Saturday morning brought a storm to the Lane household, though the sky outside was clear.
In her bedroom, Faye sat scrolling through the school's online forum. Her mood, usually dampened by Ren's recent successes, was soaring.
An anonymous post had rocketed to the top of the "Hot" section in less than thirty minutes. The title was bold and scandalous:
**[Exposed: The Secret Behind a Certain Transfer Student's Wealth. Late Night Luxury Cars and a Sugar Daddy?]**
Attached was a grainy, low-light photograph.
It showed a street corner under a dim yellow streetlight. Ren was standing next to a sleek black sedan—a Mercedes S-Class. The rear door was open, and standing beside it was a middle-aged man in a suit. His face was partially obscured by shadows, but his posture suggested authority. He was leaning in, seemingly urging Ren to get into the car.
The comments section was a cesspool of speculation.
*"Oh my god, is that Ren?"*
*"That explains everything. The Herman Miller chair, the expensive perfume... I knew a girl from the countryside couldn't afford that."*
*"He looks old enough to be her father. Disgusting."*
*"So she didn't get into the Physics team by talent? Did this 'Sugar Daddy' pull strings with the Principal?"*
Faye read the comments, a cold smile playing on her lips.
It all made sense now. The confidence, the connections, the sudden rise in status. It wasn't genius; it was corruption. Ren had found a sponsor.
The door to her room burst open. Vera stormed in, her face pale with rage, clutching her phone so tightly her knuckles were white.
"Faye," Vera hissed, her voice trembling. "Did you see it? Did you see what your sister has done? How could she be so shameless?"
"Mom, calm down," Faye said, masking her glee with a look of concern. "Maybe it's a misunderstanding. Ren has been... different since she came back. Maybe she was blinded by the city lights. We should ask her before we judge."
Vera shook her head, her eyes filled with disappointment. "Misunderstanding? The photo is right there! Get dressed. We're going to your Aunt Sara's house. I need to hear her deny it to my face."
***
The atmosphere in Aunt Sara's small, cramped apartment was suffocating.
Ren was sitting at the kitchen table, peeling garlic for her aunt. It was a mundane, domestic task that seemed miles away from the sordid rumors swirling online.
The door banged open. Vera marched in, followed by a hesitant Faye. Vera didn't waste time with pleasantries. She slammed her phone onto the table, the screen displaying the damning photo.
"Ren!" Vera screamed. "Explain this! Who is this man?"
Ren didn't flinch. She finished peeling a clove of garlic, dropped it into a ceramic bowl, and then slowly looked up. Her eyes were calm, almost bored.
"Explain what?" Ren asked.
"Don't play dumb with me!" Vera pointed a shaking finger at the screen. "Where did you get the money to buy expensive imported medicine for your grandmother? Where did you get the money to buy brand-name sneakers for your cousin? I thought you were saving up from part-time jobs, but is this your job? Selling yourself to some old man?"
Aunt Sara dropped the ladle she was holding. "Sister! What are you saying? Ren isn't like that!"
"Look at the picture, Sara!" Vera yelled, tears of anger welling in her eyes. "She's getting into a stranger's car at midnight! Ren, I know I haven't been the best mother, but I never taught you to be cheap! I will not allow my daughter to ruin the family reputation for money!"
Ren stood up. The wooden chair scraped loudly against the floor.
She looked at Vera—the woman who had abandoned her in the countryside for twelve years, the woman who only cared about face.
"My money is clean," Ren said, her voice dropping to absolute zero. "As for who that man is... you don't have the right to know."
"I'm your mother! I have every right!" Vera shrieked.
Ren picked up her backpack and slung it over one shoulder. She looked at Vera with a gaze so cold it made Vera step back involuntarily.
"If you want to believe I'm that kind of person," Ren said, walking past them to the door, "then go ahead. I don't care."
She walked out, slamming the door behind her, cutting off Vera's sobbing and Faye's hollow attempts at comfort.
***
Monday morning at Wolven High.
The rumor mill had churned all weekend, and by the time Ren arrived on campus, everyone was staring. Whispers followed her down the hallway like a shadow.
She hadn't even made it to her classroom before she was intercepted by the hall monitor.
"Student Ren, the Director of Education wants to see you. Now."
Ren adjusted her cap and changed direction toward the administration building.
