Chapter 3The Smear Campaign

I didn't notice when Chloe had slipped into the office, but she sat down with perfectly timed, red-rimmed eyes.

"Professor, she's been telling people she has a 'special relationship' with Liam for a while now. We all tried to talk some sense into her, but she wouldn't listen."

My advisor looked at her, then looked at me.

"Harper, Chloe is the Vice President of the Student Government. She has no reason to frame you."

"Go back to your dorm and write a detailed statement explaining your actions."

"Your award eligibility is temporarily suspended."

I opened my mouth.

I wanted to say that she was the only one who had a reason to frame me.

But Chloe had already helpfully opened the office door for me.

She stepped aside to let me pass, whispering:

"It's not personal, Harper."

"I just think some things needed to be brought to light."

She was a sophomore.

Polite. Polite like a court subpoena.

When I walked out of the office, my phone was already blowing up.

The top trending post on the university forum:

[SHOCKING! Top Ten Student Exposed as a Gold-Digger Harassing the Campus Heartthrob! Texts Leaked!]

The top comment:

[No wonder she always wears nice clothes to the dining hall. Now we know how she affords them.]

I looked down at the jacket I was wearing.

It was a jacket Liam had thrown at me because he thought it was too big.

He said it made him look fat.

A 6'2" guy with 10% body fat told me a jacket made him look fat.

When my grandmother gave birth to him, she must have left his brain in the delivery room.

I sent Liam a text.

[Uncle Liam, we have a problem. Your crazy fangirl just plastered our texts on the jumbotron.]

The message bounced back with a red exclamation mark.

His phone was confiscated for the decathlon week.

He was currently MIA.

Great.

My biological uncle is off the grid.

The niece is socially dead.

This family is falling apart.