Chapter 5

As soon as I finished speaking, the entire class erupted into laughter.

"Oh my God, Bertha looks all quiet and reserved, but she's really out here living it up with side gigs!"

"Who even keeps such a meticulous record of their transactions in Excel?!"

"Did Bertha predict that someone would try to slander her? This looks like it was planned."

"Well, Vanessa definitely seems like she's just making stuff up. Bertha doesn't look guilty at all."

The room buzzed with excitement as everyone discussed my side jobs.

Meanwhile, Vanessa stood up, visibly out of place.

Seeing all the attention shift toward me, Vanessa's face went from pale to a shade of deep red.

She clearly hadn't anticipated that I would have taken on such a variety of side jobs during my free time, nor that I would have kept detailed records, even taking videos of my work and screenshots of every payment.

She quickly regained her composure and was about to speak up, but I didn't give her the chance.

"Vanessa, you're claiming I used class funds to buy luxury shoes and bags," I continued, "But the truth is, I earned the money myself."

I paused, giving her a pointed look. "Even if I didn't have side jobs, my family could support me. Does buying expensive items mean I must have stolen or misused funds?"

The students who had previously looked uneasy at Vanessa's remarks suddenly started clapping.

"Exactly! Just because someone doesn't have money doesn't mean they should assume others are stealing!

"What a loser. Always thinking that the others are as filthy as her."

My roommate was among the clappers.

I've introduced her to several part-time jobs, and she wasn't going to stay silent now that Vanessa had slandered me.

Afterward, she gave me a wink of encouragement.

Vanessa, unable to handle the backlash, started to lose her cool.

Typically, she liked to maintain a soft, agreeable image in front of the class.

She made sure to be overly friendly, especially during events, so that she could earn a reputation as being approachable.

This had led her to believe that she was the center of attention.

Now, with her true nature exposed in front of everyone, she couldn't contain her anger any longer.

"Stop making wild accusations!" she yelled. "You have no idea what kind of person I am! Do you think I'm just going to let you slander me like this?

"Even if Bertha did work to earn money for luxury goods, that doesn't prove she didn't use class funds. The money's all in her hands, and she can say whatever she wants.

"Do you even know where our money is?"

Her voice, raised in frustration, echoed throughout the room. The students winced, clearly disturbed by her outburst.

After a moment of silence, they started exchanging looks.

Some seemed to think Vanessa had a point because the class funds had never been accounted for.

Others still felt something didn't add up and wanted more clarity.

But the majority seemed to be waiting for me to explain.

After all, Caroline was present, along with a few department leaders.

This class meeting had a formal tone, and the stakes were higher than usual.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Caroline stepped in.

It seemed that the evidence I'd presented had swayed the room in my favor, as Caroline's tone was more measured now. "Bertha, as a class officer, you set an example for everyone. Now that a classmate has raised doubts, it's your responsibility to present evidence for everyone to see.

"Whether or not there has been any misappropriation of funds, justice will prevail. I'll never wrong any innocent student."

Caroline then turned to Vanessa.

"Vanessa, calm down. If Bertha really misused class funds, I will not condone it. We will take appropriate action, as we cannot tolerate any improper behavior in this class."