Chapter 3

Across from me, Sophia comforted Gregory in a low voice. She seemed to have forgotten our years of friendship, launching into criticism without hesitation.

"Even though I've known Chloe longer, the depth of a relationship isn't measured by time. I can confirm what Gregory is saying is true. I was there when Chloe visited his home.

"When Gregory found out Chloe was coming over, he messaged me the night before saying he was too excited to sleep. He asked me about all of Chloe's preferences. His mom went to the market early in the morning, not wanting Chloe to feel unwelcome."

She concluded: "Chloe, I don't even recognize you anymore. Gregory has done so much for you. You're both my friends - do you know how awkward this puts me in the middle?"

I blinked in confusion, wondering when they had taken acting classes behind my back. They were masters at twisting the truth.

The events were true, but coming from their mouths, the story was unrecognizable.

I shouted: "They're lying! I never accepted any of his money!"

The audience nearly drowned me out with their angry shouts. They looked down on me from their high horses.

"Look how defensive she's getting, raising her voice to intimidate us. Classic guilty behavior."

"Gregory's story is logical and backed up with evidence. We saw the transfer records - he sent money 25 times in one month."

A child's voice piped up: "But this lady doesn't seem like someone who would lie..."

An audience member retorted: "Little girl, you're too young to understand. You can't judge a book by its cover. The ones who look the most innocent often have the deepest schemes!"

The host didn't bother hiding his disdain: "Since Ms. Chloe claims she's been wronged, let's turn to our on-site reporter."

The camera cut to a seven-story apartment building.

"Hello everyone, I'm the on-site reporter for the show. I'm now at the entrance of Mr. Gregory's home. We'll be interviewing his mother next."

After a few knocks, a woman with graying hair and a wrinkled face opened the door.

As she poured tea, the reporter's camera panned around the room.

I would recognize this place anywhere - it was Gregory's home!

The reporter accepted the tea politely and asked: "Ma'am, did you know your son is participating in our relationship advice show today?"

The woman nodded: "Yes, he told me before going. It was a difficult decision for him. As you can see, we live in a small apartment and still have a mortgage to pay. We need to save up for his future wife's dowry too. It's so hard for ordinary people to save money these days. He really had no choice."

The reporter got straight to the point:

"Ma'am, did Chloe ever visit your home? How did you treat her?"

The woman's face fell as she shakily stood up, pointing at a calendar: "Yes, I even marked the date. It was the first time my son brought a girl home - how could I not take it seriously?"

On the desk was a Crayon Shin-chan calendar with March 12th circled in red.

My heart sank. That circle definitely wasn't there when I visited...

They were putting on quite a show.

Gregory's mother perfectly embodied the image of a self-sacrificing, devoted parent.

"I went to the market at 5 AM to buy ingredients for soup, crab, oysters, shrimp, fish, snails - you name it. To be honest, we don't eat this well even during Chinese New Year.

"My son was hurt badly in a previous relationship. It took him a long time to move on. If Chloe was serious about dating my son, we wouldn't mind the money spent. We're not stingy people. I may be old, but I'm not old-fashioned. It's normal for men to spend money on their girlfriends.

"But they weren't even officially together! She didn't reject him but didn't accept him either. What kind of behavior is that?"

Across from me, Gregory fell to his knees, his voice filled with anguish: "Mom, I'm sorry for being so foolish. I'm a grown man but still causing you worry."

The audience was moved to tears by this scene. Even the host discreetly wiped his eyes.

"A parent's love knows no bounds. No matter how old we get, we're always our parents' babies. Let's continue watching."

The next segment showed the reporter interviewing neighbors downstairs.

The older residents gossiped amongst themselves.

"Gregory? He's a good kid. Whenever anyone in the building needs something fixed, he's always there to help."

"You're right, it's rare to find such an honest young man these days. He doesn't gamble or chase women. I wanted to introduce my niece to him, but he wasn't interested."

"He's very hardworking too. Sometimes I see him coming home late from overtime. He really earns every penny."

I stood on stage, utterly bewildered.

When I had visited Gregory's home, I overheard neighbors complaining about his family being stingy and inconsiderate...

How had public opinion shifted so drastically?

A water bottle suddenly smashed against my head. The pain snapped me back to reality.

An audience member shouted: "I knew you were a bad woman from the start. Gold diggers like you should die!"

Everyone else remained silent. I could read schadenfreude written all over their faces.

After the audience member finished venting, the host waved security over to escort him out.

"Just a small interruption, folks. Let's all stay calm and continue following the reporter's investigation. We'll let the facts speak for themselves."