"What do you mean? Do you even have the nerve to ask me what I mean?" Principal Payne chuckled, saying, "Are you only satisfied when the school is turned upside down and full of chaos?"

"You mean me?" Willow Grant pointed to her nose in disbelief and asked, "Did I do something wrong? Isn’t it Summer Monroe who did something wrong? Why are you blaming me for causing chaos in the school instead of telling her off?"

The other students looked on, all suspiciously eyeing Principal Payne and Summer Monroe.

Their gazes maliciously swirled back and forth between the two, guessing. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Someone couldn’t help but speak up for Willow Grant: "Principal Payne, the archive room is already off-limits to unauthorized people. This student was clearly trying to persuade Summer Monroe out of good intentions, so why are you blaming her?"

"Yes, Principal, you shouldn’t blame this student; if anything, you should be blaming Summer Monroe."

Of course, those speaking up for Willow Grant were in the minority; most people still believed there might be other reasons behind this incident.

Willow Grant’s eyes were glistening with tears as she pursed her lips and said, full of grievance, "Yes, Principal, I truly don’t know what I did wrong. You can’t just indulge Summer Monroe because she brings popularity and benefits to the school without regard to right or wrong."

"Without regard to right or wrong, indulge her?" Principal Payne glared sharply at Willow Grant, then suddenly sighed with a bitter smile, saying, "You’re right, I indeed cannot indulge my students to make mistakes time and time again."

Willow Grant heard this, and for some reason, began to feel a chill down her spine.

In the next moment, she heard Principal Payne’s cold voice: "Willow Grant, for maliciously disrupting school order, slandering your classmates, and seriously delaying school affairs in the past, I, as the principal, impose the following punishment on you. You will receive one demerit, write a 3,000-word reflection, and publicly apologize to Summer Monroe at the flag-raising ceremony next Monday."

The words fell, and Willow Grant couldn’t believe her ears.

She widened her eyes and tightened her grip on the principal’s sleeve, asking, "Why am I being punished? On what grounds?! It was Summer Monroe who barged into the archive room ignoring all advice, not me. Why are you punishing me? On what grounds are you punishing me?"

The other students were stunned.

What... is going on with the principal??

They only heard Principal Payne speak again: "On what grounds am I punishing you? On the grounds..."

Principal Payne pointed to Summer Monroe, who hadn’t moved an inch, saying, "The key to the archive room was lent to Summer Monroe by me. Teacher Mio Osborne was present at the time, and I also registered it in the school affairs office. All of you can verify this point."

Willow Grant’s mind buzzed into a blank.

She stared dumbly in Summer Monroe’s direction, only to see a faint and indistinct curve on the latter’s tranquil lips.

That curve was enough to make one’s entire body tremble.

So... Summer Monroe had not barged into the archive room; she had Principal Payne’s authorization from the start!

No wonder!

No wonder when she had said those things, Summer Monroe stubbornly stayed in the archive room.

Summer Monroe wasn’t stupid at all; the stupid one was Willow herself, falling into Summer’s trap!

Principal Payne looked coldly at Willow Grant and asked, "Do you now understand why I’m punishing you?"

Willow Grant’s fingertips grew colder and colder, the chill spreading throughout her body.

The other students suddenly realized.

"So Summer Monroe never barged into the archive room; this girl was making things up!"

"This girl, her inner self is completely different from her appearances!"