Falling for the Goddess

She's Someone's Muse

The Moore family's financial situation spiraled further into chaos. With banks refusing to grant loans and their capital chain broken, the family business teetered on the brink of collapse. Under immense pressure, Lisa Moore finally issued an apology online.

Her post admitted that all her claims were baseless and fabricated, and she apologized for isolating Sara Hart during high school.

"Out of jealousy and resentment, I made baseless accusations against Sara Hart, maligning her character with fabricated stories based on a few photographs. I extend my heartfelt apologies to her.
Furthermore, I also apologize for my immature behavior in high school, where I instigated my classmates to isolate and bully her because the boy I liked showed interest in her.
Sara Hart, I'm sorry."

Lisa Moore posted the apology using the same account that had published the defamatory posts. The topic, which hadn't yet faded from public interest, surged back into the spotlight with this shocking twist. Her apology, however, was cold and formulaic, raising suspicions among the audience:

"All traces of the earlier rumors have been wiped clean, and now there's this sudden apology? This screams cover-up."
"Looks like there's definitely some powerful backer behind her."
"This apology feels insincere."
"I knew Sara Hart couldn't be that kind of person! Spreading baseless rumors about someone is truly disgusting."
"If you were forced to apologize, blink twice!"

Sara scrolled through the comments, her expression unreadable as she read Lisa Moore's insincere apology and the mounting speculation online. She knew Lisa Moore wasn't truly remorseful—her actions were born from coercion, not regret.

Adrian Blake, having seen the post as well, immediately called Charlie Scott, instructing him to continue exerting pressure on the Moore family. A hollow apology that left room for further speculation was not enough. Sara deserved better.

But what surprised everyone was the unexpected involvement of another person—the unnamed boy from the original post. He broke his silence with a comment that sent shockwaves through the discussion:

"Hello, everyone. I'm Chuck Smith, the boy mentioned in the original post, and Lisa Moore's so-called ex-boyfriend.
We were all classmates in high school. Lisa Moore pursued me during the summer before our first year, and, being young and naïve, I agreed. But we broke up before the school term even started.
During our first semester, Sara Hart and I were seatmates. I developed a crush on her because of her looks—typical youthful infatuation. However, she was reserved and rarely spoke to me. There was never any inappropriate behavior on her part. By the second semester, we weren't even seatmates and had little interaction.
Sara was always focused on her studies and excelled academically, eventually earning a recommendation to Northern City University. We lost touch after graduation.
Lisa Moore, our relationship was a childish fling. Let's not drag others into it.
Sara, I'm sorry that my feelings back then caused you trouble. I didn't expect my actions to affect you even years later. I apologize."

Chuck Smith's comment, posted under the original thread, quickly became the top reply, sparking a frenzy of reactions:

"Wait, Chuck Smith? Isn't he that handsome student from Tech University?!"
"This is wild! So the whole drama started with high school jealousy?"
"Major respect to Chuck Smith for coming forward and clearing things up. White moonlight vibes, for sure."
"Is he still carrying a torch for her? I'm suddenly shipping this!"
"Lisa Moore... I knew her in middle school. Rich kid with a nasty attitude."
"Sara was actually isolated and bullied back then... Poor girl."

The comment section lit up with people chiming in, including former classmates who corroborated Sara Hart's version of events. Gradually, more voices came forward to defend her.

Sara stared at Chuck's comment, lost in thought. She never expected him to speak up for her after all these years, especially given how little they had interacted since high school.

Adrian, who had also seen the comment, walked over and sat beside her. "So this Chuck Smith," he said casually, "he liked you in high school?"

Startled, Sara snapped out of her daze. "Huh?"

Adrian's dark eyes flicked toward her phone screen, then back to her face.

"We haven't been in touch since graduation," Sara said softly, still processing the turn of events. "I didn't expect him to defend me like this."

The tide of public opinion had shifted, much to Adrian 's satisfaction. As for Lisa Moore, he had his own plans for her.

Adrian's thoughts lingered on a comment he'd seen earlier: "Sara Hart must have been Chuck Smith's rosebud."

Even after all these years, it seemed she'd left a lasting impression on him.

"What were you like in high school?" Adrian asked, his curiosity piqued. "Do you have any high school photos in that album of yours?"

At the mention of her photo album, Sara grew visibly flustered. "No... I didn't take many photos in high school. Just the graduation photo. Want to see?"

"Sure."

"I'll go grab it."

Sara went to her desk and retrieved her graduation photo. Adrian's gaze briefly flicked to the album sitting nearby. She seemed unusually protective of it, which only fueled his curiosity.

When she handed him the photo, his eyes immediately found her in the crowd of youthful faces.

She stood out in her simple white blouse and jeans, her high ponytail tied neatly, with soft strands tucked behind her ears, exposing her smooth forehead. Her fair complexion and quiet demeanor exuded an innocent charm, though her expression was reserved, her gaze lacking the lively sparkle it had now.

Knowing what she had endured in high school, Adrian felt a pang of sympathy.

As Sara looked at the photo, a touch of nostalgia crept into her voice. "Doesn't it look... kind of childish?"

Adrian's lips curved into a small smile. "Not at all. You look beautiful."

Beautiful enough to be someone's muse—and perhaps, his.