Inside the Director's office, the air was thick with tension.
The Director sat behind his large oak desk, looking grave. To his right sat Ms. Lee, a teacher known for her strict adherence to rules and her dislike of "troublemakers" like Ren.
"Student Ren," the Director began, trying to keep his tone neutral. He remembered Principal Shaw's warning to treat Ren with care, but this situation was explosive. "We received multiple anonymous reports regarding a post on the school forum. It alleges improper conduct with an older man outside of school hours. This affects the school's reputation."
He turned his laptop screen around, showing the photo.
"Do you have an explanation?" the Director asked.
Ren stood in the middle of the room, hands in her pockets, posture relaxed. "No explanation."
Ms. Lee slammed her hand on the armrest of her chair. "Look at her attitude! Director, she isn't even denying it! Ren, do you have no shame? You're a high school student! Running around at night with men old enough to be your grandfather—is this how you got into the Physics team? Did he pay for your spot?"
The Director frowned at Ms. Lee. "Ms. Lee, stick to the facts." He turned back to Ren. "Ren, if this is a relative, just tell us. We can issue a statement and clear this up. Is he your uncle? Your father's friend?"
Ren looked at the Director, then at the sneering Ms. Lee. She let out a short, dry laugh.
"He's not a relative."
Ms. Lee's eyes lit up with triumph. "Hah! She admitted it! Director, we have to expel her. We can't let this kind of moral rot infect the other students!"
"But I do know him," Ren interrupted, her voice cutting through Ms. Lee's tirade.
"Who is he then?" the Director asked, rubbing his temples. "Just give us a name."
Ren leaned forward slightly, her dark eyes locking onto the Director's.
"His name is **Fitz**."
The room went silent for a second.
"Fitz?" Ms. Lee scoffed. "What kind of name is that? Is he a foreigner? A foreign businessman?"
The Director, however, froze. His face went from flushed to ghostly pale in an instant. He stood up so abruptly his chair tipped over backward.
"Fitz?" the Director stammered, his voice trembling. "You mean... *Mayor* Fitz?"
Ren nodded casually. "Is there another man with that name in Moon City who drives an Audi with government plates?"
The silence in the room became deafening.
Ms. Lee's mouth hung open. The smug look on her face shattered, replaced by sheer horror.
What had she just said?
*Old man?*
*Sugar Daddy?*
*Moral rot?*
She had just accused the highest-ranking official in the city—the Mayor himself—of soliciting a minor for sex.
"You... you know the Mayor?" the Director whispered, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"I do," Ren said, checking her fingernails. "He owes me a favor. He keeps trying to invite me to dinner to pay it back. That night, he was trying to give me some documents for my grandmother. I refused the ride because he talks too much."
The Director felt like he was having a stroke.
She refused the Mayor's ride because he *talks too much*?
"This... this is a misunderstanding," the Director choked out. He turned to Ms. Lee with a glare that could peel paint. "Ms. Lee! Who allowed that post to stay up all weekend? Do you have any idea what you've done? If the Mayor's office sees this, if they see that our teachers are accusing him of... of *that*... we are all finished! The school will be shut down!"
Ms. Lee was shaking like a leaf. "I... I didn't know... I thought..."
"You thought?" Ren raised an eyebrow, looking at the teacher with cool disdain. "Teacher, having a brain is a good thing. I suggest you use it next time before you accuse someone. Maybe watch the local news once in a while."
Ren turned to leave.
"Wait, Student Ren!" The Director scrambled around his desk, his attitude transforming from inquisitor to servant. "This was a grave error on the school's part. We will delete the post immediately! We will track down the IP address of the poster and punish them severely! Please... please don't mention this to Mayor Fitz."
Ren paused at the door, glancing back over her shoulder.
"Depends on my mood."
She walked out, leaving the Director collapsing into his chair and Ms. Lee hyperventilating in the corner.
***
Outside the administration building, the sun was shining.
Ren pulled out her phone. She opened a tracking app she had written herself.
She had traced the IP address of the anonymous poster the night before. It came from the Lane family villa. Specifically, from a device registered to Faye.
Ren tapped the screen, deleting the forum thread herself before the school IT department could even log in.
"You want to play dirty?" Ren whispered, her eyes dark and dangerous. "Fine. Let's see who breaks first."
**[Chapter 51 End]**