowed, dissecting the farce.
"Lu Zhe," she said, voice steady, "do you trust me?"
His gaze met hers. After weeks of growing closer, he knew her better now. He nodded slowly. "I do."
In that moment, Lila's pent-up hurt and doubt melted. She shot Wendy a look—showtime.
The organizer, head pounding from the uproar, clapped for silence. Fixing Lila with a scrutinizing stare, he asked, "Lila, did you plagiarize?"
She shook her head, eyes blazing. "No. The real plagiarist is spouting lies."
"How do you prove it?" he pressed, intrigued. He'd assumed Lila was guilty, but her defiance earned her a chance.
Lila's smile was serene as she turned to Vanessa. "Since you claim this is your original work, mind if I ask a few questions?"
Vanessa faltered, expecting tears or begging. Still, she played cool. "Go ahead."
"What's the project's core purpose?" Lila's voice rang clear.
Vanessa hesitated. "It's… unifying membership accounts for easy management."
Lila shook her head. "That's just the tool. The goal is profit. Our platform lowers prices to draw users while keeping merchant revenue steady—a win-win. That's why they'll buy in."
The organizer nodded, gesturing for more.
Vanessa sneered. "That doesn't erase your theft!"
Lila stayed calm. "No rush. My PPT has market research, software simulations, equity splits, and risk assessments." She clicked through, unveiling detailed, airtight slides.
Investors in the crowd murmured approval, eyes gleaming. Vanessa's face drained of color, sensing the tide turning.
She forced a breath, snapping, "That proves nothing!"
Lila pulled out a document. "This is the project's patent application." She handed the red-stamped original to the organizer.
Gasps rippled through the audience. Vanessa lunged, jabbing at the paper. "It's fake!"
Unfazed, Lila produced a recorder. "This is me and my senior discussing the project months ago, proving our concept." She hit play, her senior's voice echoing clearly.
Vanessa collapsed onto the steps, muttering, "Impossible…"
The crowd erupted:
"She stole from Lila!" "Who'd have guessed without the evidence?"
Susan, panicking, rushed to yank Vanessa up. But Vanessa, unhinged, lunged at Lila, hands clamping her throat. Chaos exploded. "You bitch! You set me up from the start!"
Vanessa's grip was fierce, Lila struggling to break free, coughing as she tugged at her hands.
"Enough!" Jo An roared, his face like forged steel, his glare silencing the crowd. "Stop this now!"
Lila, gasping, stood tall, her voice cold. "Did you know plagiarizing a patented work is a crime?"
Before she finished, Jo An's hand cracked across her face.
The room froze. Lila touched her stinging cheek, eyes flashing with hurt. "Vanessa's the thief, not me. What's wrong with exposing her?"
Vanessa, sensing Jo An's sway, clung to him, cooing, "Dad, I just borrowed my sister's work. Why make it a big deal?"
Susan chimed in, "She's young, naive… Lila, you ungrateful wretch! How dare you frame your sister after all the Jo family's done?"
Lila's laugh was bitter. "Naive? She stole my work, slandered me, and watched me get torn apart. We're six months apart—why does she get your endless excuses?"
Memories flooded back: a broken vase meant a day of hunger for Lila, while Vanessa's smashed TV earned praise; the engagement banquet's baseless slap. "Because I'm the adopted kid?" she challenged Jo An. "So I deserve to be crushed, humiliated, even when I'm the victim?"
"Lila…" Lu Zhe stepped forward, his voice soft. She doesn't belong with them. They've never treated her as family. "Enough. Come home with me."
"Lu Zhe, she's a venomous snake!" Vanessa stomped, playing pitiful. "Why trust her?"
Jo An's face tightened. He knew Vanessa's schemes but saw the bigger picture: this mess—schemed or not—tarnished the Jo name. Sighing, he turned to her. "Apologize to Lila. Now."
Vanessa's jaw clenched, but she was cornered. "Sorry, Lila… I copied your project. Forgive me."
Lila's goal was met. She gave Vanessa a cool glance. "One more time: don't cross me." Taking Lu Zhe's hand, she walked out.
Vanessa watched them leave, fists tight, hatred boiling.
The scandal didn't end there. Campus forums, school notices, and gossip blogs exploded, shredding Vanessa's "pure" image. To quell the storm, Jo An pushed Lila to issue a statement.
Lila didn't hesitate. Hours later, the school's website posted her words: "I'm sorry… my mistake. I didn't know you were 'joking' by stealing my work. All blame's on me, not Vanessa."
The single line sparked a firestorm online. Vanessa, holed up at home, raged, too humiliated to step outside.