That Scandalous Year

18. The Blog Post

"Oc-to-ber! Yeah, boy!" Vladimir excitedly mock-punched Edward's left shoulder as they waited for their food at Happy Wok.

It was the first Friday of October, and the sun was high up in an almost cloudless sky.

Vlad continued his monologue about why he loved October. "It's like a second chance at summer," he concluded.

He wasn't only happy because of a new month, but also because Clead was back with them again after weeks of being a hermit.

"In case you're forgetting," Edward chirped in, "late October brings strong typhoons as well. Some of them were historically destructive. We weren't even alive yet then, but here we are and we know them."

Vlad lost his smile and dropped his back on the chair. "Thanks for killing my mood."

Edward shook his head at him and faced Clead. "So, what now?"

"Oh," Clead sighed. "That. Well, yeah... I think that's about it."

"So, you're cleared now?" Vlad concernedly asked. "Like, the school believes you now?"

Clead nodded. "I've just been informed the other day. My parents said Miss Rana herself called them. I'm cleared."

A week after his secret chat with Richelle—which happened, thanks in part to that other secret chat with Marie—the whole HRS community was glued to the webpages of Little Miss Nobody once again.

Edward texted Clead that day: I know you don't read the LMN blog, but you have to right about now!

Here it goes, Clead said to himself as he breathed a sigh of relief while he surfed through the blog.

Set him free (title by admin)
Submitted by: 5centimetersperse

Hi, LMN. This is Richelle. You know, the senior who got knocked up, caught, and eventually expelled? Yes, it's me. And this is real.

I'm writing to you to set the record straight because I'm tired of hiding the truth. I'm sick of having this guilt that someone else had to carry a burden I caused.

Clead is innocent.

I am not.

And as much as I want to let everything out for the truth to finally prevail, all I can say is that Clead is not the father of my unborn child. And I'm doing this so everyone would eventually stop hounding him and just let him be.

I wronged him. And I'm so sorry for everything.

I'm also hoping that this will put an end to all the rumors and the legal drama that no one ever wished to be a part of.

I made a mistake. And I will forever take that with me. But it's not okay that it's become a gossip topic to be feasted on. Or an opportunity to milk some money from someone. There's an innocent life involved here, ffs! So, I had to do something for those nasty whispers to quiet down. And for the lawyers to stop. I'm doing what is right. I hope everyone else would too.

This won't be amusing for my family, but lying to everybody else is worse.

I just want to continue living my life in peace. As everyone should.

I'm asking this favor, LMN, to have this message posted in your blog as my way of doing my part of correcting a wrong that should not have gone this far. TY.

-end-

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